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Actor solves curse of knowledge at second annual Mossman Lecture
Tom Cruise
News Editor
Alan Alda gave a lecture on scientific communication in the Cox Auditorium on Nov. 1, 2016. Alex Phillips • The Daily Beacon
Volume 132 Issue 50
Audience members expressed their excitement to one another prior to the start of the lecture. Chancellor Jimmy Cheek, who introduced Alda, shared his memories of Alda on the screen. “I remember watching Alan Alda on television,” Cheek said. “I never thought I would have the opportunity to meet him.” Alda’s lecture carried focus around his concept of “the curse of knowledge.” Alda described this as having such a strong knowledge for something, one would forget what it’s like not to know it. “You know something so deeply, you think everyone else knows it too,” Alda said. During the lecture, Alda engaged the audience in effective communication through the means of laughter, demonstrations and personal experiences. Audience members were called on to demonstrate various tasks across stage to represent how effective communicating styles can be. One task, titled the “knocking test,” required an audience member to “knock” the tune of a familiar song. Once the tune was finished, the audience was asked what the song was. The test showed that only two people knew the correct answer. This test was one of many to demonstrate how communication deals with more than just the words we hear.
Communication, transformation and a passion for science resonated from the Alumni Memorial Building Tuesday night during the second annual Mossman Lecture. Alan Alda, former actor from the T.V. show M*A*S*H, presented his lecture “Getting Beyond a Blind Date with Science” to a packed crowed at the Alumni Memorial Hall and shared his pursuit for better scientific communication. Following his career on M*A*S*H, Alda chose to pursue his passion for science by speaking with different scientists and learning their knowledge and experience. From this journey, he came to a conclusion. “Scientists are very knowledgeable, but they lack that communication to the general public,” Alda said. From this realization, Alda formed the “Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science,” travelling across the country hosting workshops for more than 7,000 scientists and speaking toover 26,000 people. Alda looks to better the communication of scientists to allow them to share their knowledge with the public. “We want to open the door to transformation of scientists and their communication,” Alda said. See ALDA on Page 2
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Wednesday, November 2, 2016