An example of analogy used in popular science writing:
"So any single nerve cells acts like an [sic] tiny automatic ballot machine, assessing the number of 'yes' and 'no' votes entering it at any one time and either firing or not firing depending on which type of vote predominates at any one time. …Nerve cells receive electrochemical signals from other cells, and each signal represents a 'yes' or a 'no' vote in an election to determine whether the cell should fire."
Andrew Scott
Scott, A. (1988). Vital Principles. The molecular mechanisms of life. Basil Blackwell. (Read about this book: Making molecular mechanisms familiar –
A reflection on the pedagogy in Andrew Scott's 'Vital Principles').
Read examples of scientific analogies
Many examples of science analogies are listed in 'Creative comparisons: Making science familiar through language. An illustrative catalogue of figurative comparisons and analogies for science concepts'. Free Download.
