Similarly, the sciences could be demystified for liberal arts types like me. We could write our way into at least a partial understanding of many sub… - William Zinsser

But there are all kinds of reasons why English teachers ought to get some relief. One is that they shouldn’t have to assume the whole responsibility for imparting a skill that’s basic to every area of life. That should be everybody’s job. That’s citizenship.

Be a writer. Write things down.

That’s why I liked the two trends that Professor Potts mentioned: educating future scientists to be more attuned to the impact of their work, and educating the rest of us to be more scientifically literate. It does us no good to just feel a growing sense of jeopardy over what the scientists are “up to.” As citizens we’re responsible for what we know and what we don’t know.