What role do science and technology play in our everyday lives, and how are contemporary societies intimately shaped by expert knowledge? Scientific and technical expertise, now largely understood as the ultimate source of authoritative knowledge, are vital to how our societies operate. This punchy introduction to thinking about science-society relations draws on research and concepts to argue for the importance of knowing. Drawing on diverse global examples including techno-crafting in Colombia, traditional medicine in China and climate activism in the Pacific nations, it demonstrates the ways in which scientific knowing shapes our lives and imaginations, reflecting on the questions this raises for democracy. Accessible to a non-specialist audience, it shows why science and technology are important, we should pay attention to how they are developing, and we, as members of society, have the power to shape this.

This book describes current practices in science communication, from citizen science to Twitter storms, and celebrates this diversity through case studies and examples. However, the authors also reflect on how scholars and practitioners can gain better insight into science communication through new analytical methods and perspectives. From science PR to the role of embodiment and materiality, some aspects of science communication have been under-studied. How can we better notice these? Science Communication provides a new synthesis for Science Communication Studies. It uses the historical literature of the field, new empirical data, and interdisciplinary thought to argue that the frames which are typically used to think about science communication often omit important features of how it is imagined and practised. It is essential reading for students, scholars, and practitioners of science education, science and technology studies, museum studies, and media and communication studies.

What role do science and technology play in our everyday lives, and how are contemporary societies intimately shaped by expert knowledge? Scientific and technical expertise, now largely understood as the ultimate source of authoritative knowledge, are vital to how our societies operate. This punchy introduction to thinking about science-society relations draws on research and concepts to argue for the importance of knowing. Drawing on diverse global examples including techno-crafting in Colombia, traditional medicine in China and climate activism in the Pacific nations, it demonstrates the ways in which scientific knowing shapes our lives and imaginations, reflecting on the questions this raises for democracy. Accessible to a non-specialist audience, it shows why science and technology are important, we should pay attention to how they are developing, and we, as members of society, have the power to shape this.

This book describes current practices in science communication, from citizen science to Twitter storms, and celebrates this diversity through case studies and examples. However, the authors also reflect on how scholars and practitioners can gain better insight into science communication through new analytical methods and perspectives. From science PR to the role of embodiment and materiality, some aspects of science communication have been under-studied. How can we better notice these? Science Communication provides a new synthesis for Science Communication Studies. It uses the historical literature of the field, new empirical data, and interdisciplinary thought to argue that the frames which are typically used to think about science communication often omit important features of how it is imagined and practised. It is essential reading for students, scholars, and practitioners of science education, science and technology studies, museum studies, and media and communication studies.

Exploring Science Communication demonstrates how science and technology studies approaches can be explicitly integrated into effective, powerful science communication research. Through a range of case studies, from climate change and public parks to Facebook, museums, and media coverage, it helps you to understand and analyse the complex and diverse ways science and society relate in today's knowledge intensive environments. Notable features include: A focus on showing how to bring academic STS theory into your own science communication research Coverage of a range of topics and case studies illustrating different analyses and approaches Speaks to disciplines across Media & Communication, Science & Technology Studies, Health Sciences, Environmental Sciences and related areas. With this book you will learn how science communication can be more than just about disseminating facts to the public, but actually generative, leading to new understanding, research, and practices.

Exploring Science Communication demonstrates how science and technology studies approaches can be explicitly integrated into effective, powerful science communication research. Through a range of case studies, from climate change and public parks to Facebook, museums, and media coverage, it helps you to understand and analyse the complex and diverse ways science and society relate in today's knowledge intensive environments. Notable features include: A focus on showing how to bring academic STS theory into your own science communication research Coverage of a range of topics and case studies illustrating different analyses and approaches Speaks to disciplines across Media & Communication, Science & Technology Studies, Health Sciences, Environmental Sciences and related areas. With this book you will learn how science communication can be more than just about disseminating facts to the public, but actually generative, leading to new understanding, research, and practices.

The relationship between science and its publics has concerned commentators since science itself began. Yet in recent years, questions of how-and how should-science and society interact have come to particular prominence. A field of practice, initially dubbed 'public understanding of science' and later rebranded as 'public engagement with science and technology', has blossomed. But although academic studies have informed the development of this practical field, to date there has been little opportunity to take stock of the full breadth and variety of academic analyses of science communication. In an attempt to reveal the richness of the nascent field of science communication studies, this volume presents critical interdisciplinary analyses of some of the many ways in which science intersects with its publics. From children's science books to computer advertising, news media to lab talk, public engagement to science fiction-the sites, modes and meanings of public science are explored. Contributions draw on historical, cultural, science and media studies. All, however, follow science through popular culture, taking critical science studies out of the lab and into society.