LEADERSHIP
Hannah Fry
Making the Complex Accessible M AT THE W H A R R I NGTO N
I’ve long been a fan of the weekly “Lunch with the FT” column. It is a Saturday ritual to sit down with a cup of coffee and gain insight into that week’s interview subject. Earlier this year, I was fascinated by the interview with Hannah Fry,1 an accomplished mathematician whose achievements are numerous. Not only is Fry the author of several books, the host of a TED Talk on “ The Mathematics of Love” that has been watched by more than 5.4 million people, and a prodigious presence in all manner of media channels, but Fry is also a gifted communicator. Fry excels at identifying patterns in data about a range of complex topics, from pandemic curves to interpersonal relationships and dating. She has conquered the challenge of making science and data compelling — and even fun. Could anything be more relevant in an age where science is politicized and data is weaponized? I see three powerful intersections between Fry’s research and the evolving nature of
communications, which are pertinent for our field in 2022 and beyond. FIRST: Infuse humanity into data science. How we convey a wealth of data in a relatable manner makes the difference between understanding and dismissal. Fry says it can be “easy when you are working with data to just think of people as though they are numbers.” She uses the comparison of “90% versus 1 in 10” to underscore how a small shift in perspective can dramatically alter how people receive information. There is tremendous power in personalizing data and giving it a narrator who makes the complex accessible. This is one of Fry’s many superpowers. SECOND: “Problem-frame” in a thoughtful
manner. Today, we have access to more information, stories and data than ever. But, as communicators, we need to ensure that we look at it through the right aperture, ask challenging questions, and consider emergent patterns. There is a risk that people pick and choose information to tell their version of a story rather than looking
1 Lunch with the FT, Mathematician Hannah Fry, July 30, 2021: https://www.ft.com/content/a5e33e5a-99b9-4bbc-948f-8a527c7675c3
20
RELEVANCE REPORT 2021-22
