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THE DESTINY OF VISUALIZATIONS IN PUBLIC SCIENCE COMMUNICATION: BETWEEN ACTION AND REPRESENTATION // ΠΡΑΞΗMΑ. Journal of Visual Semiotics. 2021. Issue 4 (30). P. 273-292

The article discusses scientific visualizations in three contexts. The context of the visual turn emphasizes attention to the ambiguous character of images in social interactions – as representations and as agents. The context of the crisis of scientific representations concerns scientific visualizations, which are the way out of it due to their linking of theory and reality. The context of public science communication demonstrates visualizations as activity changing the relationship between public actors and as representation of important scientific information. In the transition from the second context to the third, the author finds the collision of the destiny of scientific visualizations. Visualizations in public science communication turn out to be both scientific and political objects that represent scientific research and take part in the processes of decision-making. In professional science communication, the ambiguous nature of scientific visualizations turns out to be constructive. Scientific visualizations exist simultaneously as representations referring to reality and as actions that bring together the scientific community. However, in public science communication, the assembly of a community through scientific visualizations turns out to be no less significant, but more problematic since the interests of the subjects participating in the interaction are different. Nevertheless, visualizations in public science communication work quite effectively, contributing to the dissemination of scientific literacy in the popularization and to the involvement of citizens in decision-making. In this case, conditions arise that prevent the retention of the constructive ambiguity of visualizations. As such conditions, the author examines the emerging digital mediators of communication that enhance the activities of visualizations, as well as uncertainty as a subject of “post-normal” science, which is difficult to represent through images. In conclusion, the author proposes a way out of this situation, contributing to the retention of the necessary ambiguity of visualizations in public science communication.

Keywords: scientific visualizations, public science communication, representation, objectivity, policy, digitalization, uncertainty