Recently, I was invited to speak at a conference that was filled with nuclear physicists up at this college called Colby-Sawyer in New Hampshire. Sometimes I get invited to speak at science conferences because I do alot of science-y cartoons with Robert Krulwich (who is like smartest guy ever)– and I show cartoons and explain how science and cartoons go nicely together. I’m kind of the ‘entertainment’ at these things.

The problem is after I speak at these conferences– often the attendees assume I know alot about science in general. I might be good at doodling and animating and sometimes funnying– but my science knowledge runs as deep as a puddle in the sun. (But I use that to my advantage in my work because if I can explain the science to me– I know anyone can get it.)

Some dude will come up and say something like, ‘Excuse me? I enjoyed your cartoon about Carbon but I’d like to point out that molecules that are higher in energy have a higher enthalpy than molecules with lower energy but as the number of carbons in an alkaline increases….blah blah blah…’ I let them finish and then basically point at my face and say, ‘Me not know nothing. Dum dum.’

Ok. Maybe I’m better at it than that– but I usually have to out myself as being ‘non-practicing’ science person right out of the gate. Cut off a conversation to basically let them know that I don’t speak the language.

I’m usually smart enough to close down science conversations– but unfortunately I have a bad habit of continuing conversations on topics I wrongly feel I should definitely know. Like art or history.

Like I’ll be at a party or whatever and someone will say something like, ‘You’re familiar with Mel Ramos, right?’ And I’ll be like, ‘Sure.’ And from that point on I’ll mentally drop out of the conversation while I futility google my brain for any mention of “Mel Ramos“. (How bout Mel Blanc? I got Mel Blanc? I got Sharples! Can we talk Sharples? I could even go Blount…)

In situations like that my brain usually tricks me into thinking info about Mel Ramos will magically click in if I just will it to do so. I’m not sure why I’m convinced I have some secret stash of knowledge locked up in my head– because whenever I open my ‘Mysterious Closet of Knowledge Unbeknownst to Me’– all that spills out are ancient Zelda cheat codes and scribbled lyrics to Peter Piper by Run-DMC.

So I’ve started a mental project of working on outing myself more and more in conversation when I don’t know what people are talking about. Removing the default position of knowing into the more comfortable ‘refresh me on what you’re talking about’ starting point. Regardless of how embarrassing it is. Seems like a ‘smart’ idea.

Anyway, yadda yadda. The conference speechifying went really well. People dug it. And I learned something interesting about the (surprisingly cool and down to earth) physics people! There’s apparently a deep rivalry between physics people and chemistry people. One physics chick said, “Physics is simply better than chemistry. Physics doesn’t smell.” Another guy said you don’t need any faith to believe in chemistry. And one woman talked about how years ago there was a chemistry conference and a physics conference scheduled on the same weekend– and the university stupidly organized a joint party that went all sideways. Almost turned into a throw down brawl. She was like, “Why did they think that would work?”

Ok done writing this morning. Going to make smore coffay…

ok bye!
tOdd

PS. Here goes Mel Ramos’s website. Robert Krulwich’s blog. And Mel Sharples.

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