COMUNICAZIONE SCIENTIFICA IN UNA SOCIETÀ DEMOCRATICA: ASPETTI ETICI

Abstract

Much of the communication and scientific dissemination is pedagogically ineffective, even that apparently most successful. Names like Hawking, Penrose and, more recently, Rovelli have achieved extraordinary public success. There have been many Science Festivals and Researcher's Nights. However, serious statistical surveys show that the increased level of scientific literacy produces contradictory and paradoxical effects. What really is missing is the capacity for critical thinking. The problem is not only scientific, sociological and psychological but also ethical. Many popularizers do not tell the truth or they do not say it all. When this happens, communication, conveying a distorted image of science, can become harmful. To remedy is not only important for science, it is important for democracy.