Just Ask This Scientician

Welcome to the first installment of "How We Do Science"! Today I'll be talking about scientific meetings or conferences, and my adventures attending the 2019 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in San Francisco, CA.  What is a scientific conference?  It is a big meeting at a convention center or hotel ballroom(s) where scientists gather to present their research, ask questions, connect with collaborators, network with other scientists, and learn about the current research being performed in a specific field. AGU is one of the largest scientific conferences, with more than 24,000 attendees from 113 countries (stats for 2018 meeting).  There is usually a mix of poster and oral presentations. Poster presentations are given in a big hall or room, where everyone has their own board with a poster that you created showcasing your research. Posters can be tiresome since your session can last for at least 2 hours, and you stand by your poster for awhile (have a ...

This is a question I hear often. Depending on who is asking, my answers can and must vary. For example, if I'm chatting with a high schooler I'm not going to say "I study the sensitivity of orographic precipitation to perturbations in microphysical parameter values and environmental conditions within an idealized moist, nearly neutral flow." That is way too much jargon that will immediately turn off any interest they may have had. I recently attended a workshop at the University of Colorado - Boulder on effective public outreach and communication for scientists. The speaker emphasized three key goals to convey at a public outreach event: Content - provide some science information  Process - provide a window into how science is done  Person - show that you're a relatable, thoughtful scientist I saw these three points and thought, this would be a great basis for my blog! My intent with this blog will be to provide some information about my own science int...