So we talked!

In the Federation Council, in a small hall for meetings, a person at 30, a round table was supposed to take place about the role of scientific journalism in the acceleration of technological progress. “Come, the last time in the State Duma it was interesting,” Grigory Tarasevich called me the editor -in -chief of the Schrödinger Cat magazine.

“They came, they said, it will be interesting, they said” ...

In the hall with leather chairs, instead of chairs, something about 30 people gathered. The average age of the participants in the event greatly exceeded 40 people. There were practically no acquaintances: we, together with Tarasevich and editor of the magazine Svetlana Sokolova, looked around and did not understand who all these people were. And okay, if I were alone, young, I can not know someone. But Gregory also came to bewilderment, although he is probably as many in scientific journalism as I am.

But the next disappointment was suppressed by the first. The round table was oval. And not a cheerful journalistic brethren, but several officials sat behind him. In order to emphasize the whole significance of what is happening, we first decided to show us the film. In it, people asked questions about the achievements of Russian science. The film was mounted “as it should”, and the issues of the correspondent were a special pleasure. "Well, are you generally proud that the first person in space is ours, Gagarin?" - He asks a question. “Of course, I’m proud, it's wonderful,” the girl shared, who shook her hands with her hands at the mention of the name Gagarin.

He created this film a portal, the editor of which believes that scientific journalists should "help Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin to raise Russia from his knees." Thank you, dear speaker, it was interesting to find out about it. We sighed with relief when we realized that it was over and prepared to listen to the speakers. But here is the failure again: “I welcome how good it is that we are all here, science is the most important, let's develop scientific journalism, convey the word.”

The first one and a half hours were laudable-inviting with a note of sadness. Praise - because “USSR”, “science”, “power”, “Gagarin”; recruiting, because “let's raise scientific journalism to an incredible level so that everyone wants to be scientists”; And sad, because scientific journalists somehow do not really cope with this, they are underdeveloped somewhere. It is interesting that as a result, officials did not meet with scientific journalists as a result (only at the end, but more on that later). So we-a correspondent, editors and producer of a popular science blog-did not hesitate to yawn and laughed. The first speaker gave an incredible pleasure: “What is a person? Man is a soul and mind. And the mind rests on science, knowledge and astronomy. ” I broke first and from laughter dropped a scooter. It turned out inconveniently. Next is the spell. It is like "Valar Morgulis", only Gagarin, science and the USSR. (It is strange that by the end of the event we did not call Stalin.)

But they remembered not only the past. There were versions about what a scientific journalist should be. The respected man expressed her-the head of the science of a large technopark and the editor of the popular science publication, about which none of us, however, had heard anything.

"Scientific journalists do not have the right to take comments from scientists!" - we heard. “What kind of kindergarten is this? Journalists should argue with academics and put forward their versions, look for the truth! ” I thought that the truth is still in the fault, and if there is no fault, then at least in tea, and went out into the corridor-since the scooter fell, I will go.

But it continued to come from the hall of the meetings: “There is no need to apply on the forehead either to know that weel-scouts fly over us.” This part of the speech forced to return - a smart person knows: if you communicate with journalists, use wherever you can, the prefix "Nano". But the speaker continued. "Defectation of spiritual bastards!" - Victously came from the department.

He hastily finished his performance, because the rumble finally grew in the hall. True, our editor was upset: after all, the speaker never told in detail about the defect of spiritual bonds.

The word to scientific journalists was given only an hour and a half after the start of the event. We were tired, evil and felt guilty (in any case, they tried to impose it for us). “But earlier, but what is now. Where are the popular science publications? Where is science? " Grigory Tarasevich, one of the last stated speakers, tried to convey several thoughts: “You are talking about everything in the past tense. You are nostalgic for the USSR, and nothing that such a popularity of science was associated with the production of weapons and ambitions to seize the world? .. There is no policy, there is only space. ”

About the fact that at St. Petersburg State University the master's program of training scientific journalists started, as well as about the project “School, Science and Journalism” of the Summer School, no one heard anything, because it was clearly not interested. I'm not talking about modern popular science events, known publications, about what possible options for training specialists. One of the speakers, by the way, suggested creating a professional standard and register the specialty “Scientific journalist” as an additional education - perhaps the only constructive for the entire meeting.

Shortly before the end of the event, one of the assistants of the deputy, who probably was supposed to introduce his boss to the course of the work of his boss, explained everything that was happening. The girl was a little more than me, 23-24 years, but she began her performance with “our” children: “Our children are a future, it is hope. Now they all come home, only to play the computer. Do not develop, are not interested in anything. And scientific journalists must somehow interest them, do something. ”

Officials nodded pretty. We shrugged in bewilderment. They parted on that.