Believing that popularized scientific information is the driving force behind a knowledge-based economy, the National Science Council (NSC) plans to launch a mass media program later this month to help ordinary people better understand the world of science.
Wei Che-ho (魏哲和), minister for the NSC, said at a press conference yesterday that people's daily lives have been deeply influenced by ongoing scientific and technological developments. To most laypeople, however, the technical terms used to describe the developments are incomprehensible.
"Our new science education program will translate scientific jargon into plain language, shortening the distance between the public and scientific development," Wei said.
According to Lin Fou-lai (
The program gets its name from the 180-second segments that are to be broadcast on the radio.
The lessons will cover different areas of scientific research -- including genetics, bio-ethics, semiconductors, information technology, ecological conservation, environment, astronomy, physics and nanotechonolgy.
All 180-second segments will be broadcast between the end of this month and early March by contributing media agencies, including Best Radio (
Chao Ya-ly (
According to PTS, related teaching materials for Science 180 will be available to all elementary schools and high schools so that the program can be used in the classroom.
To ensure the quality of teaching materials, science teachers at leading high schools have been involved in the project, as has Sun Wei-hsin (
Ovid Tzeng (
"We should review the relationship between science and the humanities all the time," Tzeng said.
Media representatives attending the press conference said that the task of the communicators is to persuade the public to regard science as part of their cultural environment.
"When conveying scientific knowledge to the public, mass media should play the role of supervisor -- reviewing the relationship between it and democratic cultivation or it and cultural preparation," said Chang Ta-chun (
Chang said that having specialized scientific understanding become common knowledge in a civil society takes a long time.
He said that the government's promotion of science education should be well thought-out and not be just an improvisation.
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
RSS