The popularisation of science via TED talks

This paper investigates the popularisation of specialised knowledge via TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) Talks. In particular, it explores the linguistic characteristics of talks dated 2010–2015 whose topics involve scientific knowledge. The paper aims to show, on the one hand, the popularising effects of the Internet on scientific discourse and, on the other hand, the contribution of TED to science popularisation and ESP. In particular, it focuses on three aspects of TED Talks: 1) reduced technicality in both content and vocabulary (vs. the specificity of scientific language or jargon), 2) the informal register and conversational or humorous tone (vs. the serious tone of, e.g., medical discourse concerning health risks), and 3) the preference for narrative (vs. informative, expository, or argumentative) text type. In line with popularisation Discourse Analysis, these features contribute to convey scientific knowledge to a wider audience. Hence, they qualify scientific TED Talks as a novel popularisation genre that disseminates specialised knowledge worldwide, by addressing specialists as well as non-expert recipients. The investigation of scientific TED Talks also shows how the Internet revolutionises specialised discourse and its relevant participants, turning one-way scientific communication into public conversations with multiple participants.