What can scientists learn about communications from the success of cat videos?
Have you ever tried to talk about your work to family or friends – only to get yawns? These are the same people taking time to watch one or more of the two million cat videos on the internet, right? It’s truly aggravating isn’t it? Comparing the attention span for silly entertainment and that of…
More things to know about your audience!
In my last blog, I explained several factors that get in the way of your audience receiving the message you send. Not all is lost! You control the message. You can learn how hurtful jargon is to your message. And then by and working to create relatable talks, blogs and social media posts, you will…
Why is science communication so hard?
Nowhere in my scientific training did anyone explain to me that communications went further than publishing a paper or presenting to my peers. Every Monday night, graduate students participated in a seminar of quickly synopsizing papers we’d read over the weekend. Ok, we really read them Sunday night – or even the wee hours of…
What type of camera does a scientist need?
To answer this question, first we have to look at the end product: the photographs. Photos are a set of data points called pixels. If a photograph is low resolution, it has fewer pixels, or data points. In printing terms, these are also called dots per inch (dpi). So, while a low-resolution photo (such as…
The importance of planning communications
Have you ever rushed while packing for a trip, only to get to your destination without a toothbrush, extra socks – or goodness forbid a crucial power cord? I myself keep a running list in my suitcase for packing. When communicating to the public, it’s important to take the time to plan and write an…
Explaining the certainty of uncertainty
One of the best things that can happen to you as a science communicator is to be asked a question! And often the question might relate to changes in practice, or someone else’s advice: in other words, things that have to do with uncertainty. People are uncomfortable with it, but we must be prepared to…
Filing your photos so you can find them!
You’ve spent time taking great photos of your work. You’ve followed the tips on what type of photos to take. That’s hard enough – but don’t just leave those photos on your camera card. Your photos are part of your crucial research data – and you back up your data, right? Following these next steps…
Toss your audience an anchor!
If you’ve ever gone fishing, you know that once you find a good location, you want to stay there. So, you often drop an anchor in the water, to keep your boat from drifting away. Communications anchors can help in much the same way when you communicate to the public. They are language “devices” that…
Do I need permission to photograph someone?
In today’s image-intense world, I’m careful with using photographs of people. I always verbally ask their permission first if I’m in an informal public setting. If I know I’ll be using their photo for my work, I have them sign a photo release (sample below). On private property, I always get permission. In reality, it’s a…
Clean out your “jargon” closet!
They say fences make for better neighbors. But the opposite is true with communications: You want as few barriers between you and your audience as possible. One of the most common roadblocks in science communication is jargon. A 2017 paper highlights this trend, and says scientists are even using more jargon when communicating amongst themselves!…
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Relatable Science 