11/6/19

NEUR 802 Workshop:

How to Communicate Science
Friday November 8, 2019 Dr. Dan Marigold

Science Communication is a VALID Profession

• Examples:
– Science writer
• Science blogs
• Mainstream magazines and newspapers (e.g., Scientific America,
New Scientist)
• Work for scientific journals
– Press officer with journal (e.g., Nature)
– Technical writer
• For engineering firms, pharmaceutical companies, software
companies
– TV show host
• E.g., Nature of Things on CBC; Discovery Channel
– Science communicator for health associations
– University grant facilitator

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Communication is by far the

MOST* important part of my job!
Teaching (courses, supervision)

Research (papers, grants, presentations, initiatives)

Service (leading and participating in committees, public talks)

*Time management likely being a close second

Outline
• Part 1: Fundamentals to communicating
science

• Part 2: Examples

• Part 3: Practice

Disclaimer:
Many of the statements/ideas discussed are recommended by several sources/people,
though some may not agree with all. These are guidelines only.

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Part 1

Fundamentals to Communicating Science

Critical Factors to Consider

• Audience

• Objective

• Message

• Story

• Format

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Understand Your Audience

• Section Group Meeting Conference Public Talk

Background * *** *****

Methods **** ** *
Results ***** *** **
Conclusions * *** ****
Big Impact * ** *****

* = importance

• Teaching
– What about an instructor?
– What is important to convey to students?

Tell a Story!!!!!
Dark, ominous clouds had snuffed out the sun. Sporadic bolts of lightning
ripped through the sky, exposing what lurked in the shadows of the old-
growth forest outside of my grandfather’s cabin. Rain pelted the rotting wood
panels as though each drop sought refuge inside. But for now, I remained dry.
For now, I remained safe.
The soft-glowing embers of a once crackling fire drew me near. But after
a single step, the sticky fibres of a spiderweb brushed against the side of my
cheek, sending a shiver limping up my spine. I shuffled forward in the dim
light with my arms out front until my toe slammed into a stool. It scraped
against the floor like fingernails on a chalkboard. I stumbled and felt the air
around me stir, the world around me tilt, knowing instantly that I had one
chance to …

• What “neuroscience” can I convey with this example?

– Cutaneous receptors
– Vision/eyes/dark adaptation
– Auditory system
– Control of gait
– Balance recovery responses
– Fear/anxiety

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Tell a Story
• Use analogies and metaphors

• Try to relate the topic to real life

– If possible, use an example that is meaningful to your particular
audience

• Minimize the number of points to get across

– Three key points is recommended
• This doesn’t apply when teaching…(sorry)

• Don’t make wild claims

– Conclusions should be justified
– Big impact has to be realistic
• You can speculate beyond that, but make it clear the reality of it

• Start with the bottom line of the message, then add details
– Link with analogies, metaphors, real life examples

Strategy
• ____ and ____, but _____; therefore _____

• What
– Research shows…
– Something about the topic or concept

• But
– What is missing?
– What is the controversy?
– Why does it matter?

• Therefore
– What they/you did/are doing

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Questions to Consider
• What background information would someone who is
completely unfamiliar with the field need to know to
understand the results?

• What was the research question? Why did the

researchers/you try to answer this question?

• What are the MOST important findings?

• Who might benefit from the results? What would need to

be done before these benefits could be achieved? How can
these results be used in the future?

Based on questions for the eLife Digest section of the journal eLife

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Use of Words and Sentences

• Think about how each and every word you use might be
interpreted by someone who isn't a scientist
• Avoid technical jargon and abbreviations/acronyms as
much as possible
• Every technical term or acronym used puts extra mental
burden on the reader or listener
• Use active sentences
• Use sentences with fewer than 35 words
– Don’t try and cram more than 1 or 2 concepts/ideas into a single
sentence
– Shorter are almost always better and more effective

Based on recommendations from eLife

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Use of Words
• Process
• Mechanism
• Novel
– Use ‘new’
• Spatiotemporal
– Use ‘when and where’

• Cost
– What kind of cost?
• Others???

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Get to the Point!!!

• Long-winded explanations are just a bunch of hot air

• If you want to recite a bunch of fancy jargon words and vague

sentences that don’t really say anything specific, be a POLITICIAN!
– Every sentence should have:
• Meaning
• Serve a purpose
• Follow from the previous and lead to the next (as if telling a story)

• If you can’t get across the primary reason for what you’re talking
about in 30 seconds or 3 – 4 sentences, then is it worth talking
about?
– Finding a balance between storytelling and getting the point across
can be a challenge
• It really depends on the audience, format, and the purpose

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Using Analogies to Convey Message!

Think of the visual field as a tablet or computer screen that contains thousands
of pixels
A neuron’s visual field is based on how many “pixels” it sees (i.e., responds to
when a visual stimulus is in those locations—its receptive field)

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Simplifying Concepts

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