In other words he made the two lines become parallel. Once you have all the answers, you are out of business. But research funding bodies are now encouraging scientists to share their knowledge with a wider public. Yet the growing interest that scientists show for the media can lead to uneasy situations. A scientist like Richard Lacey spoke about a field he was not specialised in, but he was willing to talk to the media at a time when they were desperate to interview anybody about it.
Editorial choices are sometimes a matter of convenience.
Similarly, broadcasters rely heavily on audience ratings. At the dawn of digital TV this trend has been reinforced by the distorting influence of American channels. Paradoxically, the price to pay for more British science on American television is to reduce the science content. Adapting to the audience remains the key. Susan Watts of BBC's Newsnight believes that there is a difference between art and science subjects.