Title
Encouraging the Art of Communicating Science to Nonexperts with Don’t Be Such a Scientist
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-2018
Department
Chemistry
Language
English
Publication Title
Journal of Chemical Education
Abstract
Randy Olson’s book, Don’t Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style, was used to supplement a senior seminar in nanomaterials. While students learned about the chemistry behind useful properties of nanomaterials, they also analyzed how nanomaterials applications are presented to the public through advertising, science news, and popular culture artifacts. By using Don’t Be Such a Scientist, students learned how scientists can fail at communicating with the public and how they can become more effective communicators. To experience communicating to nonexperts, they presented outreach projects such as a video, activity, or discussion on nanomaterials. Example student projects in nanomaterials are discussed; however, Don’t Be Such a Scientist could easily be incorporated into a variety of scientific courses to include effective scientific communication to the public, a meaningful skill for all scientists and science students.
DOI
10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00963
Recommended Citation
St. Angelo, Sarah K. "Encouraging the Art of Communicating Science to Nonexperts with Don’t Be Such a Scientist." Journal of Chemical Education 95, no. 5 (2018): 804-809. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00963
Comments
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