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What makes a good science communicator? Hang on let me think about that...someone who realises
that people already know science.
This is the annual Physics Communicators Award. What we're looking for is people who are creative
and imaginative in the way that they are telling other people about physics.
People innately know things, item, objects behave in a certain way in just a case of
jumping on that and explaining in a way that makes sense to them so that they can understand
the thing that they already understand.
We're trying to encourage people who are very early in their career to keep on going and
become the stars of the future.
My top tip for physics communication is to think about your audience and think about
the things that they'll be interested in, what knowledge they would already have and
try to aim communication or writing or talking about physics to that level and to not necessarily
assume that they have the same background or interests that you have.
I think people don't realise how much physics they innately understand just by being a creature
in this world subject to the physics laws. They actually understand a lot more than they
think and you can relate complex physics concepts to everyday relatable things very easily and
then people are more likely to understand and remember them.
Enthusiam, it's always enthusiasm. If the audience doesn't believe that you're interested
in it then you'll get nowhere with them.
Get to know the people you're talking to I think is the key, go and meet people, go and
see what interests them. And that's the way to connect. You've got to find a way
you can both build on a picture they have together and that's the only way you're only ever going
to get anywhere. It's about constructing that mental image of what physics is. And once
you're there it's easy.