On the Harm of Science Popularization

The article discusses some aspects of the relationship between science and society through the prism of such a social phenomenon as the popularization of science. The usual narrative around science popularization today assumes the availability of scientific knowledge and its results for the whole society. However, the academic community quite clearly expresses its concerns about the need and, most importantly, the possibility of conveying scientific knowledge to laypeople in a simplified form. It is this opposition that is playing an increasingly prominent role today, including in the development of state science and technology policy. At the same time, as the author shows, the problem of science popularization turns out to be much more multilayered than it seems at first glance. The popularization of science is only a good indicator of the attitude of the state and society towards science and is a derivative of a more fundamental problem – the relationship between science and the democratic structure of society. Usually, they note several positive trends associated with the popularization of science: helping people to learn about new scientific discoveries and research, which can lead to an increase in interest in science in general; scientific knowledge becomes more accessible to a wide range of people (this contributes to an increase in the general level of education and development of society); science popularization can help to reduce anti-science prejudices and stereotypes as well as to increase the level of scientific literacy and critical thinking in society. However, as the author demonstrates using numerous characteristic examples, this is only one side of the coin. Popularization has another, negative side, which has a no less powerful influence on both society in general and the scientific community in particular. Thus, it is the popularization of science that can lead to the “wildness”of society, to ignoring expert scientific opinion. Due to the need to transfer scientific information in an accessible form, there is a simplification or even distortion of scientific data. This can lead to misunderstandings of science and the spread of myths and false beliefs. Obviously, it is important to find a balance between the availability of scientific information and the preservation of its quality and accuracy. But is it possible to find a balance in such a situation? Or is scientific popularization destined to become part of the entertainment business?

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