I remember when I fell in love with science. It was when I saw the T. Rex for the first time in Jurassic Park. This book and movie, despite their flaws in technical science, made a career in molecular biology seem easy, especially because they recreated dinosaurs. The author and director of the movie took complex ideas and condensed them into first a book and then a movie that made millions. While Micheal Crichton and Steven Spielberg are not scientists by traditional terms, they were able to study and convey topics about genetics, life, and biology that have spanned generations. For me, I took that love and transitioned to how plants’ cells can modify themselves to survive a stark shift in climate. I do not believe I could make a major motion picture film, but I, like many scientists, want to make other people excited about the work I do. That simple goal is difficult however, communicating science is a unique quality that everyone can gain, but it will take patience and a lot of practice.
Effective science communication informs about the costs and benefits of work and how it can be implicated in day-to-day life, and the goal is not to come to full agreement among a group, but instead highlight more pointed disagreements on a topic. Scientists can get caught up in the facts alone, marooning them on an island that makes them seem unreachable, distancing them from their audience. Two ways that can close the gap between a communicator and their audience are to 1) find common ground or what values are shared, and 2) develop a story without diving too deep into details. Here, we can begin to formulate a simple two-step “protocol” to becoming an effective communicator of science.
1. Finding common ground and shared values of you and your audience
To begin to shorten the gap we must first evaluate what values are shared between the communicator and the audience. For instance, in my case, my work aims to understand how trees respond to stressors like drought. Some values I believe are shared between me and most audiences are: environmental protection and keeping the work local. Finding those shared values is an approach to drive discussion amongst groups and truly connect with the message. However, values will change and can be more specific when you get a well-defined audience. To be more specific for my example – an audience I may talk to are foresters. Some shared values between us would be: wildlife protection, habitat conservation, sustainability, community, natural resource stability, and economic development. To craft my message I would start with connecting how my work and research fits into these values.
“My research aims to better understand how trees respond to drought with this knowledge we can use biotechnology to produce trees that will be more resilient to climate shifts. These trees with increased drought response could increase habitat for wildlife by diversifying tree stands, be a resource for biofuel production, and stimulate economic development in communities.”
To start, define your audience as specifically as possible and then try to find shared values. Brené Brown, a professor and author, is an effective communicator and uses this strategy of shared values to discuss her work in shame, vulnerability, courage, empathy, and leadership. She has formulated a good list for getting started with this exercise.
In addition to finding common ground, it will begin the building of trust between the communicator and the audience. This is an inherently human quality where we often seek information from those we align most with. Finding common ground or shared values is a great first step in mastering communicating.
2. Tell a story and don’t get too bogged down in the details
The next step in becoming an effective communicator is to develop a “pitch” that is short and to the point without the use of complex terms. A good pitch can be used in nearly every setting whether that be a conversation at the grocery store or with experts in your field at a conference. A “pitch” is often less than two sentences and encompasses your overarching goal without getting bogged down in the details. Scientists gain a lot of vocabulary that isn’t often used in day-to-day conversation. That vocabulary, known as jargon, can bog down a conversation and oftentimes causes people to tune out. Analogies are a great way to build an effective pitch and avoid jargon. An example from another angle of my work is: “The ‘got milk’ campaign reminded us as kids that the intake of nutrients like calcium can improve our bone strength as we grow, and much like us, trees use nutrients, such as sulfate, taken up from the soil to respond to changes in their environment as they grow.” I prefer to draw on nostalgia when talking about my work because it is something that I find comfort in, but not everyone will connect with the milk mustache campaign of the early 2000s. However, it is a pop culture reference from my childhood that resonates most closely with millennial/gen Z Americans, so it may not be the best approach for all settings, but when connecting with many of my peers this will resonate. If I was to be in a different setting I would want to revisit step 1 and think of a new approach to connect.
A pitch is great for short speaking engagements such as a three-minute thesis or in general conversation, but if asked to present or talk for a significant amount of time you will need to prepare a bit more. This is where you can begin to build on a story that needs a beginning with background, a conflict, climax, resolution, and ending.
Each of these portions of the story may need you to dive into the details a bit, but when you do, remember to come up for air for your audience. This can be through the form of analogies as discussed before, providing many examples, and as many pictures as possible. To format your story start with determining what background information is critical and how can you connect it both to you and your audience. Next, introduce the problem or conflict that your work is attempting to address. Follow this with ways to resolve this solution and the final solution picked will be your climax and a major finding or conclusion within your work. Your resolution should be how this impacts your audience or how it can be used. Your ending should tie back to your beginning and connect this work again with you and your audience.
Some of the best science communication and science stories can be found at TED, but not all of us will be invited to speak in front of those three red letters. What we all will do is have conversations with our families over dinner, catch up with friends at reunions, and chat with our neighbors as we bring in groceries. It is inevitable people will be curious about science, and as a scientist making it accessible begins with these two steps: 1) finding common ground in values, and 2) making a story without diving too deep. Two steps in the right direction will make science more interesting and more accessible for any and all wanting to learn more about the way the world is moving, and hey, maybe you can get a major motion picture like Jurassic Park.
About the Author
Hi! I am Sammi. I am a Ph.D. Student in the Department of Plant Biology at the University of Georgia working with Dr. C.J. Tsai. I am interested in stress response related to climate change in Poplar trees, specifically involving sulfur transport and orphan genes. I am originally from Nebraska (Go Big Red!) where I grew up and also obtained my B.S. in Biochemistry. I love hiking the north Georgia mountains since moving here and volunteering with shelter cats! In my free time I read, play Switch, attempt to teach myself how to crochet, facetime my sister to see her puppy, and explore Athens!
