A lot of attention is paid to how stories help people grasp scientific concepts, but what if storytelling also serves the scientist, not just the audience? By encouraging researchers to develop metaphors or analogies for their research, we not only make science more inclusive, but also foster deeper scientific insight. In fact, universities could take this one step further: What if graduate students were required to submit a one-page summary of their research aimed at a curious high school student or a general audience in addition to their thesis?