Rocket Science

I don’t know how common it is these days for someone to say “It’s not rocket science!”

The phrase used to indicate that a topic under discussion wasn’t all that tricky, compared to “rocket science” signifying ultra-difficult knowledge that not many would understand.

It occurs to me that someone reading this post might be thinking ahead to their viva and how they explain their topic. They might be thinking, “Actually – it IS rocket science!”

Whatever your field, depending on your audience, whenever you talk about your work you have to consider your words carefully. How do you engage someone with your topic? How do you explain the important parts? What do you leave out? Do you always need to share every detail? What do you have to start with? And what is the why of what you do?

These questions are useful when considering talking to a non-expert, but they apply when you talk to anyone about what you do.

They particularly apply at your viva. You might not consciously be considering them with every line of discussion but they’ll be in the background as you choose your words.

Rehearsal for your viva helps, no matter what you research. Whatever your topic, take time in your preparation to practise talking about what you do, responding to questions and finding the words to explore and explain your work.