I always enjoy Uber rides because I often get to share a little bit about the scientific community to the non-scientific community. I get to see the impact, create inspiration, and get the word out about the amazing work that is being done specifically in the energy industry. In one conversation, my Uber driver and I talked about hydrogen fuel cells. And after the conversation he said, “Why haven’t I known about this technology?” And it raises a good point. Why does the public know so little about the research that goes on?
As researchers we often like to limit our sharing of knowledge to the scientific community. But the scientific community should be everybody. And by limiting our circle, we are holding back on our opportunities for new discoveries. If we are going to tackle some of the toughest problems, such as the energy crisis, we need the help of everybody. We need writers who can spread the news of new research, and social justice workers who can advocate for change. We need politicians to shape the policy, and artists who can illustrate the story and portray it to the world. We need a diverse array of ideas from all ages, races and communities. And we need to start by having more conversations, by being engaging to all of those around us, including the Uber drivers—because you never know what conversation will lead to a spark of inspiration, new discovery, or a different understanding to a problem.
One of those conversations happened this summer when I met Marcus Giron, an educational specialist who works at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. He was giving a presentation to many researchers and encouraging us to communicate our work to all types of communities. In that conversation he posed a wonderful question, “Would you rather be the smartest person in the room, or leave having made the room a smarter place?” I would rather leave the room having made it a smarter place. Would you?