Meet Ted Yoo | Physicist and Science Communicator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ted Yoo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ted, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I was heavily involved in science communication back during grad school. I started off as part of the writing team for The Loh Down on Science, which is a NPR syndicated radio show. I also helped run an Orange County Meetup called Brews and Brains. Plus, I have a podcast about scientists that have or are pursuing their own graduate studies, called This Grad Life. The flavor of these endeavors were similar, take current scientific discoveries and explain them to a broad non-technical audience. All the while, we figure out a way to inject humor and personality into it. Brain Public is the latest iteration of Brews and Brains (which sadly dissolved during the pandemic).

Scientists heavily value the discovery of new knowledge. But something that often gets missed is that a discovery comes alive only after it gets shared. It’s only then can an idea transform into something actionable. I got into this line of (volunteer) work because I wanted to create an avenue for that conversation. Researchers get to talk about their work, and Brain Public makes provides a place for people to learn.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am very happy to say that we are living in a golden age of science communication. Services, such as Meetup, have allowed for communities to form around technical interest groups. There’s also an explosion of science journalism. Complicated ideas are being condensed down and the industry is getting good at showcasing how cool it is to a broad and global audience.

The purpose of Brain Public is about the same, with some addendums. First, we want to showcase the scientist alongside their science. Most scicomm is just about the new discovery. And academia actively discourages injecting yourself into your writing. But discovering something new can be a personal process. Blood, sweat, and tears go into our work. I know I’ve shed my share of all three fluids. So, yeah! Lets talk about how many times you had to bash your face against a wall before the math started to make sense!

Weaving the discoverer into the story of discovery has the effect of creating a more relatable conversation, which leads into our second goal. We want to build a community of life long learners. Especially now we are living in a post pandemic world. Many communities were decimated because of that. I feel the pandemic intensified our modern society’s isolating nature. My partner and I want to combat that.

Fun fact, my partner (as in both co-founder and romantic) Naomi and I met back when Brain Public was Brews and Brains. So we very much know the importance of community.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Coincidentally, I am planning for such a trip right now. Here is an excerpt for a food and beach tour:

Crystal Cove State Park
Terranea Cove
Santa Monica State Beach

Ma Dee – Hole in the wall Thai place run by a relative of a renowned martial artist in Costa Mesa
Nate’s Korner – Breakfast burrito, ’nuff said, in Costa Mesa
Hanuri – Garden Grove is my go to place for Korean
In n Out – Mandatory for out of state visitors
Henry Parsons Project – High end Southern with a welcoming vibe in Pasadena. Really really good eats.
Bravo Burger – This burger joint in Chino Hills has contributed to multiple core memories

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to give a shoutout to LDOS Media Lab, Inc. and their frontwoman Sandra Tsing Loh. She is a physicist turned Broadway actor who first spearheaded the science communications programs at UC Irvine. Those graduate programs is where I got my start in science communication as a script writer for The Loh Down on Science. The writing program and as well as classes had a key impact on how I developed my own style as a science communicator.

Website: https://www.brainpublic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brain.public/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brain-public

Other: Ted Yoo’s Scientific Consulting Business (i.e. his day job) https://www.tedyoophd.com/ Naomi Coe’s Interior Design Business (i.e. her day job) https://www.littlecrowninteriors.com/