Here come the spiders: the importance of imagery

Imagery is a hugely important aspect of science communication. This is especially true when the language used to describe a scientific breakthrough is largely unfamiliar to a lay audience. We remember images, generally, far better than we do words. Anyone can describe a scene from their favourite novel, but very few will remember the words. [...]

Toasters: “more deadly than sharks”

Just seen this on the Daily Mail website, under the terrifying headline “Killers in your kitchen: Gender-bending packaging, exploding floor cleaners and toasters more deadly than sharks…” Various kitchen based items are rated on a danger scale from 1 to 5. Dishcloths come in at a deadly 4/5; Damp dishcloths and sponges, left to fester [...]