This is a talk I gave at the University of Oregon Science LIteracy program about common themes in science communication. I played some r

1. Speaking of Science...
The Art of Science
Communication
Stephanie Chasteen
http://sciencegeekgirl.com
Images: Tom Tomorrow, Amy Snyder

2. Audio: David Kestenbaum &
Marvin Marshak: Neutrinos

3. My points for today
Communication is necessary in today’s
careers
We can’t treat our audience like they’re
stupid (but we can’t treat them like they’re
scientists either)
The data do not speak for themselves.

4. My career path
• I’m a generalist
• Social psychology and physics
• Science journalism and education
my blog has a recent post about my
non-linear career path
http://blog.sciencegeekgirl.com

5. We need to communicate
with many audiences
• Our students
• Other academics
(across disciplines)
• The public
• The media
Image from: shirray-langley.abbozzogallery.com/

6. Image by Tomasz Sienicki the media is powerful

7. Changing view of science
communication
scientific literacy (1960-1980’s)
let’s educate that ignorant public
media &
public
scientists

8. the deficit model
science
“The deficit model assumes that
the public are empty vessels
waiting to be filled with useful
information upon which they
will rationally act.”
Nerlich, Koteyko, and Brown, “Theory and language of climate
change communication,” Wiley Interdisciplinary reviews, 1, 2010.

9. The current model
science & society (present)
we have the attitude problem...
we need to know more about our audience
media &
public
scientists
image victorvoigt

10. How do you get your
message across?
What are some techniques that have
worked for you when...
★ Talking to the public?
★ Teaching your students?

11. 3
keep it know your
key
simple audience
points
metaphors,
make it
Communication analogy,
relevant
tips examples
build
no tell a
from
jargon story
familiar

12. These should seem familiar to you as educators...
People have prior knowledge & beliefs
Scaffold understanding
Motivation is important to learning
Don’t exceed cognitive load
Make it relevant / connect to everyday life
Respect learners

14. Don’t be so cerebral
“arouse and fulfill”

15. find the story
Audio: David Kestenbaum & Tony Leggett: Superconductivity
Audio: Christopher Joyce and William Eberhard, A Spider’s Web
Image: Luc Viatour, www.lucnix.be

16. find the story
Audio: David Kestenbaum & Tony Leggett: Superconductivity
Audio: Christopher Joyce and William Eberhard, A Spider’s Web
Image: Luc Viatour, www.lucnix.be

17. How do you tell your story?
mo del
scie ntist
background
supporting details
(data)
results & conclusions
“the facts speak for themselves”

18. the deficit model does not work!

19. st m odel
journali
bottom line
key details
(data)
back-
ground
What’s your
No more than
elevator
3 main points.
speech?

20. What’s your bottom line?
Consider these ideas:
• The facts don’t speak for themselves
• Tell a story (narrative structure)
• Journalists’ inverted pyramid
How might these apply to you? In
communication? In classes?

21. How do these ideas apply
to academic work?
• Papers?
• Talks?

22. There’s more to life than accuracy
“The reason you can't walk through a
wall is that your atoms and the atoms in
the wall interact with each other. They
speak the same language”*
* it’s more complicated than that
understandability
accuracy
& interest

23. perception

25. expert knowledge
what makes experts smart?
Expert knowledge is organized around
big ideas.
Most people don’t have that framework.
So start with the familiar, and build a
map.

26. ground the explanation in the
familiar
start here...
and build up to... the tough stuff.
walls &
people... atoms & electric charge neutrinos
and of course,
avoid jargon

27. why should people care?
Audio: David Kestenbaum & John Morgan: Poincare Conjecture
Image: http://www.scottberkun.com/essays/essay29.htm

28. there is a time for telling
but not too soon!
arouse... and then fulfill!
image from http://www.seniorsworldchronicle.com/2009/08/usa-professors-john-baldwin-68-and.html

29. So, it is important to
communicate well.
But we don’t just
need to repeat our
message louder
1. We need to decide what our messages are.
2. We need to make our messages accessible.
3. We need to motivate... THEN educate
4. This is important - and possible - for all
levels of science (and in our classes!)

30. More resources
http://www.dontbesuchascientist.com/ http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/
scientist-media-guide.html
http://communicatingscience.aaas.org/

31. Shameless Plug
Learning About Teaching Physics.
AAPT funded audio podcast communicating physics
education research (PER) to teachers.
(Coming soon = “Creating a Time for Telling”)
http://perusersguide.org/podcasts

32. Thank you!
Notes and presentation will be posted at http://blog.sciencegeekgirl.com
Podcast @ http://perusersguide.org/podcasts
How does
this work? Maybe some scientist can tell
us, using simple language and
familiar metaphors?
Yeah, by telling us a concise interesting
and entertaining story full of
substance!