1. How Did You Get Involved in Popular ‌Science Lectures?

I have been very interested in natural ⁢sciences, especially animals, since⁢ I was a child. When I was a child, my ⁢family’s favorite shows were‍ Animal World and Discovery. In addition, we also liked to raise small animals such as ⁣cats and dogs at home, which created such a family atmosphere.

After the ‍college entrance examination, I interned at the science ‍museum of Sony Dream Exploration ⁤in Chaoyang Park, where I was responsible for off-site explanation work, introducing ‌featured exhibits and major‍ activities. This was my initial experience as a science worker. With relevant ​experience, I became a​ science ⁣narrator after graduating from university.

2. Have You Encountered Any Interesting Cases When Studying Animal Behavior?

Yes. When I was young, my understanding of ‍animals was mainly based on⁣ their appearance. I thought they were very cute. After I started⁢ working, I had a deeper understanding of animal behavior. For example, the behavior of⁤ lions, there will be‍ very fierce competition between lion groups, hunting, ⁤challenges from the new lion king, and the elimination‍ of lion cubs that are not their​ own offspring. Most of ⁢these were learned ​in a more systematic and detailed way after I started⁤ working.

3. How to Transform Complex Knowledge into Vivid and Interesting Language During Explanation?

One​ is to use the specimens⁢ in the exhibition hall to explain and display. ⁤If the specimens in ‌the exhibition hall are not‌ enough to display and introduce the content of the explanation, you can also go​ to the warehouse to apply for other‍ more intuitive specimens ‍and introduce‌ them to the ‍public during the event.

The second is ⁣to develop some ‌teaching‍ aids. The display of teaching aids allows the public to have a more intuitive experience. Now we are showing you two teaching ⁣aids we developed,‍ about two leopards, one ⁣is the North China leopard, and the ⁤other is ⁣the clouded leopard,​ which is rarely seen. In some museums, ⁢you may see many large ‌cats, but they ​may not be placed together at the same time, so it ‌may be difficult ​to intuitively feel the true size of the two species, the difference in internal bones, etc., so we ‌made teaching aids for the North China ‍leopard and the clouded leopard.

By comparing the two, ‍the ⁤public can intuitively see that there are obvious differences⁣ in body‌ shape and skull shape. One is more rounded, while the ‍other is more narrow and long. The clouded leopard ‌is an endangered species. It ‌has a nickname called the small saber-toothed⁤ tiger. From the side view of⁣ the skull, it can ⁢be seen that the clouded leopard has very long canine teeth. ‍Through the teaching ​aid display, the public can more intuitively understand​ these differences and really observe the ‌characteristics of their⁣ internal ⁤bones. ​This is the significance and⁣ purpose of our teaching aids.

The third is to let the public⁣ participate in ​the activities through games.⁢ Games are ⁤inclusive. By​ building ⁣bird nests and simulating animal behaviors, the audience may feel like they are competing to build better than others and get to be displayed​ on the front stage. These small⁢ game interactions can ‍allow the public to better participate in ⁣the activities, and ⁤the educational communication effect will be more obvious.

4. Do You Have Any Unforgettable Experiences During the Science Popularization Process?

There was a ​lecture that I still remember very clearly. I and the audience cried‍ at that time. A⁣ project sent us a batch of⁤ public welfare promotional materials. There was a ⁣postcard⁢ with a⁢ mother elephant and a baby elephant on⁢ it. The baby elephant said to ‌her mother, “Mom, I’m very happy. I have grown teeth!” The baby elephant told her mother three times that she had grown teeth, but the​ mother‍ elephant did not reply to him.‍ For⁣ many other​ animals, it is​ a very happy thing for their cubs to grow teeth. But for proboscis and elephants, this may bring them a catastrophe. When talking about the story‌ behind this postcard, many children and parents were touched ‍and shed⁤ tears. It was ⁣this lecture that made me feel that as front-line science popularization workers, our ​responsibilities​ and missions ‍are very important.

5. What ‍Challenges Does ​Science Popularization Work Currently ‌Face?

Many ‍people may ⁣be accustomed to the fast-food learning method, ‍learning about an ⁤animal through short ⁢videos of tens of seconds or one or two minutes, and their attention span is getting shorter and ​shorter. When they attend museum explanation activities, a lecture takes 20⁢ to 30 minutes, which makes it difficult to retain ‌these audiences.‌ Our way of solving the problem⁣ is to reflect the characteristics of the museum, so ‍that they can learn some knowledge in the museum⁤ that is difficult to ⁤obtain ‍on the Internet. Only in the museum’s exhibition hall can they hear, see and feel it, ⁤so that there is‍ an interest point to attract ​and capture them.

6. ⁢What is the⁣ Greatest Pleasure in the Process of Giving Lectures?

Our National Museum of Natural History has four main areas: living animals,⁤ paleontology, botany, and anthropology. The knowledge I learned and came into contact with before ‌was not so comprehensive. After coming here, it feels⁣ like opening the door to a new world. I have learned more and more comprehensive knowledge. ‌I was not particularly interested in plants before, but in the process of getting familiar ⁣with the exhibits in the museum, I learned ⁤about botany, paleontology, and even geology, ⁤which enriched my life knowledge and experience. Many interests are constantly stimulated in the⁢ learning process, which is still very interesting.

7. If Children Want to be Tour Guides,​ What Advice Would You Give Them?

We strongly encourage children to experience the work of a tour guide. As a tour guide, you must first⁤ learn by yourself. Only when you​ have rich knowledge can you tell it. If​ the knowledge reserve is 100, you may only output 30 or 40 of it to the audience; ‌if you only learn 20 or 30 theoretical knowledge, then you will have less to tell the audience, so learning is the first and most important thing. Second, if you want to be a ​little tour guide, you must let go, be brave, and don’t be ‌stage ⁤fright. When visiting various places, you can talk more with your parents and classmates to exercise your expression and language communication skills. It is not particularly difficult to become a tour guide, as long as ⁣you are willing to learn ⁢and work hard.