The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science
By Christine O’Connell
The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science (www.aldacenter.org) works to make communication an essential part of the education of scientists, not an afterthought. We help scientists, engineers and health professionals — from graduate students to senior personnel—learn to communicate about complex science in clear, vivid and engaging ways. We pioneered the use of improvisational exercises and storytelling to help scientists be more responsive and spontaneous in the way they connect with the public. We conduct workshops at universities, labs, public agencies, meetings, companies and other settings around the country, training participants in these techniques. At Stony Brook University, we offer innovative, graduate level courses in communicating science, including: Distilling Your Message, Improvisation for Scientists, Using Digital Media, Engaging Key Audiences, Communicating Health Sciences, and Writing to be Understood. We are also working on developing a graduate certificate program in science communication. This Fall, we kick off the 3rd year of The Flame Challenge, a international science communication contest that asks scientists to communicate complex science in ways that would interest and enlighten an 11-year-old. The Flame Challenge began in 2011 with actor and science advocate Alan Alda’s childhood query: What is a flame? Entries for last year’s question, “What is Time,” were judged by nearly 20,000 school children from around the world. Right now we are asking 4th-6th graders to send in their questions so we can pick this year’s Challenge. To submit a question or sign up your school/class to vote, visit: www.flamechallenge.org#
