{"id":12551,"date":"2017-03-30t12:27:07","date_gmt":"2017-03-30t12:27:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/what-im-looking-for-in-a-science-story\/"},"modified":"2017-03-30t12:27:07","modified_gmt":"2017-03-30t12:27:07","slug":"what-im-looking-for-in-a-science-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/what-im-looking-for-in-a-science-story\/","title":{"rendered":"what i’m looking for in a science story"},"content":{"rendered":"

now, more than ever, the public needs science that is presented in an easily digestible and attention-holding format.<\/p>\n

with a political climate that seems to reject the validity of science, the knee-jerk reaction is to become overly protective of science in its complicated base level. the scientific community worries that if science is diluted at all, it will lose its factual basis and be used as “alternative facts.”<\/p>\n

we must be wary of science being used in a misguided or false manner, but we cannot abandon the idea of communicating accurate science. the united states needs a public that better understands the truths of science, therefore science must be presented in a manner that is more digestible while maintaining its validity.<\/p>\n

that’s what i’m looking for here: scientific sources that maintain the validity of information while framing it as an interesting \u2014 and enjoyable \u2014 story. the goal right now shouldn’t be for scientists and those who support them to lock themselves into scientific bomb shelters to protect science from the scary world outside. instead, the goal should be to make real science more accessible and enjoyable, so we can change the narrative that surrounds it. now that i\u2019ve finished my little spiel, let\u2019s get into what i\u2019m actually looking for in these science stories:<\/p>\n

science<\/h2>\n

the whole point here is to increase the general public\u2019s understanding of science. therefore, the first thing i am looking for in a science story is an accurate description of the science. i don\u2019t want stories that simply state the findings of a scientific study, then move on without explaining more. the story must involve how the science came to be and what its potential is in the real world. who made this discovery? how did they make it? why is it important? what is it used for? what is the potential for application in the future?<\/p>\n

above all else, these stories must maintain the validity of the original science. if the science is augmented or distorted to fit the narrative of the story, then it completely misses the point and risks being dismissed as \u201cfake news.” if at all possible, the original scientists doing the research should be writing the piece or at least quoted in it, but if not, the story should include a credible scientist or professional in the field the science involves.  this way we can make sure the science is being presented the way it should be. we want to better inform the public on accurate science, not continue the spread of misinformation or partial truths.<\/p>\n

story<\/h2>\n

there are key elements to a story that i am looking for and hoping to find. i understand it is ridiculous to hold these science stories to the same standards as \u201cnormal\u201d stories, especially fictional stories. however, i do believe that most of these elements can be found in the origin and use of the science and can easily be incorporated into a science story in order to pique and keep the interest of the reader. the key elements i am looking for are:<\/p>\n