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Right now, no movie like Don’t look up shows so clearly the inability of some people to listen to science. The Science Communication Accelerator Podcast therefore gives seven lessons for communicating scientists. Host Julius Wesche and his guest Mark Bayer talk about building relationships with the target group or the importance of emotions. They illustrate with scenes from the film and own testimonials. Even those who don’t know the film can follow the exchange.
Movie The comedy Don’t look up shows the difficulty of good SciComm. Based on it, the podcast Science Communication Accelerator gives seven lessons for scientists.
Some of us used the winter break to watch movies. Don’t look up was one to see on screens. Currently, movie reviews are piling up in social media. The comedy starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence addresses current problems in science communication. The two actors play scientists who have trouble being heard. What went wrong and how could scientists communicate better? Together with Mark Bayer, Julius Wesche finds that out in his podcast Science Communication Accelerator. At the end of the short hour, there are seven lessons that they recommend to scientists for their communication.
One tip, for example, is: Before you communicate, build a connection. Research what your target group is talking about and what is important to them. Mark Bayer recommends to use Twitter or to read the local newspaper. There you might read that the favorite soccer team won the last game. If you include this in your presentation, people will feel addressed. They need a connection to relate to you. Then they feel as if you know them. Of course, what you say must come across authentically and be meant seriously. To do that, it would be helpful to know your target audience. To understand how people speak.
Try to speak emotionally instead of in facts. People think emotionally and want to know how scientific results affect their lives. Make clear why they should listen to you. To do this, think about how the words will affect them. Before you communicate, you need a goal: What do you want to achieve? That people think differently about issues like climate change? According to Mark Bayer, people don’t want to be told what to think. It’s better to use emotions to get them to think differently.
You can hear more lessons in the podcast. Julius Wesche selects suitable film scenes that show where science communication did not work. These are explained so well that even listeners who don’t know the movie can understand them. Mark Bayer explains the lessons in an understandable way and with clear examples. After listening to the podcast, you get a good idea of how science communication can really reach the target group. Not that it happens like in the movie: that a comet extinguishes the complete life. Even though scientists have warned against it.
Info – Science Communication Accelerator Podcast
With the podcast Science Communication Accelerator Julias Wesche wants to help scientists and research institutions to share their science on social media. To do so, he talks to experts in science communication.