Physics Oral Presentations 101

1. Physics Oral Presentations101 Physics 695 Adapted from presentation by Dr. Jaroslav Fabian (University of Maryland at College Park),

2. CONTENTS 1. Types of presentations 2. Abstract preparation 3. Talk preparation: software 4. Talk preparation: format 5. Talk presentation

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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 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. Abstract Example

6. \documentstyle[11pt,apsab]{article} \nofiles \MeetingID{TEST98} %\DateSubmitted{20040315} \SubmittingMemberSurname{Fabian} \SubmittingMemberGivenName{Jaroslav} %\SubmittingMemberID{12345} \SubmittingMemberEmail{jaroslav.fabian@uni-graz.at} \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{jaroslav.fabian@uni-graz.at} \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}

8. 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?)

9. 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

10. 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

11. Structure • Title • Contents (outline) • Introduction • Body • Conclusions (summary)

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. Introduction • Put your talk in a broader context • Why should the audience listen? • Why is your work interesting?

16. 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

17. SPIN RELAXATION IN METALS ELLIOTT-YAFET THEORY

18. 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.

19. 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

20. 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!

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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)

24. 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

25. 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).

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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).

30. 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!