So, let's talk about communicating science for a moment - it's something people will need to consider as people figure out whether moving to Mastodon is worth it.
Firstly, #science already has a communication problem. And I don't mean #SciComm.
#SciComm and the idea of communicating science are NOT the same. One is a field of study and work, one is an essential for every single scientist.
We're once again seeing a post ✨elsewhere✨ going a bit viral for asking if you build humour into your talks or presentations.
We can't keep having this conversation. That we do is part of why science is incredibly inaccessible - even to scientists!
If your poster, paper, talk, and book all look the same - you are fundamentally failing all four audiences. And they are four separate audiences!
@tinysapien I’m digging the validation from this. I always have a small joke or meme somewhere in my slides, just because that’s who I am and I think it keeps it more engaging and accessible. Nothing big or distracting, just a quick relevant laugh. But I’ve spent a *lot* of time before talks staring at those, trying to decide if it’s unprofessional or something.
@tinysapien Thank you! I really agree about how people like being talked to as, well, people.
It kinda feels like a microcosm of the shift in tech office culture from business attire to hoodies and jeans. We’re all just humans trying to do a good job at what we like! No need to introduce arbitrary distracting barriers to that.
@quasifrodo @tinysapien I do this in my talks too. It's one of my way of inserting human that made the science into science
@quasifrodo TAKE ALL THE JUSTIFICATION! *Especially* your students appreciate it! The amount of feedback I get from my students just about the fact that I talk to them like people in seminars, rather than talk AT them and how rare that is in their experience is just so terrifying! Students want to be engaged! So do other scientists!