Physics Oral
Presentations
101
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CONTENTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Types of presentations
Abstract preparation
Talk preparation: software
Talk preparation: format
Talk presentation
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1. TYPES of PRESENTATIONS
Ordered by importance
• Oral student presentation at a seminar
(30-60 minutes)
• Contributed talk at a conference (10-30)
• Invited seminar (45-60 min)
• Invited talk at a conference (30, 60)
• Plenary talk/lecture at a conference (60)
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Conferences
•
•
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•
http://www.aps.org/meet/index.cfm
http://physicsweb.org/events
http://www.iop.org/IOP/Confs
http://www.slac.stanford.edu/spires/conferences/
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Abstract Example
Session M14 - Glasses Collective Behavior and Vibrational Dynamics.
MIXED session, Wednesday morning, March 18
405, Los Angeles Convention Center
[M14.05] Vibrations in Glasses and Random Matrix Theory
Jaroslav Fabian (University of Maryland at College Park), Joseph L. Feldman
(Naval Research Laboratory, Washington D.C.)
Vibrations in amorphous silicon are analyzed from the perspective of random matrix theory.
We use the combination of the Wooten-Winer-Weaire random network and
Stillinger-Weber interatomic potential to model the vibrational dynamics of amorphous
silicon. By calculating the level-spacing distributions and spectral correlation functions
for the vibrations of this model we find that the majority of the vibrations (diffusonsextended non-propagating modes) can be described in terms of random matrices (the
corresponding level-spacingistribution corresponds to the Wigner surmise). On the other
hand, localized modes, which in our model exist only at the highest frequencies, show no
sign of spectral correlation and their level-spacing distribution is a Poisson one.
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2. ABSTRACT PREPARATION
http://abstracts.aps.org/
• Both html and MSWord possible
• For LaTex need apsab.sty
In UNIX put apsab.sty in the same directory as the
file abstract.tex that you create
Compile by typing: latex abstract.tex
Convert to postscript: dvips abstract.tex
View your abstract by typing: gv abstract.ps
• Example follows
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Please proofread this information
You have entered the following abstract information for the Test Web Abstract.
If this information is correct, please press the 'Submit' button at the bottom of the page.
What happens to a cat with a jelly spread on its back
Jaroslav Fabian (University Graz)
Cats thrown up always fall on their feet. A toast spread with jelly always ends on the jelly
side. A thorough investigation of cats with a jelly spread on their backs suggest that such
cats levitate above the surface, never falling down. This effect could be used for fast and
friction free transportation similar to MAGLEVs. Quantum aspects of this phenomenon
are studied. Preliminary results show a cat in a superposition of two states: cat on its back
and cat on its feet. Possible measurement schemes to actually observe the cat in one of
the two states are proposed.An open question remains what happens if the cat is a
Schroedinger's cat.
Presentation type: Oral
Sorting category: Cat
Submitter: Jaroslav Fabian
Submitting Member ID: 12345
submitting member email address: [email protected]
Submitting Member affiliation: University of Graz
Special instructions: a live cat is required.
CategoryType: T
Email address[1]: [email protected]
If the information is correct, press the "Submit" button below. If the information is not
correct, please use the Back button on your browser to return to the input form and
correct the problem.
Do NOT press the submit button more than once or multiple copies of the abstract will be
entered in the system.
When you are satisfied with your submission, please print this page for future reference.
Thank you.
Submit
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\documentstyle[11pt,apsab]{article}
\nofiles
\MeetingID{TEST98}
%\DateSubmitted{20040315}
\SubmittingMemberSurname{Fabian}
\SubmittingMemberGivenName{Jaroslav}
%\SubmittingMemberID{12345}
\SubmittingMemberEmail{[email protected]}
\SubmittingMemberAffil{University of Graz}
\PresentationType{oral}
\SortCategory{A}{}{}{}
\SpecialInstructions{a live cat is required.}
\begin{document}
\Title{What happens to a cat with a jelly spread on its back}
\AuthorSurname{Fabian}
\AuthorGivenName{Jaroslav}
%\AuthorEmail{[email protected]}
\AuthorAffil{University Graz}
T
\begin{abstract}
Cats thrown up always fall on their feet. A toast spread
with jelly always ends on the jelly side. A thorough
investigation of cats with a jelly spread on their backs
suggest that such cats levitate above the surface, never
falling down. This effect could be used for fast and
friction free transportation similar to MAGLEVs. Quantum
aspects of this phenomenon are studied. Preliminary results
show a cat in a superposition of two states: cat on its back
and cat on its feet. Possible measurement schemes to
actually observe the cat in one of the two states are
proposed.An open question remains what happens if the cat is
a Schroedinger's cat.
\end{abstract}
\end{document}
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After submitting an
abstract:
Dear ...,
Thank you for your abstract submission. Your abstract will
be reviewed by the program committee, and you should receive
its decision on or by 1 April 2010.
• Wait to be notified if the abstract is
accepted (sometimes one gets downgraded
to a poster presentation—What is a
poster?)
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Invited presentations
>> You need to be invited, it is an honor! <<
Dear Dr. ...,
We have great pleasure in inviting you to be our guest lecturer at the xxth
International School on the Physics of .... The School will be held form ...
through ... 2010, in .... We shall be much obliged if you could accept the
invitation and would find it possible to visit .... Please, find enclosed the letter
of invitation which contains all the deatils concerning the event. Naturally, the
hardcopy of the letter has been sent to you by regular mail. We are looking
forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
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3. TALK PREPARATION:
Software tools
•Hand-aided: transparencies (already history)
•Computer-aided: MS PowerPoint
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Hand-aided transparancies
Personal art of scientific presentation
Pros:
•Versatile: personality exposed, cheerful
•Reasonably colorful
•Relevant points natural
(much effort needed for overdoing)
•Easy add-ons at talk
•Works virtually everywhere
•Light to carry
•No power, AC convertors needed to review
•If left in a Cafe, most likely found there next day
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Hand-aided transparancies
Personal art of scientific presentation
Cons:
•Personality exposed
•No modifications (xept add-ons)
•Low resolution
•No templates available
•Graph print-out/xerox time consuming, expensive
•Frequently blown away by projector fans
•Finger-printing, yellowing
•Question „Could you show again the slide where ...?“
invites for a desparate search.
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Computer Aided Presentations
Bill Gates‘s art of scientific presentation
Pros:
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Flexible, portable, easy to share
Insertions of portable graphics (png,jpg, gif, eps, ...)
Great resolution, easy to do math (TexPoint, ...)
Templates available (Scientific presentations for
dummies)
Easy to do on train/plane/car (xept while driving)
Changes at last moment, spellchecking
Visual, sound (the symphony effect possible)
Easy orientation for question session
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There are sceptics about PowerPoint
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/ppt2_pr.html
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Computer Aided Presentations
Bill Gates‘s art of scientific presentation
Cons:
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Personality lost (uniformity, business-like)
Bullets, bullets, bullets ... (bulletproof is illusion)
Border between HA slides and reading a paper
Long warm-up phase, disruptive to sessions
(5-100000 minutes: wiring, technology, Mac)
Problems with graphics
Overdoing (equations, indexes): relevance lost
Heavy (notebooks comes to about 3 kg)
Try leaving your notebook for a moment in a Cafe
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4. Talk preparation:
Format
GRAND RULE:
Slides are no more and no less than
an accompaniment to the oral presentation.
They shall not be a reading board, nor a
decoration to your speech. At any rate, they
should be readable.
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dress analogy
Conceal your weaknesses and
expose your strengths
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4. Talk preparation:
Format
Or
How to sift one year worth of
research into ten minutes of
presentation
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Structure
•
•
•
•
•
Title
Contents (outline)
Introduction
Body
Conclusions (summary)
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Title page
(unless you are well known to the audience)
1. Title of the talk
2. Name, Institution
3. Collaborators
4. Acknowledgements (Grants, etc. )
5. An informal picture helps to catch
attention from the start
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SPIN RELAXATION &
SPIN TRANSPORT IN
ELECTRONIC MATERIALS
Jaroslav Fabian
Institute for Theoretical Physics
Karl-Franzens University Graz
Title page
example
Collaborators:
1,2
Igor Žutić and Sankar Das Sarma1
1
Condensed Matter Theory Center
University of Maryland at College Park
2
Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC
Supported by US ONR
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Contents page
Say what you want to talk about
Not recommended for 10 minute talks !!!
OUTLINE
contents
page example
1. SPINTRONICS
2. SPIN RELAXATION
3. BIPOLAR SPINTRONICS:
MAGNETIC BIPOLAR DIODE
MAGNETIC BIPOLAR
TRANSISTOR
4. SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK
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Introduction
Put your talk in a broader context
Why should the audience listen?
Why is your work interesting?
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Body of the
presentation
•Reasonably organized
•Easy to follow---accompany speech
•Colorful
•Plenty illustrations
•Equations to a minimum
•Main physical points stressed
•Do not overcrowd, audience tend to
read everything on the screen
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2. SPIN RELAXATION IN
METALS
ELLIOTT-YAFET THEORY
Body page
example
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SPIN INJECTION?
I. Zutic,J. Fabian,S. Das Sarma, Phys. Rev. B. 64, 121201
(2001).
Body page
example
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Conclusions page
Conclusions for 10 minute talks?
I recommend only a punchline, if one insists:
‚Cats with jelly on the back never fall!‘
If you feel you need to formally conclude a 10 min. talk,
you likely failed to deliver the main point. The audience
should remember what you said within last 10 minutes.
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SUMMARY
Novel spintronic device schemes
proposed and modeled numerically and
analytically:
• magnetic bipolar diode
• magnetic bipolar transistor
Conclusions
example
New spin and charge transport
phenomena in semiconductor junctions
predicted:
• spin injection through diode and
transistor
• spin-voltaic effects
• giant-magnetoresistance
• spin capacitance
• spatial spin amplification
• spin control over current
amplification
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4. Talk presentation:
From: J. Garland
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Useful readings:
Physics Today 42, July 1991
Physics Today 11, November 1992
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‚,It is in the nature of physics talks that
they should be boring and confusing‘‘
N. D. Mermin, Physics Today, 9 November 1992
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Planck to Schroedinger:
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So, how do you give a good talk?
Rule -1:
Report original, reasonable,
and interesting results
you are proud of
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So, how do you give good a talk?
Rule 0:
GIVE A GOOD TALK (*)
(*) I
claim priority to this rule. All other rules that follow (some named) are
trivial extensions or specific cases of this one.
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Rule 1 (Planck):
KNOW THE AUDIENCE
What is the level?
•
•
•
•
general public
undergrads
grads, experts
husband/wife
Response:
Imagine yourself in their shoes and adjust your
talk (especially the length of the introduction) to be
comprehensible to an average person in that level.
Then make your talk one level simpler!
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A rule of thumb
If you as a graduate student (professor) had not
known or had forgotten a specific concept that you
have learned during your research and appears to you
at the time of the presentation as ‚standard
knowledge‘ (all cats fall on their feet because ...), it is
very likely that graduate students (professors) in the
audience will find it helpful to have their memory
refreshed as well. Give them the pleasure of learning
new or already forgotten ‚standard knowledge‘ (as you
may already know, all cats fall on their feet,
because...).
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What is the intensity? (*)
size
•
•
•
•
•
0
2-5
5-20
20-50
51-100000
friendliness
•Cheesy
•Polite-friendly
•Polite-ironic
•Aggressive
Response:
Adjust your voice, question allowance, and friendliness.
Mind cultural differences.
(*)
intensity = size x aggressivness = size/friendliness
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Physics Today, 45, July 1991
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What is the phase?
•
•
coherent
all asleep or all listening
incoherent (no phase can be defined)
frequent disturbances: snoring, shouting, wobbling,
candy unwrapping, door slamming
Response:
Adjust your level of excitement, lock the door
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Rule 2:
TIME THE TALK
Intrinsic timing
10 min. talks
•1 min. title
•9 min. body
•2 min. questions
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Intrinsic timing
30-60 min. talks
•1 min. title
•5-20 min. introduction (20-30% of talk)
•fill in body
•2-4 min. conclusions
•5-10 min. questions
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Extrinsic timing:
better less than more
allow circa 2-3 minutes per slide
(*)
•5-8 slides for 10 min. talks
•12-20 slides for 30 min. talks
•20-30 slides for 45-60 min. talks
( *)
Measure your personal slide/minute speed
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Rule 3:
BE QUALITATIVE
• Physics is an exact science whose pleasure derives from
qualitative understanding.
„It will turn out, as we go to more and more advanced physics, that many simple things can
be deduced mathematically more rapidly than they can be really understood in a
fundamental or simple sense.“
Richard Feynman while discussing spinning tops in his Lecture notes
• Give simple physical pictures and graphs.
• Keep formulas simple, without unecessary indexes,
essentially giving the main trends (energy goes as 1/L2)
• Give tables only when necessary (comparison of theory and
experiment), use graphs instead
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Rule 4:
ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE
Or how to keep them awake
The sheer fact that the topic of your talk is intersting does
not guarantee your talk will be intersting
•Do not be afraid to make gestures
•Move (though jumping may be considered
too theatrical by some)
•Make eye contact, do not stare at the floor
•Make a joke
•Make them think, not just listen: ask a question,
pause, then give an answer (do not ask random people for
answers—this tends to be embarassing)
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(
)
(Koch * ):
Rule 5
Keep PANDORA‘S box closed
Do not talk about things you have only a faint idea
about. You think you will look educated, but bet
that there will be someone in the audience asking
a question about it and you will be embarassed
and say ‚Ooops, I am actually not an expert on
that, sorry.‘ You should be in full command over
your slides.
(*)I
first heard it from Prof. Peter Koch when I was a grad student
at SUNY Stony Brook
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An actual account of Pandora‘s box
-speaker: cites from the slide:
‚Everyone must rediscover quantum mechanics for himself‘
Wagner
-audience: Who is Wagner?
-speaker: I do not know but he must be a well
known physicist
-audience: Do you actually mean Wigner?
-speaker: Could be
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Rule 6:
GIVE PROPER CREDIT
•Display ackowledgements to your coworkers
and to your funding agencies
•Give credit to relevant previous work and
mention concurrent efforts by others.
•Cite the sources of the pictures that you borrow
or you are inspired by
•Neglecting the above opens Pandora‘s box (Rule 5).
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Rule 7:
ANTICIPATE QUESTIONS
•You appear competent when you know how
to answer questions.
•Be honest if you do not know the answer:
9 This is an intersting question, but I would need more time
9
9
9
9
to think about an answer.
A very good question. We are currently working on a related
problem so if you come to my next talk in 2020 I will let you know.
I should have thought about that, this is very good.
Honestly I do not know the answer. But you appear to know more
than I do on this issue so I would be interested in talking to you
after the session
I am not familiar with that work of Prof. Einstein so I cannot
comment on it
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Rule 8:
PRACTICE
• Even experienced speakers
do practice
• Talk at your group meeting or
alone at home
• Pay attention to timing,
smoothness of the transitions
between slides
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Rule 9
DEVELOP YOUR OWN STYLE
•Be creative, play with colors and fonts
•Include scanned graphics and hand-made pictures
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Rule 10:
ENJOY THE TALK
• You should be excited that your research is in a
stage that your results can be communicated and
disseminated
• You should be excited that you have an
opportunity to present your ideas to a broader
audience
• You should be excited that people actually listen
to you (on their free will or not)
• Try to relax. It is natural to be a little stressed,
especially at the start
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10 RULES--SUMMARY
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Know the audience
Time the talk
Be qualitative
Engage the audience
Keep Pandora‘s box closed
Give proper credit
Anticipate questions
Practice
Develop your own style
Enjoy the talk
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Random Rules 11-14
•If appropriate, begin by thanking the organizers
for invitation or opportunity to present your recent
work
•End by ‚Thank you for your attention‘ which to some
is an alarm clock and to others may be a clear-cut
way that the talk is really over
•Reading from a slide occasionally is OK, especially
when citing (Little Prince, Alice in Wonderland,
Einstein, Feynman, ...)
•Dress appropriately (since physicists do not appear
to be fashion fans, this rule is not strict; just be
comfortable while socially acceptable)
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Random Rules 15-...
•If asked a question, repeat it if you feel some may not
heared it (especially if you have a microphone)
•Prepare technical aspects of the talk (notebook
connection, booting) a few minutes before the talk
•Make sure that all can see the whole screen, and that
you are no obstacle for the view. Stand at the side, not in
front.
•Point to the screen, not to the projector!
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