Science and public bibliography: November 2002

A monthly round-up of books, reports and articles collated by the Wellcome Library's Information Service. Where freely available, web links have been provided to the full text document. All the below references are publicly available, for reference, in the Information Service, http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/infoserv , or from the British Library's Lending Division via public, academic or workplace libraries.

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Books & Reports 

Allan, S. Media, risk and science. Buckingham : Open University Press, 2002, 235 p. ISBN: 0335206638
Subject headings: Science news; Science in mass media; Risk communication

Benarde, M. A. You've been had! : how the media and environmentalists turned Americans into a nation of hypochondriacs. New Brunswick, N.J. : Rutgers University Press, 2002, 308 p. ISBN: 0813530504 
Subject headings: Public health; Health in mass media

Catlow, R. and Greenfield, S. [eds.] Cosmic rays : essays in science and technology from the Royal Institution. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2001, 229 p. ISBN: 019851557X 
Subject headings: Science; Technology. 

Gamwell, L. Exploring the invisible : art, science, and the spiritual. Princeton, N.J. : Oxford Princeton University Press, 2002, 344 p. ISBN: 0691089728 
Subject headings: Art and science; Evolution (Biology)

Geisler. E. Creating value with science and technology. Westport, Conn. : Quorum Books, 2001, 328 p. ISBN: 1567204058 
Subject headings: Science - Social aspects; Science -- Economic aspects; Technology -- Social aspects; Technological innovations

Lucanio, P. and Coville, G. Smokin' rockets : the romance of technology in American film, radio, and television, 1945-1962. Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Co., 2002, 260 p. ISBN: 078641233X 
Subject headings: Science fiction; Motion picture film; Broadcasting; Television 

Nyhart, L. K. and Broman, T. H. [Eds.] Science and civil society. Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 2002, 373 p. 
Subject headings: Science and state; Science -- History. 

Pigliucci, M. Denying evolution : creationism, scientism, and the nature of science. Sunderland, Mass : Sinauer Associates, 2002, . 338 p. ISBN: 0878936599 
Subject headings: Evolution (Biology); Science - Philosophy; Religion and science 

Scharff, R. C. and Dusek, V. [Eds.]  Philosophy of technology : the technological condition : an anthology. Malden, MA ; Oxford : Blackwell Publishers, 2003, 686p. ISBN: 0631222189 
Subject headings: Technology - Philosophy. 

Swain, H. [ed.] Big questions in science. London : Jonathan Cape, 2002.
Subject headings: Science - History


Articles - Science & Public 

Turney, J.  Understanding and engagement: the changing face of science and society.  Wellcome News  Iss 32, Q3 2002 pp.6-7
An overview of the science and society landscape which suffered a shift in emphasis with the 1996 BSE debacle and the public's questioning of science and its trust in government.  The 1985 Bodmer report supported a public understanding of science programme, but the "deficit" model received criticism because of its top-down approach and its assumption of ignorance.  Issues such as risk, trust and mutual respect needed to be addressed and this resulted in a change in language to the preferred term of "public engagement".  The House of Lords report, "Science in Society", argued for dialogue between science and the public and, although there is still debate about what this means, it implies more interaction and more opportunity for interested citizens to make their views known. 
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/en/1/awtpubnwswnoi32.html


Articles - Public Attitudes & Participation 

Jones, Ian.  Going public : public attitudes to science and research. Wellcome News  Issue 32, Q3 2002 pp.8-9
A steady flow of reports and surveys have been published over the past fifteen years assessing public attitudes towards science and technology.  Some of the conclusions appear contradictory, eg the assumed "crisis of confidence" in science against the generally favourable views of science by the public.  This article draws out themes from the surveys, such as the public's trust in science and their views about scientists. Science may be experiencing the effects of a less deferential, questioning population which has coincided with a number of high profile ethical scientific issues.  The author argues for a less homogeneous approach to public opinion gathering in which everyone is not lumped together as "the public".  The article includes a list of landmark surveys and reports.
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/en/1/awtpubnwswnoi32.html

Teisl, M. F., et al. Focus group reactions to genetically modified food labels. AgBioForum Vol.5, No.1, p.6-9
Participants were tested for their views on GM foods and food labelling policies, using in-depth interviews and sample advertisements. Results showed that participants were primarily concerned with the nutritional content of food rather than methods of production. They were not greatly influenced in their purchasing behaviour by GM technology, despite being able to give a basic account of its benefits and risk, and overall were remarkably sanguine about GM foods. The majority did express a desire for GM foods to be labelled more clearly, with contact details supplied for those who required further information. Participants seemed unaware of the extent of infiltration by GM foods into the US food supply.

Engaging science: public engagement at the Wellcome Trust.  Wellcome News Issue 32, 2002 pp.14-15
The Wellcome Trust is a charitable non-governmental biomedical research funder that also funds the "non-science" aspects of science.  These aspects cover the wider social, cultural, historical and ethical areas of science.  The article gives examples of work in these areas and outlines the new grants scheme, the Engaging Science Programme.
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/en/1/awtpubnwswnoi32.html

Consultations and public opinions: getting engaged. Wellcome News Issue 32, 2002 pp.14-15
Assessing public opinion can help shape projects, inform public engagement and highlight issues of public concern.  The article outlines four of the Wellcome Trust's projects to assess and analyse public opinion.  These are:  public attitudes to cloning; public consultation on the UK Biobank project;  a large survey on how people view science and the arrangement of the results into subcategories of people with varying views on science; scientists' attitudes towards science communication.  The Trust has also funded research into novel methods of public consultation.
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/en/1/awtpubnwswnoi32.html

Science in society. Social Sciences Issue 52, September 2002 p.4 - 5
An article about the five year Science in Society Research Programme being conducted by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Research projects are being planned in the areas of science and globalisation, science and governance, science and communication, science and the economy and the economics of science. The project follows the 2000 House of Lords Committee report which warned of a crisis in the public understanding of science. Includes interviews with Professor Steve Rayner of Said Business School, Professor Nick Pidgeon of East Anglia university, and Professor Justin Lewis. Dr. Ian Gibson, Chair of the Parliamentary elect Committee on Science and Technology gives his opinion on the relationship between science and society. Other subjects discussed include the MMR vaccine, the issues surrounding human and animal biotechnology, climate change, and trust.  


Articles - Science Communication 

Brown, N. And Michael, M. From authority to authenticity: the changing governance of biotechnology. Health, Risk & Society Vol.4, No.3, 2002 p.259 - 272
The issues of xenotransplantation are used to illustrate how scientific risk is negotiated in the public arena, and the process by which relevant actors assess that risk. The section "from authority to authenticity" highlights the erosion of institutional authority by the media. From the BSE crisis to Foot and Mouth and the GM food and MMR controversies, increasing scepticism has dominated public opinion. The case study of xenostransplantation reveals a history of controversy which has polluted public attitudes to serious research. Many biotechnology companies have had to reassess their relationship with the media and the article documents the meetings between Bio Tran PLC, and a leading European television production company, Clarion Media, in their search for a new language of transparency and authenticity. 

Halliburton, R. Stars in their eyes. The Independent Review 30 October 2002 p.5
An article about an unusual new opera by Phillip Glass and Mary Zimmerman based on the life story of Galileo. Zimmerman has a history of working on shows such as The Arabian Nights, the Odyssey, and Ovid's Metamorphosis in New York and Chicago, and Glass chose her primarily because of her accessibility. The opera 'Galileo Galilei' is dissimilar to Glass' previous works in that it has a concise structure (one and a half hours), and a distinct narrative, which negates the more avante garde tendencies which he displayed with previous works such as 'Einstein on the Beach' which explored the origins of atomic energy and lasted for four and a half hours.

Ogilvie, B. The corpse of Copus. Science and Public Affairs October 2002, p.26
An editorial by Bridget Ogilvie, the former Chair of Copus, recalling her failed attempts to expand the organisation's strategic role within the science communication sector, and her eventual resignation due to lack of support from Copus' founding institutions. She portrays Copus as a disorganised and fragmented body, which urgently needs to abandon its narrow focus and adopt a new constitution. 

Prior, L., et al. Making risk visible: the role of images in the assessment of (cancer) genetic risk. Health, Risk & Society Vol.4, No. 3, November 2001, P.241-258
This article examines the role of tables, charts, diagrams and other images in the context of a cancer genetics clinic and its associated laboratory. In particular, it focuses on how images effect the risk assessment process, how professionals discuss and utilise images in clinical work, and how they are referenced to display facts about risk .The significance of disparate forms of visibility in relation to genetic abnormalities, and how such differences might influence the attempts of lay people to comprehend the concept of risk, is discussed in the conclusion.

Shermer, M. B. Stephen Jay Gould as historian of science and scientific historian, popular scientist and scientific popularizer. Social Studies of Science Vol.32, No.4, August 2002 p.489 - 524
The science writer Stephen Jay Gould is celebrated because of his works on evolutionary theory and natural history. His popularity amongst the general public is not however reflected amongst his scientific contemporaries and academics, many of who consider him a second rate scientist and charlatan. The study described in this article consisted of a quantitative analysis of Gould's 22 books, 101 book reviews, 479 scientific papers, and 300 "Natural History" essays, with the data being analysed in terms of subject matter, thematic dichotomies, and the interaction thereof. The authors were particularly interested in his work on the history and philosophy of science rather than his impact on evolutionary theory. 

Oomes, S. Science in the real world (Part 1): declaration of interdependence: Science New Wave 15 November 2002 
An article about the misunderstandings between scientists and non-scientists. The author recognises that science is partially dependent on society and visa versa. The speed at which scientists work and produce results is acknowledged as a problem in relation to the impatience of the modern age. The contributions of scientists are overlooked and non-scientists take technology for granted without recognising the effort that went into its development. Identifies renewed communication as the solution to this conflict, and indicates that more educational visits to high schools from scientists could help to facilitate the communication process. See the article at: 
http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2002/11/14/7


 Articles - Science & Art

Refreshing art: reaching the parts science doesn't reach.  Wellcome News Issue 32, 2002 pp.22-23
An overview of the science and art initiatives of the Wellcome Trust.  Ken Arnold, head of the Trust's exhibitions department, believes that these kinds of projects reach a wider audience who might not be reached via a science event.  Art/science projects offer new perspectives which challenge and question our beliefs.  The article outlines some of the Trust's initiatives in this area: sciart programme, Science on Stage and Screen, collaborations with other organizations and the creation and sponsorship of exhibitions.
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/en/1/awtpubnwswnoi32.html

Lustig, H. and Shepherd-Barr, K. Science as theater. American Scientist Vol.90, November - December 2002, p.550 - 555
An article based on a talk given by Harry Lustig at the 2002 Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society. The article discusses the way science interacts with art and literature, with special reference to contemporary science plays that have received critical acclaim. Michael Frayn's play 'Copenhagen' has been highly successful on both sides of the Atlantic and the authors praise the establishment of what C.P. Snow called "a third culture" in which science and literature form a co-operative, rather than antagonistic relationship. They then trace the history of mistrust between the two disciplines, from Christopher Marlowe's Faust in the seventeenth century, to Bertolt Brecht's 'Galileo' and Freidrich Durrenmatt's 'The Physicists'. The article recognises the ongoing scepticism of science plays, whilst acknowledging that many, such as Copenhagen, have taken their themes direct from science, exploring complex scientific issues such as the ethical dilemmas of a nuclear physicist during WW2. 
http://www.americanscientist.org/articles/02articles/lustig.html

Roberts, M. Opposites attract. TES Teacher 01 November 2002 p.10
An article about the work of Turner Prize finalist Keith Tyson. Tyson's work is difficult to categorise, and his interests embrace science and philosophy as well as art. He uses a myriad of different materials in his work including computers, digital counters and microprocessors, as well as employing traditional drawing techniques. Teachers of art and science often co-operate and bring pupils to visit his displays together, emphasising the different  yet symbiotic aspects of his work. 
See  http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitions/turnerprize/  for more information.


Articles - Science & Media 

Radford, Tim.  Telling it like it is: media, science and the public.  Wellcome News  Issue 32, 2002 pp.10-11
The author compares and contrasts the work of journalists and scientists.  They have the pursuit of truth in common, but their aims are different: "Scientists are worried about being right.  Journalists are worried about being read".
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/en/1/awtpubnwswnoi32.html


Articles - Science Education 

Love lessons. Wellcome News Issue 31, 2002 pp.16 -17
Six plays illuminating the social and ethical dilemmas connected with advances in biomedical science were recently performed at the Royal Albert Hall. The 20 minute plays were created and developed by teachers and schoolchildren as part of the year long Science Centrestage project, which culminated at the Wellcome Trust's National Festival of Drama. The event included speeches from Sir Dominic Cadbury, chairman of the Wellcome Trust, and Richard Dawkins, scientist and author of 'The Selfish Gene'.
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/en/1/awtpubnwswnoi31.html

Public engagement in the classroom: sustainable science. Wellcome News Issue 32, 2002 pp.18-19
The article summarises the work of the Wellcome Trust's education initiatives.  It is pressing for change in the National Curriculum on science so that it moves away from an emphasis on the accrual of facts and towards ethical debate and contemporary science.  Other initiatives include a partnership role with government in the creation of a National Science Centre for Excellence in Science Teaching; supporting teachers in implementing the citizenship component of the core curriculum; using the performing arts to help raise social and ethical issues in science.
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/en/1/awtpubnwswnoi32.html

Articles - Science Museums & Science Centres 

Bickford, A. Museum Visits, education, and topic interest. Curator, Vol.44, No.3, p.274 - 289
The author uses the results of a telephone survey conducted in Minnesota in 1996 to draw conclusions about why people visit museums. Data was analysed to try and detect patterns regarding the respondents levels of interest in various museum topics. The relative roles of interest versus respondents' educational attainment was also assessed. Results revealed that educational attainment was a less powerful factor than topic interest when predicting who would visit a particular museum. 

Chiozzi, G. And Andreotti, L. Behavior vs. Time: understanding how visitors utilize the Milan Natural History Museum. Curator, Vol.44, No.2, April 2001 p.153 - 165
100 groups of randomly selected visitors to the Milan Natural History Museum were monitored as they interrogated the museum. Two distinct categories of information were garnered , using two distinct methodologies. One depended on the timing of visits and the other on observation of exhibit-use behaviours. Results showed that timing alone is not an accurate indicator of visitor behaviour, and produces contradictory results. The communication techniques used in the exhibition areas are the most important factors governing visitor satisfaction levels. Exhibition areas that require high levels of explanatory text, record the lowest levels of public response. Exhibits, such as dioramas or natural habitats, which are entirely interactive, are the most popular.

Macfarlan, S. J. A consideration of museum education collections: theory and application. Curator, Vol.44, No.2, April 2001 p.166 - 178
This article is concerned with creating a template for the proper management of education collections, with the Lubbock Lake Landmark, an archaeological and natural history preserve in Texas, used as a example. A major problem with education collections within museums lies with the lack of prioritisation given to this area by museum administrations. A museum's education collection should afford the museum visitor an opportunity to interact with objects on a much more personal level than with the mainstream collections. Studies have shown that hands-on experiences greatly enhance the visitor's learning experience and also promote family and other forms of social learning. The 'Landmark's' education collection problems are typical of other museums. Objects in the collection are of a poor quality, with many broken objects, reproductions or replicas. They also lack a 'contextual umbrella' which should unite the objects and present a coherent narrative. The 'Landmark' is currently undertaking a five step  programme to resolve these issues. The article includes a table of general rules that should be applied to education collections.

Piscitelli, B. Young children's interactive experiences in museums: engaged, embodied, and empowered learners. Curator Vol.44, No.3, July 2001 p.224 - 229
A look at museums' relationship with the early learning, pre-school age group and the general learning patterns of children in museums. Findings are based on Australian research conducted since 1997, in particular two studies, one of which was completed in 1998 and another which was initiated in 2000. The interviewers in the survey were primarily interested in replicating the child's point of view, and a variety of methods, including examining the participants' drawings and stories and in-depth interviews, were used to gather data. The investigation of childhood learning included cognition, motivation, socio-cultural learning, collaborative learning and aesthetic learning. The survey discovered that the museum needed to increase its provision for ethnic minorities and other disadvantaged groups and that children were ready to become more active participants in museum life. More alliances with carers, educators and other community leaders were suggested.  

Puchner, L., et al. Learning in Children's Museums: is it really happening? Curator, Vol.44, No.2, April 2001 p.237 - 259
A comprehensive study which looks at what children gain from their visits to a children's museum as well as examining what conditions are most conducive to learning. Different types of learning were observed, of differing levels of 'cognitive complexity', however a lower level of complexity was noted more often than the higher level. Two of the most common forms of learning included 'simple cause and effect' and 'procedural' learning. The study found that learning was most likely to take place when adults were supervising the children (i.e. scaffolding') and that different types of exhibits demanded more adult involvement than others. Findings encourage the idea that to increase learning at exhibits, both adults' and children's' reactions needs to be evaluated. The level of involvement offered by the adult is vital to overall benefit; a disinterested adult is not sufficient to inculcate learning. The amount of physical time spent at an exhibit was not found to be an accurate measure of learning accrued by the child, although the longer the child spent at an exhibit, the longer he/she was to experience a learning benefit.   

Rounds, J. Is there a core literature in museology? Curator, Vol.44, No.2, April 2001 p.194 - 206
An article about museology; its importance as a subject and its status in the academic community. Identifies a core literature through citation analysis of journal articles and books published over the last couple of years. Museology emerges as an identifiable discipline with a grouping of influential authors and seminal works. In particular, 85 per cent of museum studies' most-cited titles are shown to be from the exclusive museum studies category. This negates the traditional image of museology as a nebulous academic field embracing a cross-section of other disciplines rather than constituting a cogent discipline in itself. 

Inspired connections: how one design group uses its experience in other sectors to engage the museum visitor. newheritage April 2002 p.10 - 11
An article about the work of Jack Rouse Associates (JRA), a design firm that services an international clientele of museums, corporations and entertainment client. This flexibility has allowed them to develop a multi-disciplinary approach appropriate to both theme parks and traditional museums. One of their most recent projects was the new museum at Ironbridge Gorge; Enginuity. The museum wanted to create exhibits that were both entertaining and informative, with a high level of interactivity. The result was an impressive range of unique exhibits including a synthesized x-ray machine based on NMR photography. Visitor statistics since the museum opened in August have so far been very encouraging.

The big guide to interactives. newheritage April 2002
An in-depth supplement with sixteen pages of contributions from leading British Interactives Group (BIG) practitioners. These include: Sue Brumpton (the current chairwoman); Ian Russell (Managing Director of Interactive Science Ltd); Wendy Sadler (who runs the Science Made Simple consultancy); Richard Glassborow (an interpretive and interactive design consultant) and Paul McCrory (a freelance science communication consultant).   

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