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Tag Archives: science communication
The ‘impact’ of climate writing
The problem begins simply enough. A journalist finds a word that seems to fit almost everything. It might be “crisis”, “pivot” or the ever-convenient “impact”. It’s concise, authoritative, and headline-friendly. It appears once, then again, and soon it begins to … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Scicomm
Tagged climate journalism, Google Ngrams, impact, risk communication, science communication, science writing, writing
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A limit of ‘show, don’t tell’
The virtue of ‘show, don’t tell’ in writing, including in journalism, lies in its power to create a more vivid, immersive, and emotionally engaging reading experience. Instead of simply providing information or summarising events, the technique encourages writers to use … Continue reading
Posted in Scicomm
Tagged Friends, narrative, narrative populism, Physics World, polarons, science communication, The Hindu
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The news exists to inform, not to educate
I’d like to highlight a letter published in Science on January 2. I have many points of disagreement with it but I’d also like others to read and reflect on it, especially if they’re (you’re) also going to disagree with my reading. … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Scicomm
Tagged Carl Sagan, COVID-19 pandemic, education, science communication, science education, science journalism
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The news exists to inform, not to educate
I’d like to highlight a letter published in Science on January 2. I have many points of disagreement with it but I’d also like others to read and reflect on it, especially if they’re (you’re) also going to disagree with my reading. … Continue reading
On the 2024 Nobel Prizes and the Rosalind Lee issue
The Nobel Prizes are a deeply flawed institution both out of touch with science as it is done today and with an outsized influence on scientific practice at the most demanding levels. Yet these relationships all persist with the prizes … Continue reading
A Q&A about philosophy in journalism
Earlier this year, Varun Bhatta, assistant professor of philosophy at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, reached out to ask me some questions for something he was writing about the representation of philosophical ideas in journalism. He … Continue reading
Waters and bridges between science journalism and scicomm
On November 24-25, the Science Journalists’ Association of India (SJAI) conducted its inaugural conference at the National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi. I attended it as a delegate. A persistent internal monologue of mine at the event was the … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Scicomm
Tagged National Institute of Immunology, public interest, science communication, science journalism, Science Journalists Association of India, SJAI 2023
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On Somanath withdrawing his autobiography
Excerpt from The Hindu, November 4, 2023: S. Somanath, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), told The Hindu that he’s withdrawing the publication of his memoir, Nilavu Kudicha Simhangal, penned in Malayalam. The decision followed a report in the Malayala … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Scicomm
Tagged Current Science, Indian Space Research Organisation, K Sivan, S Somanath, science communication, science writing
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Notes for a ‘The Open Notebook’ report
I was quoted in a new reported feature in The Open Notebook, entitled ‘Expanding the Geographical Borders of Your Source List’. Continue reading
Posted in Scicomm
Tagged Allison Whitten, Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules 1964, foreign media, internet connectivity, Karen Emslie, OpenAI Whisper, science communication, science journalism, social media, The Open Notebook, The Wire
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