The Uncertainty Lab – a Hands-On Improv Workshop on Navigating Uncertainty for Postdoctoral Researchers

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Most people find taking decisions and action under uncertain conditions challenging, and some find it daunting. There are practical ways to cope with uncertainty and make it less crippling, including simple techniques which can be trained and implemented in our daily lives. Once these skills have been acquired, we can even learn to have uncertainty work to our advantage, using it to fuel creativity and problem solving and to boost team work.

This workshop is an opportunity to experience uncertainty in a safe environment and learn to get comfortable with thinking on our feet. We will borrow tools from improvisation theatre and cognitive sciences to help you experiment with uncertainty and learn strategies for harnessing it to your benefit.

Feedback from postdocs who attended the training in July 2021:

• Really great experience. Mostly, I think it helps a lot with confidence and also with tuning your listening skills and your respect for what others said and do. You can't predict things and need to embrace them as they come, and this is so useful in both personal and work life.
• I found this workshop was a very fun way to spend two hours. But more than that I liked the positive messages it gave for approaching my research - e.g. sometimes it’s best not to overthink but go with the obvious, or if things go wrong (even repeatedly) just forget about them and keep trying something new.

The Speaker: Ron Jortner is a neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and professional improviser. He completed his PhD at Caltech and the Hebrew University, and held positions at the Max Planck Society and the MRC Laboratory for Molecular Biology. He lives in Cambridge, is founder and CEO of Aspire Biosciences, managing director of Masthead Biosciences, and artistic director of the Cambridge University Science Improv Society.

postdoctoral researchers

Hi workshop participants,

I’m Roni, and it's my pleasure to welcome you on board The Uncertainty Lab. We’ll be using tools from Improv theatre to experiment with uncertainty and learn to make a good thing out of it. This involves having lots of fun in the process and I’m really looking forward to this. Here are a few notes now will help you prepare, as well as a heads-up for a show taking place the same evening:

• Although this workshop borrows many tools from improvisation theatre, this is not a theatre workshop. You will not need to act, nor to have any background in theatre. All you need is a slightly open mind and some curiosity.

• Ideally, wear comfortable clothes you can move around in. Remember, it is HOT (not as bad as today, though)! Dress accordingly.

• Bringing a water bottle is recommended. There's a water cooler at the venue to top up. Remember, it is HOT (not as bad as today, though)! Stay well hydrated.

• I will circulate workshop notes afterwards, so you don't need to write down the exercises we learn. However, you might have interesting insights and ideas during the workshop, so feel free to bring something to write on in case you'd like to take notes.

• Feel free to reach out to me with any questions you might have in advance or afterwards.

• On Thursday evening at 8pm, right after our workshop, the Cambridge University Science Improv Society (CUSI) is running a science-themed improv show at the Boathouse in town. This can be an opportunity for you to see what can be done with the tools we will be learning, when taken in a theatrical direction. Here's a link to get tickets if you were interested.

www.eventbrite.com/e/spontaneous-reactions-a-science-themed-improv-show-tickets-377793439347

I'm looking forward to seeing you all at the workshop, and promise you all we’ll have lots of fun.

Stay chilly! Roni

Number of sessions: 1

2 hours for main session + an optional extra 30 minutes if you want to stay on for further play and practise!