The Greatest Story Ever Told

Have you ever tried to explain what you do during your degree to somebody who knows absolutely nothing about your subject? I have many times, but the situation that always springs to mind when I think about how not to do so was the first time I tried to explain my PhD research to my dad. Now, my dad is an intelligent, hard-working man but who has no scientific background whatsoever. My PhD was in Chemical Engineering with heavy side order of mathematical modelling. So when he asked me what it was I had been doing for 3 years I was initially at a loss. However, after taking a moment to steady myself I approached the challenge of explaining what I did (he had asked after all) by assuming that it wasn't that hard really and that provided I drew a few diagrams and waved my hands about he would get it in the end. I was wrong - he decided I might as well be speaking Chinese and lost int... read more