“It was refreshing to think about science in a new way,” this scientist writes
As I stepped out of the punishing Arizona heat and into the cool air-conditioned halls of the convention center, I saw a sea of costumed attendees. Some wore elaborate steampunk attire; others portrayed their favorite Marvel orcharacters. “Why did I agree to this?” I thought as I made my way to the room where I’d be giving a talk about the science behind the classicbooks by Frank Herbert. I had been struggling for years to find new ways to communicate science to a broad audience.
When I spoke about my research, it was mostly directed at people within my Ph.D. bubble: colleagues, collaborators, thesis committee members. The few times I presented to broader audiences, I struggled to explain how my research might apply in the real world. The more absorbed I became in practicing science, the more I felt I was losing touch with the bigger picture of why it matters.
I kept reading science fiction in the years after I finished my Ph.D. and moved on to a science policy fellowship. But I still hadn’t gotten back to communicating science to the public. Then, one night I found myself in a conversation with my new policy colleagues about science fiction concepts and their ethical implications for society. One invited me to speak at the pop culture convention, which he had participated in for years.
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