Explaining things to people without insulting their intelligence

Started by xSilverPhinx, August 15, 2018, 01:39:25 PM

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Icarus

In the teaching capacity you are not questioning the intelligence of the students unless you are an arrogant asshole. You are anything but that XSP.   You are trying your best to expand their information base and nothing more.  Teaching is a very personal relationship with the students that you care about. If you can give them some clues in that regard, they will never feel that their intelligence has been in question.

  Even at my advanced age, I can remember and appreciate a few of the teachers that I had in high school (70 years ago).  Those special  people changed my life for the better. 

xSilverPhinx

The last thing I want is to come off as an arrogant asshole.  :sadshake:

Going a little off topic here, but only slightly: I took a three-day Scientific Popularisation course in between poster sessions when I was attending the congress. I loved it, and it touched on this exact concern of mine -- how do you explain your field or your work to people who might not have the same background as you without losing their attention or making them feel small.

On the second day, I was looking at some of the posters from the first session with a colleague, one of the workers who had mounted the panels approached us and started asking questions, out of curiosity. The topic of depression came up. He asked if it was possible to see depression in a blood test, we answered that is wasn't, and tried to briefly explain what the mental illness was in terms of chemical imbalances in the brain and such.

It was difficult. He told us he had never been to High School, so this was a person with a totally different background. As I tried to paint a simple picture of what going be going on in the brain of someone who has depression I paid attention to his facial expressions. When words like 'molecule', 'neurotransmitter' and a technical word for 'drug' or 'medication' (fármaco) were mentioned he would contort his face into an expression of confusion, and that's exactly what I didn't want to see. I quickly adapted my responses, taking care to use more accessible language, and I think he got the gist of what I was trying to say. At least, I hope he did.  :unsure:

It was an interesting exercise. 
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


Dave

QuoteThe last thing I want is to come off as an arrogant asshole.

Just a normal, everyday, humble one then, Silver?


:grin:
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Dave

QuoteGoing a little off topic here, but only slightly: I took a three-day Scientific Popularisation course in between poster sessions when I was attending the congress. I loved it [...]

See, I said so, you're going to be a pop-science media star!

Difficult! I once explained part of the operation of an MRI scanner using the idea of rulers made from different materials, held down sticking out different lengths and how they would twang at different notes if held down then released. The imaging bit was not so easy - sort of fudged round that using the idea of ""... now imagine sort of radar cameras that can take pictures of radio vibrations, light is only a kind of such vibration really, just one we can see with our eyes...".

But the result was the person was left with an understanding of the principle.

Confidence is important, comhined with a sort of comic musing when difficult bits arrive. Where possible draw parallels with ordinary stuff. If you have to use jargon make a feature of it, a joke if you can. Humour helps!

That history prog is a good example of technique even though it is not science. Steal techniques from others. And it sounds like you can "read" your audience and know when to re-iterate - an important skill.

But I am sure you have seen/heard/realise all that stuff.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

hermes2015

When I'm asked what I "do", my laziness kicks in and I find it easier to just say I'm a scientist. If I tell them that I am a chemist, some people still think I own a shop somewhere that sells medicine. At parties, many people assume that I am an architect, so I just leave it at that and keep eating snacks.
"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

Tank

"He asked if it was possible to see depression in a blood test, we answered that is wasn't, and tried to briefly explain what the mental illness was in terms of chemical imbalances in the brain and such. "

Given depression is an imbalance in brain chemistry would it be true to say that a blood test could possibly be created at some point?
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Tank

Quote from: hermes2015 on August 29, 2018, 05:35:58 AM
When I'm asked what I "do", my laziness kicks in and I find it easier to just say I'm a scientist. If I tell them that I am a chemist, some people still think I own a shop somewhere that sells medicine. At parties, many people assume that I am an architect, so I just leave it at that and keep eating snacks.

I dread the 'What do you do question?".
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Dave

When asked in hospitals I am always careful to qualify my old job as "engineering lab tech." If I leave out the "engineering" but they slways assume it was some kind of biology lab, "Oh, which hospital/university?"
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Bluenose

When faced with the what do you do question I usually just answer "I work in IT"  It's just too hard to explain what I do to those that are not aware of just how Byzantine the IT field is.  I have a t-short that says "Infrastructure engineer - we do precision guesswork based on unreliable data provided by those of dubious knowledge".  Sums it all up, really.
+++ Divide by cucumber error: please reinstall universe and reboot.  +++

GNU Terry Pratchett


Tank

If I was feeling like irritating the person I could always call myself a "Data wrangler, data analyst and digital content producer."  8)
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

xSilverPhinx

Quote from: Dave on August 29, 2018, 04:45:24 AM
QuoteThe last thing I want is to come off as an arrogant asshole.

Just a normal, everyday, humble one then, Silver?


:grin:

:snooty:
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


xSilverPhinx

Quote from: Dave on August 29, 2018, 05:07:08 AM
See, I said so, you're going to be a pop-science media star!

:lol: I wish!

QuoteDifficult! I once explained part of the operation of an MRI scanner using the idea of rulers made from different materials, held down sticking out different lengths and how they would twang at different notes if held down then released. The imaging bit was not so easy - sort of fudged round that using the idea of ""... now imagine sort of radar cameras that can take pictures of radio vibrations, light is only a kind of such vibration really, just one we can see with our eyes...".

But the result was the person was left with an understanding of the principle.

Confidence is important, comhined with a sort of comic musing when difficult bits arrive. Where possible draw parallels with ordinary stuff. If you have to use jargon make a feature of it, a joke if you can. Humour helps!

That history prog is a good example of technique even though it is not science. Steal techniques from others. And it sounds like you can "read" your audience and know when to re-iterate - an important skill.

But I am sure you have seen/heard/realise all that stuff.

"Where possible draw parallels with ordinary stuff."

Yes, that is important. Though the problem with using everyday language instead of jargon is you lose precision. If language can be limited to explain certain concepts, it can become even more so. Metaphors and analogies are good, but they should be used carefully, and their limitations pointed out. For instance, some people use the analogy of computer memories -- RAM, HD --- to explain working memory and long-term memory, respectively. I think there are major problems in doing so, as our memories are nothing like that of a computer. But, depending on the level of understanding of the person you're talking to, should one use such an analogy even though it is imprecise? For instance, when talking to a child with access to computers. 
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


xSilverPhinx

Quote from: hermes2015 on August 29, 2018, 05:35:58 AM
At parties, many people assume that I am an architect, so I just leave it at that and keep eating snacks.

:lol:
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


xSilverPhinx

Quote from: Tank on August 29, 2018, 08:02:40 AM
"He asked if it was possible to see depression in a blood test, we answered that is wasn't, and tried to briefly explain what the mental illness was in terms of chemical imbalances in the brain and such. "

Given depression is an imbalance in brain chemistry would it be true to say that a blood test could possibly be created at some point?

There are a number of underlying causes which might have symptoms similar to those of depression, such as thyroid problems (particularly hypothyroidism I think), anaemia, etc. but as far as I'm aware, currently there are no blood tests that can show specific biomarkers for the disorder.

I think it is possible that some biomarkers may show up in a blood test, which can be correlated with depression, but for now the best way to see whether the person has the disorder is to perform imaging studies. A depressed brain will be underactive in some areas and overactive in others. It is impracticable, though as the costs of such studies are really high.   
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


xSilverPhinx

Quote from: Tank on August 29, 2018, 08:03:55 AM
Quote from: hermes2015 on August 29, 2018, 05:35:58 AM
When I'm asked what I "do", my laziness kicks in and I find it easier to just say I'm a scientist. If I tell them that I am a chemist, some people still think I own a shop somewhere that sells medicine. At parties, many people assume that I am an architect, so I just leave it at that and keep eating snacks.

I dread the 'What do you do question?".

I love any and all opportunities to talk about what I do. :grin:

But to summarise, I say: my work basically involves remote memories and which brain structures are activated when these memories are recalled. 
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey