In the footsteps of Einstein, Sagan and Barnard: Identifying South Africa’s most visible scientists

摘要

A dominant trend in science over the past century is the move away from a closed system in which scientistsworked largely in isolation, to a more transparent system in which scientists leave the proverbial ivory towerto engage with society. 1 Today, effective communication between scientists and diverse public audiences isrecognised as an important characteristic of a modern, democratic knowledge society. 2 Consequently, the notionthat scientists should engage with affected publics and debate the social implications of their work openly hasbecome a central element of the moral economy of modern science. However, in a world where science hasbecome increasingly competitive, contested and politicised 3 , the borders between science and politics are blurringand science is more closely coupled with politics and mass media 4 . As a result, public communication of sciencehas also become a tool to compete for public attention and political support 5 and scientists’ motivation to seekpublic visibility may be complex and diverse.