Communicating science for a better tomorrow

Abstract

Even the most brilliant scientific discovery cannot and should not remain confined to laboratories or research and technical journals. It needs to be communicated to the civil society to bring about more engagement and increased appreciation of scientific endeavours. An effective way of communicating science is by way of science magazines. Science magazines do not just disseminate scientific information, but can also be very effective means of inculcating scientific temper and, more importantly, generating an interest for science among the young. Taking the case study of the monthly popular science magazine Science Reporter, published by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, an effort is made here to highlight the important role science communication can play in national development, institutional efforts in the country to popularise science through the print medium, the challenges faced in communicating science through magazines and what needs to be done to make science communication a more potent instrument for raising the scientific awareness of the citizens of the country.