WEBVTT 00:00:00.570 --> 00:00:03.730 [Music] 00:00:19.320 --> 00:00:25.719 the uh uniform code of military 00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:28.480 Justice specifies Court marshal for any 00:00:25.719 --> 00:00:30.479 officer who sends a soldier into battle 00:00:28.480 --> 00:00:32.000 without a weapon 00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:33.920 there ought to be a similar protection 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:37.000 for students because students shouldn't 00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:39.399 go out into life without an ability to 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:40.960 communicate and that's because your 00:00:39.399 --> 00:00:43.840 success in life will be determined 00:00:40.960 --> 00:00:46.719 largely by your ability to speak your 00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:49.719 ability to write and the quality of your 00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:52.439 ideas in that 00:00:49.719 --> 00:00:53.399 order I know that I can be successful in 00:00:52.439 --> 00:00:55.878 this 00:00:53.399 --> 00:00:58.840 because the quality of 00:00:55.878 --> 00:01:00.759 communication your speaking your writing 00:00:58.840 --> 00:01:03.320 is largely determined by this 00:01:00.759 --> 00:01:06.079 formula it's a matter of how much 00:01:03.320 --> 00:01:08.560 knowledge you have how much you practice 00:01:06.079 --> 00:01:11.158 with that knowledge and you're inherent 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:14.759 talent and notice that the tea is very 00:01:11.159 --> 00:01:18.719 small what really matters is what you 00:01:14.759 --> 00:01:21.478 know this point came to me U suddenly a 00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:24.078 few decades ago when I was skiing at Sun 00:01:21.478 --> 00:01:28.078 Valley I had heard that it was celebrity 00:01:24.078 --> 00:01:33.118 weekend and one of the celebrities was 00:01:28.078 --> 00:01:35.879 a was Mary L Reon famous Olympic gymnast 00:01:33.118 --> 00:01:38.719 perfect tens in the vault and I heard 00:01:35.879 --> 00:01:40.319 that she was an novice at skiing so when 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:43.078 the opportune moment arrived I looked 00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:45.478 over on a novice slope and saw this 00:01:43.078 --> 00:01:49.118 young woman who when she became 00:01:45.478 --> 00:01:52.478 unbalanced went like that and I said 00:01:49.118 --> 00:01:55.280 that's got to be her that must be the 00:01:52.478 --> 00:01:57.158 gymnast but then it occurred to me I'm a 00:01:55.280 --> 00:02:00.039 much better skier than she is and she's 00:01:57.159 --> 00:02:02.118 an Olympic Athlete not only an ordinary 00:02:00.039 --> 00:02:04.680 Olympic Athlete an outstanding 00:02:02.118 --> 00:02:08.560 one and I was a better skier because I 00:02:04.680 --> 00:02:11.360 had the K and I had the p and all she 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:13.800 had was the tea so you can get a lot 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:16.239 better than people who may have inherent 00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:18.640 talents if you have the right amount of 00:02:16.239 --> 00:02:21.319 knowledge so that's what my objective is 00:02:18.639 --> 00:02:22.839 today and here's my promise today you 00:02:21.318 --> 00:02:25.719 will see 00:02:22.840 --> 00:02:26.719 some examples of what you can put in 00:02:25.719 --> 00:02:30.479 your 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:34.800 armorium of speaking techniques 00:02:30.479 --> 00:02:37.560 and it will be the casee that someone of 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:40.640 those examples some urtic some technique 00:02:37.560 --> 00:02:41.878 maybe only one will make will be the one 00:02:40.639 --> 00:02:44.559 that gets you the 00:02:41.878 --> 00:02:46.280 job and so this is a very nonlinear 00:02:44.560 --> 00:02:48.959 process you never know when it's going 00:02:46.280 --> 00:02:52.878 to happen but that is my promise by the 00:02:48.959 --> 00:02:55.400 end of the next 60 Minutes you'll been 00:02:52.878 --> 00:02:57.079 exposed to a lot of ideas some of which 00:02:55.400 --> 00:03:00.480 you'll incorporate into your own 00:02:57.080 --> 00:03:02.040 repertoire and they will ensure that you 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:05.878 get the maximum 00:03:02.039 --> 00:03:09.679 opportunity to uh have your 00:03:05.878 --> 00:03:12.959 ideas uh valued and accepted by the 00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:15.799 people you speak with now in order to do 00:03:12.959 --> 00:03:18.400 that we have to have a rule of 00:03:15.799 --> 00:03:22.959 Engagement and that 00:03:18.400 --> 00:03:25.400 is no laptops no cell phones so if you 00:03:22.959 --> 00:03:26.239 could close those I'll start up as soon 00:03:25.400 --> 00:03:29.360 as you're 00:03:26.239 --> 00:03:30.799 done some people ask why that uh is a is 00:03:29.360 --> 00:03:34.480 a rule 00:03:30.799 --> 00:03:37.080 engagement and the answer is we humans 00:03:34.479 --> 00:03:38.878 only have one language processor and if 00:03:37.080 --> 00:03:40.719 your language processor is engage could 00:03:38.878 --> 00:03:44.359 you shut the laptop please if your 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:46.919 language processor is engaged browsing 00:03:44.360 --> 00:03:49.720 the web or reading your email you're 00:03:46.919 --> 00:03:51.318 distracted and worse yet you distract 00:03:49.719 --> 00:03:54.680 all the people around you Studies have 00:03:51.318 --> 00:03:58.359 shown that and worse yet if I see a open 00:03:54.680 --> 00:04:02.280 laptop somewhere back there or up here 00:03:58.360 --> 00:04:04.000 it drives me nuts and I do a worse job 00:04:02.280 --> 00:04:06.318 and so that ensures that all of your 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:08.479 friends who were who are paying 00:04:06.318 --> 00:04:10.158 attention uh don't get the performance 00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:15.439 that they came to 00:04:10.158 --> 00:04:17.519 have so that's it for Preamble let's get 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:21.238 started first thing to talk about of 00:04:17.519 --> 00:04:21.239 course is how to 00:04:24.439 --> 00:04:31.680 start some people think the right thing 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:33.919 to do is to start a talk 00:04:31.680 --> 00:04:33.918 a 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:42.198 joke I don't recommend 00:04:42.680 --> 00:04:47.360 it and the reason is that in the 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:49.560 beginning of a talk people are still 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:51.600 putting their laptops away they're 00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:55.639 becoming adjusted to your speaking 00:04:51.600 --> 00:04:57.560 parameters to your vocal 00:04:55.639 --> 00:05:00.038 parameters and they're not ready for a 00:04:57.560 --> 00:05:01.360 joke so it doesn't work very well they 00:05:00.038 --> 00:05:04.599 usually fall 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:07.639 flat what you want to do instead is 00:05:04.600 --> 00:05:07.639 start with empowerment 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:13.280 promise you want to tell people what 00:05:10.839 --> 00:05:15.038 they're going to know at the end of the 00:05:13.279 --> 00:05:16.679 hour that they didn't know at the 00:05:15.038 --> 00:05:18.519 beginning of the hour it's an 00:05:16.680 --> 00:05:20.400 empowerment promise it's the reason for 00:05:18.519 --> 00:05:23.279 being 00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:28.120 here uh what would be an example oh I 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:29.478 see at the end of this 60 Minutes you 00:05:28.120 --> 00:05:32.038 will know things about speaking you 00:05:29.478 --> 00:05:33.359 don't know now and something among those 00:05:32.038 --> 00:05:34.800 things you know will be make a 00:05:33.360 --> 00:05:36.720 difference in your life yeah that's an 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:37.840 empowerment promise so that's the best 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:40.639 way to 00:05:37.839 --> 00:05:42.119 start so now that I've talked a little 00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:44.960 bit about how to start what I want to do 00:05:42.120 --> 00:05:48.000 is give you some samples of tics that 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:50.359 are always on my mind when I give a 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:53.199 talk and first of these 00:05:50.360 --> 00:05:55.439 tics is that it's a good idea to cycle 00:05:53.199 --> 00:05:59.240 on the 00:05:55.439 --> 00:06:00.199 subject go around it go around it again 00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:03.360 go around 00:06:00.199 --> 00:06:04.840 again some people say tell them what you 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:07.960 want to tell 00:06:04.839 --> 00:06:10.038 them tell them again and then tell them 00:06:07.959 --> 00:06:12.318 a third time as if 00:06:10.038 --> 00:06:15.279 people weren't intelligent but the point 00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:17.280 is the reason is well there are many 00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:19.918 reasons one of which is at any given 00:06:17.279 --> 00:06:22.239 moment about 20% of you will be fogged 00:06:19.918 --> 00:06:23.839 out no matter what the lecture is so if 00:06:22.240 --> 00:06:25.960 you want to ensure that the probability 00:06:23.839 --> 00:06:28.000 that everybody gets it is high you need 00:06:25.959 --> 00:06:30.318 to say it three 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:32.560 times so cycling is one of the things 00:06:30.319 --> 00:06:36.000 that I always think about when I give a 00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:38.680 talk another thing I think about is in 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:41.199 explaining my idea I want to build a 00:06:38.680 --> 00:06:41.199 fence around 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:49.000 it so that it's not confused with 00:06:45.680 --> 00:06:51.160 somebody else's idea so if you were from 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:53.680 Mars and I was teaching you about what 00:06:51.160 --> 00:06:56.160 an arch is I might say to you well 00:06:53.680 --> 00:06:57.639 that's an arch and that's not to be 00:06:56.160 --> 00:06:59.039 confused with some other things that 00:06:57.639 --> 00:07:01.519 other people might think is an AR this 00:06:59.038 --> 00:07:01.519 is not an AR 00:07:01.560 --> 00:07:06.439 Arch that's not an arch I'm building a 00:07:04.439 --> 00:07:09.038 fence around my idea so that it can be 00:07:06.439 --> 00:07:11.399 distinguished from somebody else's idea 00:07:09.038 --> 00:07:14.079 so in a more technical sense I might say 00:07:11.399 --> 00:07:15.959 well my algorithm might similar might 00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:18.279 seem similar to Jones's algorithm except 00:07:15.959 --> 00:07:19.918 his is exponential and mine's linear 00:07:18.279 --> 00:07:22.719 that's putting a fence around your idea 00:07:19.918 --> 00:07:25.878 so that people can not be confused about 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:28.960 how it might relate to something 00:07:25.879 --> 00:07:30.160 else the third thing on this list of 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:34.680 samples 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:34.680 is the idea of verbal 00:07:43.560 --> 00:07:50.000 punctuation and the idea here is that 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:52.680 because people will uh occasionally fog 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:55.360 out and need to get back on the bus you 00:07:52.680 --> 00:07:58.199 need to provide some Landmark places 00:07:55.360 --> 00:08:00.240 where you're announcing that it's a good 00:07:58.199 --> 00:08:02.560 time to get back on 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:04.720 so I might in this talk say something 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:06.478 about this being my 00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:09.120 outline the first thing we're going to 00:08:06.478 --> 00:08:11.439 do is talk about how to start then we're 00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:14.079 going to deal with these four samples 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:16.598 and among these four samples I've talked 00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:18.639 about the first idea that's cycling the 00:08:16.598 --> 00:08:20.918 second idea building a and now the third 00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:23.639 idea is build is verbal 00:08:20.918 --> 00:08:26.279 punctuation so I'm enumerating I'm 00:08:23.639 --> 00:08:28.158 providing numbers I'm giving you a sense 00:08:26.279 --> 00:08:31.439 that there's a seam in the talk and you 00:08:28.158 --> 00:08:31.439 can get back back on 00:08:32.158 --> 00:08:37.080 okay so now we're on a 00:08:34.599 --> 00:08:41.479 roll uh and since we're on a 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:43.320 roll can you uh guess what fourth idea 00:08:41.479 --> 00:08:46.038 might be here an idea that helps people 00:08:43.320 --> 00:08:46.039 get back on the 00:08:50.759 --> 00:08:57.039 bus yes ask question ask a question yes 00:08:55.600 --> 00:09:01.440 thank 00:08:57.039 --> 00:09:01.439 you so ask a question 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:09.440 and so I will ask a question how how 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:13.360 much dead air can there be how long can 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:15.839 I pause uh I counted 7 Seconds it seems 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:17.720 like an eternity to me to wait and not 00:09:15.839 --> 00:09:19.640 say anything for 10 for 7 seconds but 00:09:17.720 --> 00:09:21.240 that's the the standard amount of time 00:09:19.639 --> 00:09:23.600 you can wait for an answer and of course 00:09:21.240 --> 00:09:25.320 the question has to be carefully chosen 00:09:23.600 --> 00:09:27.240 it can't be too obvious because then 00:09:25.320 --> 00:09:29.519 people will be embarrassed to say what 00:09:27.240 --> 00:09:31.600 the answer is can't be too hard because 00:09:29.519 --> 00:09:34.839 nobody will have anything to 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:37.720 say so here are some sample eristics you 00:09:34.839 --> 00:09:42.720 can put in your armorium and build up 00:09:37.720 --> 00:09:46.839 your your repertoire of uh ideas about 00:09:42.720 --> 00:09:50.759 presentation and now if this persuades 00:09:46.839 --> 00:09:52.839 you that there is something to know that 00:09:50.759 --> 00:09:55.120 there there is knowledge then I've 00:09:52.839 --> 00:09:57.120 already succeeded because what I want to 00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:59.399 convince you of is if you watch the 00:09:57.120 --> 00:10:01.600 speakers you admire and feel are 00:09:59.399 --> 00:10:04.320 effective and ask yourselves why they're 00:10:01.600 --> 00:10:06.440 successful then you can build up your 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:08.680 own personal repertoire and develop your 00:10:06.440 --> 00:10:09.880 own personal style and that's that's my 00:10:08.679 --> 00:10:12.399 fundamental 00:10:09.879 --> 00:10:13.838 objective and the rest of this talk is 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:16.559 about some of the things that are in my 00:10:13.839 --> 00:10:20.079 arm inventorium that I think are 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:22.679 effective so next thing on our agenda as 00:10:20.078 --> 00:10:25.519 we start to discuss these other things 00:10:22.679 --> 00:10:26.879 is a discussion of time and place so 00:10:25.519 --> 00:10:30.000 what do you think is a good time to have 00:10:26.879 --> 00:10:30.000 a lecture 00:10:30.839 --> 00:10:34.279 11:00 a.m. 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:40.800 yeah and the reason 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:47.039 is most people at MIT are awake by then 00:10:44.519 --> 00:10:50.320 and hardly anyone is going back to 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:52.679 sleep it's not right after a meal people 00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:53.959 aren't fatigued from this or that it's a 00:10:52.679 --> 00:10:56.199 great time to have a 00:10:53.958 --> 00:10:58.919 lecture so that brings me next to the 00:10:56.200 --> 00:11:01.639 question of what about the place and the 00:10:58.919 --> 00:11:04.519 most important thing about the place is 00:11:01.639 --> 00:11:04.519 that it be well 00:11:08.278 --> 00:11:13.600 lit this room is well 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:15.240 lit problem with the other kinds of 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:18.040 rooms is that we 00:11:15.240 --> 00:11:20.799 humans uh whenever the lights go down or 00:11:18.039 --> 00:11:23.480 whe whenever the room is dimly lighted 00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:25.120 it signals that we should go to sleep so 00:11:23.480 --> 00:11:27.480 whenever I go somewhere to give a talk 00:11:25.120 --> 00:11:30.120 even today the first thing I do when I 00:11:27.480 --> 00:11:33.039 speak to the audiovisual people is say 00:11:30.120 --> 00:11:33.039 keep the lights full 00:11:33.278 --> 00:11:38.958 up oh they might 00:11:36.480 --> 00:11:41.560 reply people will see the slides better 00:11:38.958 --> 00:11:44.078 if we turn the lights off and then I 00:11:41.559 --> 00:11:46.679 reply it's extremely hard to see slides 00:11:44.078 --> 00:11:46.679 through closed 00:11:49.159 --> 00:11:56.039 eyelids what else can you say about the 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:56.039 place well the place should be 00:11:57.078 --> 00:12:03.278 cased and I mean that in the clal sense 00:12:00.039 --> 00:12:06.559 of like uh if you're robbing a bank you 00:12:03.278 --> 00:12:08.278 would go to the bank you know some some 00:12:06.559 --> 00:12:10.799 occasions before to see what it's like 00:12:08.278 --> 00:12:12.159 so there are no surprises when you uh 00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:15.479 when you do your 00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:17.399 robbery so uh whenever I go somewhere to 00:12:15.480 --> 00:12:18.800 speak the first thing I ask my host to 00:12:17.399 --> 00:12:21.198 do is to take me to the place where I'll 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:23.919 be speaking so that there any 00:12:21.198 --> 00:12:27.319 weirdnesses I'll be able to 00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:29.479 um to deal with it uh sometimes it might 00:12:27.320 --> 00:12:31.879 require some intervention some time it 00:12:29.480 --> 00:12:35.600 just might require me to understand what 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:39.278 the challenges are so when I came here 00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:40.839 this morning I did what I typically do I 00:12:39.278 --> 00:12:43.320 imagined that all the seats were filled 00:12:40.839 --> 00:12:45.600 with disinterested farm 00:12:43.320 --> 00:12:49.879 animals that way I knew that no matter 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:49.879 how bad it was it wouldn't be as bad as 00:12:50.440 --> 00:12:56.720 that so uh finally it should be 00:12:54.440 --> 00:12:59.720 reasonably it should be reasonably 00:12:56.720 --> 00:12:59.720 populated 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:07.278 it should 00:13:04.958 --> 00:13:09.278 be it should be the case that you know 00:13:07.278 --> 00:13:11.198 if there are 10 people in this Hall 00:13:09.278 --> 00:13:12.679 everyone would be wondering what's going 00:13:11.198 --> 00:13:15.359 on that's so much more interesting that 00:13:12.679 --> 00:13:17.879 nobody's here so you want to get a right 00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:19.839 siiz place that's doesn't have to be 00:13:17.879 --> 00:13:22.720 packed but it has to be more than half 00:13:19.839 --> 00:13:25.480 full so those are some thoughts about uh 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:29.560 time and place next thing I want to talk 00:13:25.480 --> 00:13:32.079 about is uh subject of uh bo boards and 00:13:29.559 --> 00:13:32.078 props and 00:13:37.198 --> 00:13:44.078 slides well these are the tools of the 00:13:40.159 --> 00:13:48.879 trade uh I uh believe that this is the 00:13:44.078 --> 00:13:51.159 uh this is the the right tool for uh 00:13:48.879 --> 00:13:53.278 speaking when your purpose is uh 00:13:51.159 --> 00:13:56.600 informing uh the slides are good when 00:13:53.278 --> 00:13:58.600 your purpose is uh exposing but this is 00:13:56.600 --> 00:14:00.600 what I use when I'm informing teaching 00:13:58.600 --> 00:14:02.199 lecturing 00:14:00.600 --> 00:14:04.480 and there are several reasons why I use 00:14:02.198 --> 00:14:07.359 it for one thing when you use the board 00:14:04.480 --> 00:14:07.360 you have a Graphic 00:14:09.320 --> 00:14:16.639 quality it's the case that when you have 00:14:11.720 --> 00:14:21.920 a board then you can easily exploit the 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:23.839 fact that you can use Graphics in your 00:14:21.919 --> 00:14:25.278 presentation so that's the graphic 00:14:23.839 --> 00:14:29.560 quality that I like and next thing I 00:14:25.278 --> 00:14:29.559 like is like a speed property 00:14:30.278 --> 00:14:33.838 the speed with which you write on the 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:36.479 Blackboard is approximately the speed at 00:14:33.839 --> 00:14:38.920 which people can absorb ideas if you go 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:41.920 flipping through a bunch of slides 00:14:38.919 --> 00:14:41.919 nobody can go that 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:50.320 fast finally one great property of a 00:14:46.278 --> 00:14:50.320 board is that it's can be a 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:59.599 Target many people 00:14:55.278 --> 00:15:02.838 who are novices at speaking find 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:05.278 themselves uh suddenly aware of their 00:15:02.839 --> 00:15:07.000 hands it's as if their hands were 00:15:05.278 --> 00:15:09.720 private parts that shouldn't be exposed 00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:12.159 in public so right away they go into the 00:15:09.720 --> 00:15:14.600 pockets and this is considered insulting 00:15:12.159 --> 00:15:17.399 in some parts of the world or 00:15:14.600 --> 00:15:21.839 alternatively maybe the hands will go in 00:15:17.399 --> 00:15:23.000 in back like this I was once in a 00:15:21.839 --> 00:15:27.720 Convent in 00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:30.039 Serbia and uh my uh host U well we were 00:15:27.720 --> 00:15:32.360 as soon as we entered a nun came up to 00:15:30.039 --> 00:15:34.679 us and offered us a refreshment and I 00:15:32.360 --> 00:15:37.240 was about to say no thank you when he 00:15:34.679 --> 00:15:40.719 said eat that stuff or 00:15:37.240 --> 00:15:44.440 die it's a question of local custom and 00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:46.720 and politeness but then uh before 00:15:44.440 --> 00:15:49.639 anything happened there uh the nun 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:51.240 pulled my hands off like this because it 00:15:49.639 --> 00:15:53.879 was extraordinarily insulting in that 00:15:51.240 --> 00:15:57.000 culture to have your hands behind your 00:15:53.879 --> 00:15:59.360 back so uh why is that well it's it's 00:15:57.000 --> 00:16:00.720 usually supposed that that's what that 00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:03.199 has to do with whether you're concealing 00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:07.440 a weapon so if your hands are in your 00:16:03.198 --> 00:16:10.078 pockets behind your back then um it 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:12.360 looks like you might have a weapon and 00:16:10.078 --> 00:16:14.399 that's what I mean by The Virtue one of 00:16:12.360 --> 00:16:15.759 these virtues of the board now you have 00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:18.720 something to do with your hands you can 00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:18.720 point out the 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:23.958 stuff I was once watching Seymour paper 00:16:21.679 --> 00:16:26.638 give a lecture I thought it was terrific 00:16:23.958 --> 00:16:28.399 so I went a second time first time to 00:16:26.639 --> 00:16:29.639 absorb the content second time to note 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:31.519 the style 00:16:29.639 --> 00:16:34.120 and what I discovered is that papet was 00:16:31.519 --> 00:16:35.399 constantly pointing at the board and 00:16:34.120 --> 00:16:38.039 then I thought about a little while and 00:16:35.399 --> 00:16:39.720 I noted that none of the stuff he was 00:16:38.039 --> 00:16:42.039 pointing to had anything to do with what 00:16:39.720 --> 00:16:42.040 he was 00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:47.399 saying nevertheless it was a effective 00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:52.879 technique so that's a just a little bit 00:16:50.278 --> 00:16:55.120 about the the virtue of of of black 00:16:52.879 --> 00:16:57.958 boards and now I want to talk about 00:16:55.120 --> 00:17:00.879 props you know the custodians of 00:16:57.958 --> 00:17:03.679 knowledge about props s are the 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:06.720 playwrights many decades ago I saw a 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:09.000 play by Hinrich Ipson it was head of 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:12.919 gabbler I remember vaguely there was 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:15.519 about a woman in an unhappy marriage and 00:17:12.919 --> 00:17:17.759 her husband was in competition for an 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:19.918 academic job with somebody else and he 00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:22.798 was going to lose partly because he was 00:17:19.919 --> 00:17:25.880 boring and partly because the competitor 00:17:22.798 --> 00:17:27.400 had just written a magnificent book by 00:17:25.880 --> 00:17:29.280 the way this is back in the days before 00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:32.759 they were copying machines and comp 00:17:29.279 --> 00:17:37.879 computers any anyhow as the play 00:17:32.759 --> 00:17:37.879 opens there's a pot bellied 00:17:42.679 --> 00:17:48.759 stove and in the beginning of the 00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:51.959 play uh the putt belly stove with its 00:17:48.759 --> 00:17:53.359 open door just has some uh slightly 00:17:51.960 --> 00:17:56.919 glowing 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:59.479 Embers but the P stove is always there 00:17:56.919 --> 00:18:02.200 and it tension mounts in the play 00:17:59.480 --> 00:18:05.240 uh and you see this manuscript this prop 00:18:02.200 --> 00:18:08.519 that Ipson so artfully used you just 00:18:05.240 --> 00:18:11.400 know that something's going to happen 00:18:08.519 --> 00:18:14.960 because as the play goes on the Fire 00:18:11.400 --> 00:18:16.640 gets bigger and hotter and finally all 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:20.079 consuming and you just know that that 00:18:16.640 --> 00:18:22.960 manuscript is going to go into that 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:25.079 fire it's memorable thing it's what I 00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:27.600 remember about 00:18:25.079 --> 00:18:29.319 play so the play rights have got this 00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:31.240 all figured out 00:18:29.319 --> 00:18:34.759 uh but on the other hand they're not the 00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:38.200 only people who can use props here's an 00:18:34.759 --> 00:18:41.240 example of the use of a prop also due to 00:18:38.200 --> 00:18:43.319 sear paper he was talking about how it's 00:18:41.240 --> 00:18:47.159 important to look at the problem in the 00:18:43.319 --> 00:18:49.599 right way and here's an example that uh 00:18:47.159 --> 00:18:50.960 not only teaches that but makes it 00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:53.319 possible for you to embarrass your 00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:55.840 friends in mechanical engineering so 00:18:53.319 --> 00:18:58.158 here's here's what you do take this 00:18:55.839 --> 00:18:59.399 bicycle wheel you start it spinning and 00:18:58.159 --> 00:19:03.120 then you put some 00:18:59.400 --> 00:19:06.240 torque on the axle or 00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:10.798 equivalently you blow on the edge and 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:13.960 the issue is does it go that way or does 00:19:10.798 --> 00:19:16.639 it go that way now the mechanical 00:19:13.960 --> 00:19:18.640 engineers will immediately say oh yes I 00:19:16.640 --> 00:19:21.080 see right hand screw and they'll put 00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:23.600 their fingers in this position but 00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:26.798 forget exactly how to align their 00:19:23.599 --> 00:19:29.319 fingers with various aspects of the 00:19:26.798 --> 00:19:33.158 problem and so it's you usually the case 00:19:29.319 --> 00:19:37.079 that they get it right with about a 50% 00:19:33.159 --> 00:19:39.039 probability so they um very fancy 00:19:37.079 --> 00:19:42.158 education gets them up to the point 00:19:39.038 --> 00:19:45.640 where they're equivalent to flipping a 00:19:42.159 --> 00:19:47.200 coin but it doesn't have to be that way 00:19:45.640 --> 00:19:49.720 because you can think about the problem 00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:53.759 a little differently so here's what you 00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:56.279 do you take some duct tape and you uh 00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:58.720 put it around part of the wheel like 00:19:56.279 --> 00:20:01.519 that and now you start to think about 00:19:58.720 --> 00:20:04.038 not the whole wheel but just the little 00:20:01.519 --> 00:20:05.720 piece that's underneath the duct tape so 00:20:04.038 --> 00:20:07.839 here that piece comes rolling over the 00:20:05.720 --> 00:20:10.279 top and at this point you blow on it 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:11.798 with a puff of air forgetting about the 00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:13.558 rest of the wheel what happens to that 00:20:11.798 --> 00:20:15.558 little piece that's under the duct tape 00:20:13.558 --> 00:20:18.200 it must want to go that way cuz you bang 00:20:15.558 --> 00:20:20.918 on it like that it's already going down 00:20:18.200 --> 00:20:23.400 like that and what about the next piece 00:20:20.919 --> 00:20:26.080 same thing next piece same thing so the 00:20:23.400 --> 00:20:28.440 only thing that can happen is the wheel 00:20:26.079 --> 00:20:30.678 goes over like that and so now you'll 00:20:28.440 --> 00:20:32.038 never Wonder again because you're 00:20:30.679 --> 00:20:34.000 thinking about the problem in the right 00:20:32.038 --> 00:20:37.640 way and it's 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:37.640 demonstrated by the use of a 00:20:37.798 --> 00:20:41.918 problem you can try this after we're 00:20:43.480 --> 00:20:49.720 done another example I like to remember 00:20:47.798 --> 00:20:52.639 is one from when I was taking 00:20:49.720 --> 00:20:54.759 801 Alan Lazarus was the instructor at 00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:57.320 the time and he was talking about the 00:20:54.759 --> 00:20:59.440 conservation of energy kinetic and 00:20:57.319 --> 00:21:02.038 potential 00:20:59.440 --> 00:21:05.480 and there was a long wire in the ceiling 00:21:02.038 --> 00:21:09.558 in 26 100 attached to a much bigger 00:21:05.480 --> 00:21:12.558 steel Ball but one not un like this and 00:21:09.558 --> 00:21:15.440 Lazarus uh took the 00:21:12.558 --> 00:21:17.278 ball up against the wall like this he 00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:18.200 put his head flat against the wall to 00:21:17.278 --> 00:21:21.880 steady 00:21:18.200 --> 00:21:24.720 himself and then uh he let go and the 00:21:21.880 --> 00:21:28.960 Pendulum takes many seconds ago over and 00:21:24.720 --> 00:21:30.200 back and then uh gently uh kisses 00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:32.640 lazarus's 00:21:30.200 --> 00:21:35.480 nose and so you have many seconds to 00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:38.159 think this guy really believes in the 00:21:35.480 --> 00:21:38.159 conservation of 00:21:41.240 --> 00:21:49.240 energy um do not try this at 00:21:45.558 --> 00:21:51.720 home the problem is that uh first time 00:21:49.240 --> 00:21:57.240 you do this you may not just let go 00:21:51.720 --> 00:21:57.240 there's a natural human tendency to push 00:22:01.519 --> 00:22:06.278 so uh that's a little bit on a subject 00:22:04.038 --> 00:22:06.278 of 00:22:23.038 --> 00:22:28.640 props you know it's interesting whenever 00:22:25.640 --> 00:22:30.799 surveys are taken students always say 00:22:28.640 --> 00:22:34.159 more chalk less 00:22:30.798 --> 00:22:36.200 PowerPoint and uh why would that be uh 00:22:34.159 --> 00:22:39.600 props are always also very 00:22:36.200 --> 00:22:44.319 effective why would that be uh I'll give 00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:46.798 you my Lunatic Fringe view on this it um 00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:51.278 has to do with 00:22:46.798 --> 00:22:51.278 uh what I would call 00:23:00.159 --> 00:23:03.200 empathetic 00:23:01.240 --> 00:23:05.278 mirroring when you're sitting up there 00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:07.840 watching me right on the board all those 00:23:05.278 --> 00:23:10.919 little mirror neurons in your head I 00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:13.158 believe become actuated and you can feel 00:23:10.919 --> 00:23:16.960 yourself writing on the Blackboard and 00:23:13.159 --> 00:23:19.159 even more so uh when I uh talk about 00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:21.159 this steel ball going that way and this 00:23:19.159 --> 00:23:24.520 way you can you can you can feel the 00:23:21.159 --> 00:23:27.080 ball as if you were me and you can't do 00:23:24.519 --> 00:23:30.319 that with a slide you can't do it with a 00:23:27.079 --> 00:23:33.038 picture you need to see see it uh in in 00:23:30.319 --> 00:23:35.879 the physical world that's why I think 00:23:33.038 --> 00:23:37.720 that oh yes of course it's it's there 00:23:35.880 --> 00:23:40.200 there speed questions involved too that 00:23:37.720 --> 00:23:42.880 have to be separated out but I think the 00:23:40.200 --> 00:23:46.919 empathetic mirroring is why props and 00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:48.559 the use of a Blackboard are so 00:23:46.919 --> 00:23:50.679 effective 00:23:48.558 --> 00:23:54.119 well let's 00:23:50.679 --> 00:23:57.400 see oh yes there is one more thing by 00:23:54.119 --> 00:24:01.079 way of uh the tools and that has to do 00:23:57.400 --> 00:24:01.080 with the uh use of 00:24:01.200 --> 00:24:06.200 slides I repeat I think they're for 00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:09.278 exposing ideas not for teaching ideas 00:24:06.200 --> 00:24:12.360 but that's what we do in a job talk or 00:24:09.278 --> 00:24:15.079 conference talk we expose ideas we don't 00:24:12.359 --> 00:24:19.278 teach them so let me tell you a little 00:24:15.079 --> 00:24:23.199 bit about my views on that 00:24:19.278 --> 00:24:26.960 um I remember once I was 00:24:23.200 --> 00:24:29.720 um in um Terminal 00:24:26.960 --> 00:24:33.240 A had Logan airport I just come back 00:24:29.720 --> 00:24:35.600 from a really miserable conference and 00:24:33.240 --> 00:24:36.599 the flight was really horrible it was 00:24:35.599 --> 00:24:39.359 one of those that feels like an 00:24:36.599 --> 00:24:42.119 unbalanced washing machine and for the 00:24:39.359 --> 00:24:46.079 only time in my life I decided to uh 00:24:42.119 --> 00:24:48.879 stop on my way to my car and have a cup 00:24:46.079 --> 00:24:50.558 of coffee and relax a little bit and I 00:24:48.880 --> 00:24:52.120 as I was there for a few minutes uh 00:24:50.558 --> 00:24:53.639 someone came up to me and said uh are 00:24:52.119 --> 00:24:56.798 you Professor 00:24:53.640 --> 00:24:59.038 Winston I think so I 00:24:56.798 --> 00:25:01.720 said I don't know I guess I was trying 00:24:59.038 --> 00:25:04.240 to be funny in any event uh he said I'm 00:25:01.720 --> 00:25:06.360 on my way to Europe to give a job talk 00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:08.960 would you mind critiquing my 00:25:06.359 --> 00:25:11.678 slides not at all I said you have too 00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:14.840 many and they have too many 00:25:11.679 --> 00:25:18.200 words how did you know he said thinking 00:25:14.839 --> 00:25:21.119 perhaps I'd seen a talk of his before I 00:25:18.200 --> 00:25:23.480 hadn't uh my reply was because it's 00:25:21.119 --> 00:25:26.558 always true there are always too many 00:25:23.480 --> 00:25:29.319 slides always too many words so let me 00:25:26.558 --> 00:25:31.879 show you some extreme examples of how 00:25:29.319 --> 00:25:31.879 not to use 00:25:33.159 --> 00:25:40.320 slides well for this demonstration I 00:25:36.798 --> 00:25:40.319 need to be uh way over 00:25:40.599 --> 00:25:47.398 here um and uh when I get over here then 00:25:43.839 --> 00:25:49.480 I can start to say things like 00:25:47.398 --> 00:25:50.359 U one of the things you shouldn't do is 00:25:49.480 --> 00:25:52.278 read your 00:25:50.359 --> 00:25:53.839 transparencies people in your audience 00:25:52.278 --> 00:25:56.679 know how to read and reading will just 00:25:53.839 --> 00:25:58.519 annoy them also you should be sure that 00:25:56.679 --> 00:26:01.080 you have only a few words on each 00:25:58.519 --> 00:26:03.720 transparency and that the words are easy 00:26:01.079 --> 00:26:06.439 to read and I hope it driving you 00:26:03.720 --> 00:26:08.759 crazy because I'm committing uh all 00:26:06.440 --> 00:26:11.519 kinds of crimes the first of which is 00:26:08.759 --> 00:26:13.960 that there are too many words on this 00:26:11.519 --> 00:26:16.599 slide second of which is I'm way over 00:26:13.960 --> 00:26:19.558 there and it slides away over there so 00:26:16.599 --> 00:26:22.319 you get into this uh tennis match 00:26:19.558 --> 00:26:24.599 feeling of uh shifting back and forth 00:26:22.319 --> 00:26:26.639 between the slide and the speaker you 00:26:24.599 --> 00:26:29.079 want the slides to be uh condiments to 00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:31.880 what you're saying not the main event or 00:26:29.079 --> 00:26:35.918 the opposite way around so how can we 00:26:31.880 --> 00:26:39.320 fix this step number one is to get rid 00:26:35.919 --> 00:26:41.600 of the background junk that's always 00:26:39.319 --> 00:26:42.480 distraction uh step number two is to get 00:26:41.599 --> 00:26:45.278 rid of the 00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:47.960 words when I reduceed the the words to 00:26:45.278 --> 00:26:51.038 these then everything I 00:26:47.960 --> 00:26:53.278 read a previous time I'm not licensed to 00:26:51.038 --> 00:26:55.359 say because it's not on the slide I'm 00:26:53.278 --> 00:26:58.480 not reading my slides anymore but I'm 00:26:55.359 --> 00:27:00.798 saying what was written on the slides in 00:26:58.480 --> 00:27:03.000 a previous 00:27:00.798 --> 00:27:04.720 example so what else can we do to 00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:07.798 simplify 00:27:04.720 --> 00:27:09.759 this well we can get rid of the logos we 00:27:07.798 --> 00:27:11.918 don't need 00:27:09.759 --> 00:27:14.319 them 00:27:11.919 --> 00:27:16.399 simplification what else can we 00:27:14.319 --> 00:27:18.639 do get rid of the 00:27:16.398 --> 00:27:21.319 title now I want to talk to you about 00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:23.440 some rules for slide preparation I'm 00:27:21.319 --> 00:27:26.038 telling you the title doesn't have to be 00:27:23.440 --> 00:27:28.600 up there by reducing the number of words 00:27:26.038 --> 00:27:30.119 on the slide I'm allowing you pay more 00:27:28.599 --> 00:27:31.278 attention to me unless to what's written 00:27:30.119 --> 00:27:33.678 on the 00:27:31.278 --> 00:27:36.278 slide I mentioned it before we have only 00:27:33.679 --> 00:27:39.080 one language processor and we can either 00:27:36.278 --> 00:27:42.159 use it to read stuff or to listen to the 00:27:39.079 --> 00:27:44.119 speaker and so if we have too many words 00:27:42.159 --> 00:27:47.919 on the slide forces people in the 00:27:44.119 --> 00:27:47.918 audience to read this stuff and not 00:27:48.159 --> 00:27:53.080 listen student of mine did an experiment 00:27:50.359 --> 00:27:55.000 a few years ago uh he taught some 00:27:53.079 --> 00:27:59.079 students some 00:27:55.000 --> 00:28:02.159 um web based programming 00:27:59.079 --> 00:28:04.879 ideas half the information was on slides 00:28:02.159 --> 00:28:07.840 he said the other half and then for a 00:28:04.880 --> 00:28:11.039 control group he reversed it and the 00:28:07.839 --> 00:28:13.119 question was what did the subjects that 00:28:11.038 --> 00:28:15.000 is to say freshman in his fraternity 00:28:13.119 --> 00:28:16.918 what did the subjects remember 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:20.119 best what he 00:28:16.919 --> 00:28:22.278 said or what they read on the 00:28:20.119 --> 00:28:25.639 slide and the answer 00:28:22.278 --> 00:28:27.759 is what they read on the 00:28:25.640 --> 00:28:29.120 slide when their slides have a lot of 00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:31.240 material on it they don't pay attention 00:28:29.119 --> 00:28:34.639 to the speaker in fact in the after 00:28:31.240 --> 00:28:38.359 Action Report one of the subjects said I 00:28:34.640 --> 00:28:38.360 wish you hadn't talked so much it was 00:28:39.798 --> 00:28:42.918 distracting well that last item is 00:28:41.720 --> 00:28:46.399 eliminate 00:28:42.919 --> 00:28:48.559 clutter I hear some clutter no no no 00:28:46.398 --> 00:28:51.000 reason even for those 00:28:48.558 --> 00:28:54.480 bullets so the too many words problem is 00:28:51.000 --> 00:28:56.798 a consequence of h a crime Microsoft has 00:28:54.480 --> 00:28:59.278 committed by allowing you to use funds 00:28:56.798 --> 00:29:02.319 that are too small 00:28:59.278 --> 00:29:05.319 so you should all have a sample slide 00:29:02.319 --> 00:29:07.439 like this that you can use to determine 00:29:05.319 --> 00:29:10.000 what the minimum Fun Size is that's 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:13.919 that's easily leisurable shiv what do 00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:17.759 you think of 00:29:13.919 --> 00:29:21.840 those which size is right what's that 00:29:17.759 --> 00:29:25.319 size is right yeah minimum maybe 40 or 00:29:21.839 --> 00:29:29.199 50 yeah he says 40 or 50 I think it's 00:29:25.319 --> 00:29:30.720 about right 35 is get too small not 00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:32.960 necessarily because you can't read it 00:29:30.720 --> 00:29:36.278 but because it because you're probably 00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:38.840 using it to get too many words on the 00:29:36.278 --> 00:29:43.119 slide what other crimes do we 00:29:38.839 --> 00:29:45.678 have well we have the laser pointer 00:29:43.119 --> 00:29:47.959 crime not for that I you know in the old 00:29:45.679 --> 00:29:51.159 days when we didn't have laser pointers 00:29:47.960 --> 00:29:54.600 we used wooden ones and people would go 00:29:51.159 --> 00:29:54.600 waving these things around 00:29:54.839 --> 00:30:00.720 and pretty soon it became almost like a 00:29:58.159 --> 00:30:02.120 the CH swirling contest so here's what 00:30:00.720 --> 00:30:05.679 here's what I recommended in the old 00:30:02.119 --> 00:30:05.678 days for dealing with this kind of 00:30:07.919 --> 00:30:12.200 pointer this example of used of a 00:30:13.000 --> 00:30:18.558 prop Jim glass up there saw this talk 00:30:15.880 --> 00:30:19.679 about 20 years ago and uh so oh yeah I 00:30:18.558 --> 00:30:22.119 remembered that talk that's the one 00:30:19.679 --> 00:30:24.919 where you broke the 00:30:22.119 --> 00:30:26.398 pointer it's amazing how props uh tend 00:30:24.919 --> 00:30:29.880 to be the things that are 00:30:26.398 --> 00:30:32.079 remembered well now oh we don't have uh 00:30:29.880 --> 00:30:35.720 we don't have physical pointers anymore 00:30:32.079 --> 00:30:37.519 we've got uh we got laser pointers 00:30:35.720 --> 00:30:39.480 that's a Wonder more people aren't 00:30:37.519 --> 00:30:43.038 driven into epileptic fits over this 00:30:39.480 --> 00:30:46.120 sort of stuff but here's what tends to 00:30:43.038 --> 00:30:48.798 happen look at that it's a lovely 00:30:46.119 --> 00:30:51.079 recursive picture and I can become part 00:30:48.798 --> 00:30:54.319 of it by putting that laser beam right 00:30:51.079 --> 00:30:54.319 on the back of my head up 00:30:55.398 --> 00:31:00.000 there and what do you see 00:30:58.440 --> 00:31:02.840 you see the back of my 00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:05.720 head I'm have no eye contact no 00:31:02.839 --> 00:31:08.519 engagement nothing I was sitting with a 00:31:05.720 --> 00:31:11.679 student watching a talk one day and she 00:31:08.519 --> 00:31:14.359 said you know what we could all leave 00:31:11.679 --> 00:31:14.360 and he wouldn't 00:31:15.079 --> 00:31:18.798 know so what happens when you use a 00:31:17.159 --> 00:31:21.120 laser pointer you can't use a laser 00:31:18.798 --> 00:31:23.879 pointer without turning your head and 00:31:21.119 --> 00:31:26.439 pointing it at something and when you do 00:31:23.880 --> 00:31:29.559 that you lose uh you lose contact with 00:31:26.440 --> 00:31:31.880 the audience you don't want to do it so 00:31:29.558 --> 00:31:33.720 what do you do if you need to need to 00:31:31.880 --> 00:31:35.240 identify something in your image and you 00:31:33.720 --> 00:31:37.798 don't want to point at it with a laser 00:31:35.240 --> 00:31:39.159 this is what you do put a little arrow 00:31:37.798 --> 00:31:40.960 on there and say now look at that guy 00:31:39.159 --> 00:31:43.240 number one at the end of Arrow number 00:31:40.960 --> 00:31:45.600 one you don't need to have laser pointer 00:31:43.240 --> 00:31:45.599 to do 00:31:48.159 --> 00:31:53.880 that the to heavy 00:31:50.558 --> 00:31:56.638 crime when people ask me to review a 00:31:53.880 --> 00:31:59.840 presentation I ask them to print it out 00:31:56.638 --> 00:31:59.839 and lay it out on a table 00:32:01.000 --> 00:32:06.240 when they do that it's easy to see 00:32:02.638 --> 00:32:09.398 whether the talk is too heavy too much 00:32:06.240 --> 00:32:11.720 text not enough air not enough white 00:32:09.398 --> 00:32:15.199 space not enough 00:32:11.720 --> 00:32:17.839 imagery this is a good example of uh 00:32:15.200 --> 00:32:20.759 such a talk way too 00:32:17.839 --> 00:32:23.398 heavy uh the uh presenter has taken 00:32:20.759 --> 00:32:26.440 advantage of uh small font sizes to get 00:32:23.398 --> 00:32:26.439 as much on the slide as he 00:32:26.480 --> 00:32:31.440 wanted lots of crimes here but uh the 00:32:29.798 --> 00:32:34.000 too heaviness the fact that it's too 00:32:31.440 --> 00:32:37.200 heavy is what I wanted to illustrate so 00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:38.839 here by contrast another talk one I gave 00:32:37.200 --> 00:32:42.440 a few years ago it's not it wasn't a 00:32:38.839 --> 00:32:43.199 deeply technical talk but I show it to 00:32:42.440 --> 00:32:45.720 you 00:32:43.200 --> 00:32:49.240 because there's air in 00:32:45.720 --> 00:32:51.480 it it's mostly pictures of things there 00:32:49.240 --> 00:32:54.200 are three or four slides that have text 00:32:51.480 --> 00:32:56.639 on them but when I come to those I give 00:32:54.200 --> 00:32:57.880 the audience time to read them and 00:32:56.638 --> 00:33:00.759 they're there because they might have 00:32:57.880 --> 00:33:02.399 have some historical significance the 00:33:00.759 --> 00:33:05.079 first slide with a lot of text on it is 00:33:02.398 --> 00:33:07.479 a extraction from the 00:33:05.079 --> 00:33:10.798 1957 from the for the from the proposal 00:33:07.480 --> 00:33:13.240 for the 1957 AI conference at Dartmouth 00:33:10.798 --> 00:33:15.480 extraordinarily interesting event and 00:33:13.240 --> 00:33:17.720 that 00:33:15.480 --> 00:33:19.880 historical extraction from The Proposal 00:33:17.720 --> 00:33:23.240 helps drive that point 00:33:19.880 --> 00:33:25.919 home what else have we got here oh yeah 00:33:23.240 --> 00:33:28.679 your vocabulary word for the day this is 00:33:25.919 --> 00:33:30.759 an NAX Lon 00:33:28.679 --> 00:33:33.080 what that means is this is the kind of 00:33:30.759 --> 00:33:35.480 slide you can get away with exactly once 00:33:33.079 --> 00:33:37.638 in your 00:33:35.480 --> 00:33:39.759 presentation this is a slide that got 00:33:37.638 --> 00:33:41.199 some currency some years ago because it 00:33:39.759 --> 00:33:44.480 shows the 00:33:41.200 --> 00:33:47.519 complexity of um governing in 00:33:44.480 --> 00:33:50.839 Afghanistan by showing how impossibly 00:33:47.519 --> 00:33:52.679 complex it is it's something we you in 00:33:50.839 --> 00:33:55.359 the audience can't understand and and 00:33:52.679 --> 00:33:57.519 that's the point but you can't have many 00:33:55.359 --> 00:33:59.719 of these you can have one per work one 00:33:57.519 --> 00:34:03.038 per presentation one per paper one per 00:33:59.720 --> 00:34:05.759 book that's what it that's what epex Lan 00:34:03.038 --> 00:34:08.039 is and this is an example of 00:34:05.759 --> 00:34:10.679 it well I've shown you some crimes and 00:34:08.039 --> 00:34:11.639 so you might be asking do these crimes 00:34:10.679 --> 00:34:14.878 actually 00:34:11.639 --> 00:34:18.039 occur so 00:34:14.878 --> 00:34:18.039 um they 00:34:20.760 --> 00:34:25.040 do there's the hands in the pockets 00:34:25.440 --> 00:34:31.200 crime there's a um crime and time and 00:34:29.519 --> 00:34:34.800 place selection 00:34:31.199 --> 00:34:36.799 here this is how you get to the BTO 00:34:34.800 --> 00:34:39.200 theater first thing you do is you get 00:34:36.800 --> 00:34:43.039 down these steps over at the media 00:34:39.199 --> 00:34:46.598 lab then you cross this large open 00:34:43.039 --> 00:34:48.639 space then you turn right down this 00:34:46.599 --> 00:34:50.480 Corridor this point whenever I go in 00:34:48.639 --> 00:34:52.878 there I wonder if if there are torture 00:34:50.480 --> 00:34:55.280 implements around the corner and then 00:34:52.878 --> 00:34:58.480 when you get in there you get into this 00:34:55.280 --> 00:35:00.599 dark gloomy place so it's well- named 00:34:58.480 --> 00:35:01.880 what when they call it the baros theater 00:35:00.599 --> 00:35:03.240 because it's a place where you can watch 00:35:01.880 --> 00:35:05.680 a movie but it's not a place where you 00:35:03.239 --> 00:35:05.679 can give a 00:35:06.358 --> 00:35:12.358 talk now on a subject that doesn't 00:35:09.519 --> 00:35:13.838 happen here's a talk I attended a while 00:35:12.358 --> 00:35:17.319 back in 00:35:13.838 --> 00:35:19.960 stada notice that the speaker is H far 00:35:17.320 --> 00:35:21.680 away from the slides speaker is using a 00:35:19.960 --> 00:35:24.199 laser 00:35:21.679 --> 00:35:26.519 pointer and you say to me 00:35:24.199 --> 00:35:30.159 well what's happening here it's by the 00:35:26.519 --> 00:35:32.320 way the 80th 80th slide in the 00:35:30.159 --> 00:35:36.838 presentation notice that it stent with 00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:36.838 words this is the first of 10 conclusion 00:35:36.960 --> 00:35:43.639 slides so uh what's the audience 00:35:40.719 --> 00:35:46.319 reaction that's the sponsor of the 00:35:43.639 --> 00:35:49.039 meeting he's reading his 00:35:46.320 --> 00:35:52.289 email this is the co-sponsor of the 00:35:49.039 --> 00:35:53.519 meeting he's examining the lunch 00:35:52.289 --> 00:35:58.159 [Music] 00:35:53.519 --> 00:35:58.159 menu what about this person 00:35:58.800 --> 00:36:03.960 this person looks like he's paying 00:36:01.199 --> 00:36:06.239 attention but this because it's a still 00:36:03.960 --> 00:36:09.920 picture if you were to see a video what 00:36:06.239 --> 00:36:09.919 you would see is something like 00:36:13.318 --> 00:36:21.000 this so yeah it it it does 00:36:17.358 --> 00:36:25.559 happen well now uh that's a a quick 00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:29.559 review of of tools now I want to talk 00:36:25.559 --> 00:36:29.559 about some special cases 00:36:30.480 --> 00:36:35.240 we could talk a little bit about uh 00:36:32.039 --> 00:36:36.960 informing or to say it another way doing 00:36:35.239 --> 00:36:39.318 what I'm doing 00:36:36.960 --> 00:36:41.639 now but I'll just say a few words about 00:36:39.318 --> 00:36:42.920 that uh in that kind of in that kind of 00:36:41.639 --> 00:36:46.199 presentation you want to start with a 00:36:42.920 --> 00:36:47.559 promise like I did for this for this uh 00:36:46.199 --> 00:36:49.679 for this hour that we're going through 00:36:47.559 --> 00:36:51.920 now but then it comes to the question of 00:36:49.679 --> 00:36:54.118 how do you inspire 00:36:51.920 --> 00:36:57.680 people I've given this talk for a long 00:36:54.119 --> 00:36:58.720 time and a few years ago um uh our 00:36:57.679 --> 00:37:01.559 department chairman said would you 00:36:58.719 --> 00:37:04.399 please give this talk to uh a new 00:37:01.559 --> 00:37:07.480 faculty and be sure to emphasize what it 00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:08.800 takes to inspire students and strangely 00:37:07.480 --> 00:37:11.639 I hadn't thought about that question 00:37:08.800 --> 00:37:14.519 before so I started a survey I talked to 00:37:11.639 --> 00:37:16.879 some of my incoming freshman advises and 00:37:14.519 --> 00:37:19.239 I talked to senior faculty and 00:37:16.880 --> 00:37:20.480 everything in between about how they've 00:37:19.239 --> 00:37:22.519 been 00:37:20.480 --> 00:37:24.519 inspired what I found from the uh 00:37:22.519 --> 00:37:26.318 incoming freshman is that they were 00:37:24.519 --> 00:37:28.880 inspired by some high school teacher who 00:37:26.318 --> 00:37:31.119 told them they could do it 00:37:28.880 --> 00:37:34.559 what I found in the senior 00:37:31.119 --> 00:37:36.480 faculty they um were inspired by someone 00:37:34.559 --> 00:37:39.759 who helped them to see a problem in a 00:37:36.480 --> 00:37:42.800 new way and what I saw from 00:37:39.760 --> 00:37:46.960 everyone is that they were 00:37:42.800 --> 00:37:48.599 inspired when someone exhibited passion 00:37:46.960 --> 00:37:50.760 about what they were 00:37:48.599 --> 00:37:51.680 doing exhibited passion about what they 00:37:50.760 --> 00:37:55.640 were 00:37:51.679 --> 00:37:57.639 doing yeah so that's uh that's one one 00:37:55.639 --> 00:38:00.598 way to be inspiring 00:37:57.639 --> 00:38:02.000 it's easy for me because you know I do 00:38:00.599 --> 00:38:05.240 artificial 00:38:02.000 --> 00:38:06.639 intelligence um and uh how how can you 00:38:05.239 --> 00:38:08.799 not be interested in artificial 00:38:06.639 --> 00:38:10.759 intelligence right I mean if you're not 00:38:08.800 --> 00:38:12.079 interested in artificial intelligence 00:38:10.760 --> 00:38:14.599 you're probably not interested in 00:38:12.079 --> 00:38:14.599 interesting 00:38:14.639 --> 00:38:21.239 things so uh when I'm lecturing uh in my 00:38:18.639 --> 00:38:24.159 AI class it's natural for me to talk 00:38:21.239 --> 00:38:27.838 about what I think is cool and how 00:38:24.159 --> 00:38:29.399 exciting some new idea is uh so that's 00:38:27.838 --> 00:38:31.799 the kind of that's the kind of 00:38:29.400 --> 00:38:34.639 expression of passion that makes a 00:38:31.800 --> 00:38:38.480 difference uh while informing with 00:38:34.639 --> 00:38:38.480 respect to this question of of of 00:38:38.920 --> 00:38:45.519 inspiring oh yeah and of course during 00:38:41.559 --> 00:38:47.519 this promise phase you can also Express 00:38:45.519 --> 00:38:49.920 how cool stuff is let me give you an 00:38:47.519 --> 00:38:52.039 example of a lecture that starts this 00:38:49.920 --> 00:38:54.039 way I'm talking about resource 00:38:52.039 --> 00:38:55.880 allocation it's the same sort of stuff 00:38:54.039 --> 00:38:57.239 you would think of when you're s it's 00:38:55.880 --> 00:38:58.760 the same sort of ideas you would need if 00:38:57.239 --> 00:39:00.679 you're 00:38:58.760 --> 00:39:02.800 allocating a aircraft to a flight 00:39:00.679 --> 00:39:04.598 schedule or trying to schedule a factory 00:39:02.800 --> 00:39:07.480 or something like that but the example 00:39:04.599 --> 00:39:09.559 is putting colors on the states in the 00:39:07.480 --> 00:39:13.679 United States without any bordering 00:39:09.559 --> 00:39:13.679 states having the same color so here it 00:39:14.358 --> 00:39:19.480 goes this is what I show in the 00:39:16.838 --> 00:39:22.119 beginning of the class this is a way of 00:39:19.480 --> 00:39:24.358 doing that coloring and you might say 00:39:22.119 --> 00:39:29.358 well why don't we wait till it 00:39:24.358 --> 00:39:29.358 finishes would you like to do that no 00:39:29.679 --> 00:39:32.358 well we're not going to wait till it 00:39:30.679 --> 00:39:34.279 finishes because the sun will have 00:39:32.358 --> 00:39:36.000 exploded and consumed the Earth before 00:39:34.280 --> 00:39:39.319 this program 00:39:36.000 --> 00:39:41.838 finishes but with a slight adjustment to 00:39:39.318 --> 00:39:43.679 how the program works which I tell my 00:39:41.838 --> 00:39:47.400 students you will understand in the next 00:39:43.679 --> 00:39:47.399 50 minutes this is what you 00:39:48.760 --> 00:39:54.599 get Isn't that cool you know you got you 00:39:52.318 --> 00:39:56.960 got to be you got to be amazed by stuff 00:39:54.599 --> 00:39:58.680 that takes a computation from longer 00:39:56.960 --> 00:40:03.000 than the lifetime of the solar system 00:39:58.679 --> 00:40:05.879 into a few seconds so that's what I mean 00:40:03.000 --> 00:40:07.280 by providing a promise up front and 00:40:05.880 --> 00:40:09.318 expressing some passion about what 00:40:07.280 --> 00:40:11.720 you're talking 00:40:09.318 --> 00:40:14.559 about well the last item in this little 00:40:11.719 --> 00:40:16.559 block here is uh uh it has to do with 00:40:14.559 --> 00:40:18.799 what people think that they do at MIT 00:40:16.559 --> 00:40:20.960 you ask a faculty what the most 00:40:18.800 --> 00:40:23.519 important purpose is and they'll say 00:40:20.960 --> 00:40:25.000 well uh the most important thing I do is 00:40:23.519 --> 00:40:28.358 teach people how to 00:40:25.000 --> 00:40:30.838 think and then uh you say oh that's 00:40:28.358 --> 00:40:34.078 great how do you teach people how to 00:40:30.838 --> 00:40:37.759 think Blank 00:40:34.079 --> 00:40:40.960 Stare no one can quite respond to that 00:40:37.760 --> 00:40:44.119 part that natural next question so how 00:40:40.960 --> 00:40:47.838 do you teach people how to think 00:40:44.119 --> 00:40:51.079 well I believe that we are storytelling 00:40:47.838 --> 00:40:53.119 animals and that uh we start to 00:40:51.079 --> 00:40:55.440 developing our story understanding and 00:40:53.119 --> 00:40:58.000 manipulating skills with fairy tales in 00:40:55.440 --> 00:41:01.039 childhood and continue on through 00:40:58.000 --> 00:41:04.039 professional schools like law business 00:41:01.039 --> 00:41:06.920 medicine engineer everything and we 00:41:04.039 --> 00:41:09.639 continue doing that throughout life so 00:41:06.920 --> 00:41:11.240 if uh that is what thinking is all about 00:41:09.639 --> 00:41:12.559 then when you want to teach people how 00:41:11.239 --> 00:41:14.919 to think you provide them with the 00:41:12.559 --> 00:41:17.039 stories they need to know the questions 00:41:14.920 --> 00:41:19.280 they need to ask about those stories 00:41:17.039 --> 00:41:21.279 mechanisms for analyzing those stories 00:41:19.280 --> 00:41:22.480 ways of putting stories together ways of 00:41:21.280 --> 00:41:25.000 evaluating 00:41:22.480 --> 00:41:27.519 how reliable the story is and that's 00:41:25.000 --> 00:41:29.079 what I think you need to do when you 00:41:27.519 --> 00:41:32.318 teach people how to 00:41:29.079 --> 00:41:36.280 think but that's all about education and 00:41:32.318 --> 00:41:40.159 uh many of you here not necessarily for 00:41:36.280 --> 00:41:42.079 that but rather for uh for this part for 00:41:40.159 --> 00:41:45.480 persuading which breaks down into 00:41:42.079 --> 00:41:48.599 several categories oral exams not shown 00:41:45.480 --> 00:41:51.480 job talks getting famous I won't say 00:41:48.599 --> 00:41:53.200 much about oral exams other than the 00:41:51.480 --> 00:41:56.039 fact that they used to be a lot scarier 00:41:53.199 --> 00:41:58.239 than they are today in the old 00:41:56.039 --> 00:41:59.719 days um 00:41:58.239 --> 00:42:01.598 reading the literature in a foreign 00:41:59.719 --> 00:42:04.838 language was a part of that and there 00:42:01.599 --> 00:42:07.079 was a a high failure rate and when you 00:42:04.838 --> 00:42:10.519 look at when you look back on those uh 00:42:07.079 --> 00:42:12.519 on those failures the most uh usual 00:42:10.519 --> 00:42:16.440 reason for people failing an oral exam 00:42:12.519 --> 00:42:19.719 is failure to situate and a failure to 00:42:16.440 --> 00:42:20.960 practice by situate I mean it's 00:42:19.719 --> 00:42:23.399 important to talk about your research 00:42:20.960 --> 00:42:25.599 and context uh this is a problem that's 00:42:23.400 --> 00:42:27.720 being pursued all over the world there 00:42:25.599 --> 00:42:28.880 hasn't been any progress before me in 00:42:27.719 --> 00:42:31.679 past 30 00:42:28.880 --> 00:42:33.599 years um everyone is looking for a 00:42:31.679 --> 00:42:36.118 solution because it will have impact on 00:42:33.599 --> 00:42:39.200 so many other things so that's situating 00:42:36.119 --> 00:42:40.720 in time and place and field and then as 00:42:39.199 --> 00:42:43.679 far as practice is 00:42:40.719 --> 00:42:47.118 concerned yes practice is important but 00:42:43.679 --> 00:42:50.279 that doesn't mean uh showing your slides 00:42:47.119 --> 00:42:53.039 to the people who share an office with 00:42:50.280 --> 00:42:54.480 the problem with that is that um if 00:42:53.039 --> 00:42:56.000 people know what you're doing they will 00:42:54.480 --> 00:42:57.920 hallucinate that there's material in 00:42:56.000 --> 00:42:58.960 your presentation that isn't there it it 00:42:57.920 --> 00:43:01.119 isn't 00:42:58.960 --> 00:43:05.559 there a variation on the scene by the 00:43:01.119 --> 00:43:07.160 way is your faculty supervisor is not a 00:43:05.559 --> 00:43:09.359 very good person to help you debug a 00:43:07.159 --> 00:43:11.000 talk because they in fact know what 00:43:09.358 --> 00:43:12.838 you're doing and they will in fact 00:43:11.000 --> 00:43:15.358 hallucinate there's material in your 00:43:12.838 --> 00:43:16.799 presentation that isn't there so you 00:43:15.358 --> 00:43:19.119 need to get together some friends who 00:43:16.800 --> 00:43:22.359 don't know what you're doing and have 00:43:19.119 --> 00:43:26.000 them well you start the practice session 00:43:22.358 --> 00:43:27.920 by saying if you can't make me cry I 00:43:26.000 --> 00:43:30.199 won't value you as a friend friend 00:43:27.920 --> 00:43:34.159 anymore and then when you get to the 00:43:30.199 --> 00:43:36.159 faculty uh on a uh oral exam it will be 00:43:34.159 --> 00:43:39.078 easy you see 00:43:36.159 --> 00:43:41.879 um difficulty the amount of flack you 00:43:39.079 --> 00:43:45.000 get from somebody is proportional to age 00:43:41.880 --> 00:43:46.280 the older somebody is the more uh the 00:43:45.000 --> 00:43:48.318 more they understand where they are in 00:43:46.280 --> 00:43:49.880 the world but but the young people are 00:43:48.318 --> 00:43:52.679 trying to show the old people how smart 00:43:49.880 --> 00:43:53.838 they are so so sobly vicious so whenever 00:43:52.679 --> 00:43:55.759 you have an opportunity to have an 00:43:53.838 --> 00:43:58.519 examining committee that's full of 00:43:55.760 --> 00:44:00.720 people with gray hair that's what you 00:43:58.519 --> 00:44:02.480 want well that's just a word or two 00:44:00.719 --> 00:44:05.519 about something I haven't listed here 00:44:02.480 --> 00:44:06.880 let's get into the subject of job talks 00:44:05.519 --> 00:44:12.000 so I was 00:44:06.880 --> 00:44:15.640 um sitting in a bar uh many years ago uh 00:44:12.000 --> 00:44:18.358 in uh San Diego I was a member of the 00:44:15.639 --> 00:44:20.239 Navy science board and I was saying with 00:44:18.358 --> 00:44:22.759 a couple of uh my colleagues on the 00:44:20.239 --> 00:44:25.519 board uh Dolores Eder from the 00:44:22.760 --> 00:44:27.440 University of Colorado uh she made me so 00:44:25.519 --> 00:44:29.559 jealous I could spit because she written 00:44:27.440 --> 00:44:33.440 21 books and I'd only written 00:44:29.559 --> 00:44:37.079 177 and then the other one was 00:44:33.440 --> 00:44:40.679 uh bill welon from the University of 00:44:37.079 --> 00:44:43.359 Texas he was a electrom magnetism guy 00:44:40.679 --> 00:44:45.558 and he know knew how to use rail guns to 00:44:43.358 --> 00:44:48.000 to drive steel rods through tank armor 00:44:45.559 --> 00:44:51.240 these are interesting people so I said 00:44:48.000 --> 00:44:52.960 um what do you look for uh in a uh 00:44:51.239 --> 00:44:57.558 faculty 00:44:52.960 --> 00:45:00.079 candidate and uh within a one microc 00:44:57.559 --> 00:45:01.720 Dolores said they have to show us 00:45:00.079 --> 00:45:05.839 they've got some kind of 00:45:01.719 --> 00:45:09.199 vision quickly followed by Bill who said 00:45:05.838 --> 00:45:09.199 they have to show us that they've done 00:45:14.159 --> 00:45:20.759 something oh that sounds good I said and 00:45:18.599 --> 00:45:23.559 then I said to them how long does the 00:45:20.760 --> 00:45:27.160 candidate have to establish these two 00:45:23.559 --> 00:45:30.079 things what do you think 00:45:27.159 --> 00:45:30.078 compare your answer to 00:45:32.960 --> 00:45:38.119 theirs 5 00:45:35.719 --> 00:45:40.759 minutes so if you haven't expressed your 00:45:38.119 --> 00:45:43.079 vision if you haven't told people that 00:45:40.760 --> 00:45:46.240 you've done something in five minutes 00:45:43.079 --> 00:45:47.839 you're you you've already lost so you 00:45:46.239 --> 00:45:49.279 you have to be able to do that and let 00:45:47.838 --> 00:45:50.239 me just mention a couple of things in 00:45:49.280 --> 00:45:52.280 that 00:45:50.239 --> 00:45:54.239 connection here which is you know the 00:45:52.280 --> 00:45:58.000 vision is in part a problem that 00:45:54.239 --> 00:45:58.000 somebody cares about 00:45:58.079 --> 00:46:01.880 and something new in your 00:46:05.159 --> 00:46:10.639 approach so the problem is understanding 00:46:08.000 --> 00:46:13.000 the nature of human intelligence and the 00:46:10.639 --> 00:46:17.000 approach is asking questions about what 00:46:13.000 --> 00:46:19.159 makes us different from chimpanzees and 00:46:17.000 --> 00:46:21.199 neandertals is it merely a matter of 00:46:19.159 --> 00:46:23.920 quantity or we just a little bit smarter 00:46:21.199 --> 00:46:26.399 in some continuous way or do we have 00:46:23.920 --> 00:46:28.519 something that's fundamentally different 00:46:26.400 --> 00:46:32.639 the chimpan Tendencies don't have and 00:46:28.519 --> 00:46:34.920 the Andals either and the answer is yes 00:46:32.639 --> 00:46:35.960 we do have something different we are 00:46:34.920 --> 00:46:38.519 symbolic 00:46:35.960 --> 00:46:41.440 creatures and because we're symbolic 00:46:38.519 --> 00:46:44.519 creatures we can 00:46:41.440 --> 00:46:47.039 um we can uh build symbolic descriptions 00:46:44.519 --> 00:46:49.199 of relations and events we can string 00:46:47.039 --> 00:46:50.519 them together and make stories and 00:46:49.199 --> 00:46:52.679 because we can make stories that's what 00:46:50.519 --> 00:46:55.358 makes us different so that's that's 00:46:52.679 --> 00:46:57.159 that's my stump speech that's how I 00:46:55.358 --> 00:46:58.199 start most of my talks on my my own 00:46:57.159 --> 00:47:02.399 personal 00:46:58.199 --> 00:47:04.078 research how do you express the notion 00:47:02.400 --> 00:47:07.800 that you've done 00:47:04.079 --> 00:47:10.359 something by listing the steps that need 00:47:07.800 --> 00:47:13.000 to be taken in order to achieve the 00:47:10.358 --> 00:47:14.679 solution to that problem you don't have 00:47:13.000 --> 00:47:17.280 to have done all of those steps but you 00:47:14.679 --> 00:47:20.118 can say here's here's what needs to be 00:47:17.280 --> 00:47:23.319 done an example here's what needs to be 00:47:20.119 --> 00:47:25.800 done we need to specify some Behavior we 00:47:23.318 --> 00:47:27.599 need to enumerate the constraints that 00:47:25.800 --> 00:47:30.039 make it possible to deal with that 00:47:27.599 --> 00:47:31.400 behavior we have to implement a system 00:47:30.039 --> 00:47:33.119 because we're engineers and we don't 00:47:31.400 --> 00:47:35.760 think that we've understood something 00:47:33.119 --> 00:47:37.318 unless we can build it and we've built 00:47:35.760 --> 00:47:38.680 such a system and we're about to 00:47:37.318 --> 00:47:41.199 demonstrate it to you today that would 00:47:38.679 --> 00:47:44.239 be an example of enumerating series of 00:47:41.199 --> 00:47:47.159 steps needed to realize the 00:47:44.239 --> 00:47:49.519 vision so then blah blah blah blah blah 00:47:47.159 --> 00:47:53.279 blah blah blah blah and then you 00:47:49.519 --> 00:47:56.599 conclude by you conclude by enumerating 00:47:53.280 --> 00:47:56.599 your contributions 00:48:01.000 --> 00:48:05.480 it's kind of mirror of of these steps 00:48:03.838 --> 00:48:07.799 and helps to establish that you've done 00:48:05.480 --> 00:48:11.240 something so that's a kind of general 00:48:07.800 --> 00:48:12.960 purpose framework for doing a technical 00:48:11.239 --> 00:48:15.519 talk 00:48:12.960 --> 00:48:18.639 now only a few more things left to do 00:48:15.519 --> 00:48:20.079 today uh getting famous is the next item 00:48:18.639 --> 00:48:22.000 on our agenda because once you've got 00:48:20.079 --> 00:48:23.599 the job you need to think a little bit 00:48:22.000 --> 00:48:24.719 about how you're going to be recognized 00:48:23.599 --> 00:48:28.720 for what you 00:48:24.719 --> 00:48:28.719 do so 00:48:28.760 --> 00:48:31.879 [Music] 00:48:33.559 --> 00:48:37.000 well first of all why should you care 00:48:35.000 --> 00:48:39.880 about getting 00:48:37.000 --> 00:48:41.280 famous I thought about this um in 00:48:39.880 --> 00:48:46.960 connection with 00:48:41.280 --> 00:48:46.960 a fundraising event I attended 00:48:47.119 --> 00:48:51.798 once fundraising event for raising money 00:48:49.798 --> 00:48:54.119 to save Venice from going underwater and 00:48:51.798 --> 00:48:57.039 having all of its art destroyed anyway I 00:48:54.119 --> 00:48:59.160 was sitting here 00:48:57.039 --> 00:49:05.000 and JC was sitting 00:48:59.159 --> 00:49:05.000 here that was uh Julia the late Julia 00:49:07.079 --> 00:49:13.200 Child and as the evening wore on more 00:49:10.079 --> 00:49:16.720 and more people would come up and ask 00:49:13.199 --> 00:49:19.199 Julia to autograph something or Express 00:49:16.719 --> 00:49:22.279 a a feeling that she had changed their 00:49:19.199 --> 00:49:25.558 life and it just happened over and over 00:49:22.280 --> 00:49:29.319 again So eventually I turned to Julia 00:49:25.559 --> 00:49:31.400 and I said Miss child is it fun to be 00:49:29.318 --> 00:49:34.838 famous and she thought about it for a 00:49:31.400 --> 00:49:38.119 second and she said you get used to 00:49:34.838 --> 00:49:40.440 it but you know what occurred to me you 00:49:38.119 --> 00:49:43.798 never get used to being 00:49:40.440 --> 00:49:45.280 ignored so it's you know it's it's 00:49:43.798 --> 00:49:47.599 here's a way to think about it your 00:49:45.280 --> 00:49:49.200 ideas are like your children and you 00:49:47.599 --> 00:49:51.640 don't want them to go into the world in 00:49:49.199 --> 00:49:52.919 rags so what you want to do is to be 00:49:51.639 --> 00:49:55.480 sure that you have 00:49:52.920 --> 00:49:57.318 these techniques these mechanisms these 00:49:55.480 --> 00:49:59.440 thoughts about how to present the ideas 00:49:57.318 --> 00:50:02.358 that you have so that they're recognized 00:49:59.440 --> 00:50:04.519 for the value that that is in them so 00:50:02.358 --> 00:50:07.000 that's why it's a legitimate thing to 00:50:04.519 --> 00:50:10.119 concern yourself with the with 00:50:07.000 --> 00:50:12.440 packaging now how do you get uh 00:50:10.119 --> 00:50:15.680 remembered well there's something I like 00:50:12.440 --> 00:50:19.720 to call Winston star and every one of 00:50:15.679 --> 00:50:21.000 the items I'm about to articulate has a 00:50:19.719 --> 00:50:24.439 starts with an 00:50:21.000 --> 00:50:26.719 S so if you want your presentation ideas 00:50:24.440 --> 00:50:28.920 to be remembered one of the things you 00:50:26.719 --> 00:50:31.318 need to do is to make sure that you have 00:50:28.920 --> 00:50:34.880 some kind of 00:50:31.318 --> 00:50:37.159 symbol associated with your work so this 00:50:34.880 --> 00:50:40.440 Arch example is actually from my PhD 00:50:37.159 --> 00:50:43.679 thesis many many years ago 00:50:40.440 --> 00:50:46.639 and in the course of uh my work uh at 00:50:43.679 --> 00:50:48.639 that time uh this work on Arch learning 00:50:46.639 --> 00:50:51.159 became mildly famous and I didn't know 00:50:48.639 --> 00:50:53.798 why it was only many years later that I 00:50:51.159 --> 00:50:56.318 realized that that work accidentally had 00:50:53.798 --> 00:50:58.679 all of the elements on this star so the 00:50:56.318 --> 00:51:02.440 first element is that there was a kind 00:50:58.679 --> 00:51:02.440 of symbol it's the arch 00:51:04.480 --> 00:51:08.960 itself next thing you need is some kind 00:51:06.798 --> 00:51:08.960 of 00:51:09.559 --> 00:51:14.680 slogan a kind of phrase that provides a 00:51:12.039 --> 00:51:18.719 handle on the work and in this case the 00:51:14.679 --> 00:51:18.719 phrase was one shot 00:51:19.159 --> 00:51:24.239 learning and it was one shot because the 00:51:22.079 --> 00:51:27.240 program I wrote learned something 00:51:24.239 --> 00:51:30.798 definite from every example that was 00:51:27.239 --> 00:51:33.358 presented to us so in going from a model 00:51:30.798 --> 00:51:34.880 based on this configuration to something 00:51:33.358 --> 00:51:36.838 that isn't an arch based on that 00:51:34.880 --> 00:51:40.358 configuration the program learned that 00:51:36.838 --> 00:51:43.239 it has to be on top one shot 00:51:40.358 --> 00:51:48.239 learning so that's a 00:51:43.239 --> 00:51:48.239 simple slogan now we need a 00:51:50.480 --> 00:51:54.880 surprise yeah the surprise is you don't 00:51:52.920 --> 00:51:57.760 need a million examples of something to 00:51:54.880 --> 00:52:00.280 learn you can do it with one example if 00:51:57.760 --> 00:52:02.720 you're smart enough to make use of that 00:52:00.280 --> 00:52:04.240 example appropriately so that was the 00:52:02.719 --> 00:52:06.078 surprise you can learn something 00:52:04.239 --> 00:52:10.399 definite from each 00:52:06.079 --> 00:52:10.400 example next item was a Salient 00:52:12.280 --> 00:52:17.680 idea now when I say Salient idea I don't 00:52:15.239 --> 00:52:18.798 mean important what I mean is an idea 00:52:17.679 --> 00:52:20.318 that sticks 00:52:18.798 --> 00:52:23.039 out 00:52:20.318 --> 00:52:24.639 uh some some thesis funnily enough have 00:52:23.039 --> 00:52:26.400 too many good ideas and you don't know 00:52:24.639 --> 00:52:28.159 what it's all about because which one is 00:52:26.400 --> 00:52:31.519 it it so you need an idea that sticks 00:52:28.159 --> 00:52:35.440 out and the idea that stuck out 00:52:31.519 --> 00:52:35.440 here was a notion of a near 00:52:38.159 --> 00:52:44.920 miss you see this is not an arch but it 00:52:41.679 --> 00:52:46.480 doesn't miss by much so it's a near 00:52:44.920 --> 00:52:49.798 Miss 00:52:46.480 --> 00:52:53.480 finally you need to tell the 00:52:49.798 --> 00:52:54.920 story of how you did it how it works why 00:52:53.480 --> 00:52:57.119 it's 00:52:54.920 --> 00:53:01.280 important so that's 00:52:57.119 --> 00:53:02.838 um a bit on uh how to not so much get 00:53:01.280 --> 00:53:04.760 famous but how to ensure that your work 00:53:02.838 --> 00:53:07.558 is 00:53:04.760 --> 00:53:09.160 recognized well that that we're almost 00:53:07.559 --> 00:53:12.480 finished because now we're we're down to 00:53:09.159 --> 00:53:15.078 this last item which is U how to 00:53:12.480 --> 00:53:16.679 stop and when we come to that there's a 00:53:15.079 --> 00:53:19.039 question of all right well what is the 00:53:16.679 --> 00:53:19.039 final 00:53:21.318 --> 00:53:26.159 slide and what are the final words 00:53:30.599 --> 00:53:35.920 so for the final slide let me give you 00:53:32.798 --> 00:53:35.920 some examples of 00:53:36.599 --> 00:53:40.160 possibilities how about this 00:53:41.079 --> 00:53:47.400 one well you might see that 00:53:43.920 --> 00:53:47.400 slide and 00:53:47.719 --> 00:53:52.679 uh think to yourself there are thousand 00:53:51.280 --> 00:53:55.680 faculty at 00:53:52.679 --> 00:53:57.759 MIT nice piece of work but not so much 00:53:55.679 --> 00:53:59.919 but it's only a tiny any piece of work 00:53:57.760 --> 00:54:01.920 if you divide by a 00:53:59.920 --> 00:54:03.880 thousand so when you show a whole 00:54:01.920 --> 00:54:05.960 gigantic list of collaborators at the 00:54:03.880 --> 00:54:07.760 end of a talk it's a kind of it's a it's 00:54:05.960 --> 00:54:09.798 it's it's a kind of let down because it 00:54:07.760 --> 00:54:11.160 suggests that nobody knows well did you 00:54:09.798 --> 00:54:13.119 do anything 00:54:11.159 --> 00:54:15.239 significant now you got to you got to 00:54:13.119 --> 00:54:17.680 recognize your collaborators right so 00:54:15.239 --> 00:54:20.558 where do you do that not on the last 00:54:17.679 --> 00:54:22.118 slide on the first slide all this was on 00:54:20.559 --> 00:54:23.798 the first slide these are the 00:54:22.119 --> 00:54:25.079 collaborators so you don't want to put 00:54:23.798 --> 00:54:28.079 them at the end you don't want a slide 00:54:25.079 --> 00:54:29.880 like this 00:54:28.079 --> 00:54:32.400 how about this 00:54:29.880 --> 00:54:33.760 one this is the worst possible way to 00:54:32.400 --> 00:54:38.318 end a 00:54:33.760 --> 00:54:41.559 talk because this slide can be up there 00:54:38.318 --> 00:54:44.719 for 20 minutes I've seen it happen it 00:54:41.559 --> 00:54:47.359 squanders real estate it squanders an 00:54:44.719 --> 00:54:49.919 opportunity to tell people who you are 00:54:47.358 --> 00:54:49.920 it's it's 00:54:50.679 --> 00:54:55.239 just what about this one 00:54:56.679 --> 00:55:00.239 I often see it I've never seen anybody 00:54:58.679 --> 00:55:04.919 write it 00:55:00.239 --> 00:55:04.919 down also it wastes 00:55:05.519 --> 00:55:09.719 opportunity oh my 00:55:07.219 --> 00:55:13.000 [Music] 00:55:09.719 --> 00:55:13.000 God even 00:55:13.880 --> 00:55:20.640 worse all of these slides do nothing for 00:55:17.159 --> 00:55:22.960 you they waste an opportunity for you to 00:55:20.639 --> 00:55:25.159 tell people to leave people with what 00:55:22.960 --> 00:55:28.318 you with who you 00:55:25.159 --> 00:55:30.318 are well well what about 00:55:28.318 --> 00:55:34.000 this this a good 00:55:30.318 --> 00:55:36.279 one it might seem so at first but here's 00:55:34.000 --> 00:55:36.280 the 00:55:37.239 --> 00:55:41.719 problem if you say these are my 00:55:39.960 --> 00:55:43.798 conclusions these are perfectly 00:55:41.719 --> 00:55:46.199 legitimate conclusions that nobody cares 00:55:43.798 --> 00:55:48.480 about what they care about is what you 00:55:46.199 --> 00:55:50.439 have done and that's why your final 00:55:48.480 --> 00:55:52.280 slide should have this 00:55:50.440 --> 00:55:54.200 label 00:55:52.280 --> 00:55:55.880 contributions it's a mirror of what I 00:55:54.199 --> 00:55:58.000 said over there about how job talks on 00:55:55.880 --> 00:55:59.760 to ought to be like a sandwich and the 00:55:58.000 --> 00:56:01.239 final Slide the one that's up there 00:55:59.760 --> 00:56:02.680 while people are asking questions and 00:56:01.239 --> 00:56:04.279 filing out it ought to be the one that 00:56:02.679 --> 00:56:08.239 has your contributions on 00:56:04.280 --> 00:56:11.519 it here's an example from my own stump 00:56:08.239 --> 00:56:14.879 speech yeah this is what uh I talk about 00:56:11.519 --> 00:56:17.798 a lot yes here are the things that I 00:56:14.880 --> 00:56:17.798 typically 00:56:20.039 --> 00:56:24.559 demonstrate and I wait for people to 00:56:22.000 --> 00:56:27.679 read it and then the final element there 00:56:24.559 --> 00:56:31.720 is this is what we get out of 00:56:27.679 --> 00:56:34.399 it so that's a example of a contribution 00:56:31.719 --> 00:56:37.639 line all right 00:56:34.400 --> 00:56:39.639 now what about the other part you know 00:56:37.639 --> 00:56:41.639 you got your final slide slide up there 00:56:39.639 --> 00:56:43.358 it's a contribution slide somehow you 00:56:41.639 --> 00:56:48.400 have to tell people you're 00:56:43.358 --> 00:56:48.400 finished so uh let's check out a few 00:56:49.039 --> 00:56:55.440 possibilities one thing you could 00:56:51.480 --> 00:56:58.240 do in the final words is you could uh 00:56:55.440 --> 00:56:58.240 tell a joke 00:56:59.798 --> 00:57:03.798 it's 00:57:01.440 --> 00:57:05.240 okay by the time you're done people have 00:57:03.798 --> 00:57:08.440 adjusted themselves to your voice 00:57:05.239 --> 00:57:08.439 parameters they're ready for a 00:57:08.920 --> 00:57:13.798 joke I was sitting in another bar this 00:57:11.239 --> 00:57:16.879 time in Austin Texas with a colleague of 00:57:13.798 --> 00:57:20.599 mine named Doug lenat and Doug's a 00:57:16.880 --> 00:57:23.160 fantastic speaker and so I said uh to 00:57:20.599 --> 00:57:27.240 Doug Doug you're a fantastic speaker 00:57:23.159 --> 00:57:29.639 what's your secret and he said oh 00:57:27.239 --> 00:57:31.078 I always uh finish with a joke and that 00:57:29.639 --> 00:57:33.318 way people think they've had fun the 00:57:31.079 --> 00:57:33.318 whole 00:57:34.400 --> 00:57:42.240 time so yeah a joke will work down 00:57:38.400 --> 00:57:42.240 there how about uh this 00:57:49.798 --> 00:57:56.318 one thank 00:57:52.880 --> 00:57:59.599 you I don't recommend it 00:57:56.318 --> 00:58:01.239 it's a weak move you will not go to hell 00:57:59.599 --> 00:58:02.798 if you conclude your talk by saying 00:58:01.239 --> 00:58:03.679 thank you but it's a weak move and 00:58:02.798 --> 00:58:06.960 here's 00:58:03.679 --> 00:58:09.118 why when you say thank you even worse 00:58:06.960 --> 00:58:11.480 thank you for listening it suggests that 00:58:09.119 --> 00:58:13.920 everybody has stayed that long out of 00:58:11.480 --> 00:58:15.838 politeness and that they had a profound 00:58:13.920 --> 00:58:17.519 desire to be somewhere else but they're 00:58:15.838 --> 00:58:19.318 so polite they stuck it out and that's 00:58:17.519 --> 00:58:21.920 what you're thanking them 00:58:19.318 --> 00:58:24.000 for so once wild Applause has started 00:58:21.920 --> 00:58:25.599 you can mouth a thank you and it's not 00:58:24.000 --> 00:58:26.880 there's nothing wrong with that but the 00:58:25.599 --> 00:58:29.000 last thing you do do should not be 00:58:26.880 --> 00:58:31.280 saying thank 00:58:29.000 --> 00:58:33.838 you now do you say to me well doesn't 00:58:31.280 --> 00:58:36.000 everybody say thank you well what 00:58:33.838 --> 00:58:36.759 everybody does is not necessarily the 00:58:36.000 --> 00:58:39.039 right 00:58:36.760 --> 00:58:41.319 thing and I'd like to illustrate how 00:58:39.039 --> 00:58:44.079 some talks can end without saying thank 00:58:41.318 --> 00:58:46.038 you I like to draw from political 00:58:44.079 --> 00:58:49.160 speeches but the ones that I've heard 00:58:46.039 --> 00:58:49.160 recently aren't so good 00:58:49.239 --> 00:58:53.598 so 00:58:51.159 --> 00:58:57.038 so I'm going to have to go go back a 00:58:53.599 --> 00:59:01.400 little bit so here's a Governor Christie 00:58:57.039 --> 00:59:04.480 he uh gave the U Republican keynote 00:59:01.400 --> 00:59:07.559 address one year uh this is the end of 00:59:04.480 --> 00:59:07.559 his talk let's see what he 00:59:08.239 --> 00:59:15.479 does and together everybody together we 00:59:12.358 --> 00:59:17.239 will stand up once again for American 00:59:15.480 --> 00:59:19.318 greatness for our children and 00:59:17.239 --> 00:59:21.639 grandchildren God bless you and God 00:59:19.318 --> 00:59:21.639 bless 00:59:22.639 --> 00:59:28.239 America that's some a classic 00:59:25.519 --> 00:59:29.599 benediction ending God bless you God 00:59:28.239 --> 00:59:31.639 Bless 00:59:29.599 --> 00:59:33.280 America now I I don't want to be 00:59:31.639 --> 00:59:36.440 partisan about this so I think I better 00:59:33.280 --> 00:59:38.039 switch to the keynote address in the Dem 00:59:36.440 --> 00:59:40.599 Democratic 00:59:38.039 --> 00:59:42.359 Convention I was delivered that year by 00:59:40.599 --> 00:59:44.838 by Bill Clinton who knows something 00:59:42.358 --> 00:59:44.838 about how to 00:59:45.440 --> 00:59:52.440 speak if that is what you want if that 00:59:49.199 --> 00:59:57.078 is what you believe you must vote and 00:59:52.440 --> 01:00:00.720 you must reelect President Barack Obama 00:59:57.079 --> 01:00:00.720 God bless you and God bless 01:00:08.719 --> 01:00:13.838 America now watch this let's go back a 01:00:12.000 --> 01:00:15.519 little bit and redo it what I want you 01:00:13.838 --> 01:00:17.920 to see is that at one point he seems to 01:00:15.519 --> 01:00:20.318 be almost pressing his lips together 01:00:17.920 --> 01:00:21.480 forcing himself not to say thank you and 01:00:20.318 --> 01:00:23.480 then there's another place where he does 01:00:21.480 --> 01:00:24.639 a little salute so watch for those this 01:00:23.480 --> 01:00:28.280 time 01:00:24.639 --> 01:00:31.480 around if that that is what you want if 01:00:28.280 --> 01:00:35.319 that is what you believe you must vote 01:00:31.480 --> 01:00:38.880 and you must reelect President Barack 01:00:35.318 --> 01:00:42.239 Obama God bless you and God bless 01:00:38.880 --> 01:00:45.599 America everybody's pursing his 01:00:42.239 --> 01:00:45.598 lips there's a 01:00:46.519 --> 01:00:51.239 [Applause] 01:00:48.639 --> 01:00:53.159 SL yeah I think that's pretty good now 01:00:51.239 --> 01:00:56.078 what are we going to take away from this 01:00:53.159 --> 01:00:58.118 well um I suppose I can conclude this 01:00:56.079 --> 01:00:59.318 talked by saying uh God bless you and 01:00:58.119 --> 01:01:03.280 God 01:00:59.318 --> 01:01:05.400 bless Institute of Technology but uh it 01:01:03.280 --> 01:01:06.519 might not work so well but what what you 01:01:05.400 --> 01:01:08.599 can't get out of this is you don't have 01:01:06.519 --> 01:01:10.798 to say thank you there are other things 01:01:08.599 --> 01:01:12.960 you can do and you know it's interesting 01:01:10.798 --> 01:01:14.719 that uh over time people figure this out 01:01:12.960 --> 01:01:18.760 and there's some stock ways of ending 01:01:14.719 --> 01:01:20.000 things so uh in the Catholic church in a 01:01:18.760 --> 01:01:23.760 good old Latin 01:01:20.000 --> 01:01:27.599 Mass it landed with it 01:01:23.760 --> 01:01:30.559 Miss EST 01:01:27.599 --> 01:01:33.400 which translates approximately to okay 01:01:30.559 --> 01:01:36.519 the mass is over you can go home 01:01:33.400 --> 01:01:39.400 now and of course uh at the musical 01:01:36.519 --> 01:01:42.400 concerts uh you know that uh it's time 01:01:39.400 --> 01:01:44.639 to clap not at the end of the song but 01:01:42.400 --> 01:01:47.160 rather when the uh conductor goes over 01:01:44.639 --> 01:01:49.078 and shakes hands with the concert Master 01:01:47.159 --> 01:01:52.399 those are conventions that tell you that 01:01:49.079 --> 01:01:56.278 the that the event is 01:01:52.400 --> 01:01:58.798 over so uh 01:01:56.278 --> 01:02:00.559 those are all possibilities for here but 01:01:58.798 --> 01:02:02.759 one more possibility and that is that 01:02:00.559 --> 01:02:02.760 you 01:02:04.400 --> 01:02:11.039 can salute the audience and by that I 01:02:07.960 --> 01:02:13.199 mean you can say something about how how 01:02:11.039 --> 01:02:18.119 much you value your time and a place so 01:02:13.199 --> 01:02:21.278 I could say well it's been a a great fun 01:02:18.119 --> 01:02:23.160 being here uh it's been uh fascinating 01:02:21.278 --> 01:02:27.278 to see what you folks are doing here at 01:02:23.159 --> 01:02:28.639 MIT I've been uh what stimulated uh and 01:02:27.278 --> 01:02:31.039 and provoked by the kinds of questions 01:02:28.639 --> 01:02:33.400 you been ask has been really great and 01:02:31.039 --> 01:02:35.400 and and I look forward to coming back on 01:02:33.400 --> 01:02:39.278 many occasions in the future so that 01:02:35.400 --> 01:02:39.278 salutes the audience you can do 01:02:39.719 --> 01:02:47.318 that well there it is um you know what 01:02:45.000 --> 01:02:49.760 uh I'm glad you're here and and the 01:02:47.318 --> 01:02:52.199 reason is by being here I think you have 01:02:49.760 --> 01:02:54.200 demonstrated an understanding that how 01:02:52.199 --> 01:02:56.399 you present and how you package your 01:02:54.199 --> 01:02:57.960 ideas is an important thing 01:02:56.400 --> 01:03:02.480 and I salute you for 01:02:57.960 --> 01:03:06.340 that and uh I uh suggest that you uh 01:03:02.480 --> 01:03:28.668 come back again and bring your friends 01:03:06.340 --> 01:03:28.669 [Applause]