Making science simpler | Lim Seng Joe | TEDxUKM

Key Concepts

• Functional Food and Ingredients
• Edible Bird's Nest (EBN)
• Seaweed
• Fermentation Technology
• Audience Adaptation in Science Communication
• Simplifying Complex Scientific Concepts
• Translational Impact of Research
• Branding and Value Addition
• Inventing Analogies for Scientific Terms
• Relatability and Engagement in Science

Summary of Strategies for Simplifying Science

Dr. Lin Singh Jojo, an Associate Professor at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia specializing in functional food and ingredients, outlines five key strategies to make science more accessible and understandable. Her research areas, including edible bird's nest, seaweed, and fermentation technology on tropical fruits, serve as recurring examples throughout her presentation.

1. Know Your Audience

This strategy emphasizes tailoring scientific communication to the specific audience.

• For Scientific Conferences: Dr. Singh Jojo notes that when presenting to fellow scientists, technical jargon and complex explanations are acceptable and expected.
• For Food Industry Collaborators: When engaging with manufacturers and F&B retailers, the focus shifts to financial benefits and economic advantages. An example is the conversion of overripe tropical fruits into vinegars, transforming waste into a valuable product. This highlights the concept of "converting waste into wealth."
• For Social Settings (Family, Reunions): In less formal environments, practical information is prioritized. For instance, instead of detailing the scientific mechanisms of edible bird's nest (EBN) enhancing skin health through epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulating cell proliferation and epithelial regeneration, the audience is more interested in practical advice like "how long should I double boil my edible bird's nest?" or "how much EBN should I consume?"

2. Make it Complicated for Yourself

Dr. Singh Jojo argues that simplifying science for others requires a deep and thorough understanding of the subject matter. This aligns with Albert Einstein's quote: "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."

• Deep Understanding of Fundamentals: Scientists must grasp the fundamental principles and visualize the scientific mechanisms of action before they can communicate them clearly.
• Visual Aids: Drawing diagrams can significantly aid understanding. Dr. Singh Jojo illustrates this with the enzymatic hydrolysis of edible bird's nest proteins into simpler glycopeptides, explaining that a simple diagram, made possible by her deep understanding of the enzymatic mechanism, makes the complex process comprehensible.
• Lab Work as "Heavy Lifting": In her lab, Dr. Singh Jojo deals with complex processes like enzyme extraction, ultrafiltration, chromatography, and the extraction of sialic acid from EBN. The extraction of sialic acid, known for its brain-boosting and immune-strengthening properties, involves breaking down lipoproteins without damaging their function. She performs this intricate "heavy lifting" in the lab so that she can later communicate the benefits in a simplified manner, such as "this molecule might help your child think clearer and fall sick less often."

3. Go Beyond Science

Effective science communication requires understanding the broader context of the research, encompassing economic, social, and geographical aspects, to ensure real-world translational impact.

• Seaweed Industry Example: Dr. Singh Jojo highlights the economic disparity in the seaweed industry. While Malaysia is the seventh-largest producer globally, and Japan is sixth, the value of Japanese seaweed is 46 times higher than that of Malaysia. She identifies this as a "value gap," "story gap," and "branding gap," not a scientific one.
• Pitching to Funders: When seeking funding, she goes beyond discussing scientific terms like polysaccharides and antioxidant assays. Instead, she demonstrates how science can bridge these economic and branding gaps. Understanding the entire ecosystem surrounding science, including economics and culture, makes her research more meaningful and impactful. This allows her to secure funding to continue her complex scientific work for a simple, meaningful purpose.

4. Invent Your Own Language (Analogies)

Sometimes, translating scientific terms directly can be confusing. Dr. Singh Jojo suggests creating relatable analogies or simpler terms.

• "Food Pilot Plant" Analogy: The term "food pilot plant" can be misunderstood. A friend suggested "mini demo factory" as a more descriptive and understandable alternative, where "mini" signifies small scale, "demo" indicates demonstration of industrial processes, and "factory" refers to the processing facility.
• Explaining Fermentation to Children: She simplifies fermentation by explaining it as feeding good bacteria sugar, which then "wobbles out sour juice" called lactic acid and acetic acid. This relatable explanation resonates with children and adults alike.
• Deodorizing Seaweed: The technical challenge of de-odorizing seaweed involves complex concepts like adsorption kinetics, volatile compounds, and solid-phase microextraction. However, when explaining the outcome to a seaweed entrepreneur, she uses relatable scenarios: "Imagine if your seaweed didn't smell like the ocean. Imagine if it can go into tea, snacks, cosmetics, or even biodegradable bags without turning people away." This approach makes the scientific outcome tangible and impactful.

5. Make Science Relatable and Human

The ultimate goal is to make science accessible, understandable, and usable by everyone.

• YouTube Videos for Students: Dr. Singh Jojo creates YouTube videos not just to demonstrate technical skills like pipetting but to provide context, explain the relevance of experiments to the real food industry, and show how lab work fits into a larger picture. This fosters engagement and ownership among students, encouraging them to see themselves as scientists.
• Beyond Dumbing Down: Simplifying science does not mean "dumbing it down." Instead, it means "raising it up" so that more people can access and understand it.
• Science for Everyone: Science should not be confined to laboratories or academic journals. It should be experienced, understood, and utilized by everyone, from students to family members at weddings to funders.
• Call to Funders: Dr. Singh Jojo directly addresses funders, emphasizing the need for their support to continue the complex scientific work that is then simplified for broader understanding and application.

Conclusion

Dr. Lin Singh Jojo's five strategies—knowing your audience, making it complicated for yourself, going beyond science, inventing your own language, and making science relatable—provide a comprehensive framework for effective science communication. By embracing these approaches, scientists can bridge the gap between complex research and public understanding, ensuring that science serves a simple, meaningful purpose and inspires broader engagement and application. The core message is that simplifying science requires significant effort and deep understanding, ultimately leading to a more powerful and accessible scientific landscape for all.