BioWriting is obviously about scientific writing in biology related fields. As a graduate student, I know I must be capable to write scientific papers, at least, for god's sake, to reach certain criteria of degree programs. But I haven't given much thought to "what", "why", "who" about "scientific writing" meant to be.
What is scientific writing? I used to think that scientific writing equals articles in scientific journals. During the class I think textbooks are also scientific writing, and they're for the majority of people in our community. Then a question came up into my head. What about scientific stuff other than paper? The Discovery channel provides lots of scientific writing. That's a more popular and fun way to communicate science.
Why is scientific writing important? Definitely not for graduation. For ignorant people, as Carrie says in the class. I agree with that. We are all ignorant in certain cases. Spreading knowledge is important for human beings. Hence, printing is a impressive ancient invention and internet is a breakthrough in modern evolution.
Who are we writing for? I think most scientists want their work to be acknowledged by the public. That's what textbooks are made for. We may become scientists someday, if we get lucky. So we must learn how to write scientific stuff in a funny, comprehensive way. Otherwise, when a future teacher teaches our work, students may get bored and fall asleep, AGAIN.
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