Intellectual level in answering questions

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the appropriateness of technical explanations in response to questions, particularly in educational contexts. Participants reflect on experiences where answers provided were overly complex for the questioner's level of understanding, highlighting the need for clarity and accessibility in communication.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that explanations can often exceed the necessary complexity, making it difficult for less knowledgeable individuals to grasp basic concepts.
  • Another participant shares a personal experience where a principal did not understand basic terms like CFM and HVAC, suggesting a disconnect between expert knowledge and public understanding.
  • There is a recognition that professionals may forget that certain terms and concepts are not universally known, which can lead to confusion.
  • Some participants propose that responses should be tailored to the questioner's level of understanding, emphasizing the importance of clear communication.
  • One participant expresses frustration with individuals who seem to prioritize showcasing their knowledge over effectively answering questions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of adjusting explanations to match the questioner's level, but there is no consensus on how to achieve this effectively or on the motivations behind overly complex responses.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention specific terms and concepts (like CFM and HVAC) that may not be familiar to all audiences, indicating a potential gap in knowledge that could affect communication.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to educators, professionals in technical fields, and individuals involved in communication or outreach, particularly in STEM areas.

russ_watters
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A thread in the math forum made me feel the need to address this as it is a real problem not just in this forum, but in life in general. The thread was junior high kid asking about how to find the slope of a line. The explanations went WAAAY over his head. They were far more complicated than they needed to be.

I'm a mechanical engineer designing HVAC systems. I was recently talking to the principal of a school we're working for and 2 minutes into a discussion of their systems she asked: what's a CFM. Oops. Some things are so basic once you know them that you forget if someone hasn't seen it before its not so basic to them.

There is a physics q&a site where I saw a question about the venturi effect and went something like this: If air flowing past a car window pulls a vacuum, why don't the people in the car suffocate? The response (not kidding) was written by a phd candidate and was a good 400 words going into excruciating detail on about the level of a 1st or 2nd year aerospace engineering student. I am SURE whoever wrote the question didn't get 3 sentences into the response. All that was needed was a sentence on gauge vs absolute pressure and a sentence explaining how the venturi effect is only a LITTLE vacuum.

I'm not sure there is much of a discussion in this, but I just felt the need to editorialize. Opinions?
 
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I'll wonder if I'm the only other one after the principal who doesn't know what CFM or HVAC stands for...
 
D'oh. See, I did it again. Most engineers know both (all should) but only a small portion of the general public should even care: HVAC is Heating, Ventilation, and Air conditioning. CFM is Cubic Feet per Minute (air flow).
 
I guess the point is that we should all gauge our answers to the level of the questioner, huh? And someone asking a question should state what level they are at.
 
unfortunately, some people just take every chance they can get to try to prove themselves to everyone; in doing so they often forget the point of what they are doing.
 
Originally posted by russ_watters
D'oh. See, I did it again. Most engineers know both (all should) but only a small portion of the general public should even care: HVAC is Heating, Ventilation, and Air conditioning. CFM is Cubic Feet per Minute (air flow).
AAhh, I thought you were constructing High VACuum chambers or something like that
 

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