When Science Speaks

In this week's episode, Peter Barker, director of Orinoco Communications, a digital communications and content creation agency that combines storytelling and strategy to give research the reach it deserves, discusses key topics of storytelling, including: How developing communications in the visual, aural, and text media are similar similar and different How his perspective and experience in one medium informs how he approaches the others

Favorite stories from his own experience crafting projects for companies such as the BBC, National Geographic, and the Discovery Channel.

Similarities and differences in working with clients in the States and in Europe

Whether the "bi-cultural" nature of the firm's clients helps in the translation of research into compelling stories

Tips to becoming better at telling stories that make an impact

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

Orinoco Communications

Orinoco's Research Comms Podcast

In this week's episode, Kumar Garg, Vice President, Partnerships at Schmidt Futures, discusses how to bring your science to life through crisp descriptions, engaging visuals, and related communication techniques. We discuss:

- How Kumar's first job out of college (deputy communication manager on presidential candidate Howard Dean's campaign in New Hampshire) taught him about the value and principles of strong communications

- Lessons from Kumar's earlier experiences in communications that were particularly useful as he helped shape science and technology policy priorities for the Obama Administration for nearly 8 years in the White House

- Some of the common disconnects, in terms of lack of understanding, different ways of communicating, misperceptions, etc., Kumar noticed as he interacted with scientists at the highest levels

- Effective remedies for bridging communications gaps, whether through recalibrating communications or by other means

- Kumar's current work at Schmidt Futures in the middle of many major science and policy issues, now from a different vantage point

- Advice Kumar has for listeners thinking about a career in science policy but who are unsure where and how to start

- As Kumar worked with scientists during his time in the White House and now at Schmidt Futures, particular skills and attributes he's found certain scientists possess that set them apart - help them be more effective - in the policymaking world

- As Kumar looks towards the future, what emerging trends he sees (or would like to see and is working to advance) in terms of scientists getting involved in policymaking or in the communication of scientific information to general audiences

On this week's episode, guest Kelly Ramirez, Ph.D., co-founder of the 15,000-member international organization 500 Women Scientists, and I discuss a range of topics related to the group's social activism and priorities including:

The motivation for creating 500 Women Scientists - and the intention behind the name

The organization's mission and vision

500 Women Scientists' decentralized organizational model composed of local, grassroots chapters - or "pods" - acting with a great degree of autonomy from the national organization.

The relationship between the pods and the national office and the strategic thinking that drove adoption of the model How listeners interested in connecting with a pod or even starting one in their local area, casn learn more

Kelly's recently published opinion piece in the March 4th issue of Nature Microbiology entitled "Reproductive Justice Must Be Considered in the Scientific Community" and the article's main themes

The types of policies academic institutions should implement to support the principles of reproductive justice

As she and the leadership team look towards the future, what 500 Women Scientists' priorities are for the rest of this year and beyond

Resources mentioned in episode

Web

Twitter

Instagram

Kelly Ramirez's article in Nature Microbiology:

In this week's episode, Ryan Jenkins, co-author of the new book "Connectable" - which just was named the #7 bestselling book by The Wall Street Journal - discusses how the power of connection is vital for personal happiness and success at work. W

We discuss:

Some key themes and strategies readers can glean from "Connectable"

How Ryan and co-author Steve Van Cohen define connection

Why connection is so important in all dimensions of life

How to connect with your own work - i.e., how to engage with your work so you feel a sense of purpose, a clarity in your role or responsibility.

How you can create authentic feelings of connection with colleagues, and how can leaders can effectively connect with their teams so they can perform at a high level, including some examples

In this special episode, I talk about:

- Why I started the podcast almost 4 years ago

- The similarities between scientists and public policy professionals

- How a Western Union telegram sparked my interest in public policy

- The qualities scientists often possess - due to their work - that are transferable to a successful career in policymaking

In this week's episode, Elaine Eisenman, Ph.D., a seasoned independent Board member, senior executive, educator, and advisor to high growth companies, joins the show to talk about managing the seismic changes affecting work during the pandemic, productive mindsets she's put to use during the many transition points in her professional journey, and related topics such as:

What drew her to focus on entrepreneurship and organizational psychology

The fascinating transition points in her career journey so far and the lessons she has learned from them - skills and mindsets that were helpful in making successful transitions and also landmines to be vigilant about and avoid, if possible

The book she published with with her co-authors in 2007 called"I Didn't See It Coming", which covered topics such as: "Managing the Rank above You", "The Trouble with Teams", and "The House of Mirrors, or How to Keep Your Perspective" and a few major takeaways from the book Her book in 2019, co-authored with Susan Stautberg, called "Betrayed: A Survivor's Guide To Lying, Cheating, & Double Dealing", with more than fifty true stories of betrayal - the purpose being to learn how to successfully handle the trauma, overcome the urge for quick revenge, consider the possibilities of forgiveness, and most importantly, set a positive path into the future. Recommendations Elaine has for listeners who are trying to navigate shifting circumstances in the world of work, either within an organization or outside as a job seeker

How Elaine sees the rapidly changing working world changing in the future, both for individual contributors at organizations and for their leaders

On this week's episode, Alexandra Debow and Weilyn Chong, active, international entrepreneurs also pursuing their undergraduate studies, discuss a range of topics related to starting and nurturing new ventures, including:

- Why they're so passionate about entrepreneurship - Skills and attributes they think are crucial for successful entrepreneurs - How they would recommend those interested in entreprepreneurship develop or sharpen these skills - Some of the hurdles they've experienced as Gen Z female entrepreneurs, and how their work with the The Entrepre女ers Network and The Entrepre女ers Podcast aim to help female entrepreneurs overcome these and related obstacles - Their cross-cultural environments - both personally and professionally - and advice they have for those who don't have such a global perspective - in terms of how to increase mutual understanding across borders on a personal level and also how to succeed in enterprises that have cross-cultural workforces - How they see COVID affecting entrepreneurship, particularly for entrepreneurs working across borders - Goals they have for 2022

In this week's episode, Wändi Bruine de Bruin, Ph.D., Provost Professor of Public Policy, Psychology, and Behavioral Science at the University of Southern California, discusses messaging about climate change, her role as the lead author of a recent study from USC and the United Nations Foundation aimed at improving the public's understanding of climate change, and related topics, including: - How scientists can become more attuned to how the general public perceives its use of scientific language

- Whether she feels cultural norms of science and scientific inquiry historically discouraged plain-language communication

- If she feels these norms are beginning to shift towards rewarding science communication in publications accessible and interesting to general audiences

- If she considers the COVID-19 pandemic as a significant example of the need for stronger science communication

- Would stronger science communication capabilities have made a difference - in the positive direction - in terms of public reaction to health protocols such as the imperative to wear masks, close down or limit public gatherings, and vaccination rates, for example

- How should scientists counter misinformation about scientific findings, such as the impacts of climate change

In this week's episode, two veteran community builders, Tony Bacigalupo and Jillian Benbow, share their insights and practical tips for connecting with others and creating community, both IRL and online.

We discuss a range of community-related topics, including:

The focus and goals of Tony's and Jillian's new podcast called "The Community Experience", which is part of SPI Media from Pat Flynn As community-building experts, what attracts Tony and Jill to this type of work The show's emphasis on connection and the value of connectedness and why feelings of connection are so important The difference between community and "audience" One thing listeners can do to make the sometimes awkward experience of communicating with a new person - at a conference, before a meeting, at work - less uncomfortable situation, so the next time you're in a place with lots of new faces (maybe even in gallery view), you're better at reaching out Resources mentioned in the episode: SPI Community Experience Podcast SPI Pro

On this week's When Science Speaks podcast, I talk with Jaime Cohen, founder of The Right Words and an internationally-recognized speaker, communication coach, LinkedIn Learning author, and top LinkedIn creator, whose communication-focused content has amassed millions of views.

We discuss how to strengthen communication skills to achieve your goals and related topics such as:

Whether someone can be articulate but not a good communicator

Common blindspots leaders experience when they communicate within the organizations they lead and how to avoid these pitfalls

Keys listeners should remember when they want to relate information or, more generally, communicate with others, via storytelling

Why video is such a powerful communication medium and what Jaime has learned about video over the years during her extensive experience using video

As a LinkedIn Learning author (Jamie's course is "Connecting with Your Audience Using Video" and just went live on LinkedIn), how Jaime describes the course and the value it delivers

With all the communication "punch" packed by video, the popularity of Clubhouse - an audio-only platform - has exploded, and with Jaime's large following there what Jaime thinks attracts people to Clubhouse

How Jaime developed her special expertise of helping clients navigate tough conversations such as salary negotiations while most prefer to avoid difficult interactions

Jaime's advice for handling such difficult types of interactions