Transcript Physics Oral Presentations 101

Physics Oral
Presentations
101
Physics 695
Adapted from presentation by
Dr. Jaroslav Fabian (University of Maryland at College Park),
CONTENTS
1. Types of presentations
2. Abstract preparation
3. Talk preparation: software
4. Talk preparation: format
5. Talk presentation
1. TYPES of PRESENTATIONS
• 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)
• Presentation to Management
• Presentation to Sponsors
• Presentation to Class
2. ABSTRACT PREPARATION
• http://abstracts.aps.org/
• Both html and MS Word 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
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-WinerWeaire random network and Stillinger-Weber inter-atomic 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
(diffusons--extended non-propagating modes) can be described in
terms of random matrices (the corresponding level-spacing distribution
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.
\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 jelly spread on its back}
\AuthorSurname{Fabian}
\AuthorGivenName{Jaroslav}
%\AuthorEmail{[email protected]}
\AuthorAffil{University Graz}
\begin{abstract} Cats thrown up always fall on their feet. Toast spread
with jelly always ends on the jelly side.......
\end{abstract}
\end{document}
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 assigned
to a poster presentation—what is a
poster?)
3. TALK PREPARATION - Software
• MS PowerPoint
– Flexible, portable, easy to share
– Insertion of portable graphics (png, jpg, gif, eps)
– Great resolution, easy to do math (TexPoint, ...)
– Templates available
• Latex or Lyx with Beamer class
4. Talk preparation: Format
• GRAND RULE: Slides are no more and no
less than an accompaniment to the oral
presentation.
• They should not be a reading board, nor a
decoration to your speech.
• At any rate, they should be readable.
• Dress analogy
– Conceal your weaknesses and expose your
strengths
Structure
•
•
•
•
•
Title
Contents (outline)
Introduction
Body
Conclusions (summary)
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
SPIN RELAXATION & SPIN TRANSPORT
IN ELECTRONIC MATERIALS
Jaroslav Fabian
Institute for Theoretical Physics
Karl-Franzens University, Graz
Collaborators: Igor Žutić1,2 and Sankar Das Sarma1
1Condensed
Matter Theory Center, Univ. of Maryland, College Park
2Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC
Supported by US ONR
Contents Page
• Say what you want to talk about
• Not recommended for 10 minute talks !!!
OUTLINE
1. SPINTRONICS
2. SPIN RELAXATION
3. BIPOLAR SPINTRONICS:
MAGNETICBIPOLAR DIODE
MAGNETIC BIPOLAR TRANSISTOR
4. SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK
Introduction
• Put your talk in a broader context
• Why should the audience listen?
• Why is your work interesting?
Body of the Presentation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reasonably organized
Easy to follow---accompany speech
Colorful
Plenty of illustrations
Equations to a minimum
Main physical points stressed
Do not overcrowd the slides; audiences
tend to read everything on the screen
SPIN RELAXATION IN METALS ELLIOTT-YAFET THEORY
Conclusions Page
• Longer Talks: See next slide
• Conclusions for 10 minute talks?
– At most, a punchline
– 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 the last 10 minutes.
Example SUMMARY
• Novel spintronic device schemes proposed
and modeled numerically and analytically:
– magnetic bipolar diode
– magnetic bipolar transistor
• 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
4. Presentation of Talk
Rule1 (Planck): KNOW THE AUDIENCE
• What is the level?
 general public
 undergrads
 grads
 experts
• Your Response:
– Imagine yourself in their shoes and adjust your talk
(especially the length of the introduction) to be
comprehensible to an average person at that level.
– Then make your talk one level simpler!
Rule 2: TIME THE TALK
• 10 min. talks
 1 min. title
 9 min. body
 2 min. questions
• 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
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, discussing spinning tops in his Lecture notes
• Give simple physical pictures and graphs.
• Keep formulae simple, without unnecessary indices,
essentially giving the main trends (energy goes as 1/L2)
• Give tables only when necessary (comparison of theory
and experiment); use graphs instead
Rule 4: ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE
Or, “How to Keep Them Awake”
• The sheer fact that the topic of your talk is
interesting does not guarantee your talk will be
interesting
• 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 embarrassing)
Rule 5 (Koch*):
Keep PANDORA‘S box closed
• Do not talk about things you have only a faint
idea about. You may think you will look
educated, but you can bet there will be someone
in the audience asking a question about it and
you will be embarrassed and say ‚ “Oops, 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
Rule 6: GIVE PROPER CREDIT
• Display acknowledgments 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
(Rule5).
Rule 7: ANTICIPATE QUESTIONS
• You appear competent when you know how to
answer questions.
• Be honest if you do not know the answer:
 This is an interesting question, but I would need more
time 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; a very good
question.
 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
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
Rule 9: 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 (of their free will or not)
• Try to relax. It is natural to be a little stressed,
especially at the start
Random Rules 10-13
• If appropriate, begin by thanking the organizers
– for invitation or opportunity to present your
recent work
• End with “Thank you for your attention,” which to
some is a clear-cut way to say 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).
Random Rules 14 -...
• If asked a question, repeat it if you feel
some may not have heard it (especially
if you have a microphone)
• Prepare technical aspects of the talk
(notebook computer connection,
booting) a few minutes before the talk
• Make sure that all can see the whole
screen, and that you are no obstacle to
their view. Stand at the side, not in front.
• Point to the screen, not to the projector!