Popular Science magazine (online)

Image from here

The internet has revolutionised the way in which information is propagated to the mass audience, creating a communication web which encompasses the whole world. As a result, Newspapers, Magazines, Television Channels etc all have an associated website through which communication can continue, and Popular Science Magazine is no exception. I had a look through their website, to determine how effective and indeed engaging the site was.

My overall impression of the website was very positive, as it is well presented and entices you to have a look around. The home page includes their top articles from each of the different sections; How2.0, Science, Aviation and Space & Technology, as well as a PopSci blog section which instantly caught my eye. Navigation through the website is very simple, with the articles are clearly laid out in their respective categories. The articles themselves are from a varied range of topics, and in my opinion pitched at the right level for lay persons to understand. Links are available for further understanding on the topic.

I particularly liked the blog entry based on Laser tagging and graffiti technology (pictured), which enabled a building in Rotterdam to be used as a massive Etch-a-Sketch board.

Aminur Rahman

howstuffworks.com

How Stuff Works is an informative and easy to understand website which answers day to day questions to more complicated, specialised questions. It covers a wide range of areas including Health, Money, Science and Travel just to name a few. These categories are then sub-divided into about six areas which make the information needed easy to find.

The endless amount of topics, each contain animations, pictures or video clips which not only increases the audiences’ understanding of the topic but also keeps the audience entertained! Having a glance at the topics increased my curiosity of how things do work and I believe I could spend hours on the website to increase my general knowledge and have all my curiosities answered!

The audience are able to sign up for weekly news updates from the website keeping them up-to-date with all the great stuff going on in the world and it also contains brain teasers, not only for fun but also to challenge the audience. A new feature of the website is the section on readers’ opinions where the audience are open to discussion boards in which they can state their opinions and views of various topics.

The downside of this website is that the immediate presentation is not as attractive to the eye as say the BBC Science and Nature Website. The BBC website caught my eye straightaway and I was curious to have a look around, whereas, it was only after I had a look around the ‘how stuff works’ website that I found the positives of the site.

Younsuk Oh

session 17: the internet

Comic-strip from xkcd.com - a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language, mainly because I like the idea of a internet-shaped cake.

Today's lecture started with a link to last week's discussion on realism and persuasion in popular science books. I introduced the class to "bob the balloon" who demonstrated, in a very hands on way, Newton's Third of Motion.

We then, more seriously, we looked through some science website before discussing topics of authority, access and the history of hypertext. I asked the class to think about what elements of a website make it appear trustworthy. Examples included: how high it was on google-searches, whether it had commenting, linked to other rebutable sites, had advertising on it, had been updated recently, seemed big and well designed. Of course, we can be fooled by many of these, the pregnant man website I promised to link to is here.

The second half was a group activity where I asked people to design a site for a (hypothetical) telecommunications gallery at the Science Museum. We had some great ideas; interfaces based on history of mobile phones, various styles of virtual tour, many different ideas about involving texting visitors and ways of using 3G or VOIP technology to get people in the gallery and outside to interact.

The Kids Know It Network: Biology Domain

The Kids Know It Network is an online-learning network, a lot like a virtual homework club. It is divided into sections. Biology is predominant, but there are maths, geography and geology networks too. Unfortunately, the physical sciences are sadly underrepresented.

As a biologist, I had a nose around the biology sections. The network is easy to navigate, and the information is clearly presented and uses the same adult but child-like language your favourite primary school teacher used to use.

Each section starts off very basic, but on the whole progresses to fairly detailed explanations. The wordsearch in the games section includes words like ‘macronucleus’ and ‘chromatin’, giving an idea of the depth the website goes into and also an idea of the poor quality of the games!

Information includes a network on human biological systems such as the circulatory and endocrine system, a database of animals and a network on biology basics like the make up of the cell.

One can imagine children treating the ‘chapters’ like most undergraduates treat journal articles, using what they recognise and ignoring the rest. Because of this the website can be used by children of a variety of ages, from junior school through to years 7 or 8, but due to the lack of good games, only for work purposes.

Submitted by Charis Howard

BBC science & Nature website

The BBC is responsible for a significant proportion of non-expert Britons’ understanding of science. Their science and nature site is a fantastic illustration of their proficiency in this field.

The element of this website, most central improving this public understanding, is not the sheer bulk of information conveyed, or its quality. It is the immediate curiosity and stimulation that the powerful titles and images induce in the viewer. This emphasis on creating the desire for knowledge is just as important as delivering the knowledge itself.

The format shares many characteristics with the popular press. The information it does show is condensed and alluring. The animal section features such ferocious beasts as the Polar bear. This, instead of the strain of bacteria which may hold an order of magnitude more ecological significance, is an example of the sensationalism which affects their choice of scientific content. The Polar bear is also a good example of how they utilise co-option as a news value to ‘sell their science’, as the viewers are made well aware of the link to global warming.

Then I found ‘Supergoose’. This captivating link led to a significant section of information concerning these migrating birds. From the warmth of my office, I took an interactive voyage to the frozen north, stopping only to learn.

Any age group would enjoy the information on this website and be more likely to pursue a deeper understanding elsewhere.

Submitted by Geoffrey Marsh

Answers in Genesis

The Answers in Genesis website is designed to present reliable scientific evidence to support the creationist movement. Written to equip non scientist Christians to defend a literal biblical perspective on creation, it claims to ‘uphold the authority of the bible from the very first verse’.

The homepage opens with a single provocative image linking evolution to discrimination and links to recent articles relating to the most controversial and recent world issues all design to promote an emotional response, of anger towards the ‘evolution lie.’

As a Christian and a geologist who has studied creation science the website angers me as it seems honest but yet deceives. It presents a completely bias argument against evolution with no solid scientific evidence. The articles have so many flaws that a eukaryote in a primordial slime could detect them but are written with such authority and confidence that you’re ready to start a jihad on evo-lie-tion.

The website claims to exposes the conspiracy behind evolution using phrases like ‘the lie’ and ‘where’s the proof’ to promote this dream. It seems the suggestion that evolution is a scientific theory and not an anti-Christian ideology set solely to destroy the church seems to have escaped the author’s vivid imagination. The whole idea is as scientific as a romantic novel and provides unintended comical value with the absurdity of the fictions presented.

I find the intelligent design argument as wearisome and frustrating scrubbing skid marks from pants. It is a travesty that Christians can claim to ‘uphold the authority of the bible’ but in doing so undermine core principles of the Christian faith.

Submitted by David Holder

some useful sites...

...for this Monday's class. We'll be talking about science shops, consensus conferences, citizen's juries, and other kinds of deliberative dialogue. We'll also be discussing part of this Spiked debate and the 2000 House of Lords Third Report on Science and Society.

lecture list

This listing could be useful for finding science communication events.

Newton's Apple

Did anyone hear about the recent launch of Newton's Apple? It's a think tank aiming to promote a better relationship between science, society and politics.

Their site has a few mini-essays on science and society issues, by various great and good (e.g. our Rector). They are a mixed bunch, but this piece by Ben Goldacre about science media scares is quite relevant to issues covered in class this term.