So when you generally think of “scholarly academic research,” the first image that comes to mind is probably a decrepit wiry haired old man mumbling slowly in a foreign language (that turns out to be English).  Or maybe you think about theses that are 800 pages of writing, so long that they need to be published in leather bound books.  My dad had one of those, and when I was five, I was convinced I would never want a PhD because I’d have to write my own book.

There’s a new push in universities to make research easier to understand for the general public.  Because no one wants to know that their five years of blood, sweat, and tears was only read by one person (who was very sleepy the entire time).  Here’s an example of how it is being done!

Three Minute Thesis

It was a hugely successful and lively afternoon of ‘pitches’ from of the brightest minds of a generation.

The Rules:

You have to condense years of research into:

• Three minutes max
• one slide
• no transitions
• no costumes or props

The competition is all about showing people that while science is important, communication, telling the story of your work, is equally important.

Here’s one of the winners, Alex Jordan, from the University of New South Wales

Australia & New Zealand 3MT People\’s choice — Alex Jordan (The University of New South Wales)

Philip Edgcumbe, a UBC undergrad began his final year by visiting Stanford.  He was there exploring the possibilities emerging from the labs of Stanford researchers who are working at the intersection of biology and engineering, possibilities which could shape the future more profoundly than the Silicon Valley has shaped the present. To understand what the visit could mean for Philip’s future we need to look at his past.

He may not have known it at the time, but Philip began preparing for his visit to Stanford when he was still in high school.  He started by developing knowledge.  His high school science fair project on the biochemistry of the brain taught him how curiosity and experimentation can turn a single question into a hundred others, preparing his mind perfectly for Science One, UBC’s unique first year introduction to university science. Through Science One he explored the foundations of biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics as an integrated whole, guided by a diverse team of professors who were also introducing him to the fundamental practices of scientists. In his second year, Philip entered Engineering Physics and began learning how engineers apply the fruits of science to solve world’s problems. He also continued to develop research experiences, expanding his knowledge of how science and technology are revealing the secrets of the human brain.

By integrating science and engineering, Philip was developing a mindset for innovation that encouraged him to be guided by curiosity and exploration while teaching him how to match problems with solutions.  Then in his third year, he added a global perspective on innovation by doing something very unusual for an engineering student, he spent a year abroad; at  RISE in Germany with  undergraduates from around the world, and in India, as an exchange student at India Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, learning and living with students who are uniquely positioned to help India realize its amazing potential as a future global leader in innovation.

Philip also developed relationships, connecting and re-connecting with friends as he journeyed through is undergraduate experience.  His experiences in India made him an ideal host for the IIT students were at UBC this summer for MITACS Global Link Program.   And his host for his visit to Stanford was a friend and former classmate from Science One, who must have pointed out that the university’s stories of innovation have also been stories of connections between people connecting, like Bill Hewlitt and Dave Packard or Sergey Brin and Larry Page.

By Philip Varghese

philip.varghese@now-org.com

Science and Media Collide . . . In a Good Way.

If the project that you are working on (your company, non-profit, etc.) were a guy, what would he be like? Is he charming? Is he cute? Is he erudite? Is he caring? Is he someone who every girl would fall in love with? How clean is his room? What are his relationships like?

People often treat projects as inanimate objects or concepts. (They are inanimate after all, no?) But something today made me realize that to take each project to the next level, we need to think of it as a person – a person with dreams, strengths, weaknesses, personality, emotions, etc.  A friend of mine showed me what he envisioned himself to feel like in two years about everything from health, relationships, mindset, to success. It suddenly occurred to me that too often in project planning, people over-emphasize the inorganic and brief over the organic.

When planning projects people often set goals such as reaching abcd number of people, $xxxx in revenue, and yyyy% in annual growth. But how about thinking more about how the project will make people feel and the relationships that it develops? We often hear that that people might forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel. You buy a dress not necessarily because it is 0.6m wide. You buy it because it makes you feel gorgeous and special: you want it because you’ve developed a connection with that dress. If that store always sells dresses that make you feel gorgeous, you will keep going back. The store is as though a cute guy who makes you feel gorgeous and special. You’ve developed a relationship with that store.

By putting yourself into the shoes of your “project person”, you will discover how you could turn your inanimate project into an unforgettable person that engages the heart and soul of the participant/customer/etc – and develop strong relationships with them.

Musings: turning your project into Prince Charming in three simple steps?

1. What does your project need?

What does a person need?
- a loving family [is your project nurtured by a loving team?]
- knowledge [does your project have good content?]
- personality [how does your project make people feel? how does it channel its positive energy and love?]
- appearance [what impression does your project leave?]
- relationships [what's your project's relationship with its audience?]
- opportunities [is your project surrounded by opportunities that can take it to the next level?]
- mentorship [does your project have access to the guidance and advice it requires?]

etc.

2. Paint a picture of your project in ___ [insert time]

An example (answering questions in step 1) could be:

NOW! is a caring, smart and charismatic guy growing up in a loving environment that encourages creativity and holistic thinking. NOW! loves to learn and adventure. NOW! loves to play guitar. Erudite, simple, honest, and elegant, NOW! charms everyone he sees and develops meaningful long-term relationships. People remember NOW!’s passion, dedication, and energy in community service, empowering young people, and building interdisciplinary solutions. NOW! make people feel powerful, loving, caring, and happy. NOW! has big dreams and cherishes the mentorships and opportunities that will help turn his dream come true.

3. Determine what kind of person your project is currently, and what kind of personal development can help your project become the best person it could be.

An example could be:

1. NOW! could be a more approachable guy [find ways to make NOW! more accessible]
2. NOW! needs more long-term relationships [find ways to help NOW! participants etc. develop emotional connections with NOW! sustainability programs]
3. NOW! is a little lost about where to head. [get the NOW! team together to figure out NOW!'s focus]
… etc.

—–

Thoughts?

Cheers,

Janny