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The Craft of Scientific Presentations

Michael Alley

College of Engineering

Pennsylvania State University

[estevejobs.com]

[inc.com]

[Alley, 2013]

Reference pages in The Craft of Scientific Presentations, 2^nd ed.:

pp. vii-x, 1-3

Additional Notes: Steve Jobs appears on this slide because he was considered such an excellent technical presenter. Also shown on the slide is Cheryl Hayashi, another excellent speaker about science. For reference, see her TED.com talk:

https://www.ted.com/talks/cheryl_hayashi_the_magnificence_of_spider_silk

Note that the book and these slides use the term “scientific presentations” to encompass the presentations done by engineers and scientists. If you prefer the more general term “technical,” you can use the Replace command to replace “scientific” with “technical” throughout. Likewise, if you desire a term more specific than “scientific,” you can use the same command to insert your preferred term (“engineering” or “biological” would be two examples).

References:

Michael Alley, The Craft of Scientific Presentations, 2^nd ed. (New York: Springer-Verlag, 2013). Generally, the lowest price is on Amazon.com.
Michael Alley, “Scientific Presentations: The Assertion-Evidence Approach,” http://writing.engr.psu.edu/speaking.html (University Park: Penn State, 2013).

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audience

purpose

occasion

You begin preparing a scientific presentation

by analyzing your constraints

what they know

why they are there

to inform

to persuade

time

room

[Alley, 2013]

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*

To excel in your scientific presentations, you guide�your audience up the mountain of your work

Orienting audience

at the start

Keeping audience�on the path

Appreciating�the view

[Alley, 2013]

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Slides influence the preparation, delivery, and understanding of a scientific presentation

[Alley, 2013]

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Success involves defining a valuable scope �and a satisfying depth

unknown

Scope

Depth

[Alley, 2013]

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Beginnings prepare the audience for the work

pre-combustion methods

post-combustion methods

combustion methods

[Alley, 2013]

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A common error in the beginning of scientific talks �is to leave the audience behind

[Alley, 2013]

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Determining Whether Atmospheric Mercury Goes �into Surface Snow after a Depletion Event

Katrine Aspmo

Torunn Berg

Norwegian Institute for �Air Research

Grethe Wibetoe

University of Oslo, �Dept. of Chemistry

June 16, 2004

Event

Ny-Ålesund

[Alley, 2013]

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A common error in the mapping of scientific talks �is to show a list that is not memorable

[Alley, 2013]

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This talk traces what happens to mercury after it depletes from the atmosphere in arctic regions

Environmental implications

Measurements from Station

Theory for mercury cycling

[Alley, 2013]

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*

To excel in your scientific presentations, you guide�your audience up the mountain of your work

Keeping audience�on the path

[Alley, 2013]

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PowerPoint’s defaults arose before much research on slides�and have not changed significantly

1987

2003

2007

[Gomes 2007]

[Alley, 2013]

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PowerPoint’s defaults run counter to how people learn

Does not filter noise

Leads to too many words

Consumes valuable space

[Garner et al., 2009]

[Alley, 2013]

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The assertion–evidence structure consists of a message headline supported by visual evidence

[Settles, 2002]

[Alley, 2013]

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The way a dog sniffs does not contaminate �the vapor stream from the scent source

scent

source

[Settles et al., 2002]

[Alley, 2013]

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The way a dog sniffs does not contaminate �the vapor stream from the scent source

scent

source

[Settles et al., 2002]

[Alley, 2013]

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The first step is to write a sentence headline that states�the main message of the slide

sentence

headline

[Alley, 2013]

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A data acquisition system changes the form of the data

A digital acquisition system has to sample at a rate�fast enough to retain the shape of the analog signal

Analog-to-Digital

Converter

Measurement�Device

[Alley, 2013]

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A digital acquisition system has to sample at a rate�fast enough to retain the shape of the analog signal

Analog-to-Digital

Converter

Measurement�Device

[Alley, 2013]

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The second step is to find or create visual evidence �that supports the sentence headline

visual�evidence

[Alley, 2013]

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Most streams were classified in fair condition

because of high chloride concentrations

Delaware River Parks:

79% Fair

Chloride caused most problems

Western Pennsylvania Parks:

75% Fair

Chloride caused most problems

West Virginia Parks:

48% Fair

Sulfate caused most problem

[Alley, 2013]

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Normalized friction factors and Nusselt numbers correlated our data with the data of others

Reynolds Number

Nu_o, f_o

T_wall

T_inlet

Heat Flux, q˝

h

Nu

T_bulk

Pressure Drop

Friction Factor, f

Pressure Taps

Thermocouples

Venturi Meter

Voltmeter

[Alley, 2013]

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At typical highway speeds, overcoming drag requires �about two-thirds of a truck engine’s output

[McCallen, 2004]

Aerodynamic Drag

C_D = 0.6

Rolling Friction �and Accessories

[Alley, 2013]

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The third step in creating assertion-evidence slides �is to change the defaults of PowerPoint

[Alley, 2013]

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Tsunamis cause devastating destruction, especially to sparsely vegetated areas.

2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: Gleebruk Village, Sri Lanka

Before:

After:

http://homepage.mac.com/demark/tsunami/14.html

PPT’s defaults�crowd this slide

[Alley, 2013]

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Tsunamis cause devastating destruction, �especially to sparsely vegetated areas

2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: Gleebruk Village, Sri Lanka

Before

After

[homepage.mac.com/demark/]

Sparse

[Alley, 2013]

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A common error in the endings of scientific talks �is to waste the last slide

[Alley, 2013]

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Adsorbed HOAc allows �the growth of siderite

A thick siderite layer protects �the steel from corrosion

Questions?

In summary, high concentrations of acetic acid�help protect steel from corrosion

Steel

Fe_3+x O_4-y

FeCO₃

[Alley, 2013]

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In scientific presentations, speakers fashion most words on the spot, but after planning and practice

Memorized

Read

Impromptu

Fashioned on spot

after planning

[Alley, 2013]

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Hans Rosling

Passion leads to preparation which then leads to confidence

[Marshall, 2008; Alley, 2013]

[Alley, 2013]

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The developed and undeveloped worlds

UN has collected data since 1962
1962:

Developed countries: small families, long lives
Undeveloped countries: large families, short lives

2003:

Movement towards long lives and small families

Important events:

Health care in China and Latin America
Bangladesh, 1980: family planning introduced
1990s: HIV epidemic drops African life expectancy

Fertility Rate

(births per woman)

Life Expectancy

(years)

Developed

Undeveloped

1960s

Fertility Rate

(births per woman)

Life Expectancy

(years)

2000s

Developed

Undeveloped

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In summary, to excel in your presentations, you will need content, passion, and an acute sense of audience

[www.psyclops.com]

[ted.com]

[www.wildchimpanzees.org]

[Alley, 2013]