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Is science facing a new environment triggered by the alleged successful espionage by foreign parties, in particular China, aimed at the nation's nuclear weapons secrets? Several much publicized reports, in particular that of the Cox Commission of the Congress†, the Rudman report by the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, and the review of the findings of the intelligence community, have alleged security deficiencies within the U.S. defense establishment and in particular U.S. nuclear weapons laboratories. None of these reports have claimed that the presence of foreigners at U.S. academic research institutes or universities has in any way been involved in the alleged security breeches. Yet, remedial measures instituted by the U.S. government are far ranging and affect not only weapons-related activities but the U.S. scientific establishment in general.

National security has many aspects, including economic strength, the morale and well-being of the people, as well as military prowess. In respect to the latter, some emphasize restrictions aimed at preventing information developed in the past from reaching unfriendly nations or parties. But then there are those, this author included, who conclude that national security in the past has been predominantly advanced by achievements in a free environment and that such achievements are endangered if undue security measures by restrictions are allowed to dominate. Both are needed, but to use the phrase coined by journalist Alan Barth, the “utility of freedom” is essential in advancing national security.

During the “hot” and “cold” wars the spectacular achievements of United States science and technology were accomplished in unusually unrestricted environments. Mistakes and false starts were made but, just because the open nature of such errors drew criticism, corrections were readily taken. U.S. openness compared favorably with that of the United States' opponent nations, in particular the …

"Given current science-related crises facing the world such as climate change, the targeting and manipulation of DNA, GMO foods and vaccine denial, the way in which we communicate science matters is vital for current and future generations of scientists and publics. The Routledge Handbook of Scientific Communication scrutinizes what we value, prioritise and grapple with in science as highlighted by the rhetorical choices of scientists, students, educators, science gatekeepers, and lay commentators. Drawing on contributions from leading thinkers in the field, this volume explores some of the most pressing questions in this growing field of study, including: How do issues such as ethics, gender, race, shifts in the publishing landscape, and English as the lingua franca of science influence scientific communication practices? How have scientific genres evolved and adapted to current research and societal needs? How have scientific visuals developed in response to technological advances and communication needs? How is scientific communication taught to a variety of audiences? Offering a critical look at the complex relationships that characterize current scientific communication practices in academia, industry, government and elsewhere, this Handbook will be essential reading for students, scholars and professionals involved in the study, practice and teaching of scientific, medical and technical communication"--

This detailed survey of present-day scientific communication theory rejects the outmoded «levels» organizational scheme in favor of a system based on the underlying model and fundamental explanatory principle each theory presupposes. In doing so it shows the fundamental similarities among all communication-relevant contexts. Most theories included in the book are causal in nature, derived from one of three underlying models: message production, message reception, or interactive. A few theories take on a functional form, sometimes in dialectic or systemic versions. An introductory chapter describes what is meant by scientific explanation, how that concept is instantiated in scientific communication theory, and delineates the three causal models prevalent in these theories. A useful resource for scholars, this book is suitable for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses in communication theory

Within the scientific community, much attention has focused on improving communications between scientists, policy makers, and the public. To date, efforts have centered on improving the content, accessibility, and delivery of scientific communications. Here we argue that in the current political and media environment faulty communication is no longer the core of the problem. Distrust in the scientific enterprise and misperceptions of scientific knowledge increasingly stem less from problems of communication and more from the widespread dissemination of misleading and biased information. We describe the profound structural shifts in the media environment that have occurred in recent decades and their connection to public policy decisions and technological changes. We explain how these shifts have enabled unscrupulous actors with ulterior motives increasingly to circulate fake news, misinformation, and disinformation with the help of trolls, bots, and respondent-driven algorithms. We document the high degree of partisan animosity, implicit ideological bias, political polarization, and politically motivated reasoning that now prevail in the public sphere and offer an actual example of how clearly stated scientific conclusions can be systematically perverted in the media through an internet-based campaign of disinformation and misinformation. We suggest that, in addition to attending to the clarity of their communications, scientists must also develop online strategies to counteract campaigns of misinformation and disinformation that will inevitably follow the release of findings threatening to partisans on either end of the political spectrum.

This book addresses the roles and challenges of people who communicate science, who work with scientists, and who teach STEM majors how to write. In terms of practice and theory, chapters address themes encountered by scientists and communicators, including ethical challenges, visual displays, and communication with publics, as well as changed and changing contexts and genres. The pedagogy section covers topics important to instructors' everyday teaching as well as longer-term curricular development. Chapters address delivery of rhetorically informed instruction, communication from experts to the publics, writing assessment, online teaching, and communication-intensive pedagogies and curricula.

Within the scientific community, much attention has focused on improving communications between scientists, policy makers, and the public. To date, efforts have centered on improving the content, accessibility, and delivery of scientific communications. Here we argue that in the current political and media environment faulty communication is no longer the core of the problem. Distrust in the scientific enterprise and misperceptions of scientific knowledge increasingly stem less from problems of communication and more from the widespread dissemination of misleading and biased information. We describe the profound structural shifts in the media environment that have occurred in recent decades and their connection to public policy decisions and technological changes. We explain how these shifts have enabled unscrupulous actors with ulterior motives increasingly to circulate fake news, misinformation, and disinformation with the help of trolls, bots, and respondent-driven algorithms. We document the high degree of partisan animosity, implicit ideological bias, political polarization, and politically motivated reasoning that now prevail in the public sphere and offer an actual example of how clearly stated scientific conclusions can be systematically perverted in the media through an internet-based campaign of disinformation and misinformation. We suggest that, in addition to attending to the clarity of their communications, scientists must also develop online strategies to counteract campaigns of misinformation and disinformation that will inevitably follow the release of findings threatening to partisans on either end of the political spectrum.

This monograph provides a concise introduction to the tangled issues of communication between Russian and Western scientists during the Cold War. It details the extent to which mid-twentieth-century researchers and practitioners were able to communicate with their counterparts on the opposite side of the Iron Curtain. Drawing upon evidence from a range of disciplines, a decade-by-decade account is first given of the varying levels of contact that existed via private correspondence and conference attendance. Next, the book examines the exchange of publications and the availability of one side's work in the libraries of the other. It then goes on to compare general language abilities on opposite sides of the Iron Curtain, with comments on efforts in the West to learn Russian and the systematic translation of Russian work. In the end, author Christopher Hollings argues that physical accessibility was generally good in both directions, but that Western scientists were afflicted by greater linguistic difficulties than their Soviet counterparts whose major problems were bureaucratic in nature. This volume will be of interest to historians of Cold War science, particularly those who study communications and language issues. In addition, it will be an ideal starting pointing for anyone looking to know more about this fascinating area.