Science Should Be Accessible

     This morning I have been working on an outline for a future article and video, and I have realized that even on websites that are supposed to be for consumption by the everyday person, the language still seems technical to anyone who hasn’t been introduced to the jargon. Now, I am working on something that is in my field of study, but as I have been writing my outline I have needed to add quite a bit of definition for anyone who does not have a background in the biological sciences. This particular project is not very technical, and I am not citing some obscure piece of research tucked away in the depths of a scientific journal, so I can’t help but feel a bit alarmed. 

     I am tempted to call this a failure of the current education system, and perhaps it is just that, or maybe I’m expecting too much of my fellow person. Just because I can read the word “taxon” and not even pause, is it reasonable to expect that the everyday person has at least been introduced to the same vocabulary without a similar academic background? I would argue that yes, it is reasonable to expect that basic scientific language should be introduced at least at the high school level to promote the accessibility of scientific developments. It is genuinely disheartening for me when I see scientific developments mischaracterized in media or everyday conversation because only the specialists understand even the basic lingo. 

     In the very least, journalists should be expected to at least make an effort to understand what they are reporting on so that the conversation does not become even more muddied. I do not, however, ignore the fact that scientific papers are very difficult to read because they are packed full of very specific terminology that might only make sense to a very limited pool of people. Unfortunately, that is unavoidable because specialized research requires specialized vocabulary to be able to describe the research that has taken place. 

     Perhaps a push to make science more accessible at a younger age or people who take the time to dissect complex concepts can help the general populace find future research more easily digested. No matter where the blame is, the push to make science more digestible is an important step in producing a more informed society of critical thinkers. I hope that my work here can at least scratch the surface at the cacoon of mystery that seems to envelop the world of science (at least biological science).