Running head: Improving Science Communication Leftwich 1

Improving Science Communication

Introduction

The language and nature of scientific research fields such as ecology, physics, chemistry

is at times baffling to non-scientists. This may due in large part to the fact that the non-scientist

layperson does not have much exposure to the concepts and terminology outside of core

curriculum courses during their primary and secondary education. This disconnect may be a

contributing factor to the skepticism that some individuals have to climate change or the

continued exploration of space. While television programs like Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey

and the sitcom The Big Bang Theory have helped increase the exposure to some these concepts,

this gap can continue to be narrowed by more effective and meaningful communication by

scientists themselves. A more effective way to communicate these topics may be to present this

information in the form a webcomic or infographic where humor, illustrations, and other

visualizations can be used to better describe difficult to understand topics. For this analysis I

have chosen On November 26th, a mole will land on Mars (Inman, 2018) and the Carbon Budget

(World Resources Institute, 2014).

Rhetorical Situation

One Day a Mole Will Land on Mars

Inman (2018) writes a webcomic called The Oatmeal in which he posts comics taking a

humorous spin on everyday life, grammar, and topics like history and science. In On November

26th, a mole will land on Mars, he details the mission of NASA’s Mars InSight Lander and there

hopes for better understanding of the geophysical properties of Mars. Inman (2018) publishes

his webcomic through the medium of the internet and posts links to his website through the

social media sites Facebook and Instagram. While his intended audience are individuals who
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follow his site through social media, he has a secondary audience of individuals consisting of

individuals that may see shared posts from their friends and those that find his site through

searches of information that consist of keyword to material on his site. Inman does not use

advertising or produce sponsored material (Inman, 2018). He is not an academic or employee of

NASA, although it appears that he conducts extensive research of topics that interest him to

produce his work. Because of this I would rate his credibility lower than that someone that is a

NASA employee or academic. I originally found this text when Inman posted it to his Instagram

page which I have followed for several years. This text was published in November 2018. When

he published this text, the InSight was nearing the end of its travel to Mars. Many of his

followers appear to have an interest in these topics and the overall connotation of this text is the

curiosity of humans and their desire to understand the unknown.

The Global Carbon Budget

The World Resources Institute is a group which seeks to inform the public about the

dangers of climate change and the steps they can take to help mitigate its hazards (WRI, 2018).

Their infographic, The Carbon Budget, defines the what the carbon budget is, what is

contributing to increases in the concentration of carbon dioxide, and what individuals can do to

lower their carbon footprint, and the risks of exceeding the carbon budget. This text was

published on their website with the possibility of reaching individuals interested in mitigating

climate change. This is evident because the home page of their websites highlights specific goals

pertaining to climate change as well various projects pertaining to other environmental issues

such as energy production and water security. While the World Resources Institute employs

academics and professionals in field of climate science, the board of directors consists of former

banking industry leaders and high-level government officials. On the surface the World
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Resources Institute appears to a climate change research group, it is more likely a lobbying group

for climate policy. Due to this, I would give a low credibility due to their lack of impartiality.

The implied author of this text is the World Resources Institute. This text was originally

published March 2014. With the emphasis on potential catastrophe, this text carries a negative

connotation to those who read it.

Element Analysis

Inman emphasizes the science mission of the InSight lander and what NASA seeks to

learn. In particular he emphasizes the goal of NASA’s intent to understand the geophysical at

play on Mars and how the inner planets of our solar system formed. He organized this text with a

brief introduction of the mission which led into the lander’s development, its travel to Mars, the

plan for its landing, and finally how to view the live feed of InSight Mission Control. He uses a

red background to represent the surface of Mars with white text in order for easy readability. The

text uses a linear organization that is revealed as one scrolls down the page. This organization

keeps the reader engaged as elements change throughout the panels of the comic.

The World Resources Institute emphasizes the carbon budget and the impact of carbon

dioxide as a greenhouse gas and the implications of its effects on the atmosphere. In order to

present this information, they first define what the carbon budget is. This leads to the current

impacts of increased carbon dioxide concentrations on the planet and the effects of surpassing

the carbon dioxide. To end the text, they tie in what can be done by individuals and governments

to reduce carbon dioxide emissions which is coupled with further information published by the

World Resources Institute. This text is organized in a manner that draws the eye down the page.

By using a gradient of black to light blue they replicate the layers of the atmosphere where the

impacts of increased carbon dioxide has the greatest effect.

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Linguistic Modes

Both texts make heavy use of the visual and linguistic modes to convey information.

Inman highlights aspects of the mission with drawing representing the lander itself and the

compares it to a mole which is analogous to the method NASA will use to understand the inner

workings of Mars. Inman chooses to deliver this information using humorous text to help

provide better context for the reader. The WRI takes a more serious linguistic approach and more

technical language in which they highlight the more dire consequences of each consequence of

rising carbon dioxide levels. As such, this text may be directed to an audience who will quickly

scan the infographic instead of the more in depth reading required in Inman’s text.

Conclusion

While both texts are well written and presented, I believe that Inman’s text may present a

better means of communicating technical subjects. His use of humor and the simple explanations

lend themselves to the dissemination of scientific research and concepts which may lead to a

better understanding of these topics by the layperson

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Works Cited

Brownell, S.E., Price, J.V., Steinman, L. (2013) Science communication to the general public:
Why we need to teach undergraduate and graduate students this skill as part of their
formal scientific training. Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, 12(1), E6-
E10. doi: 10.1111/1541-0072.00012

Infographic: The Global Carbon Budget. (2014, March). Retrieved February 21, 2019, from
https://www.wri.org/resources/data-visualizations/infographic-global-carbon-budget

Inman, M. (2018, November). On November 26th, a mole will land on Mars. Retrieved February
21, 2019, from https://theoatmeal.com/comics/insight