An explain article

Knowledge for everyone!

In the early 1970s, Vint Cerf and Robert Kahn had an idea that changed everything: They developed a set of network protocols together, the TCP-IP protocols, laying the foundation for the internet. Thanks to them, our world is different today. People are connected like never before: Our communication has fundamentally changed, we listen to music differently, watch movies differently - we live differently.

And access to knowledge has also changed: Knowledge is more available than ever before in human history. While not too long ago one would have been lucky to own a multi-volume encyclopedia where information could be cobbled together, today one can click on extensive, illustrated, and corroborated information with cross-references in seconds - and from almost anywhere in the world. We literally have the collected knowledge of humanity at our fingertips - as well as the current, ongoing global research. Many studies, papers, and books are freely accessible, and research centers such as universities strive to make their findings accessible. Knowledge is no longer a privilege.

However, mere availability of information does not seem to be enough. How else could the stance of anti-vaxxers, deniers of human-induced climate change, or - yes, even! - people who firmly believe that the earth is flat be explained? There is fake news, history-forgetting trolls, and conspiracy theorists. This has many reasons: Some of the available information is incomplete or incorrect; information must be selected, critically considered, and contextualized. And scientific papers, in turn, are read by only a few laypeople in their free time - they are not understandable without prerequisites.

That is why it is not enough to simply make information retrievable. Knowledge and current research must be conveyed in order to be effective and relevant to the general public. The questions of how this can succeed were the beginning of the Science Notes series. Since 2013, the format, supported by the Klaus Tschira Foundation, has reached a broad audience nationwide. The goal: to bring current science to the public. The means: the presentation.

Presentations are a particularly effective format for informing about current science and passing on findings. Research often becomes more understandable when the researchers behind it become tangible as people. What drives them? What are their motives and what are their goals? Even the ancient rhetoricians of antiquity knew that a successful speech had to persuade with character. They called it: ethos. In general, presentations are perhaps a modern variation of the original speech. The presentation combines everything the ancient rhetoricians knew about public speaking with the digital possibilities of our present. Presentations convince through the physical presence of the speakers, through articulate, understandable language, and through succinct visuality.

But not always, when scientists speak or present, does everyone listen. This is partly because scientists sometimes quickly fall into technical language and the content becomes incomprehensible to non-experts. The visual preparation of slides and graphics is also not easy for every scientist.

However, Science Notes want to be a forum for current research, where knowledge can reach all interested parties. At each Science Notes theme night, five scientists present their current research on topics such as artificial intelligence, mobility concepts, or nutrition. How can science become understandable for that?

Understandable and vivid!

In the language and communication sciences and especially in rhetoric, there is a lot of knowledge and practical tips on how to make presentations understandable and vivid: for example, using active language, short sentences, the use of examples and comparisons, as well as a listener-oriented approach to technical terms. Those who prepare well and get coached by an expert can significantly increase their success. However, rhetoric knows another important factor for reaching listeners: the setting.

The setting changes everything

Two setting factors are particularly important at Science Notes: place and time. Science Notes take scientists out of universities and bring them where people have fun: into clubs. The lectern becomes a stage and the cold light of the neon tubes in the lecture halls becomes the glitter of disco lights. Like at a party, there are cold drinks and good music, experimental artists on analog synthesizers or digital reactables create a unique atmosphere. "The atmosphere was electric and exciting," a speaker said after an evening at Science Notes. Besides the place, time is also a special factor: Science Notes is a fast-paced event. There's a lot to see, a lot to hear - and the individual lectures last a maximum of 15 minutes.

For the audience, it influences the willingness to actively engage with a matter. In a relaxed atmosphere, listeners often find it easier to deal with challenging content. The prospect of short, understandable lectures makes one eager to delve into challenging or unfamiliar topics. The Latin brevity, the promise of conciseness, is an old rhetorical virtue that repeatedly works anew.

The special setting also changes the presenters. Even experienced communicators often feel encouraged to change something. Thus, a presentation often becomes much more understandable and vivid when it is prepared for a talk in a club rather than when it is supposed to be held in a lecture hall.

Communication is particularly successful when all participants enjoy it. The framework in which it takes place plays an important role in this. Those who feel comfortable and have fun listen differently - and give better presentations.

Perhaps science is more important now than ever before. We need its ideas, inventions, and discoveries to develop visions for a better, more sustainable future. Successfully conveying knowledge in an understandable and vivid way is crucial for these visions to become reality. At Science Notes, we are always looking for new ways to excite and engage people with science.

Thomas Susanka - Staff member at the Research Center "Presentation Competence"