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Chapter 8: Communicating Science in the Public Realm

Choose the correct answer. For these questions, one answer is better than the others.

This activity contains 5 questions.

Non-experts are primarily defined as audiences who:

Don't have knowledge of your specific fieldOnly have a high school educationDon't have Ph.D.s in other subjectsDon't have any technical knowledge

The principle of audience adaptation states that:

With audiences outside your field, you should only discuss a scientific topic about which you know a lot You should only speak and write for those audiences that will understand youYou should try to convince audiences to adopt your point of viewYou should always try to build your discussion on the knowledge, needs, and interests of your audience

Metaphors:

Should never be used in explaining scienceAre useful when one "leg" of the comparison is drawn from the knowledge and/or experience of the audienceAre examples of Aristotelian definitionsAre most effective when they compare one scientific concept to another when addressing public audiences

In "Solving the Mystery of Pfiesteria" by Daun Daemon, identify the audience adaptation technique that is not contained in the following quote:

"On the job are a number of persistent sleuths, all sniffing out clues that will help crack the case. With diligent effort, they sift through evidence, track down leads, put the squeeze on people who might have a tidbit of promising information, and work long hours making sense of it all."

Before answering this question, you may want to read the whole article.

NarrationExample MetaphorAnalysis

In "Solving the Mystery of Pfiesteria" by Daun Daemon, identify the audience adaptation technique that is not contained in the following quote:

"Unlike red tide dinoflagellates, Pfiesteria does not signal its presence in the water. It lies in bottom sediments in a cyst stage until it senses approaching fish. It then transforms into a zoospore with a whiplike appendage, swims into the water column and releases toxins that directly or indirectly cause fish to slough their skin. The zoospore consumes pieces of the tissue and reproduces."

Before answering this question, you may want to read the whole article.

ComparisonAnalysisDefinitionNarration

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