Science Communication and Science-People Relationships

Abstract

There are two crucial types of communication in science and technology: interaction between scientists and communication between them and the public. Scientists enjoy the spoken and written communication between themselves in a symbolic language that is largely incomprehensible to others. Throughout history, they have maintained contact with one another via the books they have written and read. The transition from handwritten to printed books contributed greatly to the development of science and culture. Correspondence and salons helped them to share information and unite the efforts of people of both science and art. The journals that emerged in the mid-17th century gradually became forums for scientists. The work of scientific journals then covered an unimaginably broad scope. Communication between scientists and people, the transmission of scientific innovations in language understandable by the layman, that is, in “everyday language”, is very significant in itself, for the organizations they work in, for the governments that implement policies to develop science and technology and, also, for their readers and other shareholders. Informing people about scientific innovation is a crucial aspect of public relations. Newspapers, magazines, radio, television, the internet, the mobile devices in everyone’s hands, exhibitions and face-to-face meetings have all fostered direct contact between scientists and the people. The hauliers along the road from science and technology to the people include popular scientific literature and the remarkable works written about the history of science.