Once, on my way home from work, I hopped on the C bus and struck up a conversation with a nurse from UW-Hospital. When he asked what I studied, I mentioned that I was a physics PhD student. He then proceeded to ask ‘Not much knowledge comes out of the university on these topics, I didn’t even know people studied physics in university, what is physics useful for?’ These types of interactions are not uncommon for physics students to encounter in unexpected scenarios, what was particular about it is that as the conversation progressed harder questions like ‘Do you know how black holes work? What does relativity say? Do you know about all that quantum stuff?’ started popping out. These concepts are complex, but I really noticed that my ability to relate these concepts to real life seemed lacking to say the least, but what made this interaction particularly memorable was what he asked next ‘Where can I learn more? Does the university teach any community classes I can attend?’ My first thought was to direct him to the Physics Department’s outreach page and tell him about some of the events the department hosts. But afterward, I felt that I could have done a better job at providing more clear explanations to some of the concepts I was trying to explain, especially when I noticed the genuine interest he had in learning about physics and confusion on where to look or how to engage with it.
As an outreach fellow, I chose to focus on improving my communication skills in a way that I could address the flaws in my own explanations, trying to shift the focus to the observations and life experiences of others to explain physics concepts more clearly. I learned the most about this through my experience co-teaching Grandparents University (GPU) sessions, as well as other exposure to many different demographics through Physics Fair and Science Expeditions. Working simultaneously with children and older adults made me aware of how different audiences can approach and think through the same concepts. And even more so, how their interpretations, imagination, and life experiences can complement each other to form a more clear understanding of the demos we are presenting or the videos we are showing.
As someone who was once a young student discovering physics for the first time, I know how early exposure to science can permanently change the way a person looks at nature. Having a parent, grandparent, or other relative participate in that experience can make it even more meaningful and encourage scientific curiosity within families. I would especially like to see more opportunities that bring scientists into informal community spaces and encourage conversations with people who may never think to attend a university lecture or physics event.
This fellowship changed what I thought it meant to communicate physics. I have had the opportunity to become a better communicator and practice how to be a more relatable presenter; and hopefully engage with that curiosity about physics beyond the walls of the university and local community.