The First Step to Persuading All: Understand Scientists Are Not God

You are a science writer. You report ONLY the findings of doctors and researchers. The news that you report is correct, will always be correct, because it comes from science. Hours and hours of research have been done just for you to write a short article that will be put only at the back of the newspaper once a week. Therefore, what you write will always be correct.

WRONG!

Science makes mistakes. Scientists come to many wrong conclusions.

As Lemony Snicket said in The Blank Book, “It is very unnerving to be proven wrong, particularly when you are really right and the person who is wrong is proving you wrong and proving himself, wrongly, right.” It is frustrating to those who think they are right but told their thoughts are wrong. This happens amongst science writers and scientists alike. Science advocates essentially tell science writers that their ideas are incorrect. It is difficult to not take it this negativity to heart.

Think about Nietzsche’s view, “There are no facts, only interpretations.” Many people will ignore scientific evidence because that is not their interpretation of the world. Science writers need to understand that because something is perceived as correct and science proves that it is correct does not mean that it is correct. There could be many other answers or avenues that science has not yet discovered. Science writers should not laugh at their potential readers since the readers do not have the same interpretation of the research being presented. Embrace your readers or the result may be that you will have no readers. Do more research. Science is not willing to hand you the answer.

The First Step to Gifting Science: Wrap It

Science is a gift that not many people appreciate. They don't understand her complexities and don't take advantage of her gift. It is up to science writers to give science in order to benefit the common good. Science writers need to almost hide the scientific portion of science in order to entice readers to read their articles. The gift of science must be wrapped.

Sarah Vowell could not have said it better, "What are you hiding? No one ever asks that." Why is that people always question the ideas that are out in the open, but don't question those that we choose to hide? It is not the fact of seeing it; it is that people choose avoidance. If science writers were able to wrap the gift of science, readers may not question the gift, they would blindly accept.

When a science writer can 'hide' their gift of science from the public's view, more readers will read. If done correctly, there will be an increase in scientific literacy and understanding. Gifts are almost always well received; let's make it our goal so that people want to receive the gift of science.

The First Step to Marrying Science: Appreciate Every Quark… Quirk

Let’s face it: Science requires much love and attention. One must keep up with the current trends and continue to follow her work. Just like a marriage, one should love her every quirk. Tell her that she looks thin even though she looks fat. If she makes some bad cooking, tell her it was the finest meal you ever had. Please her, please her, and please her some more.

The problem with science is that as one matures, she becomes more complicated. It’s you, not her. Science changes, but so does everyone else. School requires that one learns specific scientific material. One can no longer study the science that they want. That is, no more reading about dinosaurs, no more eating dirt, and definitely no more fun with science.

As Judy Garland spoke about love, “For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.” When we are young, we get to choose our science. We choose to study dinosaurs or insects; science is speaking to our hearts and kissing our souls. When one gets to a school age, one must learn what the teacher and curriculum dictates. Sometimes this turns students away from science; she is now only whispering into our ears and kissing our lips. We are not open to loving her and appreciating her because we feel that we are being pushed to love her.

There is not a definite solution to help fix the school curriculum and encourage students to love science. It would take many years and many board rooms to fix that problem. However, if science writers could find a way to write in a more efficient and understanding manner, the public may learn to love dinosaurs and appreciate science again in order to grow old with that knowledge.

The First Step to Becoming a Better Science Writer: Write for All

Science might not be the love of everyone’s life, but as a science writer you want it to be. Every day, you hope that many people read your work, reflecting on your thoughts and research from the first word to the last. However, this does not always happen, causing a dilemma for both the writer and the readers. One solution: write for all.

As Alexandre Dumas said in The Three Musketeers, “All for one, and one for all!” A science writer has one shot, one chance to let readers understand the topic and believe in that written subject. This one shot MUST be for all. People need to read and understand the topic and heed its warnings.

Now, realistically, is one article going to touch every person? Probably not. Science writers need to come together and recognize this as a problem. Here are some ideas:

-Write as if your reader knows nothing about the topic. Give them background information. Make them feel as if they did the research themselves.

-Understand that not everyone is going to agree with your opinion. Write without a bias so that more people can appreciate your work.  

-Don’t use superfluous and perplexing words! People just get confused.

-Don’t choose sides. People have many political views. If your views shine through your work, others make decide to reject your news.

-Read this blog. More tips will be posted as I become a better science writer myself.

This problem may not be fixed overnight. Certain people do not like to read about science and as science writers, our goal is to change that train of thought. The more readers who are able to interpret, understand, and appreciate science, the more scientific articles will be read. 

The First Step to Strengthening Democracy: Educate Liberally

Education can be said to be the most powerful weapon of a human. However, through the proper use of an education, vaccines can be created, treaties can be signed, and discoveries can be made. Much debate occurs as to the most efficient way to educate American students. Some believe that the best education still follows the 3R’s: reading, writing, and arithmetic. Others believe in strict trade school learning, to be taught only what you will need to become a good citizen to society or to enter a career. However, there is a third school of thought: a liberal education.

As Robert M. Hutchins said, “A liberal education... frees a man from the prison-house of his class, race, time, place, background, family and even his nation.” What America needs is to break each and every one of these barriers in order to strengthen our democracy. People need to learn to break the status quo. Education is becoming more of a way to transfer the government’s ideas to the people, without learning to think for oneself.

From the words of Albert Einstein, “Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school.” Students may not retain the lesson on the area of a trapezoid or the depth of the ocean floor. However, students will remember the liberal arts aspect of their education. When we teach students to think for themselves, they will have more ideas. As people have more ideas, more problems can be fixed in society. As we fix more problems, our democracy has the chance to be strengthened. Liberal education alone will not strengthen democracy, but it will provide our students with the means to fix it.

The First Step to Blogging: Think

"I think; therefore I am." - Rene Descartes

Thinking outside the box.