24 January 2014
How to Bore Everyone with Science
Posted by Olivia Ambrogio
An Ignite talk, “Space is BORING.” Photo by Flickr user Kevin Baird.
By Olivia V. Ambrogio
Have you ever had a sneaking suspicion that, no matter how interesting you find your studies or results, others might be less than electrified by them?
You’re probably right.
Danish biologist Kaj Sand-Jensen argues that the culture of and expectations around scientific-paper writing can turn talented and interesting writers into dull ones, producing articles that—no matter how fascinating the topic—are deathly to read.
Want to know what you’re doing right—er, wrong?
Read Sand-Jensen’s paper, How to write consistently boring scientific literature (Oikos vol. 116), and let us know if you agree.
– Olivia Ambrogio is an AGU Strategic Communications Specialist and coordinator of AGU’s Expert Outreach Network
The Plainspoken Scientist is the science communication blog of AGU’s Sharing Science program. With this blog, we wish to showcase creative and effective science communication via multiple mediums and modes.
What a great article! The style of the paper was counter-intuitive in a way that makes you actually think about what it is presenting. ‘How to be boring’… It’s also funny!
I hope some day I get to write a paper for human audience that doesn’t include acronyms. That is, when I write it – I hope I can get it published..