A year or so ago I took up theatre sports. To qualify to play in Sydney you have to complete 16 weeks of training, where you learn how all the different games work, but more importantly some basics of drama, story telling and improvising scenes as a team.

It’s given me lots of insights into communicating science, which you’ll surely hear about in this blog. One of the lessons was about the use of status. When setting up a scene, especially an improvised one, it’s important to be aware of which characters have high status, or “the power” and who is low status. It’s a big part of the drama of the scene, and then when characters switch status there’s lots of comedic potential.

But it made me realise the common status relationship in science communication – expert scientist talks to audience of plebs.

Have you ever had that experience? Where you go to a science talk and come out feeling stupider than when you went in? The expert, the world leader in his field talked down his nose at you, and you were a low status worm fortunate to have had an audience with him. You didn’t really understand what he was talking about, but there is no way you are going to stick up your hand and humiliate yourself further by asking a stupid question.

It’s not very conducive to learning, or any sort of communication, really.

Last week was the Australian Science Communicators visit to the Amazing Human Body exhibition, led by Dr Karl and Prof Cris. Aside from the plasticised body exhibits – which are indeed amazing – it was a chance for me to see the great Dr Karl at work.

I noticed the status he adopts with his audience – low! He would be seen by many people as one of Australia’s most intelligent, informed, with it experts. But he doesn’t act that way.

When he does his radio talk back he always addresses callers as Doctor. And when he works with other experts he always defers to their knowledge. And at the Human Body exhibition he instantly welcomed the audience and invited their questions and input. He respects the knowledge of his audience, and thereby instantly opens the channels of communication.

When a question is asked he listens carefully and clarifies it before pondering out loud possible answers. And he is not afraid to say “I don’t know”. But when you ask a question you know that you will go on a journey of discovery together.

What fun! You are now a world class scientist indulging your curiosity about the world, engaged on a quest for knowledge! Much better than being an ignorant worm!