Translation: ComSciCon Benin 2024: Beninese researchers learn to better communicate their research.

Conferences like ComSciCon offer graduate students a chance to practice their science communication skills in a variety of mediums.

Six years ago, I met my best friend Hannah as a randomly assigned college roommate. 
She had driven 200 miles from Indianapolis, Indiana and I had flown 8000 miles from New Delhi, India to arrive at the very same dorm room in St. Louis, Missouri. We had a running joke in our families that we were destined to be in each other’s lives since “India” belongs in “Indiana.” True to this sentiment, I spent every break visiting her home. My community was back in India, so hers became my own.

Can you recall a story you read recently and found memorable? What was it about it that you enjoyed? The author’s dexterity in painting a vivid image of scenes and events? The story’s vivacity? Your ability to relate with the characters?

The point of these questions was to reveal a crucial point: the memorability of a piece is in its ability to leave an indelible imprint on a reader’s mind. This aspiration for memorability is common to both the storyteller and the science communicator.

The move to more energy-efficient lighting has had an unintended consequence: More light is escaping into the night sky and causing light pollution.