Entry tags:
Communicating the science of climate change
I've seen the following table in a friend's page a week or so ago. The full story in Physics Today is equally interesting.
Terms that have different meanings for scientists and the public | ||
---|---|---|
Scientific term | Public meaning | Better choice |
enhance | improve | intensify, increase |
aerosol | spray can | tiny atmospheric particle |
positive trend | good trend | upward trend |
positive feedback | good response, praise | vicious cycle, self-reinforcing cycle |
theory | hunch, speculation | scientific understanding |
uncertainty | ignorance | range |
error | mistake, wrong, incorrect | difference from exact true number |
bias | distortion, political motive | offset from an observation |
sign | indication, astrological sign | plus or minus sign |
values | ethics, monetary value | numbers, quantity |
manipulation | illicit tampering | scientific data processing |
scheme | devious plot | systematic plan |
anomaly | abnormal occurrence | change from long-term average |
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thanks for sharing
didn't realize how scientifically biased I am ;)))
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