/
Article

Science on the Air: NSF’s Role

NOV 01, 1990
High‐quality science broadcasts initiated with the help of government funds have attracted sizable and devoted audiences on public television—yet the goal of reaching commercial television’s wider viewership remains elusive.
George Tressel

In 1976 I wrote a very intemperate letter to the director of the National Science Foundation, H. Guyford Stever. While I didn’t keep a copy, it went something like this: Recently, Science printed an account of your speech on the public understanding of science. With all due respect, the National Science Foundation does not know the meaning of those words.

This article is only available in PDF format

References

  1. 1. B. Lewenstein, “‘Public Understanding of Science’ in America, 1945–1965,” dissertation, University of Pennsylvania, 1987 (order no. 8804924, University Microfilms International, Ann Arbor, Mich).

  2. 2. D. Hensler, “Science Policy by Referendum: Voter Choice on the California Nuclear Initiative,” report P‐6576, Rand Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif., January 1981.

  3. 3. J. D. Miller, Daedalus, Spring 1983, p. 29.

More about the authors

George Tressel, Children's Television Workshop, New York.

Related content
/
Article
Since 2008, more than 100 colleges and universities in the US have stopped offering an undergraduate physics major. What happened?
/
Article
The thermodynamic and quantum mechanical properties of topological insulators provide a path toward scalable energy storage in information-based batteries.
/
Article
At the end of the turbulent 1960s, the postwar funding boom in US physics came to a crashing halt. The lessons learned then may be helpful to today’s physicists.
/
Article
Interviews with 22 successful early-career physical scientists and engineers reveal that networking has been one of the most critical ways to nurture their careers.
This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_1990_11.jpeg

Volume 43, Number 11

Get PT newsletters in your inbox

pt_newsletter_card_blue.png
PT The Week in Physics

A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.

pt_newsletter_card_darkblue.png
PT New Issue Alert

Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.

pt_newsletter_card_pink.png
PT Webinars & White Papers

The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.

By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.