My name is Nikolaus Oberprieler, yes, Dr. NO! But since I don’t know Sean Connery or have any plans to corrupt NASA to take over the world in the near future, I will leave that for now. Nonetheless, this is my first blog entry and I shall start without hesitation.

I wanted to raise a topic which keeps creeping up again and again, but very little seems to be done about. The problem is the non-existent communication between the science community and the general public. Yes, I know, you will say that a lot is written about science and scientific discoveries in daily newspapers and such, or that a lot is reported on TV. True enough, but my problem is not science’s exposure in the available media. The problem I am referring to is that even in the broad media science is not able to describe concepts and use words that non-scientists will understand. Or even worse – the commentary, article, or interviewer on TV will use totally inaccurate terms and descriptions.

I listened to a conversation between two well educated people the other day.
Person 1: “I don’t think I should go to the gym anymore, my doctor said I have low haemoglobin levels.”
Person 2: “Yes, haemoglobin, that’s a type of bacteria and that is really not good for you. You shouldn’t work out!”
Person 1: “No, haemoglobin is a blood parasite. I must be sick, so I shouldn’t go to the gym.”

The problem is, that these people are more than intelligent enough to understand the underlying principle, just nobody explained it to them in a way that non-scientist can understand it. Of course there are further reaching consequences that have exactly the same cause: The ongoing war between evolutionary theorists and creationists for example. I know, religion plays a role in that too, but if the science community made a stand and explained its findings in an understandable manner, then the creationists would have a hard time recruiting new followers. Instead, their support grows and grows. And what do scientists do about it? Some try to explain, but nobody understands – the rest does nothing. Scientists tend to sit on their high horse, lean back and say: “Isn’t it obvious, the facts are right there and data don’t lie!”

So, my point is that I think that there is a great opportunity for many young (and old of course) scientist to develop a great new career in science writing. Not in scientific science writing – but in public science writing. People who have the ability to explain complicated things in simple terms have a great chance to find a lot of interested people who want to read their stuff. Because the problem is not that people are not interested, they just get bored or frustrated after the 10th word they have never heard before…