PASADENA, Calif. - Every field of science has its own language, every scientist a way of speaking that, unless you are in the know, is packed with jargon and mystery.
To help tomorrow's scientists explain to us what they do, the California Institute of Technology will present a Science Writing Symposium on February 3, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The event will take place in Baxter Lecture Hall on the Caltech campus.
The symposium is part of the Institute's Words Matter project, which is intended to foster a culture of literacy at Caltech, cultivate students' interest in writing in its varied forms, and help undergraduates appreciate the many ways in which words, indeed, matter. The symposium is open to the Caltech community and to the general public, but is especially intended for Caltech juniors who are all writing science papers aimed at an audience level of college-educated, general readers.
Panelists for the symposium will include Cornelia Dean, science editor at the New York Times, Usha McFarling, a science reporter with the Los Angeles Times, and David Goodstein, vice provost, professor of physics and applied physics, and Frank J. Gilloon Distinguished Teaching and Service Professor, who has written on science and society. The symposium will be moderated by freelance author Russ Rymer, who is a former Caltech science writing instructor. Panelists will describe their own work and discuss the challenges of communicating science and technology to nonspecialists. Following their talks, audience questions and comments will also be welcomed.
Words Matter, a new Caltech initiative, offers undergraduates frequent opportunities for close contact with accomplished writers. Funded by the President's Office and guided by a committee of students, faculty, and administrators, the project has three components: a writer-in-residency, the annual science writing symposium, and a small-grants program to bring other (typically lesser known) authors to campus for one-time readings or class visits and to support student publications.
Last November, the Irish novelist and poet Seamus Deane spent several days on campus, interacting with students and faculty. Deane is one of the most wide-ranging and distinguished figures in contemporary Irish literature and culture. In early April, science writer, essayist, and novelist Alan Lightman will be the writer-in-residence. His novels include Einstein's Dreams (1993), Good Benito (1995), The Diagnosis (2000), and the forthcoming Reunion (July, 2003).
Words Matter is coordinated by Steven Youra, director of the Hixon Writing Center and Caltech Communications Program. As Youra explains, "The Science Writing Symposium will help our students understand how to communicate complex technical information to broad audiences. This symposium and other Words Matter events will raise students' awareness and appreciation of good writing by creating opportunities to engage with a range of accomplished authors from the realms of literature and the arts, as well as the sciences."
