A presentation I did in April 2012 for the Preparing Future Physicists group at CU-Boulder. Discusses my career in science writing and education, and effective communication strategies.

1. Speaking of Physics...
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
physicists either)
The data do not speak for themselves.

4. But first...
who the heck am I anyway?

5. Finding the warm spot

6. My non-linear path
Postdoc at
PhD in Physics science museum
BA in Social teacher education
Psychology
Postdoc in physics
education research
Peace Corps
freelance writing
NPR intern
independent
business

7. My non-linear path
Postdoc at
PhD in Physics science museum
teacher prep
BA in Social teacher education
Psychology science education
& pedigree
ed.
PC picture research
communication
Peace Corps
& writing Postdoc in physics
education research
Peace Corps
freelance writing
NPR intern
independent
business

8. The career messages...
• There are great jobs in education, outreach, and
writing and communication is univerally important.
• Specialization can be great; but diversification can be
great too. We need synthesizers in this
multidisciplinary world.
• You aren’t the prisoner of initial steps towards a
career choice. You don’t always need to know where
you’re going; find the warm spot
my blog has a recent post about my non-linear career path
http://sciencegeekgirl.com

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

10. the media is powerful
Image by Tomasz Sienicki

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

12. 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.

13. The current model
science & society (present)
we have the attitude problem
media &
public
scientists
image victorvoigt

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

15. 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

17. Don’t be so cerebral

18. 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

19. 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

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

21. the deficit model does not work!

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

23. What’s your bottom line?
Consider: What is the main message, or
“elevator speech” from:
• Your work, or
• A class period you recently attended

24. 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

25. perception

27. 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.

28. 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

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

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

31. 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 physics (and in our classes!)

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

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