The Science Gap: Jorge Cham at TEDxUCLA

What is The Science Gap? Jorge will explore the public perception of scientists and academics.
Jorge Cham is the creator of the online comic strip "Piled Higher and Deeper (PHD)" as well as the video channel PHD-TV. Born and raised in the Republic of Panama, he obtained his Ph.D. in Robotics from Stanford University and was an Instructor and Research Associate at Caltech before becoming a full-time cartoonist.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

[@sub08latino]

From Panama to the World !!. Jorge Cham Congratulation for your suscess

[@PriyaPanjwaniNGP]

Recognizing and explaining the problem is most important part. Being a cartoonist, you have already brought science closer to normal people..:) i am in full support for PhD TV! Live Long and Publish..:-)

[@maicondpereira5628]

I'm a engineering PhD student, and I can say that his comics have a lot of stereotypes too (about advisors, social and arts students, engineering students, grads and undergrad students, etc). People don't feel so bad about it because he mostly portrays the students as victims of the grad school, teachers, research environment. TBBT does the opposite, it portrays nerds (that are also students) mostly at their home life, and show that they are fully responsible for their acts.

[@ViewtifulSam]

Excuse me for replying in English; I can't write in Spanish very well. The way I see it, there's a fundamental difference: PHD comics is aimed mainly at grad students and academics in general, while TBBT is meant to be watched by nearly everyone -- and I suspect most of its public is non-academic.

[@challenger444]

to be able to tie that speech to an end, especially with this much impact, you are true to your academist roots

[@Panteelos]

we have no idea. i am reading your book written with daniel whiteson. i like it🤩😆

[@lifewithbunty]

Jorge is such a trailblazer for closing the gap between the academic community and the normal world. Your rock!

[@enriqueifi]

Un saludo. Perdonaras que escriba en español, pero se que eres originario de Panama y que es tu primer idioma. Primero que nada, soy un gran admirador de tu trabajo en PHDcomics. Soy un estudiante de doctorado en física y he referido a mis padres y a mi esposa a varios dibujos tuyos para explicar cosas sobre mi vida académica. Sin embargo creo que aquí pierdes el punto general por uno particular. La serie The big Bang theory hace exactamente lo mismo que tu haces. Caricaturiza....

[@MissCorporateLawyer]

Yes, what we need is to build a bigger and more accessible network of all these scientific findings, research and doctrine so that the public can be maintained informed of scientific progress. There are too many news on health and beauty, not enough on the universe.

[@hirakchatterjeehere]

I have been a follower of you since my grad days. Love from India.

[@joserodrisan]

Excelente el trabajo de Jorge Cham!

[@TheSrLito]

Estoy de acuerdo, especialmente considerando que así son todas las series.

[@johny.echevers]

He's Panamanian :D

[@0730Ender]

According to my experience, PHD Comics is faaar closer to reality than Dilbert, and much better drawn. Jorge's doing a great job. Also, I couldn't agree more with him regarding the adverse effect of TBBT in science communication. While it can't be denied that there are a few people like those in science, some of them affected by Asperger's syndrome, most scientists I know are quite intellectually and socially clever people. It's like stereotyping MDs with House.

[@sinachiniforoosh]

And science is portrayed as being difficult in other series too, in "fringe" the "mad scientist" (which has a lot of problems itself) describes stuff in the most simple terms and people just say that they don't understand. And it PISSES ME OFF, as if it's ok not to understand what scientists say.

[@sagespiff]

That's probably because you don't experience what it's like to tell the public you're a scientist everyday. I'm currently a physics grad student and the first question I often get when saying that is, "oh, like big bang theory?" For the record, I don't read comic books; I don't watch star trek. I'm into sports, fast cars, and am perfectly capable socially. I can say the same for most of my colleagues. Stereotypes are often somewhat accurate. In this case, they couldn't be farther from the truth.

[@agcr1]

I actually think PHD comics is no exaggeration, is absolutely real.

[@enriqueifi]

I'm a phd physics student, and I can say that TBBT is a humorous exaggeration. I have met colleagues with caracteristics like Sheldon, Raj or Leonard. I don't think that nobody takes TBBT as a documentary.

[@enriqueifi]

Entiendo y comparto tu idea que la se debe hacer algo para hacer más accesible la ciencia a los jóvenes y al público en general. Mi punto es que la serie The big Bang Theory ha hecho mucho más beneficio a las careras de ciencia que cualquier otro fenómeno cultural de los últimos 30 años.

[@ElmoToussaint]

This post is objectively correct... to me.

[@carlyw507]

Does anyone know what software the presenter uses to create his presentation animation? Thanks.

[@ViewtifulSam]

When Jorge speaks of this "Science Gap" we need to overcome, his example lies in the Higgs boson video exactly because that is a video in wich an actual scientist talks directly to the public. While it's true that his comics often depict very well the situations and sentiments of grad students, I don't think it's what Jorge has in mind when he says that academia needs to be in touch with the rest of the population.

[@jirkadanek8215]

There are attempts of a realistic depictions that'd be interesting to general public . Try searching for [A conversation with Jennifer Rohn, Biology’s ‘Lady of Letters’] it's an interview at lab-times org with a biologist who writes novels situated in labs that center on the people there. For example Experimental heart and books like that. She also has a blog that tries to promote such literature

[@djkokki]

Hmm, anyone else feel that Jorge Cham is like an asian version of Richard Feynman? :) Some of his speaking mannerisms, and, excuse me (not being racist or anything), even the way Feynman often used to keep his eyes half-closed in many of his filmed interviews etc. The way Jorge uses his hands to accentuate points while talking also feels eerily similar to how Feynman spoke. Funny. :)

[@bryanminghan]

Hmmm... maybe. Btw, Jorge Cham is from Panama haha

[@ViewtifulSam]

Well, I agree with everything you said. My first reply to Enrique was driven by a similar thought.

[@surtikantisurtikanti]

Brilliant Jorge!

[@stuffedtater]

I'm pretty sure the creators of TBBT intended to gain viewership and good ratings, not to promote science. It's a sit-com, not an educational program and the exaggerations of the stereotypes are what make it entertaining. Saying TBBT should be more accurate is like saying The Office should just be about a bunch of people being productive employees with a great boss adept in staff management.

[@ViewtifulSam]

In The Big Bang Theory, the characters are heavily stereotyped (much more than in PHD comics) and there is a very clear difference marked between scientsts (lonely, socially inept, cruel) and "normal people" (unintelligent, superficial). Both stereotypes are degrading, and it being a show that is aimed at a very large public, I think that's much more damaging than the humorous unsuccessfulness of PHD comics characters. That's how I see it.

[@enriqueifi]

Is ok, I read english perfectly. So you are saying, that is ok to do stereotypes as long as they are on the same comunity? All i'm saying is this. Before TBBT, in my university were 12 to 20 new students of a mayor in physics each year. Now, are from 30 to 40 new student each year, and a lot of them mention TBBT as part of the reason to choose that carrer (no the main reason, though)

[@djdedan]

awesome stuff.

[@malneir]

Tell me about it. Whenever my sister, who's anything but a nerd, forces me to watch TBBT because she loves it, I always feel like the show is written by some jock who misses bullying nerds in grade school.

[@theinconsistentpark9060]

We should use government fund to hire cartoonists. It would fulfill the outreach requirement!

[@davidwilkie9551]

What it is is what it is..

[@saccadecom]

Great lecture. Just FYI, you're not -the- most over-educated cartoonist. You're tied for that position with Bud Grace (of "Piranha Club" fame) who has a PhD. in nuclear physics.

[@BobLu]

Cool talk, although I think Jorge missed the point of tBBT. Yes it is selling stereotype but it is also kind of self-aware. And it is making such stereotype(s) more or less cute and lovable, even maybe maybe just a little bit slightly cooler then before.

[@RealNovgorod]

I'm surprised Jorge quoted this gang bang theory show as some sort of science communication - it's not! There's no actual science involved, because its intention is entertainment rather than information (which is the purpose of a money-making sitcom in the first place). He could as well quote the baby from Family Guy, the professor from Futurama, or Dexter, which all do more or less the same "job" at science communication (which is none)...

[@stuffedtater]

I would be more concerned with the actual misinformation of science itself that is presented in TBBT. On more than one occasion, I have encountered some not-so-accurate discussions of some scientific principles.

[@lifewithbunty]

It's a prezi.

[@ViewtifulSam]

I never said that TBBT failed at its purpose of being an entertaining sitcom. And I also don't want it to be more accurate. I just think the stereotypes it uses are degrading. Guevara says that he met more than a few people that cited TBBT as one more motivation to go to grad school and study Physics, which is cool. All I said is that I still don't think this means that the show is having the effect of making science look interesting.

[@neftaliw]

I don't get why the Big Bang Theory is taken a such an insult to academic society. What TBBT actually does is portray ultrageeks who happen to be scientist, I don't think that the show is intended to portray scientists in general (you can se some scientists not being socially inept in the show) but to portray 4 fellows that have their own subculture that crashes with the popular one. I love PhD comics and I love TBBT. I consider myself a scientist and I don't find it insulting.

[@ViewtifulSam]

Yes, I know. Taken out of context, these claimings of mine do become quite pointless. They're simply part of a conversation, and I don't understand why you've focused in this particular bit of it... ok, gonna stop now, I feel like I'm flooding the video's comments.

[@ameliorated]

It is not the shows job to promote science jobs

[@atlmprof1]

There are no people of African descent (post 1st diaspora) on TBBT. That's what got me. I know boat loads of Black nerds.

[@عبداللهحسينالفرني-ن9ص]

مشاهدة "ردت فعل ريان (مجرم قيم

[@efernando84]

Otro saludo, en mi opinion comparar the big bang theory con phdcomics es totalmente fuera de lugar, phdcomics es enfocado a una audiencia especifica donde excelentes comics y referencias cientificas no faltan, en un estilo similar pero menos sarcastico que xkcd comics. Un sitcom es producido para vender, el hecho que sea acerca de estudiantes de posgrado no quiere decir que sea de la misma calidad o de contenido que logra un trabajo original como el de Jorge Cham, ese es su punto.

[@maicondpereira5628]

The misinformation level is not that different for me. One does a superficial biased portray of grad school life, the other of social life of nerds.

[@enriqueifi]

... Tu nunca has hecho un comic de alguien que vaya a estudiar un doctorado, se gradue a tiempo y consiga un buen trabajo, a pesar de que eso sucede constantemente. No lo haces porque no es entretenido y la finalidad de tu comic es entretener y es más fácil hacerlo con estereotipos que con personajes complejos.

[@ViewtifulSam]

No, what I'm saying is that the readers of PHD comics enjoy jokes about advisors being evil and TAs staying up all night to grade undergrads' homework. It's a humorous exaggeration of real life. But I'm afraid stereotypes in TBBT are promoting misinformation. I think that is really cool and I'm sincerely glad that some people became interested in academia partly because of TBBT, but I think the show is very flawed nonetheless, and could be doing a better job at promoting science as a career.

[@Kurt25252525]

TV's and TV networks should be abolished and everything should be put on the internet. Therefore making people "work" to find a show they may or may not want to watch based on feedback - as opposed to just lazily turning on a TV conveniently and getting sucked in to a time wasted environment.

[@nathanhulsey385]

The issue is that control is still exerted through algorithmic surveillance and nudging. We are usually aware that TV is trying to sell us something. We are less aware of the control system used online. You rarely "find" anything, more often it is served to you based on your collected data. People stay online longer and look at more if they are fed a constant stream of semi-new information that they agree with, so the algorithms on YT, FB and Google do just that.

[@fatemahsi2438]

😁🤷‍♀️

[@glennpierresamson9389]

I feel that it is written by a nerd to bully the general public.

[@ViewtifulSam]

Agreed, that seems more harmful.

[@Lexoka]

Probably, but it's not trying to be accurate or to promote science, it's trying to be funny.

[@666Tomato666]

of course it is not but if you started to show a sitcom that portrays women as dumb individuals just sitting in kitchen, being the "yes man" to their husbands and just popping new children there would be an outrage it's kind of the same but for scientists, and it is a problem, because it pulls away people from doing science, you know, the stuff that gave us the computers we use now, the refrigerators, microwave ovens, etc.

[@stuffedtater]

Well of course not, because the "effect of making science look interesting" is not the purpose of the show. It's just another show that is exploiting a subculture of people for profit. Just like Will and Grace did with gay stereotypes. When you say they could do a "better job at promoting science as a career", well of course they can! They do a piss poor job at promoting as a career if their characters are weird and geeky! We are meant to laugh AT them. You are pointing out the obvious.

[@keysersozae]

Big Bang Theory is also not funny and incredibly annoying.

[@hamsterpoop]

Totalmente incorrecto. La serie Big Bang Theory crea una distancia gigante entre los cientificos de profesion y los demas. Esa distancia no existe. En realidad es muy dificil identificar quien es un cientifico de profesion en la calle.

[@hamsterpoop]

I would add that the show also portrays science as being hard and difficult to understand by using unnecessarily confusing explanations of natural phenomena in order to contrast this with a simple minded "I don't know that shit lol" from the pretty girl for humor. This is the same strategy used by Michio Kaku to appear grand in front of his newly confused audience when he clears the smoke that he himself generated in the first place. This doesn't do our profession any good.