From Their Perspective

Most of us know the old adage “know thy audience.”  The critical question is slightly different - what does your audience want? 

I recently participated in a discussion on science communication, moderated by Gail Scowcroft of Discovery of Sound in the Sea (I highly recommend their website - more about them in future posts). Ms. Scowcraft defined three classes of audience member that we might interact with during a talk (or for written communication): learners, stakeholders, and the media.

Vancouver Washington Toastmasters Club

Live in the Vancouver, WA area?  Want to practice your communication and leadership skills?  There's a new Toastmasters International chapter forming in the north end of town.  We meet every Monday from 7-8 PM at the Salmon Creek Burgerville. This Monday (8/26/13) is an open house where we showcase the Toastmasters program and how it benefits members.  Come early to get a seat!

Blogging from the Deep

I just got back from a conference on the Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life in beautiful Budapest, Hungary. The focus, of course, was underwater noise…noise produced by boat traffic, or bridge construction, or the animals themselves, and how this noise effects marine mammals, fish, and aquatic invertebrates.

My next several blog posts will highlight themes in science communication that came to light during this conference, either as issues raised by conference participants, or as items I noted as an attendee (and presenter). I also hope to feature blog entries from guest bloggers that I met at the conference – I’m not the only one thinking about communication!