“Science Popularly Treated, and not Science Professionally Discussed Will Be our Writing System” The Press and the Popularization of Science in Brazil in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century

Abstract In the second half of the 19th century, the concept of ‘scientific popularization,’ which referred primarily to the idea of communicating science to lay people, was used considerably in Brazil. Popularizers of sciences sought, through books, magazines, journals, conferences, and exhibitions, to communicate the knowledge of science to the general public, especially to the working class and children. The number of periodicals expanded, covering a wide variety of themes and publics. Imbued in these publications was the idea of science for all and the conviction that the cultivation of science was an instrument to obtain knowledge about new nations and to educate the population. Here we will highlight some Brazilian journals which, in the second half of the nineteenth century, were edited and/or written by popularizers, the so-called ‘intellectual mediators,’ who dedicated their pages to the popularization of Science. These include A semana. Jornal litterario, scientifico e noticioso (Rio de Janeiro, 1855); Academia popular. Semanário de Instrucção e Recreio para o Povo (Recife, 1863); Illustração Popular (Rio de Janeiro, 1876); Revista do Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro, 1876); O Vulgarisador. Jornal dos conhecimentos uteis (Rio de Janeiro, 1877); Sciencia para o povo. Serões instructivos (Rio de Janeiro, 1880); and Barão de Macahubas. Periodico scientifico, litterario e noticioso (Bahia, 1886).

摘要：19世纪下半叶，“科学普及（scientific popularization）”这一主要指向向普通民众传播科学知识的概念，在巴西得到了广泛应用。科学普及者们借助书籍、杂志、期刊、会议与展览等渠道，致力于向大众尤其是工人阶级与儿童传递科学知识。此类期刊的数量不断增加，主题与受众覆盖范围亦日益广泛。这些刊物始终贯穿着“科学属于全民”的理念，并坚信普及科学是获取新兴国家相关知识、教化民众的重要手段。本文将重点介绍19世纪下半叶巴西的部分期刊，这些期刊均由致力于科学普及的“知识中介者（intellectual mediators）”编撰或主持编辑，其版面内容均服务于科学普及工作。具体包括：《A semana. Jornal litterario, scientifico e noticioso》（里约热内卢，1855年）、《Academia popular. Semanário de Instrucção e Recreio para o Povo》（累西腓，1863年）、《Illustração Popular》（里约热内卢，1876年）、《Revista do Rio de Janeiro》（里约热内卢，1876年）、《O Vulgarisador. Jornal dos conhecimentos uteis》（里约热内卢，1877年）、《Sciencia para o povo. Serões instructivos》（里约热内卢，1880年）以及《Barão de Macahubas. Periodico scientifico, litterario e noticioso》（巴伊亚，1886年）。