Talk Nerdy To Me

Joshua Paolo A.
Eligio
February 24, 2015
1- AAC
HRSOP
Talk nerdy to me
By Melissa Marshall
Filmed : June 2012

Duration : 4:34
Interactive transcript:
0:12 Five years ago, I experienced a bit of what it must have been like to be Alice in
Wonderland. Penn State asked me, a communications teacher, to teach a communications class
for engineering students. And I was 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 unfolded, I experienced what Alice must have when she went down that rabbit
hole and saw that door to a whole new world. That's just how I felt as I had those
conversations with the students. I was amazed at the ideas that they had, and I wanted others to
experience this wonderland as well. And I believe the key to opening that door is great
communication.
0:58 We desperately 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 believe it's our responsibility as non-scientists
to have these interactions. But these great conversations 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.
1:34 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 engaging. First question to answer for us: so
what? Tell us why your science is relevant 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
important to understanding and treating osteoporosis.
2:02 And when you're describing your science, beware of jargon. Jargon is a barrier to our
understanding of your ideas. Sure, you can say "spatial and temporal," but why not just
say "space and time," which is so much more accessible to us? And making your ideas accessible
is not the same as dumbing it down.Instead, as Einstein said, make everything as simple as
possible, but no simpler. You can clearly communicate your science without compromising the
ideas. A few things to consider are having examples, stories and analogies. Those are ways to
engage and excite us about your content. And when presenting your work, drop the bullet
points. Have you ever wondered why they're called bullet points? (Laughter) What do bullets do?
Bullets kill, and they will kill your presentation. A slide like this is not only boring, but it relies
too much on the language area of our brain, and causes us to become overwhelmed.Instead, this
example slide by Genevieve Brown is much more effective. It's showing that the special
structure of trabeculae are so strong that they actually inspired the unique design of the Eiffel
Tower. And the trick here is to use a single, readable sentence that the audience can key into if
they get a bit lost,and then provide visuals which appeal to our other senses and create a deeper
sense of understandingof what's being described.
3:32 So I think these are just a few keys that can help the rest of us to open that door and see the
wonderland that is science and engineering. And because the engineers that I've worked with
have taught me to become really in touch with my inner nerd, I want to summarize with an
equation. (Laughter) Take your science, subtract your bullet points and your jargon, divide by
relevance, meaning share what's relevant to the audience, and multiply it by the passion that you
have for this incredible work that you're doing,and that is going to equal incredible
interactions that are full of understanding. And so, scientists and engineers, when you've
solved this equation, by all means, talk nerdy to me. (Laughter) Thank you. (Applause)
Joshua Paolo A. Eligio

1- AAC
Reaction/ Reflection about the video presentation
Nowadays, it is not right to be silent. It is not right to store only our ideas inside our
mind. If we want to work well, then, communicate.
As Ive watched the video presentation entitled Talk nerdy to me, I have learned some
points/things/ideas. These are the following: First is, in order to work well with others, learn how
to communicate. Why? It is because we cannot coordinate with other people if we do not express
ourselves completely. We have to be open. We need not to hold captive our ideas. We must share
what we have so that others will not be too oblivious of what is going on. Besides, what is the
use of having knowledge, talents or skill if you are not going to make use of them. Second, if we
want to be understood, then we have to explain. However, when explaining, we must be concise
and simple. We need not to make ourselves look very superior to the people around us. Avoid the
usage of such jargons. Instead, go to the peoples level. Adapt and use their language. Third and
lastly, do not be boring which means we have to consider the audience. We dont just
throw/present a show/presentation. We need to get peoples attention and appreciation.
In conclusion, we could say that the world may run better if we have one thing and that is
through effective communication.

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What are some tips for effective communication according to the speaker?

What are some barriers to understanding complex ideas according to the speaker?

Joshua Paolo A.

February 24, 2015

Filmed : June 2012

Joshua Paolo A. Eligio

Reaction/ Reflection about the video presentation

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