Little help?

[baloonworld]

I'm trying to dumb downsimplify my reserch (Recoil decay tagging of Cs-112) for presenting to the general public (in this case, a royal bank of scotland manager), and I'm kind of defeated, because I don't know how ignorant the general public is about nuclear structure (My supervisor is even worse).

at preset my introduction reads:

It is presently of considerable interest in nuclear physics to study very exotic nuclei which lie very far from the valley of stability. These nuclei are difficult to produce and study experimentally, but recent developments in detectors has made this study possible.

Do I need to add:

exotic= containing may more or fewer neutrons than is normal for the element; unstable.
vally of stablitiy = the general trend for the relative number of neutrons and protons in a stable element.
unstable = radioactive.

Would it be better to drop "vally of stablitiy" in favor of somthig more literal ad descriptive?

Do you know what a isotope is?

Comments

[xanthipe]

Makes sense to me, but I'm an MPhys 4th year...

[duke-of-krondor.livejournal.com]

unstable = fine
valley of stability = best to clarify
exotic = probably won't matter, so no real need to clarify. If you feel it is intrical to the presentation best to clarify otherwise leave it like that.
Isotope = hmmm. I'd explain it once at the beginning. 'An isotope being an element with the same number of protons but differing numbers of neutrons, which alters the atomic mass' ? Something like that could help explain it

finally

Hobbit = shit

:)

[almosthonest.livejournal.com]

It was the "valley of stability" that, whilst evocative as a name, still benefitted from your clarification. You could define what exotic means here, but exotic means "weird" anyway, which is what I assumed.

Isotope. Not only do I know what this means, but I also cannot wrest a single pun from it, and I've tried for five minutes. I fail.

[same-difference.livejournal.com]

I agree, but it made perfect sense to me with my A-level physics.

[indigogecko.livejournal.com]

well, isotope not. Otherwise we might have to kill you. *runs*

[helbling.livejournal.com]

Was gonna say, given what I spend most of my time doing at the mo, I'm not the best to comment on this.

[duke-of-krondor.livejournal.com]

well same here but bank managers may not have taken it :)

[doribore.livejournal.com]

Having never studied physics, I can say that I know what an isotope is, mostly because the word is used so much in referring to half lifes and atomic bombs. So that should be ok.

Valley of stability *might* work, but it could also use a little clarification as to what exactly it is.

exotic should be ok, as should unstable, which is a word that speaks for itself. If your boss doesn't understand unstable, he needs help.

Course, I could say that for most bosses.... but it's easily looked up in a dictionary, unlike the others. ;-)

[same-difference.livejournal.com]

True.

[baloonworld.livejournal.com]

Alex=defeated; victory!

[john-hobbit.livejournal.com]

Next time we meet, i'm fillng you valley of stability with exotic, unstable isotopes.
Enjoy your life while you still have it

[baloonworld.livejournal.com]

We do have physicists from other areas on the judging panel, but expect I can explain things to them without much trouble though. If I don't, I might have something to run past you two later.

[almosthonest.livejournal.com]

.....

-jaw drop-

Not only did I not see that, I then set it up for you! The shame....

-tips hat to you-

-opens whiskey bottle of shame-

[baloonworld.livejournal.com]

That is filthy. Well done.

[fourmyle.livejournal.com]

I have a third.

Hmm. Maybe refer to your stuff as unusual unstable isotopes? It should punch the correct star trek buttons.

or short-lived isotopes.

If you pan to use valley of stability, maybe a diagram.

Of course, your bank manager may not have done geography either...

[baloonworld.livejournal.com]

All the best people have thirds :)

[trailingvortex.livejournal.com]

What no-one has seen fit to ask is why why WHY you're giving him a presentation on this. You could be making words up and he wouldn't know, and it would make no difference to whatever financial decision he's going to make.

[baloonworld.livejournal.com]

You have penetrated my cunning obfuscation, ad i doing so have uncovered why your assumption that making him understand will not influence his financial decision is flawed:

I glossed over all that its for a poster competition, to teach us how to communicate with the general public.
The financial decision is who to give the prize money to. If I can convince him that he is clever and has understood Difficult Physics, it goes to me (probably).

The physics posters never win, because none of the judges understand them.

[trailingvortex.livejournal.com]

O_O You deceived us....

[indigogecko.livejournal.com]

*waves another third-class physics degree at the rabble*