A nine step Freddish translation guide for computational biologists (based on Fred Rogers' pamphlet for communicating with preschoolers theatlantic.com/family/archive…): /0
State the idea that you wish to express as clearly as possible, and in terms colleagues can understand. Example: “Genome assembly is NP-hard.” /1
Rephrase in a positive manner, as in “There are some effective methods for genome assembly.” /2
Rephrase the idea, bearing in mind that colleagues cannot make subtle distinctions and need to be redirected to authorities they trust. As in, “Ask your local computational biologist to recommend effective methods for genome assembly.” /3
Rephrase your idea to eliminate all elements that could be considered prescriptive, directive or instructive. In the example that’d mean getting rid of “ask”: “Your local computational biologist will recommend effective methods for genome assembly.” /4
Rephrase any element that suggests certainty. That’d be “will”: “Your local computational biologist can recommend effective methods for genome assembly.” /5
Rephrase your idea to eliminate any element that may not apply to all colleagues. Not all colleagues have a local computational biologist, so “Your favorite computational biologist can recommend effective methods for genome assembly.” /6
Add a simple motivational idea that gives colleagues a reason to follow your advice. Perhaps “Your favorite computational biologist can recommend effective for genome assembly. It’s good to consult experts.” /7
Rephrase your new statement, repeating the first step. “Good” represents a value judgement. So “Your favorite computational biologist can recommend effective methods for genome assembly. It is important to consult experts.” /8
Rephrase your idea a final time, relating it to some career phase a colleague can understand. Maybe “Your favorite computational biologist can recommend effective methods for genome assembly. It is important to consult experts, and doing so might help you get promoted.” /9
