15: Science Communication

Former chapters have highlighted the importance of communication and discourse as an element of the scientific method itself (Chapters 2 and 3), communication with peers and members of your scientific community (publications, conference talks) (Chapter 7), with collaboration partners and practitioners from outside your own field (Chapter 8), and with regulators, non-expert decision-makers and other stakeholders (Chapter 14). This chapter elaborates further on the communication of chemical issues in informal environments or with the general public, either through channels of mass media or face-to-face in public panels or public education (museums, science campaigns, etc.). In this chapter, we will discuss why competences and skills in public communication of chemical matters are important and necessary, how this competence can be acquired, and how a chemist should listen and respond to non-expert communication partners in the general public. Again, we will discuss the important differentiation of fact-premises and norm-premises as introduced in Chapter 1. Here, it will help us understand the conflict potentials that arise in public communication of an expert field such as chemical science, research and innovation in academia, industry, and public service.