Is a picture worth a thousand words?

To communicate science is to tell a story. And the best stories come with pictures, says Thaís Moraes.

Translating the results of a research project into a 10-minute presentation or article can be a difficult task. It must be informative but also succinct and appealing. It has to tell an interesting story. It has to entertain. And you shouldn’t have too much text.

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Thais Moraes

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Scientific data + effective communication = big changes

The science community should recognize the influence that research has when it’s translated for everyone.

Guest contributor Thais Moraes

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Thais Moraes

The conference comm4science – communicating science beyond the lab – in Heidelberg, on the 6th and 7th of May, put together many popular names involved in science communication both in and outside of Germany. They all highlighted the importance of communicating science. But they also recognized the many problems we face today concerning dialogue between scientists and the public. In my opinion, one critical point is to make scientists understand how essential it is to share their research with society. Continue reading

Leaving the comfort zone

The novel and the unexpected comes with a dose of anxiety. This nervousness will only help you in your career.

Guest contributor Thaís Moraes

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone” first reads like an outworn self-help cliché. But I tried it. And I have to tell you that this outworn self-help cliché worked for me. I’m a Brazilian researcher who came to Germany in April 2014 for a two-year postdoc, alone, without speaking a word of German, without knowing anyone, and without even knowing the city. What could have been a complete disaster turned out more than great. I’m very pleased I left my comfort zone.2014-06-29 15-smaller

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Naturejobs career expo: What a day among classic cars told me about my future career

Lessons can be learned from the cars that crowded the background at the Naturejobs Career Expo in Düsseldorf, says Thais Moraes.

Guest contributor Thais Moraes

 

On the 26th of November in Düsseldorf, the Naturejobs career expo took place at the perfect venue. The Classic Remise center displays a collection of classic and historical cars that we all admired during the short breaks at the event.20151126_133138-edit

It was my first time at a career fair, and my first impression was that there were only young people there, starting the ignition in their professional lives. Since I already have many years on the road, I didn’t think it was for me. I was completely wrong: after listening to the talks, I was reminded that I don’t need to keep driving in the same direction just because it’s a road I’ve already started down.

The environment could have been just novel and enjoyable, but it also made me think about my future career plans, especially the fears and challenges that arise when you go for something new. There are four things that these machines brought to my mind.

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