The Language of Science

by Carol Reeves

Overview

The communication of scientific principles is becoming increasingly important in a world that relies on technology. Exploring the use of scientific language in the news and examining how important scientific ideas are reported and communicated, this title in the Intertext series takes a look at the use and misuse of scientific language and how it shapes our lives.

The Language of Science:

• explores the goals of, and problems with, scientific language and terminology
• demonstrates the power and misuse of scientific discourse in the media
• examines the special qualities of scientific communication
• explores how science and popular culture interact
• is illustrated with a wide range of examples from the MMR vaccine to AIDS and the biological weapons debate, and includes a glossary as well as ideas for further reading.

This practical book is ideal for post-16 to undergraduate students in English Language, Linguistics, Journalism, Communications Studies or Science Communication.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415346368
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/25/2005
Series:	Intertext
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	140
Product dimensions:	6.88(w) x 9.69(h) x (d)

About the Author

Carol Reeves is Associate Professor of English at Butler University, Indianapolis. She is an experienced teacher of rhetoric, science, science communication, and science journalism, and has published a number of articles on topics such as Language and AIDS.

Table of Contents

Introduction  1. Language  2. Metaphor in Science  3. The Grammar of Science  4. Language, Discourse and Facts  5. Understanding the Rhetorical in Science  6. Science and Culture: The Interaction of Discourses  7. Science and Society.  Glossary of Terms

Editorial Reviews

'Professor Reeves transforms the achievements of two generations of creative scholarship in the language and rhetoric of science into a textbook that is fully accessible to undergraduates, while remaining informative for graduate students. She accomplishes this feat in a style that is patient without condescension, clear without oversimplification, and accurate without pedantry. Her examples are consistently on point, and her exercises consistently imaginative and useful.' – Alan Gross, University of Minnesota, USA

From the Publisher