Making Science Public
Brigitte Nerlich
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Gabriel Tarde and science communication – some reflections
May 10, 2013
More than a century ago the French sociologist Gabriel Tarde began to think seriously about knowledge, influence, politics and publics (Tarde, 1895, 1898, 1903; see here). Most importantly, he wanted to study the dynamics of interaction between various actors in networks of ‘conversation’ (Nerlich, 1992, 1996) (Clark, 1969, Katz, 1993, Katz, 2006). Communication, opinion, power …
Epigenetics: Switching the power (and responsibility) from genes to us?
May 6, 2013
We have always known that we are who we are because of our ancestors. We also know in ever more detail that we are who we are because of our genes. Since 1953 we know the structure of the genes that are passed down from generation to generation and since 2003 we know the structure …
Making the planet public
April 14, 2013
I have always wanted to make a link between ISS – the Institute for Science and Society at the University of Nottingham – and ISS – the International Space Station – in OUTER SPACE. When looking yesterday at a picture of a cloud vortex taken by Commander Chris Hadfield from a window of the ISS, …
Public understanding of climate change: The deficit fallacy
April 7, 2013
At the end of February the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee launched an inquiry into public understanding of climate change and its implications for policy. The STSC asks for written submissions on various questions, such as: What is the current state of public understanding of what is meant by climate change? How …
Competitive risk promotion: A historical assessment
March 27, 2013
This is a guest blog post by Adam Burgess, who specialises in the sociology of risk (University of Kent, School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research) I’d like to take up where Brigitte left off in her blog post about the antibiotic apocalypse and very schematically draw attention to what I would describe as …
Wonder, Wunder, Wissenschaft
March 10, 2013
Television series like Wonders of the Universe and Wonders of Life have triggered online debates about the relationship between science and wonder, wonder and religion, science and science communication. I began to wonder: should I not write a blog about ‘wonder’? So I started to search, as I always do, trying to find some scraps …
Moderation impossible? Climate change, alarmism and rhetorical entrenchment
February 27, 2013
Intense, polarised debate has been a hallmark of much public debate over the science and politics of climate change. Recently, there have been warnings that “heated rhetoric over ‘deniers’ not only likely alienates broader publics, but it also likely turns off many moderate and centrist influential” (Nisbet 2008). Calls are now being made for a …
The language of knowledge: A new tower of Babel?
February 15, 2013
For some time I have been intrigued by the word ‘knowledge’. The more I hear it being used, the less I understand its meaning. The confusion increases with every ‘compound’ use that I come across (in linguistics a ‘compound’ refers to a combination of two or more words). Most recently I came across the compound …
Extreme weather events, climate change and the media
January 30, 2013
I am not a scientist. I am a media analyst of sorts. I therefore cannot check the veracity of scientific statements that establish a link between climate change and an increase in frequency of extreme weather events or scientific statements that dispute such a link. I also find it difficult to assess what climate is, …
MSP bookmarks
- Taking the Corporate Pound- Why Universities and Companies Collaborate | attheinterface May 17, 2013
- Sen. Whitehouse - Time to Wake Up: Magical Thinking on Climate Change May 11, 2013
- This is a fantastic @BNerlich post on Gabriel Tarde and the sociology of scientific conversation http://t.co/s11MQp02kt #MakingSciPub May 11, 2013
- Review: Maximum Republic | through the looking glass May 8, 2013
- Never knowingly undernudged May 6, 2013
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