How To Communicate Complex Technology
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Transcript of How To Communicate Complex Technology
THE$FUTURE$OF$SEX$—$OR$HOW$TO$MAKE$COMPLEX$TECHNOLOGICAL$
CONCEPTS$COMPLETELY$IRRESISTIBLE$
A fireside chat with Whitehead Director and McArthur Fellow Dr. David Page
“Almost"all"of"our"communica6ons"
are"essen6ally"a7empts"at"
persuasion."We’re"always"selling."If"
not"actually"looking"for"an"exchange"
of"dollars,"we’re"looking"for"an"
exchange"of"consent."We’re"looking"
to"bring"people"to"our"ideas.”"""
"
“If"you"just"stay"within"the"narrow"
confines"of"your"profession"you"will"
always"be"able"to"reside"in"the"land"of"
jargon."You’ll"always"be"able"to"reside"in"
the"land"of"shared"assump6ons."The"
most"important"thing"is"simply"geGng"
out"there"and"doing"it"in"front"of"
different"audiences.”""
“I"don’t"think"there’s"any"individual"idea"that"we"
work"on"in"science"that"is,"in"and"of"itself,"obscure"
or"complicated."…"I"think"that"anything,"if"you"
work"at"it,"if"you"take"the"6me"and"have"the"
pa6ence"to"develop"the"ability"to"explain"—"I"
think"that"anything"—"no"ma7er"how"complex"it"
is"—"can"be"explained"because"I"believe"that"
everything"that"is"complex"can"actually"be"broken"
down"into"very"understandable"ideas.”"""
“I"find"this"true"of"most"scien6sts:"They"think"
that"they’re"telling"the"Great"American"Novel."…"
Unless"you’re"a"really"cap6va6ng"spellbinding"
speaker"you’re"audience"is"going"to"have"no"idea"
where"you’re"going."They"want"to"know"what"
the"des6na6on"is."They"know"you’re"siGng"
down"with"them"for"some"purpose."They"want"
to"know"where"you’re"going."So"I"say,"spill"the"
beans"from"the"beginning.”"
"
"
“The"interes6ng"thing"for"me"in"talking"
about"this"sex"and"disease"ini6a6ve"is"that"
I’ve"found"virtually"no"audience"that"fails"to"
connect"with"it."Because"…"I"suspect"
someone"in"the"audience"knows"someone"
with"[these"diseases].""And"when"you"think"
of"those"people"I"bet"that"they"are"in"most"
cases"of"the"sex"or"gender"I’ve"indicate"is"
most"at"risk.”"
“If"I"go"talk"to"pharmaceu6cal"companies"about"
this"stuff"and"I"say,"‘Ok,"you’re"doing"a"lot"of"
research"in"your"labs"directed"at"developing"
therapies"for"this"or"that"disease."You’re"using"
cells"in"culture."Do"you"know"which"of"your"
cells"in"culture"are"xx"or"xy?’"Guess"what"
answer"I"usually"get?"They"don’t"even"know!"
So,"I"find"I’ve"got"such"a"strong"‘gotcha’"with"
this."I"love"finding"the"highly"undervalued"
topics"which"are"hiding"in"plain"sight”"
“What"I"am"feeling"really"strongly"is"the"
need"to"crea6vely"reinvent"myself."I"
think"that"just"reitera6ng"the"message"
or"[just"saying"it]"more"loudly"I"would"
say,"for"me"and"many"of"my"colleagues,"
has"not"proven"to"be"effec6ve.”"
"
"
"
"
“There’s"nothing"like"trying"it"out"on"
every"audience"you"can"think"of."
There’s"nothing"like"trying"things"out"
and"seeing"what"happens."And"the"
last"thing"you"want"to"do"is"have"the"
first"6me"you"talk"about"it"be"the"
6me"when"it’s"really"on"the"line.”"
“So,"what"I"consider"is"the"best"gic"that"can"
befall"me"as"a"speaker"is"a"complete"failure"
of"the"AV"system."Because"the"audience"will"
love"whatever"you"do"improvising"in"that"set"
of"circumstances."So,"you’ve"got"to"roll"with"
whatever"comes"your"way"…"because"it"will"
enormously"affect"how"the"audience"reacts"
to"everything"that"you"say.”""""
"
Links"
• MIT"Enterprise"Forum"Cambridge"Website"
www.mi`orumcambridge.org""
• MIT"Enterprise"Forum"Cambridge"Podcast"
h7p://bit.ly/wzpcVw""
"
• Ques6ons"and"feedback"on"this"deck:"Randall"Cronk"
THE$FUTURE$OF$SEX$—$OR$HOW$TO$MAKE$COMPLEX$TECHNOLOGICAL$
CONCEPTS$COMPLETELY$IRRESISTIBLE$
A fireside chat with Whitehead Director and McArthur Fellow Dr. David Page
“Almost"all"of"our"communica6ons"
are"essen6ally"a7empts"at"
persuasion."We’re"always"selling."If"
not"actually"looking"for"an"exchange"
of"dollars,"we’re"looking"for"an"
exchange"of"consent."We’re"looking"
to"bring"people"to"our"ideas.”"""
"
“If"you"just"stay"within"the"narrow"
confines"of"your"profession"you"will"
always"be"able"to"reside"in"the"land"of"
jargon."You’ll"always"be"able"to"reside"in"
the"land"of"shared"assump6ons."The"
most"important"thing"is"simply"geGng"
out"there"and"doing"it"in"front"of"
different"audiences.”""
“I"don’t"think"there’s"any"individual"idea"that"we"
work"on"in"science"that"is,"in"and"of"itself,"obscure"
or"complicated."…"I"think"that"anything,"if"you"
work"at"it,"if"you"take"the"6me"and"have"the"
pa6ence"to"develop"the"ability"to"explain"—"I"
think"that"anything"—"no"ma7er"how"complex"it"
is"—"can"be"explained"because"I"believe"that"
everything"that"is"complex"can"actually"be"broken"
down"into"very"understandable"ideas.”"""
“I"find"this"true"of"most"scien6sts:"They"think"
that"they’re"telling"the"Great"American"Novel."…"
Unless"you’re"a"really"cap6va6ng"spellbinding"
speaker"you’re"audience"is"going"to"have"no"idea"
where"you’re"going."They"want"to"know"what"
the"des6na6on"is."They"know"you’re"siGng"
down"with"them"for"some"purpose."They"want"
to"know"where"you’re"going."So"I"say,"spill"the"
beans"from"the"beginning.”"
"
"
“The"interes6ng"thing"for"me"in"talking"
about"this"sex"and"disease"ini6a6ve"is"that"
I’ve"found"virtually"no"audience"that"fails"to"
connect"with"it."Because"…"I"suspect"
someone"in"the"audience"knows"someone"
with"[these"diseases].""And"when"you"think"
of"those"people"I"bet"that"they"are"in"most"
cases"of"the"sex"or"gender"I’ve"indicate"is"
most"at"risk.”"
“If"I"go"talk"to"pharmaceu6cal"companies"about"
this"stuff"and"I"say,"‘Ok,"you’re"doing"a"lot"of"
research"in"your"labs"directed"at"developing"
therapies"for"this"or"that"disease."You’re"using"
cells"in"culture."Do"you"know"which"of"your"
cells"in"culture"are"xx"or"xy?’"Guess"what"
answer"I"usually"get?"They"don’t"even"know!"
So,"I"find"I’ve"got"such"a"strong"‘gotcha’"with"
this."I"love"finding"the"highly"undervalued"
topics"which"are"hiding"in"plain"sight”"
“What"I"am"feeling"really"strongly"is"the"
need"to"crea6vely"reinvent"myself."I"
think"that"just"reitera6ng"the"message"
or"[just"saying"it]"more"loudly"I"would"
say,"for"me"and"many"of"my"colleagues,"
has"not"proven"to"be"effec6ve.”"
"
"
"
"
“There’s"nothing"like"trying"it"out"on"
every"audience"you"can"think"of."
There’s"nothing"like"trying"things"out"
and"seeing"what"happens."And"the"
last"thing"you"want"to"do"is"have"the"
first"6me"you"talk"about"it"be"the"
6me"when"it’s"really"on"the"line.”"
“So,"what"I"consider"is"the"best"gic"that"can"
befall"me"as"a"speaker"is"a"complete"failure"
of"the"AV"system."Because"the"audience"will"
love"whatever"you"do"improvising"in"that"set"
of"circumstances."So,"you’ve"got"to"roll"with"
whatever"comes"your"way"…"because"it"will"
enormously"affect"how"the"audience"reacts"
to"everything"that"you"say.”""""
"
Links"
• MIT"Enterprise"Forum"Cambridge"Website"
www.mi`orumcambridge.org""
• MIT"Enterprise"Forum"Cambridge"Podcast"
h7p://bit.ly/wzpcVw""
"
• Ques6ons"and"feedback"on"this"deck:"Randall"Cronk"