Impacts of genre and access on science discussions: ‘The New Reddit Journal of Science’

Which genre of science writing contributes most to public understanding, and how does that understanding happen? Working within a science in society approach, this paper examines public engagement with science as it occurs in the comments and discussion boards of r/science. Researchers use content analysis to identify relevant concept categories and code comments for interaction with science content. The resulting data are analyzed by genre (scientific news journalism, press release, and research article) and open access status, revealing differences in public engagement with implications for science communicators and scholars seeking to understand how the public interacts with science news.

Varieties of Atheism in Science

Not all atheists are New Atheists, but thanks in large part to the prominence and influence of New Atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens, New Atheism has claimed the pulpit of secularity in Western society. New Atheists have given voice to marginalized nonreligious individuals and underscored the importance of science in society. They have also advanced a derisive view of religion and forcefully argued that science and religion are intrinsically in conflict. Many in the public think that all scientists are atheists and all atheist scientists are New Atheists, militantly against religion and religious people. But what do everyday atheist scientists actually think about religion? Drawing on a survey of 1,293 atheist scientists in the U.S. and U.K., and 81 follow-up in-depth interviews, this book explains the pathways that led to atheism among scientists, the diverse views of religion they hold, their perspectives on the limits of what science can explain, and their views of meaning and morality. The findings reveal a vast gulf between the rhetoric of New Atheism in the public sphere and the reality of atheism in science. The story of the varieties of atheism in science is consequential for scientific and religious communities and points to tools for dialogue between these seemingly disparate groups.

Polymers, plastics, & more – educating post-secondary students from different disciplines with polymer science

Polymers are excellent materials that provide concrete examples of concepts and learning objectives covered in different post-secondary level courses. Modules focused on polymer science can be used for teaching general, organic, material and green chemistry. These modules can be tailored to build on the students' prerequisite knowledge. Science 300 is a course offered at Simon Fraser University (SFU) to non-science, post-secondary students focused on the impact of science in society. Prosthetics and Orthotics (PROR) is a diploma program offered at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). Both programs have incorporated polymer science as part of the curriculum. Design of the modules illustrates polymers as an important class of materials that possess both beneficial and environmental unfriendly properties. A variety of learning strategies are incorporated within the courses to aid students with understanding polymer science.

La autosuficiencia de la escritura audiovisual científica

As a central aspect in the process of democratising science, communication is thought considering the strength of new forms to convey scientific contents. The proposed reflection approaches the self-sufficiency of audio-visual scientific writing with the emergence of the academic audio-visual essay. In order to understand images’ autonomy, as well as its ubiquity, dialectics and audio-visual montage applied to the construction and communication of knowledge, we bring considerations of Georges Didi-Huberman, Galvano Della Volpe and Walter Benjamin. We incorporate also the notions of Alberto Manguel on self-sufficient audio-visual composition as contemporary academic and scientific writing. With John Dewey, we recall the debate both on the democratisation’s ethical debate and the place of science in society.

Transformation Of Scientific And Religious Values The Necessity Of Educating An Enlightened Generation Through

The article elaborates on the fact that the upbringing of an enlightened generation through the transformation of scientific and religious values is one of the most pressing issues today. At the same time, the need to create an environment of freedom and competition in the education system is analyzed in order to show the value of science in society and the role of scientific values in social development. It also shows the factors that determine the basic structure of spiritual, moral and axiological values necessary for the upbringing of an enlightened generation.

Teaching Data Science in Political Science: Integrating Methods with Substantive Curriculum

ABSTRACT The importance of data science in society today is undeniable, and now is the time to prepare data science talent (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2018). Data science demands collaboration, but collaboration within political science departments has been weak in teaching data science. Bridging substantive and methods courses can critically aid in teaching data science because it facilitates this collaboration. Our innovation is to integrate data science into both substantive and methods courses through a dedicated data science course and modules on data science topics taught in substantive courses. This approach allows not only for more opportunities for teaching and practice of data science methods but also helps students to understand how social, economic, and political biases and incentives can affect their data.

IN THE TRAJECTORY OF ECONOMIC REFORMS: SCIENCE AND SCIENCE POLICY IN THE YEARS OF THE “KHRUSHCHEV’S DECADE”

The paper is devoted to the problems of the USSR scientific and technology (S&T) policy during the “Khrushchev’s decade”, presented as part of the macroeconomic policy. The analysis is carried out in the context of economic reforms and experiments implemented in the country. The main components of S&T policy are revealed, the evolution of its structure and content in comparison with the first post-war decade is shown. In the analysis of S&T policy, the main attention is paid to the reflection of the status of science as a driver of economic development in the context of global challenges and the formation of new techno-economic paradigms. The emphasis on the applied function of research and development (R&D) proclaimed in the framework of S&T policy is presented as a reflection of the traditional for the USSR interpretations of the place and role of science in society under new conditions of scientific and technological revolution as a Soviet counter-thesis to the concepts of post-industrial society. The connection of decision-making mechanisms in the field of S&T policy with general line of Khrushchev’s populism, and the emerging practice of “bureaucratic bargaining” is outlined. The basic trends of approaches to planning in science and coordination in the field of R&D are identified, the directions of organisational restructuring in the governing of the scientific and technical complex are shown. It is concluded that S&T policy in the mid-1950s — 1960s remained a function of economic policy, that a unified S&T policy in the country under N. S. Khrushchev had not been formed. At the same time, the return on innovation remained at a low level.