ABSTRACT
Durant (1990) has summarized the rationale for concern about the public understanding of science into three categories; cultural, practical and political. The first concerns the need for people to be informed about what are probably the most important achievements of our time, that is science as part of our heritage. The second concerns the need to understand how some of the everyday science-based technologies work at the functional level. The political rationale is about democracy in action. Effective citizen participation depends upon access to particular knowledges such that policy issues may be subjected to critical scrutiny. It is in this respect that the importance of disseminating scientific and technological information is accentuated. (Dickens, 1992; Science Museum, 1994; Ziman, 1980). The significance of the public understanding of science and the related public attitudes is demonstrated by the activities of science/technology-based commercial concerns, The Royal Society and various social action groups (e.g., animal rights, conservationists etc.) (Irwin, 1995; Roberts, 1988; Turney, 1994). In general, these activities aim to close the gap between scientists and general public. They include the staging of special events, innovative ways of presenting science to the public through day conferences, exhibitions, etc. or concentrate upon developing scientists’ communication skills.
