Developing Effective Techniques:
Most scientific information directed towards the general public does not put nearly enough emphasis on the requisite basic knowledge one must have in order to truly understand what is being discussed. Instead, a great deal of effort is made to entertain. There is a fear that the viewer will be turned off if the information presented is too dry. As a result, the audience is likely to be just as ignorant of what actual research results mean, how they are obtained and furthermore, why they are more credible than a psychic show, faith healing, creation science lecture and other such entertainments.
This project aims to determine what minimum background knowledge is essential and then to develop more effective ways to convey this knowledge.
Science Educator's Support Network: Due to a number of well understood factors, science educators often find themselves working in difficult environments. Cultural anti-science biases in the community, lack of support from administrators and insufficient educational resources are among the challenges many teachers face on a daily basis. SER is developing a system to provide educators with support in order to help remedy this situation.
The Online Database of Interviews: SER is developing a comprehensive database of interviews with experts in the fields most relevant to the goal of improving the public’s understanding of science. These include, among others: neuroscientists, educators, molecular biologists, cognitive scientists and historians of science. These interviews will soon be available to visitors to the SER website.