I am on the faculty advisory committee for a new contemporary art museum that is being launched as a partnership between my university and the community. I have been incredibly impressed as I have learned from the curator about what goes into creating an exhibition, including deep consideration of the many factors that affect how an audience experiences and understands art. I was struck by how little I, as a scientist, know about how the public understands and experiences my science. Do they understand the findings? Do they find them interesting? Are they relevant to their lives? Our colleagues from the arts and communication sciences can assist us in finding the answers to those questions, and thereby, enhancing the impact of our research.
