Collecting Ideas Together

by Paula Johanson

Most people think of science writing as writing about doing science or being a scientist. But some science writing is writing about how people think about science. This can be entertaining when you're reading a book by Stephen Jay Gould or Oliver Sacks. Learning how a scientist thinks about the process of discovering and teaching facts is informative and fun for those of us who are not career scientists!

There are other books about how people think about science -- people who are not scientists. It's less fun to read what some people think, but it is informative. It's important to be informed, not only about objective facts that have been carefully discovered and proved, but also about the kinds of opinions and actions people have based on these facts.

I was the editor for two of this kind of science book, for a series called Analyzing the Issues.

One book was called Critical Perspectives on the Opioid Epidemic. You can click here for a link to this book. The use of painkilling drugs has become an epidemic, with an increasing number of prescriptions being written as well as illegal use of street drugs. It's hard to know from news reports just how dangerous opioids can be or who is using them. For this book, I collected articles and book chapters that were written by doctors and health experts and court cases, as well as personal viewpoints of people affected in their ordinary lives. The idea was to make a book that would help families and older teens or students think critically about opioid use and abuse.

The second book was Critical Perspectives on Vaccinations. You can click here for a link to this book.

Vaccinations have been an issue in recent years, particularly in North America, where a few parents have decided not to vaccinate their children. According to health experts, this has led to an increase in potentially deadly diseases and an overall decrease in herd immunity. This text provides evidence from doctors and experts, along with scientific data, court cases, and viewpoints of everyday people, to help readers think carefully about this important issue.

For this book I was able to identify a major issue for parents: not knowing how to compare risks. They haven't learned the science of how to compare the major risk of their child catching measles with the tiny risk that their child is one of very few who should not be vaccinated. Luckily, it's not rocket science! Comparing risk is something we all can do. It's possible to choose good health care with confidence, with your doctor's help.

Through writing these books, I've come to understand better that some people don't have access to science. That's part of the reason why we contributors at Sci/Why are writing this blog: to show that information and ideas are not just for experts. Everyone can learn, and form opinions.