Communicating Science to the Public Chairman: Professor W. M. Laetsch 1987 We live in a rapidly changing world in which science and technology influence the quality of everyone's life, for better or worse. An understanding of science is therefore important for all of us--yet the general level of scientific literacy is low. This conference brings together scientists and others working in museums, the mass media and education to discuss how science can be effectively communicated to the public. The contributors describe the public perception of science, the role of schools, museums and zoos in the communication of science, and the part played by the mass media and by science books. They debate the value of formal and informal sources of science exhibits, the virtues of science theatre, and the influence of pseudoscience, parascience and science fiction. They agree that science needs credibility, that every effort should be made to communicate it as effectively as possible, and that scientists should learn to communicate better among themselves as well as with the general public--whose interest in matters related to science is in fact insatiable. 'We need lots of different people', as the chairman says.