Glossary

● unfamiliar​– not known or recognized

● mesh​– a material made from threads or wires with evenly spaced holes that
allow air or water to pass through
● relevant​– closely connected or appropriate to what is being done or considered
● dumbing down​– a deliberate oversimplification of intellectual content within
education, literature, cinema, news, video games, and culture in order to relate
to those unable to assimilate more sophisticated information.
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Think about it
Answer the questions below:

1. Why was she afraid of meeting science students?

2. What does she believe is crucial to communication?
3. How should scientists talk to people?
4. Is jargon a good thing?
5. What did Einstein say about expressing ideas?
6. What does she say about bullet points?
7. What is the equation for the successful communication of science?
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Practice makes perfect

Use the verbs in brackets in suitable forms and tenses.

Five years ago, I ________ (experience) a bit of what it ________ (must be) like to be Alice in
Wonderland. Penn State ________ (ask) me, a communications teacher, ________ (teach) a
communications class for engineering students. And I ________ (be) scared. (Laughter) Really
scared. Scared of these students with their big brains and their big books and their big, unfamiliar
words. But as these conversations ________ (unfold), I experienced what Alice must have when she
________ (go) down that rabbit hole and ________ (see) that door to a whole new world. That’s just
how I ________ (feel) as I had those conversations with the students. I ________ (be amazed) at the
ideas that they had, and I ________ (want) others to experience this wonderland as well. And I
believe the key to opening that door is great communication.

Use the words in capital letters in correct forms.

We ________ DESPAIR need great communication from our scientists and engineers in order to
change the world. Our scientists and engineers are the ones that are tackling our grandest
challenges, from energy to environment to health care, among others, and if we don’t know about it
and understand it, then the work isn’t done, and I ________ BELIEF it’s our ________
RESPONSIBLE as non-scientists to have these interactions. But these great ________ CONVERSE
can’t occur if our scientists and engineers don’t invite us in to see their wonderland. So scientists and
engineers, please, talk nerdy to us.

I want to share a few keys on how you can do that to make sure that we can see that your science is
sexy and that your engineering is ________ ENGAGE. First question to answer for us: so what? Tell
us why your science is ________ RELEVANCE to us. Don’t just tell me that you study trabeculae, but
tell me that you study trabeculae, which is the mesh-like structure of our bones because it’s
_________ IMPORTANCE to ________ UNDERSTAND and ________ TREATMENT osteoporosis.