新媒体的科普力量与魅力

The Scientific Strength and Charm of New Media

众所周知,奥巴马上台后即批准了被小布什否决了的干细胞研究。这再次引发了美国社会对干细胞研究的热议。同样,当初在小布什政府时期,美国社会也就干细胞问题有过较大规模的讨论。这两次由政府、科学家和公众广泛参与的大讨论都运用了诸如报纸杂志、电视等传统媒体,力求将干细胞研究中的利弊全面地传播给公众。所不同的是,奥巴马时期的讨论,有了更多新媒体的参与,客观上加强了奥巴马干细胞政策的传播广度和深度。虽然干细胞研究本身就是一个极富争议的问题,但在大讨论中,公众对其的了解和理解进一步加深,科普成效显著。通过对两次大讨论的比较可以看出,相对于传统媒体,新媒体在保证科普传播的有效性方面更胜一筹,能让更多受众体会到科普的力量和魅力。

As is known to all, Obama approved the research of stem cells when he appeared on the stage. It became a hot spot in the American society. Also the stem cells was debated hotly when Geogre W. Bush was in office. The government the public and the scientists participated in the debate. The legacy media was applied in this debate widely. Different from that, the debate about the stem cells occurred in Obama’s term of office applied by new media. New media played an important role in this debate. And we can see the power and glamour of popularization of science for new media.