Bulletin of the American Physical Society
2008 APS April Meeting and HEDP/HEDLA Meeting
Volume 53, Number 5
Friday–Tuesday, April 11–15, 2008; St. Louis, Missouri
Session B4: How to Communicate Physics to the General Public Using Books and Articles |
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Sponsoring Units: FEd FPS Chair: Andrew Post-Zwicker, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Room: Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront (formerly Adam's Mark Hotel), Promenade B |
Saturday, April 12, 2008 10:45AM - 11:21AM |
B4.00001: Writing about, and teaching, physics for non-scientists Invited Speaker: Physicists must communicate their knowledge to the general public because, as the American Association for the Advancement of Science puts it, ``without a scientifically literate population, the outlook for a better world is not promising.'' I'll discuss what I've learned about writing for non-scientists from my physics textbook for non-science college students, Physics: Concepts and Connections, now in its fourth edition and in use on 130 campuses, and also from my bi-weekly hometown newspaper column. Lessons learned include the process of organizing and writing a textbook, tips for writing effective prose, dos and don'ts when writing for non-scientists, choice of subject matter, being relevant to the needs of non-scientists, and unifying one's book through the use of such general themes as ``the scientific process,'' or ``energy.'' For real-world relevance, I suggest emphasizing physics-related social topics, and modern and contemporary physics. I highly recommend Michael Alley's book The Craft of Scientific Writing, as well as Strunk and White's timeless Elements of Style. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, April 12, 2008 11:21AM - 11:57AM |
B4.00002: ABSTRACT WITHDRAWN |
Saturday, April 12, 2008 11:57AM - 12:33PM |
B4.00003: Explaining Science to non-Scientists Invited Speaker: |
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