Words are powerful. They can cheer us up, make us cry, inspire and destroy us. But sometimes they are not enough, and sometimes they are too much. We all have those moments where we are just so confused, so frustrated, so angry, or so happy that we can't put it into words. It can lead to misunderstandings, hurt feelings, or some other combination of emotions. Wouldn't it be great if there was some sort of language or code that everyone would understand when that happened?
Sometimes in science, you can see that people are not following you when you try to explain a concept, a model, or an experiment to them. Their eyes are glazing over, the phones come out, and a dead silence comes over the room, so still that you can hear your thumping heart too loudly in your ears. And one thought flies across your brain: How can I make them understand because the words coming out of my mouth are obviously not working?
What if you could explain your science without any words?
Every year, Science and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has a contest called "Dance Your PhD", where scientists can submit videos of choreographed dances that represent their PhD research. The winners for 2016 were just recently announced, and you can see the videos here.
This combines two things that I love and that have had a huge impact on my life and where I am today. As a biology graduate student, I am very invested in learning more about science and conducting my own research, so that's self-explanatory. But before I got into science in the middle of high school and in undergrad, dance was my whole world. There are several types of dance, but it was ballet for me, specifically. I loved how the things I couldn't express in words would flow easily when I danced. And ever since I started becoming more invested in biology in undergrad, I always looked for a way to combine science with ballet.
Generally, these videos are fun to watch, but apart from that, it highlights an essential aspect of science that sometimes is lost in the piles of data and slew of powerpoint slides - even unconventional formats such as a wordless performance captured on camera can be helpful in understanding scientific research. It's a very visual medium, which makes it easier to comprehend than big words and concepts floating in your ears. Sometimes they're funny, sometimes they make you understand certain mechanisms better, and sometimes you begin to wonder how on earth your own research might translate into choreography.
Anybody can dance, and anybody can learn to understand scientific research. You just have to be able to think outside the box a little bit and let your mind explore its creative options. So when words aren't enough, dance like nobody's watching.
