Now, a university programme that makes science sexy

Otago University has set up a new department to help students tell the public about scientific developments so effectively that they get ready to make necessary changes in their lives.

Wellington, January 7 : Otago University has set up a new department to help students tell the public about scientific developments so effectively that they get ready to make necessary changes in their lives.

The Centre for Science Communication will teach students how to communicate scientific developments effectively through the Master of Science Communication programme, beginning this year.

Professor Lloyd Davis, the head of the centre, has revealed that 12 top students from different backgrounds will be admitted to the programme.

"Scientists are motivated by wanting to understand the truth about things around them. But almost all of them also wants to make the world a better place. You can only get from outcomes to action if you can communicate the results well enough to affect the change," stuff.co.nz quoted him as saying.

"You really need to make it (science) sexy," he added.

The students will have to choose one option from three areas-namely, creative non-fiction writing, general science communication, and filmmaking.

Davis said that the course was being offered to non-scientists because most of the science students were not the best at communicating scientific developments.

"You have to make the complex things not simplistic, but simple enough so people can understand so you don't talk down to them. There's a huge appetite amongst the population for information, but the problem is they can't access it very easily," he said.

Davis said that there were many truths that remain unreported. According to him, 50 per cent of scientific papers published each year were such that no other scientist would ever refer to them.

ANI