I remember when I read my first scientific article; the overwhelming degree of technical jargon within the first two paragraphs was daunting. I found myself reading paragraphs three or even four times just to get the gist. Frustrated, I didn’t even really finish it. Why was it so hard to understand something in my own field of interest?
This brings to attention the importance of good communication. Personally guilty of the misconception that difficult words and abundant complex sentence structures comprises the perfect recipe for an “excellent” piece of writing, I began to understand why the prestige of vocabulary wasn’t worth the inevitable confusion from your reader when I was exposed to scientific papers. It makes sense now in hindsight, because if you really think about writing from the perspective of it being a tool to communicate ideas, feelings, and facts….the easier it is to understand, the better your audience will respond to the message you are trying to convey.
The scientific paper canon seems to pride itself in using a bunch of scientific jargon. It’s rare for me to read a paper that isn’t packed with a bunch of jargon, easy to understand. Ironically, the easiest papers to read are some of my favorites. Because science at its essence calls for progress, fixing problems, and increased understanding about the mysteries of the world and universe we live in, communication is key. Progress requires understanding of fundamental principles and this can’t happen if people don’t know the significance of what has been discovered -- many minds have to work together. To work well, they need to be on the same wavelength of understanding.
Recently, artistic expression of science has bloomed over the years and has taken on the challenge to absolve science of its jargon-dominant characteristics. NatureVolve , an online digital magazine is a testament to this. Clarissa Wright, the founder of NatureVolve recounts that NatureVolve was an idea that came about progressively while she worked in the academic publishing industry and as a freelance science journalist. Her experience in these areas of work made her realize increasingly the importance of science communication for the research profession; as scientists need to publish to work and have it recognized, in addition to it being presented in an understandable way. NatureVolve was created to address these concerns and serve as a vehicle for scientific researchers to communicate their work to audiences outside of their niche disciplines.
In regards to the “scientific art” (SciArt) component of her magazine, Wright says that visual arts were always something she was drawn to, recognizing its effectiveness in communicating with and engaging others. After discovering SciArt within the sphere of scientific communication and observing how artsy scientists were speaking out more and more about their passions to broader audiences, she decided she wanted to support them. NatureVolve features some of these ‘SciArtists’ , who are sharing pieces of their work and the concepts behind them. Wright emphasizes that “art can help bridge the communication gap between science and the wider public. While some people are addressing this need by writing understandable articles about the work of scientists, art itself is another way of engaging people in a visual way, as it has the power to catch the eye and bring about curiosity on the subject. It can also help engage those who may not know much about science or have had much previous interest in it, by engaging them through artwork. On the whole, it can help bridge the two communities of scientists and artists together this way.”
Other pioneers have also been on the rise. One person I met earlier this year, Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, brilliantly combines her knowledge of neuroscience and design to make scientific principles easy to understand for the average person. What inspired her work was an encounter with a patient, in which she found it difficult to communicate them what her research was about. To remedy this all too familiar issue, she curates interactive traveling exhibits (Beyond Curie), designs posters highlighting important women in science, and even fosters partnerships between labs and designers to communicate their research in creative ways. Another example is Two Photon art, who designs science-themed jewelry and zines (small, independent magazines). The founders created Two Photon in an attempt to make science education more acceptable to the public. Milestones like these examples are what can increase excitement and appreciation of science.
As a creative, scientifically curious student, it’s been great to see the merge between two conventionally “left” and “right” brain disciplines. Discovering the SciArt community has energized me to want to communicate better and share knowledge of my own field, neuroscience in fun, artsy ways. And I find that every scientist should be an advocate for it, as it casts science in a softer, more inviting light.
The possibilities are almost endless for artistic expression of science. The artistic canvas for each scientific discipline will vary, each field employing unique styles and artistic mediums ranging from music, painting, drawing, design, and film and much more . Scientists have the freedom to do whatever best suits their discovery or theory -- they have the potential to encourage curiosity and wonder from all walks of life in a new way.