What is ComSciCon?

ComSciCon is a series of workshops focused on the communication of complex and technical concepts organized by graduate students, for graduate students.  ComSciCon attendees meet and interact with professional communicators, build lasting networks with graduate students in all fields of science and engineering from across the US and Canada, and write and publish original works.

Recent Publications by ComSciCon attendees or about ComSciCon

Verma M. A Journey Through My Microbiome: An Immigrant’s Perspective on a Changing Gut. The Xlyom. 2023. Publisher's VersionAbstract
Six years ago, I met my best friend Hannah as a randomly assigned college roommate. 
She had driven 200 miles from Indianapolis, Indiana and I had flown 8000 miles from New Delhi, India to arrive at the very same dorm room in St. Louis, Missouri. We had a running joke in our families that we were destined to be in each other’s lives since “India” belongs in “Indiana.” True to this sentiment, I spent every break visiting her home. My community was back in India, so hers became my own.
Naiyeju I. Make Your Science Communication Memorable with These Storytelling Cues. Club SciWri. 2022. Publisher's VersionAbstract

Can you recall a story you read recently and found memorable? What was it about it that you enjoyed? The author’s dexterity in painting a vivid image of scenes and events? The story’s vivacity? Your ability to relate with the characters?

The point of these questions was to reveal a crucial point: the memorability of a piece is in its ability to leave an indelible imprint on a reader’s mind. This aspiration for memorability is common to both the storyteller and the science communicator.

Ware S. Recharging rovers — how batteries enable (and limit) our exploration of Mars and beyond. ZME Science. 2022. Publisher's VersionAbstract

“My battery is low and it’s getting dark” — this poetic translation of the Mars Opportunity rover’s final transmission describes the rover’s struggle to recharge itself after its solar panels were covered by dust during a windstorm.

Though Opportunity outlived its projected lifetime by over 14 years, advances in battery technology could have kept the rover running even longer. Out of all the parts that could have failed, the battery’s struggle to store and conserve energy proved to be Opportunity’s downfall.

It’s not just Opportunity — believe it or not, batteries are actually a major stumbling block for our exploration of space.

Stoica T. Slow down, it’s what your brain has been begging for. Psyche.co. 2022. Publisher's VersionAbstract

It wasn’t until I moved to the desert that I noticed the rain. Pregnant dark clouds smudge the sharp contrasts drawn by the punishing summer sun. The palette changes from verdant amber to moody violet. A sweet earthy smell wafts through the air. Bird songs and cricket chirps are hushed, replaced by booming clouds and howling winds. A pause. And then, in a grandiose and fearsome display, mile-wide opaque curtains of rain drench the scorched earth.

In the desert, the monsoon season slows down the pace of life and refreshes the arid landscape. In this time-pressed, deadline-obsessed, attention-less society, a monsoon season is what our brains are thirsting for.

More

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