ABSTRACT
The term popular science – in its broadest sense – is a piece of science communication which assumes interest, but no particular expertise, on the part of the reader. Today, it is often a publishing tag, printed on the backs of books or emblazoned across the tops of booksellers’ shelves. But popular science has a long history with broader applications. Historians of science with an interest in popular science (e.g. Fyfe and Lightman 2007) have been keen to extend research from the study of books to include lectures, songs, museums, part-works, magazines, radio and television. In terms of changes in practice, increasingly we see blogging having an impact on books and other print forms, though there have long been books spinning-off (or working cross-platform) with television programmes, exhibitions and lecture series. There is also a growing use of comic art as a form of popular science.
