Earth stories: context and narrative in the communication of popular geoscience

Geoscientists are increasingly being encouraged to present their work to the wider public, and even to advocate more directly its policy dimensions. For those involved in geoconservation, that often entails communicating geological information to people who have little or no Earth science background. A review of current science communication thinking indicates that improving the geo-literacy of the ‘ordinary person in the street’ is unlikely to be achieved simply by educating them with basic ‘geo-facts’. Instead, genuine and effective public engagement is more likely to come from conveying the deep-seated ‘context’ of our geological knowledge, and by presenting the wider culture within which Earth scientists work. This inculcation of a popular ‘geo-culture’ can take its cues from mass-media representations of Earth science (‘disasters and dinosaurs’) by recasting geological issues, concepts and knowledge in terms of messages that have strong narratives, dramatic incident and human interest. Ultimately, the role of such popular geological story-telling is less about delivering specific information about Earth science issues and more about establishing the credentials of ‘brand geoscience’ in the public's mind.