Let it be known that last weekend, thanks to National Geographic, a conversation on the nature of black holes took place in the salon where I get my hair cut.
It’s a setting where astrology gets a lot more attention than astronomy, but one of the hair cutters had read the latest National Geo cover story, Black Holes, and he'd been looking forward to my appointment so he could talk about it. He gave me a good summary of the story, demonstrating that he comprehended it. There was real science communication achieved.
The story, by Michael Finkel, was an overview in broad brushstrokes, with no hype, lots of history, lots of background and no quotes. It serves as a lesson to editors who think people don’t care about science unless there’s a breakthrough that happened five minutes ago, a “human interest” angle, or news you can use.
In this story, the top is all background. It doesn’t promise any breakthroughs, game changers, or findings that will turn the world upside down. But the science is interesting on its own, and for many readers, it will all be news.
There are many kinds of people out there. True, some are too jaded to read a story about black holes unless someone had figured out how to use them to burn fat. But others get great pleasure out of the chance to read – and comprehend – something that draws them beyond the bounds of the familiar and reminds them that we inhabit a strange and mysterious universe.
There’s also a lesson for those scientists who scoff at popular science writing, denigrating it as “dumbed down” if a writer fails to include every piddling detail. Some details are critical to the logic and accuracy of a story and others less so. Sometimes scientists get so lost in all the details that they forgot the joy – or maybe they grow numb to it after studying the same thing year after year. But there is joy and wonder in exploring the universe.
While much popular writing leaves the impression that progress in science is accelerating beyond all comprehension, some mysteries refuse to be cracked that easily. That’s all part of the story.
So what if there isn’t a human interest yarn about a maverick scientist who just solved the mystery of black holes? There’s still a story to tell. If a story like this one in National Geographic can remain true to the facts and bring that much pleasure to a hairdresser in Philadelphia, it was a success.
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