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.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
RSS