Scientific ideas are often quite abstract and conceptual. Those who communicate about scientific ideas need to 'make the unfamiliar familiar' to help their audience understand these ideas. This may involve analogies, metaphors, similes, narratives, anthropomorphism…
Read about making the unfamiliar familiar
Idioms are common phrases that have become widely used with a particular customary meaning in the language.
These differ from normal metaphors as their interpretation may be less obvious.
For example, to say two things are like chalk and cheese means they are especially different – but it may not be obvious why chalk and cheese (both have a high calcium content?) are considered more different than, say, tin and timber, or oxygen and obsidian! It is suggested that chalk and cheese are superficially similar enough to not be obviously different.
Idioms may be especially difficult for second language learners to understand as many idioms do not translate directly between different languages.
Read about challenges of translation between languages when reporting research
Asteroids
"As we've seen, even two large bodies in the asteroid belt can be completely different to each other – Ceres and Vesta – like chalk and cheese."
Natalie Starkey: Catching Stardust. Comets, asteroids and the birth of the Solar System
[chalk and cheese: very different although might be confused]
Atmosphere and climate
- climates went South after Toba eruption (Prof. John Kappelman, University of Texas)
- we have a climate on steroids (Prof. Valerie Trouet of the University of Arizona)
Chemical reactions
- step in route taken to the phomopsene diterpenes is obvious as a black cat in a coal cellar (Chemistry World)
Geology
Mental illness
- mental illness is like getting into a rut (Dr Robin Carhart-Harris, University of California)
Solar system
- carbon in the Sun plays the role of the legendary phoenix (George Gamow)
- physicist cut through the Gordian knot of the planetary theory (George Gamow)
Sience policy
- chief scientific adviser to the government is a sort of Babel fish job (Professor Dame Angela McLean)
Space exploration
"The ESA Rosetta spacecraft had a lot resting on its wide, solar-panel, shoulders when it launched at the start of its mission to catch up with a comet in space. Firstly, it had a long and lonely journey into deep space to contend with, requiring it to enter hibernation for a number of years to save energy. There was no certainty it would wake again."
Natalie Starkey: Catching Stardust. Comets, asteroids and the birth of the Solar System
[to have broad shoulders is to take on great responsibilities]
"…these fly-bys gave Rosetta a chance to spread its wings and test out a few instruments, and its communication system with Earth."
Natalie Starkey: Catching Stardust. Comets, asteroids and the birth of the Solar System
[to spread your wings: to take on something new or go somewhere new]
