Training Scientists to Be Better Communicators - Essay Example

There is hardly any doctor who takes the time and pain for explaining the factors leading to the disease of a patient and making him understand how the body functions under the disease. This often gives rise to beliefs, which are based on superstitious beliefs or political influence. Most of the times the educators of science and engineering do not understand the need to become better communicators and the necessity of attending proper training. Language is also a major issue and scientists need to use decipherable and lay language for communication.

However, science is not subject to a lack of interest from the people even though most of them might not understand it. Around 80 percent of Americans were estimated to be interested (highly or fairly) in discoveries related to science. People have much greater faith in doctors, teachers, and scientists compared to journalists. This needs to be exploited through the establishment of a culture of reasoning and explanation of science. Yet they mostly find themselves too busy to involve in such explanations.

The article is interesting to read owing to the fact that it effectively highlights certain rare issues and insights. First, the explanation of students adhering mainly to bookish knowledge instead of trying to be innovative and communicate their ideas to the common people might be explained by the lack of explanations they were entitled to during their academic career. So science educators need to learn the art of communication. Secondly, the article has a lot of policy implications and provides ample scope to devise new methods for training.

Thirdly it supports the claims by appropriate evidence and empirical results, which are not only interesting but also stress further on the need for a culture of explanation in the field of science.Apart from the good sides the article also might be criticized on certain grounds. First research who has perhaps invented something new would prefer not to explain the theory and mechanics to the layman because some other scientists researching something similar might get some hint and lead to some related findings.

Queries might come up from people who might pretend to be laymen and ask for information quite close to his research finding. He has invested valuable time in the research work and hence departing with all these valuable possessions just for nothing might seem irrational for a scientist. Again, secondly, a medical practitioner is only concerned with the fees and cures his patient in return with the help of medicines. He will hardly have the incentive to explain and impart his knowledge and use lay terms to substitute technical ones only in order to be a good communicator.

Despite all criticisms, the article gives a basic overview of the need to explain the science behind everything instead of letting unscientific beliefs take birth in the vulnerable students’ mindset and allowing them to be exposed to bookish knowledge.