Modern
Science Writing & Journalism
Objective:
1.Students must be familiarized
with the area of modern science writing.
2.To hold discussions with
students on great entrepreneurial and engineering ventures that have used
science.
3.To explore frontier areas in
science and technology and to evoke unresolved problems in these areas.
4.Students are taught to write
interesting science features of their won.
L T P
I.A./Practical: 25 Marks
3 0 0 Theory:
75 Marks
Time
Allowed: 3 Hours Max.
Marks: 100
Unit-1: Science Journalism:
Introduction;
aim and objective of science journalism; ethics of science journalism; popularizing science and technology,
inculcating scientific temper: truth, relativity, end of grand narratives,
encouraging scientific outlook; Philosophical background: positivism,
rationalism, binary opposition, scientific method and approach, impact on
literature and literary criticism of Darwin’s theory of evolution and
Einsteins’s theory of relativity; public awareness campaigns.
Unit-2:Modern
Science writing & Popular science :science fiction versus futurism;
Gedanken experiments/thought-experiments; value of uncertainty and paradox; Use
of analogies and parallels;structure of a scientific essay;
hypothesis-evidence-thesis; from essay to feature; learning discussing
state-of-the-art; fantasy; Biographies of eminent scientists.
Unit-3:
Frontiers of Science: science in news; ideas adopted for practical use;
entrepreneurial skills with scientific ideas; Entrepreneur’s stories that made use
of science; World War I and II and development of science
&technology;Frontiers of Science; Breakthrough technologies; great debates
raging in science.
Unit 4: Neologisms and Advanced vocabulary-builder: Neologisms; Popular
science; Jargon and avoiding jargon; Blackholes,
Higgs-Boson; Quarks; Anti-matter, Quasars, DNA; Mutations, Hybrids, BT seeds, cyborgs,
cybernetics; humanoids; Bitcoins,
Reverse Engineering, Robotics &AI; IPR&
Patents.
Outcome:
1. Students understand objective
and aim of science journalism
2. Students are conversant with
great entrepreneurial ventures that have used science.
3.The students are conversant
with lives and ground-breaking works of eminent scientists .
4.Students are able to
write science features of their own.
References:
Angler, Martin W. Science Journalism: An Introduction.
Routledge 2017
Hayden,Thomas.The Science Writers' Handbook: Everything
You Need to Know to Pitch, Publish, and Prosper in the Digital Age
Paperback
Blum, Deborah (Editor), Mary
Knudson (Editor), Robin Marantz Henig (Editor) A Field Guide for Science Writers: The Official Guide of the National
Association of Science Writers 2nd Edition.
Skloot Rebecca (Editor) andTim
Folger (Editor).The Best American Science
and Nature Writing2015 ed. Edition
Carol L. Rogers, Sharon M.
Friedman(1999). Communicating
Uncertainty: Media Coverage of New and Controversial Science
Martin W. Bauer and
MassimianoBucchi .Journalism, Science and
Society Science Communication between News and Public Relations .
Routledge: NY and London
Sharon Dunwoody, Carol L. Rogers,
Sharon M. Friedman Scientists and Journalists: Reporting Science as News : American Association for the Advancement of
Science.(December 1988)
Richard Dawkins . The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing (Oxford
Landmark Science) Paperback – 21 Oct 2009. Oxford; Reprint edition (21 October
2009)
Dorothy Nelkin .Selling Science: How the Press Covers
Science and Technology (Revised) Revised Edition. Publisher: W.H. Freeman
& Company; Revised edition (February 1995)
Michael Alley (Author)The
Craft of Scientific Presentations: Critical Steps to Succeed and Critical
Errors to Avoid Paperback – 30 Apr 2013
Carl Sagan Cosmos: The Story of Cosmic Evolution, Science and
Civilisation11 August 1983. Little, Brown Book Group; Latest Edition
edition (11 August 1983)
Recommended:
Carl Sagan.TheDragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence
Mass Market Paperback – 12 Dec 1986RHUS; Reprint edition (12 December 1986)
ISBN-10: 0345346297
Stephen Hawking.A Brief History of Time: From Big Bang to
Black Holes. Bantam; Latest Edition edition (1 April 1995)
Richard Dawkins: River Out of Eden (Science Masters) Paperback.
Orion Publishing Group (29 April 2015)
Richard Dawkins .An Appetite for Wonder: The Making of a
Scientist Paperback. Bantam Press (7 October 2013)
Richard Dawkins. The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's
Really True. RHUK
