Making Science Accessible: Fighting the Stereotype

If I asked you to draw a scientist, what would you draw? Something like this?

What does a stereotypical scientist look like in your mind? Like this?

This is perhaps the stereotype you might of perceived as a child or for some still the view held today. Scientists are also perceived as hard-working, eccentric and isolated individuals. Is this really the case?

Scientists play an important role in shaping societies views and their understanding of science today. It would be bold to say that they're even responsible for societies understanding of how the world works.

Technology is rapidly advancing and we are now in a time of exciting scientific discovery. Some of the brightest minds are innovatively trying to solve some of the worlds most challenging problems as you're reading this very sentence!
This means that communication is becoming an increasingly important aspect of primary research. Scientists should not shy away from communicating with the public. But embrace it!

Language is a huge barrier to people accessing science.
Often scientists use scientific jargon to give authority about their work. Jargon is perfectly acceptable to use when communicating research to an audience whom understand the jargon terms. Jargon terms give a concise and accurate way of definition. However, could a concise explanation still be given using the ten hundred most used words?  I challenge you to do this with the most technical thing you can think of: http://splasho.com/upgoer5/

There is the danger in clouding peoples understanding with cutting out the jargon and simplifying science. Particularly in defining scientific terms. For example when I was at school I learnt that the nucleus was the 'control centre' of the cell. But to what extent does that really describe what the nucleus of the cell ACTUALLY does?

I'll admit that it is sometimes easy to forget what is scientific jargon when it is so often used in my vocabulary.
With science rapidly changing everyday. It can be difficult to keep the public up to speed, but it is important to do so. For example, DNA sequencing: the public need to be informed about what DNA sequencing is and what it can and cannot tell us about ourselves.

This is why science needs to be made accessible for all! Science communication plays an important role into how science is represented in the media and the public's understanding of scientific research today.