Women in Science Communication and Utilizing Mutual Ground

When an expert attempts to describe the structure of the atom, they might say the atom is like the solar system to an audience already familiar with the latter. The expert uses the idea of the planets orbiting the sun to describe a new concept: the electrons moving around the nucleus of the atom. Despite its limitations, this analogy provides a mutual ground through which the expert and the audience can both step in and understand one another. Science communicators frequently use this strategy to discuss various scientific concepts. Women have been doing science communication (often overlooked) for centuries through sophisticated outreach strategies and by building mutual grounds within their communities. Here we highlight just a few historic and current female science communicators, focusing on how they utilize mutual ground in their communications. 

Mary Somerville was asked in 1827 to write a condensed version of Pierre-Simon Laplace’s "Traité de mécanique céleste" that an educated but non-expert public could easily understand. Her work, "Mechanism of the Heavens," took her four years to write and was so popular it went through 10 editions, selling 17,500 copies. The book made its way in to schools, British colonies, and libraries. She used the story of her own life and struggles to promote the causes she embraced, including women’s rights to education. By conveying her personal story, she was able to connect on an emotional and relatable level to her audience. 

In 1937, Maude Bennot became the Acting Director of the Adler Planetarium, taking effective leadership of the institution. She was likely the first woman to hold such a position in the world. While serving as Acting Director until 1945, Maude regularly held lectures, gave tours, and participated in radio programs about astronomy. She ran a weekly program entitled “Exploring Stars,” effectively reaching thousands in their own homes; and ironically replaced a program called “Men Behind the Stars.” By utilizing the radio to communicate astronomy, instead of waiting for the public to come to her at the Adler, she was able to reach far more people and introduce astronomy in a much more comfortable setting. 

"Growing up in rural Puerto Rico, I loved science, but I had no role models. I didn’t see any scientists who looked or sounded like me, or who shared my identities and background. Not in the media, not in books, not even in school. Still, I went to college to become a biologist. Then, as an undergrad I slowly started learning about and meeting Puerto Rican, Latin American and Black scientists. For a while, I thought about my own journey to become a scientist from a perspective of deficit—the girl who became a Harvard-trained PhD-scientist IN SPITE of being from a rural working class community in Puerto Rico, lack of role models, lack of educational opportunities. But then at some point I realized that I had become a scientist way before getting that PhD. I became a scientist observing lizards in my balcony every afternoon after school. I became a scientist shadowing the old wise man with an elementary-school level education from my barrio who taught me how to milk the cow. I came to realize that it was precisely because of those identities and life experiences -because of my background - that I had become a scientist.The power of that realization inspires much of my science communication work today."

"The most important thing to do is, instead of starting up with your head, with all the data and facts in our head, to start from the heart, to start by talking about why it matters to us, to begin with genuinely shared values. Are we both parents? Do we live in the same community? Do we enjoy the same outdoor activities: hiking, biking, fishing, even hunting?...If you don't know what the values are that someone has, have a conversation, get to know them, figure out what makes them tick. And then once we have, all we have to do is connect the dots between the values they already have and why they would care about a changing climate. I truly believe, after thousands of conversations that I've had over the past decade and more, that just about every single person in the world already has the values they need to care about a changing climate. They just haven't connected the dots. And that's what we can do through our conversation with them." 

"Whether we use an indigenous astronomy lens or the western science lens, the same amazing truth is one of my most passionate talking points. I love this idea, ‘we come from the stars’...We have looked at the stars for tens of thousands of years. And yet, this legacy of our species - connection to sky - is in critical danger. Our relationship with the dark night sky is threatened... Indigenous voices are leading the way in revitalization efforts. Language is a vital source. Many people today have curiosity, excitement, even a craving for a connection with the night sky. I like to think that when I share aspects of indigenous astronomy, it is like a springboard for all to strengthen our human connection to the stars."

"Fortunately, space in general, and human space flight in particular, are areas that fascinate many people, so it’s not hard to engage. There are so many ways to go from there: the actual experience of living and working in space, how one trains for space, the international cooperation inherent in assembling and operating the International Space Station, research and development in microgravity, what is needed to land on the moon or travel to Mars." By starting with a common fascination, like space travel, Ochoa can dig deeper in to science communications; a key to mutual ground communication, start from a shared experience and then branch out.