Features of the language and the substyle of popular science literature: not serious about serious (based on the material of the Finnish language)

Introduction. The article examines the features of the substyle of popular science literature based on the material of the Finnish language. The translation from scientific to popular scientific style of presentation allows to give the text expressiveness, imagery and increase the interest of the readership in science.
Materials and Methods. The material is based on the book by Finnish authors A. Havukainen and S. Toivonen “Finland Tatu and Patu”, which embodies a successful experience of considering the specifics of the modern readership and the needs of the education. The research uses such methods as descriptive, structural, structural-compositional, functional, and phenomenological.
Results and Discussion. The popular science text of the XXI century is characterized by new aspects of the interaction between the reader and the book. The compositional structure of such a text violates the reader's expectations, which allows to increase interest in the content of the book. The scientific text is translated into an informal discussion of information, which is presented through precedent names and phrases, key episodes of history, iconic artifacts. The material is presented in the form of a reportage, a detective investigation, an interview, an election campaign, an advertising message. The text has features of a conversational style that allows readers to create an atmosphere of relaxed communication; artistic, combining artistic imagery with an explanation of scientific and historical facts and phenomena. The features of the scientific style are terminological, in a large volume of generalized personal sentences, in the quantitative predominance of nouns and adjectives over verbs in the text. The vocabulary of the scientific style is used for authenticity, and the linguistic arsenal of the conversational style is used to create colorful images of characters and atmosphere. Activity is created around the book, a quest to involve the reader in the research process.
Conclusion. The study of popular science texts makes it possible to find effective methods for popularizing a scientific text.