How to Translate Science Speak

Scientists and engineers know things that laypersons don't know. This is just fine, except when the engineer/scientist has to or wants to communicate with said layperson(s) about their field. Then the "science speak" comes out. In these situations there is often a high probability that one of the two parties will either become extremely confused and frustrated, or extremely bored and sleepy. Neither of these is the desired outcome...

I often find that no matter how boring a certain topic of conversation may be, if someone has a passion for it and can communicate that passion to me, I can find it interesting. Unfortunately, even though I have an engineering background, I often am bored out of my mind when talking to scientists and engineers. Why?

Scientists and engineers know so much and (hopefully) have a love for the things they know and do, but science speak often garbles and confuses that passion. And bridging the communication gap between the technical and non-technical can be difficult. But there is one operating principle to successful science speak translation - simplify. Einstein put it well in his famous words "everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler."

Here are a few pointers from Melissa Marshall (from TEDtalks) that are helpful when attempting to simplify your communication:

Be Relevant - Bridge the gap between your work and your audience. From the perspective of your audience, answer the question "So what?".

Avoid Jargon - Avoid or replace language that is specific to your field or that your audience would not understand. Don't use 'spacial' and 'temporal', use 'space' and 'time'.

Be Visual - Images, graphics, and comparisons are great tools to help your audience understand and remember what you're telling them.

Avoid bullets - Long bullet points can be a language overload to the audience. In presentations, try using a single straightforward sentence to present an idea. And link these sentences to visuals when appropriate.

Even if not in the realm of science or engineering, we've all been in situations where explaining technical things presents difficulty: just try explaining to your 95 year old grandma how to work a smartphone... But especially when trying to explain the technical aspects of our field of work, it's important that we can properly simplify our communication. Following basic principles like the ones mentioned above can help make science and engineering concepts palatable and interesting to even the most non-technically minded. And in a world so driven by media, communication, and awareness, that's a very important thing.

What about you - can you think of situations where you have had to translate your science speak?

Source: TEDTalks - Melissa Marshall "Talk Nerdy To Me"