Recently I have become increasingly frustrated with people who, on hearing I am doing a PhD in physics, say "Well that's the end of that conversation then" or something similar (flying cars included).
The overt implication of this is to that they are saying that they couldn't possibly understand. But what they are actually saying is either:
1) They don't believe that I am capable of explaining it to them at a level they can engage with.
2) They are just not interested (or possibly they are scared).
I actually find both of these very rude. Firstly I am developing the ability to explain my work at an appropriate level to different audiences. When people do show an interest they might learn something which they may even find interesting and exciting. But I'm no evangelist, I'm not going to try and persuade them they should be interested.
Whoever I meet I am able to engage them with and show an interest in what they do (for at least a short while, depending on what it is). Often I am very interested and enjoy these interactions.. Whether it be a study of the portrayal of Victorian social constraints in Hardy, or the econometrics of development, or human rights law, or selling polystyrene cups to petrol stations. Why should physics be any different? Personally I think that what I am doing is both important and exciting. Ignorance is excusable, rudeness is not.
That said, when people do ask the question, "What do you do?" I will no longer reply that I am doing a PhD in Physics but "I am working to create a clean and unlimited energy source for the future".
Tuesday 20 May 2008
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4 comments:
Well, I think you've already figured out the first step in your striving to communicate what you do in language appropriate to your audience, then. Sounds like a good strategy to me! Alas, I haven't figured out a similarly catchy line to summarize my research into a form that will prevent people from abruptly breaking off the conversation and walking away... "I'm working to find out exactly why creationists are idiots and evolution is the truth?" Anyone? Hey, don't walk away...
I know what you do...you put tiny particles in a big tube with magnets to make them bump into each other and try to make energy ;-) I don't think you ever explained it to me in more detail than that - if you tried, and I didn't get it, I apologise...I always was crap at physics.
My answer to the 'what do you do' question is very simple, but I always get the response, 'Are you a real doctor?'
Never sure what to make of that.
I'm sure you've guessed who this is, but thank you for the pictures, they are lovely, they are hanging on our wall :-)
Dude...so...wait...let me get this straight. It's not flying cars then?
Oh, do try to be a little less patronising. No one wants to hear about physics? Try genocide. Try bringing up the 200 women raped in an IDP camp in one week for show stopper. You have to realise that no one is going to be as interested in the work you do as you are. That's ok. That's why you're doing it and not them. It has nothing to do with you being smart enough to dumb it down for them to digest and enjoy. If people don't want to talk about particles whizzing about, or children being hacked to bits, it has nothing to do with them being scared or uninterested or how well you can explain it to them. They do the same thing to the rubbish man, the investment banker, the diplomat, the nurse, the housewife...well, everyone. I bet your eyes glaze over a bit when a friend's wife starts talking about snotty noses. It's just not every part of our lives is going to be intriguing to everyone no matter how charmingly pithy and engaging we can make it.
P.S. Keep writing...I'm going to make commenting my new hobby.
OK thanks Kelsey for bringing me down a much needed peg or three. You want me to write more so you can shoot me down more? It might take me a while to recover enough to write again after your crushing indictment...
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