ted talk - logan smith

In the Ted Talk "Talk Nerdy to Me," Melissa Marshall effectively addresses the way scientists (or in general, people with that set of skills and interests) communicate, and how they can learn to communicate with everyday people on a daily basis, yet still retain their passion and excitement for what they’re studying. She claims that entering into a world of communication with people who operate according to their left brain was comparable to Alice entering her wonderland. Each point she made was incredibly valid, and teaching students to communicate things they’re so passionate about effectively is a skill relevant beyond any classroom. I’ve never been good at science. Ever. In middle and high school I wasn’t necessarily the most artistic kid, but I thrived in English classes as opposed to Anatomy and Biology. Even here at a school so intent on promoting science and engineering, I’m majoring in the least science-y Bachelor of Science available. However, my best friend from high school had the mind of an engineer and is presently studying Bioengineering with hopes of going to medical school and becoming a neurosurgeon. Each time he talked about his plans for the future or explained some concept that he was learning in his AP Chemistry or Physics classes, it was interesting- don’t get me wrong… and I honestly wish I had his passion for learning about the human body or just little ways things logically and scientifically work, but at the end of the day he didn’t have my flair for English and creativity. What made it so easy to listen to him talk about things I wasn’t super interested in was that he is an effective communicator. He didn’t necessarily dumb anything down, but instead equated things to what I was interested it, like science and music (or even focusing more on the science OF music… that was an interesting conversation!).