Science is a dynamic and creative process rather than the linear, and too often, boring process depicted in textbooks and the popular media.
The newly launched Web site, Understanding Science, is already reshaping the way science is being presented through the education system.
My friend and colleague Judy Scotchmoor, and co-organizer with me of the Coalition
on the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS), rolled out the new site formally this past week at the SICB annual meeting in Boston as part of the Year of Science kick-off.Based on the beta testers and first comments from reviewers, the tools and information presented here are going to have a important and lasting effect on the way scientists and non-scientists alike will view the field.
I particularly like the interactive diagram at the right, which shows the multiple starting points and pathways that real science may follow. Test drive it yourself, using examples of how you started and pursued any one of your projects.
The Understanding Science tools and site have been a multi-year project in the making, but it's definitely worth the wait. Kudos to all involved in this revolutionary undertaking!