Now who doesn't love Alan Alda? Hawkeye Pierce, all those movies and of course Scientific American Frontiers .

He's a great actor and he loves science so who better to work with scientists (in this case PhD students) to make them better at communicating their research to the world (something near and dear to the hearts of us here at FairerScience). He does it through taking them through a variety of improv exercises . You can see a sample session here.

It's just such a smart thing to do. In the spirit of full disclosure, I took an after school improv course in high school (lo these many years ago) and it remains one of the most useful courses I've taken ever. I don't think there is anything better to hone your presentation and communication skills. And besides, once you get over the initial discomfort, the activities are fun.