Science and Communication: Seminar Tasks - Research Paper Example

Science and Communication: Seminar Research Tasks Week 3 Many activities aimed at furthering the public understanding of science is much accreditedto the public’s own effort exemplified by the grass roots activities of relaxation clubs and illness advocacy groups. These groups and clubs assist the public in acquiring the required information to satisfy their required curiosity in science. However, the public engagement in science has been facilitated and encouraged by influential agencies that have various agendas meant to revolutionize the relationship between science and the public. The governments, scientific community have recently offered the public a new lease on scientific world through various communication techniques for example allowing the public to participate in scientific events. The context below will observe the facilitators of these scientific projects in different places for example in Britain and Canada. The main target audience in Britain is the women and children. The links linking the women to science is through their groups and clubs while the children through education in schools and competitions within their communities. In Britain, the scientific sources seek to address science communication issues through written researches and initiatives. COPUS, (Christensen 2007), a technology committee founded in 1985 has introduced several schemes to promote science to the public as well as an annual book prize awarded to the overall winner of the yearly scientific competitions. The committee has also developed relations with organizations such as the women’s foundation. The committee has also set up initiatives to support formal science teaching in schools aiming to achieve excellence in not only science but also in mathematics at all engineering and technology levels. In Canada, there has been a Women’s Science Network which has been running for several years. They have formed committees that use the funds to increase the public science awareness and technology hence through allowing the women to budget for themselves and form credible organizations. Through the formed organization, scientific researchers would teach them about science hence economizing the available resources to benefit the whole community. The Women Science Network is controlled and mainly funded by the United States union of scientists who are the headquarters. COPUS in Britain is a scientific organization hence all its activities are authoritated and licensed by the scientific heads in the headquarters located in the United States. In both countries, the main target are the women and children as they realized that there is so much knowledge that has been eluded from the women realizing that these women have untapped potential in them. Common knowledge was also exercised in respect to the fact that the children will listen to their mothers. In both countries, there are similarities as they do have both the same target audience of women and children. They have also formed similar women organizations that assist their main aim of creating more understanding of science. The main difference occurs in the issue of funding where in Canada they are funded by the headquarters located in the U.S while in Britain, they fund their women organizations. Britain also does have yearly scientific competitions about science where there is an overall winner awarded but in Canada, one finds that they do not have the same approach as they focus mainly through the teaching offered in committees and organizations. Observing the styles used in both countries, they both use the reproach system where they use a second media to assist them in their goal which in both cases they use the committees and organizations formed by he women. Week 5 Comparing the articles provided in the context that is the obesity and the fat gene articles, there are several issues that usually develop from the various tests done by scientists. In terms of news value, several pointers come out for example in the obesity article; one finds that it is more of a report with no ground sources. The information gathered is as a result of several experiments carried out hence the value of the article is demeaning and does not attract a large consumer base. Observing the article about genes, there are ground sources depicted in the first article by the Sunday times (Hall 2006). As a result, one finds that it is has a bigger consumer base however it does not show the direct source of information even though one knows its ground based. This may make the reader to doubt the resourcefulness of the article. The second gene article by the Telegraph is the most resourceful in terms of news and content value. This is due to the fact that the article has highlighted the sources of the information with well stated quotes and highlights form prominent people in the scientific world. The stated facts were also factual and more usable by the public. Generally, this is what the consumer base is normally looking for when they read articles. The well informed readers usually look for clarity, simplicity and content quality and worthiness when they are going through the various articles in search of information. In light of the above articles, there are several factors that made the stories above be written down as articles in the magazines above. Those factors include the timing of the story. Most scientific stories are usually treated as recent news as well as stated facts. It is very easy to discard any news that more than a week old. The significance of the story does matter in terms of the number of people affected by a story. Observing the proximity a story, one finds that stories that happen nearer to a specific group of people has more significance to that particular of people nearer than the group that is further. However, proximity does not mean geographical distance but the manner in which people will relate better to news that are similar to their surrounding. Writing down a particular article on the same page with famous or popular people will attract more readers. This is the aspect of prominence where a story is run on the same page with prominent people. Another reason why a story makes headlines is the aspect of human interest. Scientific news is aspectolised according to the concept above as scientific news does not matter in a particular place and they also do not affect a large number of people at the same time. Observing the issue of why some stories appear in newspapers and others do not, there are several factors for example, the defensive part of the journalism. Most stories are usually hyperbolic in the sense that they are usually made up. After numerous reviews of the stories, many of the journalists rarely accept that the stories have been fed to them by unworthy sources. Another issue is the credits that the story will earn if it is run. Articles that cover major personalities are likely to return more credits than a story covering a certain civilian. This also extends to the significance of a story for example the presidential news or stories usually hold more ground and importance than the story about village dramas. Another concept that determines the worthiness of a story is its target audience for example one finds that stories that hold more values morally as well as including mature characters and stated facts usually run more in newspapers targeting the older and mature audiences. There is some news or events that will or rather create space for science views, acts and debates as the context below shall elaborate. There are several issues to consider for example the particular type of an event covered in news. There are some main concepts that cause major debates between realists for example Christians and scientists for example the issue surrounding the origin of humans. Scientists claim that the humans evolved through their many theories that they have hypothesized. On the other hand, some realists such as the Christians usually cling to religion stating that humans were created by a powerful being known as God. When these two sides clash, one finds that their debates create a podium for scientists to carry out analysis eventually experiments. In light of this, the news from the realists has led to the scientists going to the field to collect and gather more information to challenge the realists view. Week 8 The example cited below was derived from a consumer product packaged and labeled with a scientific name with which I will reflect on the information given stating what it means to me and how I will use it. The consumer product is labeled Phthalates, a group of chemicals called phthalic acid diesters. The product has a variety of uses for example industrial uses mainly for the manufacture of materials such as adhesives and some printing inks. It is found on the lubricating oils and a wide range of household and consumer goods. However, Phthalate has limited use when it comes to food packaging. Reflecting on the information above and its meaning, there are a few things that come out for example its clear that Phthalates are used in perfume cosmetics. It has also some usage in children’s toys, intravenous blood bags and other medical equipment, various paints and inks a well as floor coloring. Some foods may have low levels of Phthalates as it breaks down very easily and at a faster rate. I also gathered that there was some concern that Phthalates may have a harmful effect on human reproductive systems as they have been reported to be the endocrine disrupters. Endocrine disrupters are substances which have the potential to interact negatively with the hormone systems within the body. However there have some conclusive results that show that there is no direct link between being exposed to these chemicals and the human reproductive systems. This is because Phthalates have been found to affect the liver; however humans are a bit safe as they consume the product with food. Gathering of the information above, it is usually useful in several ways for example I learn how to check the scientific components in a product determining whether it is worthy to consume or not. I will also use the information to warn other consumers about being weary about the foods that contain lethal products as the one mentioned above. One article chosen titled “Pinning Down a Deadly Shape Shifter: Progress against the Malaria Parasite” (Carmichael 2010). The many scientists featured in the article believe that more people have died from Malaria than any other disease in history. They continue to say that the parasite that causes Malaria is widely resistant to the many forms of Malaria medication. Even though this is terrible news altogether for the regular man, the scientists claim it is good news to them. Analyzing what the context above is trying to achieve and how, it brings me to the basic common knowledge about sicknesses and health. Businesswise, the scientists will benefit from the continuing plague of Malaria as it means more employment to them. With the continuous deaths and more people getting sick, there is a sector in an economy that is rising commonly termed as vis-à-vis concept where one loss from another means more gain to another. The main point that the article above wanted to get across is that malaria does kill and it has no permanent cure as it varies form an individual to another using means such as claiming that the parasite causing malaria is resistant to many forms of malaria medication. The well informed readers will be able to figure out the main idea behind most of scientific researches and articles which is the high chance of probably never finding a solution to a particular stated problem. Week 9 The context below is about a research done on some recent activism by a group of extremists using scientific claims. The research focused on the activists who were fighting about animal rights issues. I agree with the animal rights activists when it comes down to the humaneness of animal research and that it needs to vigilantly maintained as there is a great framework in terms of improved society relations and technology. Some of the strategies that these activists used were as follows, first of all, humans have a responsibility to act humane, respectful and caring to one another and to other animals as well as nature, environment in general. I also believe that it does us all a disservice to ignore the basic hard facts of nature. This is the strategy or the basis of argument that the philosopher Peter Singer (Singer 1990) used to solidify his argument. Singer used his argument skillfully particularly when he used terms like speciesism, a discrimination based on species variation is strictly a human phenomena. Even if he never formed a thesis round this, globally, every species in the world practices speciesism. Speciecism is the act of putting the survival of a particular species first and above every other species among all other life forms. Singer argues that acting out of interest does not necessarily mean that one has to harm other species applying to humans as in the natural world, harming other species is never an issue in their quest for survival. Nature is exceedingly beautiful in its intricacy and remarkable in its ability to host life in wilderness but it is also the primarily cruel world to live in. With that in question, Natures ubiquitous nature does not automatically justify speciesism or any other form of violence, discrimination especially self interest motives. Singer had a very difficult task of determining where the line is drawn between the safeguarding of the animals from the mistreatment. The boundaries between the different species can be distinct for example the partition between humans and their closest animal relations. Another concept used by activist singer is the whether the issue of the laws to govern animals is the same as it applies to human beings. The animals would now have to carry out responsibilities in terms of upholding values and equal responsibilities, a thesis that can never come to fruition. Reference: Christensen L.L, (2007) The hands-on guide for science communicators: a step-by-step approach to public outreach. Pearson Education press. (200). http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=iUv2VltEvgIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Christensen+2007+The+hands-on+guide+for+science+communicators:+a+step-by-step+approach+to+public+outreach&source=bl&ots=0gBYTMOZjO&sig=6qwj1koitt8qhOCk4BciKxy770k&hl=en&ei=zp0LTfOTLtS48gOYvtXoDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Hall B. (2006) The Sunday Times Cryptic Crossword HarperCollins UK press. Carmichael M. (2010). A parasites genome is yielding clues to how malaria kills. American print. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=pinning-down-a-deadly Singer P. (1990) Animal liberation: towards an end to mans inhumanity to animals. Cape press. Read More