How do you explain new research to the public?

Adam Kirby answered on 15 May 2020:

That’s a great question Fin! It’s important for scientists to be able to showcase their work in an accurate but easily digestible manor for the public, especially when many complex processes are involved.

My research for example, considers how deep ocean currents circulate near the seafloor and change it’s shape. To understand this I have to take into account geological processes, oceanographic processes and variations in the global climate.

I personally like to present my work as graphic models which describe concepts visually and more intuitively. It is important to make models as accurate as possible based on the numerical data from which they are derived.

Accurate models can be described easily in presentations or posters and are easily engaged with, and because they are accurately to the data it is very easy to go into more detail about certain concepts.

Sarah Morgan answered on 15 May 2020:

It really depends who I’m talking to but if I’m explaining research to young people (or fun adults) I love to come up with games and activities based on the research. My favorite games have been ‘Smelly Otters’ where I asked a class to try and find their cuddly toy otter based on it’s smell… and ‘Parasite Islands’ where children pretend to be seabirds travelling from island to island and picking up stickers to simulate parasites along the way. These games helped to communicate research about volatile organic compounds in otter spraint and a genetics study on the ticks of Kittiwakes – some really tricky stuff!

Emily Goddard answered on 15 May 2020:

I’m not allowed to very much — my PhD is paid for by a company, so my research has to be kept secret, until we get a patent (which proves the idea belongs to us, and nobody else is allowed to copy it).

When I do, I usually take a handwarmer with me, because it contains a salt like the ones I work with, and people can touch it and feel it heating up.

Sylvia Soldatou answered on 15 May 2020:

This is a great question! I beleive that it’s very important to be able to communicate your science depending on your audience. When I don’t know the background of my audience, I always try to keep it simple without using a lot of terminology. It is also important to make the public undesrtand the reason of the research. In my case, I try to discover new antibiotics from marine organisms and I always stress out the public health issues related to antibiotic resistance and how I am trying to tackle this. Always keep it simple and to the point!

Ana Filipa Palmeirim answered on 15 May 2020:

Explaining new research to the public is always a big adventure! Before preparing any speech, I carefully check the kind of public, like their age and background, so I can decide about the best language to use. As that is a new research, some context of the previous findings and general knowledge has to be given first, so what I am about to tell that I found out makes sense to everyone. In my case, I usually explain my new research in a variety of way, like in scientific publications, media interviews and outreach activities.

Alice Pullen answered on 15 May 2020:

Hi Fin! I like to draw pictures to explain my research. I’ll do this whether I’m communicating with other scientists, the general public, or children. People often say that pictures tell a thousand words, and it’s true.

Part of my research involves thinking of living things like boxes. Stuff goes into the box (like food), and stuff goes out of the box (like poop!). This is all to do with energy flow. We can represent this with an equation BUT it’s more fun to make a drawing with arrows. People are more likely to remember it, and you have something to point to in a talk.

Rebecca Paisley answered on 15 May 2020: last edited 15 May 2020 3:24 pm

It depends on the audience and the topic but I use a lot of visual methods and examples. For some of my previous research I used to show a lot of videos because I studied volcanoes erupting! In my current role I talk a lot about how we can help reduce greenhouse gases so I start with facts that well known by the general public about climate change and renewable energy and build on that. I try to have one fun fact that people will always remember from my talks.

Priyan Mistry answered on 15 May 2020:

Great question Fin! I think it’s important to recognise and appreciate that not everyone comes from a scientific background and trying to make new research as accessible as possible is important. There are plenty of ways of do this:

1. Use visual aids and diagrams
2. Compare scientific concepts with everyday analogies that help with the explanation
3. Minimise the use of complex scientific terminology that only people in the field will know

Keeping things simple and concise is generally a recipe for success.

Julze Alejandre answered on 15 May 2020:

Interesting question, Fin! Three things! Be straight to the point, use a simple language, and highlight first the impact or the outcome.

Claire Moulton-Brown answered on 18 May 2020:

Hi Fin. What a great question! There’s not much point in doing science if you aren’t going to share your results with people. As much of Science funding in the UK comes from the Government, which it gets through taxes, I think it’s really important that scientists make an effort to share their science with the public and not just other academics.
I think outreach events in the community are a really good way to explain new research to the public. Events like Soapbox Science, where people stand in a public place and explain their research (with props!) is a particularly good format for this because you can have interactions and conversations with people who may not usually be interested in science.

Gareth Mason answered on 18 May 2020:

Hi there, I get invited to a few different school groups throughout the year which is when I get to share what I do in my job, and any new things I have observed or discovered. I find that using photos and videos wherever possible makes a big difference and helps to capture imagination and explain things well. Otherwise, like the other answers before me, I try and use the right language for who I am talking to and what I am trying to show.

Rehemat Bhatia answered on 18 May 2020:

What a great question, Fin!

When I talk with the public about science I try to:

– Use an element of storytelling

– If I have a fossil, I ask members of the public if they have seen anything like it before, and guide them through a description. Then I explain what it is and how it is related to my research.

– Use very simple terms that are appropriate for the age group I am talking to

– If I am presenting – use videos of modern plankton.

– Make my research relatable to who I am talking to. For example, if I am talking with young children I mention movie characters or animals they might know.

– Have an experiment where I can demonstrate a simple chemical reaction that applies to what I am working on. To explain ocean acidification I put a fossil made from the same material as chalk (calcium carbonate) into vinegar (an acid).

– Use pictures and have models of plankton that the public can pick up and touch. It’s really hard to make fossil plankton – which essentially look like sand grains – interesting to the public, so having the models really helps!

– Talk about climate change, and tell people how they can help the environment

If I talk with very young children, and I have lots of pictures of different types of plankton, I always ask them what their favourite picture is. And engage in a conversation that way. With asking for a a favourite, a child can never get this wrong.

Chloe Carter answered on 19 May 2020:

I like to use a lot of images to explain my work, so pictures of leaky dams, my flume experiments maps and graphs. I find that it is easier to understand that way. Sometimes if we are at an event I will bring along something interactive that simulates my work so people can see what I do.

Jacque Cilliers answered on 19 May 2020:

I try to use stories, and relate my research to things people already know. It can be a challenge to communicate new research to the public, but thats what makes it fun!

Emily Cheek answered on 20 May 2020:

Great question and there is such a variety of answers! It can range from the use of social media to Tweet and have interactions with the public, to podcasts to share information. We can use short summary documents or case studies to share the evidence in a concise and easy to understand format and apply it to real situations to aid understanding. We can also attend events with interactive materials and engage in discussion through these.

Kirsty Pringle answered on 20 May 2020:

It’s tricky to do well, the people that do it best (I think) make it into a story, so they explain why there is a need to know more about the topic, then they tell the tale of the discovery and what it means for the science. If you can make it into a story and put the finding in context then it is much more interesting. I find it really hard to do though!

Question: How do you explain new research to the public?

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