Abstract
POPULAR science is a phrase which almost inevitably conjures visions of Pepper's ghost, unpleasant smells, a loud bang, and a disapproving mother. Not only in chemistry and physics, but also in psychology, sociology, and economics, the term suggests a superficial acquaintance with the more amusing manifestations of natural phenomena or with some arguable thesis concerning political affairs rather than any widespread understanding of the relation between cause and effect. Nevertheless, there is a general lay interest in the march of science, and very laudable attempts have been made, and continue to be made, to keep the populace informed of the trend of its progress, its rate, its direction, its practical effects, and something of the spirit permeating its body of serving men and women. Such a presentation demands painstaking and prolonged effort. The material must not be inaccurate, yet it must necessarily be indefinite, it must be attractive but not sensational, dignified but not high-brow. It must not be presented in its native language, but in that of everyday speech; it must indicate some practical advantage or it must positively refrain from suggesting any such mundane possibility, according as it is intended to be read before or after dinner.
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Popular Science. Nature 121, 349–350 (1928). https://doi.org/10.1038/121349a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/121349a0