From Cancer Cells to String Theory: Communicating Complex Material

After completing the readings for this session, please write what you think did and did not work about the communication used.

Science in the Blogosphere

Identify a science blog of your choice from the Discover Magazine “stable” of blogs available at: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/, follow it for at least three days during the week preceding this class, and write a short critical review of it. What is the blog trying to do, and how well is it doing it? Come to class prepared to give a short (2 minute) review of your chosen blog.

Critiquing Science on Display

Please tour the public galleries on display in the lobbies of the Broad Institute and the Koch Institute, which face one another across Main Street on the MIT campus. Then write brief notes (2–3 pages) that critically compare and contrast the approaches to exhibiting science of these two galleries.

Workshop: Writing Science and Writing Science (cont.)

Revise your one-page written piece to include the elements you recently learned.

Telling a Tale, Painting a Picture: Writing About Science Using Special Techniques

Come to class with a first draft of a one-page description of a phenomenon in science for a public audience, a one-page essay on a topic related to science, or a one-page letter to the editor responding to a recent op-ed on a topic in science or technology.

What Does It Mean to Write About Science for the Public

The readings for this session are two different accounts on the discovery of the structure of DNA. When reading them, take into account the discussion we will have comparing and contrasting both what they say and their ways of saying it.

In the Elevator or Hallway: Talking Informally about Science

Come to class prepared to speak informally and briefly (maximum 2 minutes) about a topic in science, technology, or engineering that interests you. Assume your audience is intelligent but knows little or nothing about the subject.

SCALES

This website features work from the completion of Phase 1 of the SCALES Project.

We are currently seeking partnerships for Phase 2.

Science Communication: A Practical Guide