Lab Matters Summer 2017 | Page 15

feature radiochemistry and water quality — a big issue in a state with a large agricultural presence , an imposing rivershed and heavy reliance on well water .

Yet even with her department ’ s impressive array of products ( including coloring books !), Blake said , “ One of the most helpful things we ’ ve done is to make the laboratory available for interns ,” such as high school teachers who come for summer externships and , a few years ago , a doctoral candidate from the University of Iowa journalism program ( who developed a widely viewed newborn screening video ).

Blake ’ s work is complemented by the SHL ’ s Education , Training and Outreach program , led by Beth Hochstedler . The program focuses mostly on STEM education for teachers and students from kindergarten through post-doc , but also hosts educational events for lawmakers , focusing on issues like Zika virus .

For the past ten years or so , the program has chosen a SHL “ ambassador ” to promote the laboratory . The inaugural ambassador was the then-reigning “ Miss Iowa ,” who had an interest in steering young girls into science .

“ One of the things we ’ ve been successful in ,” said Hochstedler , “ is finding unlikely partners who have helped us to be effective in the state .” For example , she said , “ When we ’ re engaging students , we ’ re engaging their parents too .”

One measure of the program ’ s success is the fact that schoolteachers tweet about it .

Another high-powered communications shop can be found at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene ( WSLH ), located at the University of Wisconsin – Madison ( UW – Madison ). Jan Klawitter , MA , the lab ’ s communications lead , said her job is “ to build a broader base of people who are aware of what the lab can do for them .”

From Gilgamesh to The Iliad to Star Wars , stories have been an integral part of the human experience . “ There is an appetite for stories ,” said Liz Neeley , a former marine biologist and current director of The Story Collider — a nonprofit organization dedicating to sharing true personal stories about science .

Like a craving for a juicy steak , the appetite for stories is grounded in biology : the human brain is hardwired to respond to character-driven narratives . While a recitation of bullet points activates the brain ’ s language processing areas , a compelling story activates the parts of the brain that would be used if the listener were actually experiencing the events of the story — a phenomenon known as “ narrative transportation ” or being transported into the speaker ’ s world .

“ We know that ’ s a powerful brain state ,” said Neeley . “[ Listeners ] are imagining the motivations and experiences of characters and often having strong emotional reactions . And they take the characters ’ opinions , beliefs , attitudes back into their own life .”

In fact , character-driven stories with emotional content trigger the synthesis of oxytocin , a hormone that enhances empathy and may also enhance trust . Research has shown that such stories prompt better understanding and better recall of a speaker ’ s main points — key reasons storytelling is so widely used to market products and ideas .

According to Neeley , the most captivating stories :

• Are authentic to the story-teller

• Involve a chain of events , with a beginning , a middle and an end ( as opposed to disconnected facts ).

• Start in the action with something interesting ( with scientific details added later ).

• Develop tension in the narrative .

• Don ’ t try to tell it all .

• End with flair .

Said Neeley , “ In the heat of an outbreak , dispassion and calm are essential . But being able to complement that , at times , with shared experiences can go a long way toward building trust .”

“ Some people say science communication is about transmitting facts . But in storytelling , we ’ re digging for deeper truths . ... What do we care about ? Who are we ? How do we survive in this world ?”

“ We are people who believe in data . Believe it ’ s worth spending money on science . We ’ re people who ’ ve conquered horrible things , like polio . We ’ re capable of taking the worst that Mother Nature throws at us and saving lives . ... I think scientists forget how amazing they are . It gives me goose bumps .”

Liz Neeley , executive director of The Story Collider , talks about the value of storytelling in science communication at the 2017 APHL Annual Meeting

She said , “ I think when people think of laboratories , they think of equipment and testing ; it ’ s technical and abstract . But in the end , our ability to do our job and to serve our customers comes down to relationships — those human-to-human relationships , which prove to be as important as any technical knowledge .”