by Jesse L. Silverberg, PhD

Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University

Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School

Advanced Sciences and Data Research Division, Multiscale Systems, Inc.

*AAAS Communications Workshop Session Leaders Named: Elana Kimbrell and Gemima Philippe*

A funny thing happened on the way to a PhD. There was a nagging idea for a project, but it wasn’t an obvious fit for traditional physics research.  So it sat in a back pocket for several years, more-or-less collecting dust. Either by luck or circumstance, a day eventually came where gears clicked into place and things started happening.

It began as an in-class project.  Then snowballed into a nights-and-weekend collaboration.  Before long, my friend and fellow graduate student Matt Bierbaum was working with me, and together, we were putting serious effort into the research.  With the support of our advisors, Jim Sethna and Itai Cohen, we knocked heads, analyzed data, and ran simulations. Over the course of a year, we managed to get this idea -- the physics of mosh pits at heavy metal concerts -- into a fully formed manuscript.

And then, something unexpected happened.  

I distinctly remember waking up the morning our work was available on the arXiv preprint server.  Reporters from The Atlantic, National Geographic, and a handful of other outlets noticed the research and wanted to write about what we had found.  Each interview seemed to beget three more. Our proverbial phones were ringing off the hook, and just like that, our brief letter led to a flood of print, radio, and TV interviews.  Over the course of a few months, we spoke countless times about our results and their implications, all the while laughing at ourselves and the sheer improbability of it all.

Behind the scenes, however, the work didn’t stop.  Our university’s public relations office took notice of the press attention we were receiving and gave us a crash course in media communications.  They taught us how to build and use a message triangle. They taught us how to answer tough questions with short answers. They taught us how to manage the tension of simultaneously communicating to general and technical audiences.  In short, they professionalized our messaging while polishing our delivery.

I’ll never forget the most useful, humbling, and fidget-inducing moment of this training. It happened early on during a workshop where I was filmed explaining our research in a mock TV interview.  The filming itself was uneventful. The hard part came after, when I watched the video and saw my presentation. I still blush to this day just thinking about it. Don’t get me wrong though -- as tough as it was to watch, the experience held incredibly valuable lessons that reshaped my thinking and approach. Critiquing yourself on screen can be embarrassing and difficult, but I’m thankful I had the opportunity to learn from this experience, and even more thankful that I was surrounded by people who wanted to help me do better.

When our journey started, neither Matt nor I had experience talking with the press or crafting a message for non-scientific audiences.  But after everything calmed down, we realized the time and effort paid off. I was invited to speak at a TEDx conference by someone who had seen me give a recent talk.  Matt got to flex his messaging skills when another of his projects (the physics of a zombie apocalypse!) went viral. It sounds obvious, but like any other muscle, effective communication is the product of exercise and practice.  The only problem is that there are just too few opportunities to give these muscles a good workout with an experienced trainer.

The Biophysical Society’s Public Affairs Committee is offering us all a chance to work out our communication muscles at the 2019 Annual Meeting.  On Saturday, March 2, the AAAS will be running a workshop specifically designed to address the needs of our community when we’re asked to communicate scientific information in public or professional settings.  If you’re interested, keep in mind the session will only be available for those who register in advance (limit 100).  AAAS has a great reputation when it comes to running these workshops, and regardless of your skill level, it’s always worth getting in a little extra practice to sharpen your communication skills.