Communication seems today to be the thorniest and most pressing problem in the framework of relations between science and the public and the way in which the public perceives it.
The problem of the popularisation of science and of communicating information is coming to a head and is giving rise to much reflection within scientific community, journalists and the general public. As well as being a problem of language (we are dealing with a highly specialised jargon) it is also an ethical problem.
Popular scientific press has the important and delicate role of decoding information coming from the scientific world for public at large. The problem is twofold: a) how to get hold of the news and b) how to put it to the public.
News is frequently not a statement of the truth but its translation into saleable terms. Obviously this is not a correct information process which enables the public to form their own serene and objective opinion and turns them into conscious and responsible players when they are called upon to reach decisions concerning their country.
We must also take into account that, generally speaking, the only source of information on science-related issues for the general public is the media, that can reach our homes so easily. In recent years this has lead to an emotional shift in the way the public perceives the scientific community: from a feeling of unconditional confidence to one of equally uncritical diffidence.
