The Craft of Scientific Presentations

Michael AlleyCollege of EngineeringPenn State

[estevejobs.com]

[TED.com]

A Workshop for Engineers and Scientists

CSP, 2nd, pp. vii-x

To excel in your presentations, you will need ___________, ______________, and _______________________________

[www.psyclops.com]

[ted.com]

[www.wildchimpanzees.org]CSP, 2nd, pp. 3-4

audience

purpose occasion

You begin preparing a scientific presentationby analyzing your constraints

CSP, 2nd, pp. 18-33

*

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

Orienting audience at the start

Keeping audienceon the path

Appreciatingthe view

CSP, 2nd, pp. 51-52

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

CSP, 2nd, pp. 117-122

[estevejobs.com]

A key assumption is that _____________________________ ____________________________________________

CSP, 2nd, pp. 106-107

Beginnings prepare the audience for the work

pre-combustion methods

post-combustion methods

combustion methods

CSP, 2nd, pp. 69-71

Success involves defining a ___________________ scope and a ____________________ depth

unknown

Valuable

Satisfying

CSP, 2nd, pp. 59-66

Atmospheric Mercury Depletion Events (AMDEs) in Polar Regions

During Arctic Spring

Stuart Apple, Kerry Cho, Dale GrayEnvironmental Engineering Department

22 October 2011

A common error in the beginning of scientific talks is _____________________________________

CSP, 2nd, p. 72

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

Katrine AspmoTorunn BergNorwegian Institute for Air Research

Grethe WibetoeUniversity of Oslo, Dept. of Chemistry

June 16, 2004

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

01.01 02.03 01.05 30.06 29.08 28.10 27.12

ng/m3

Event

Ny-Ålesund

CSP, 2nd, pp. 72-73

Introduction Background Theory for Hg Cycling Measurements from Station

Atmospheric Hg Surface Snow Hg

Environmental Implications Conclusions Acknwoledgments Questions

A common error in the mapping of scientific talks is _____________________________________

CSP, 2nd, pp. 176-178

Measurements from station

This talk compares theory with measurements and gives the environmental implications

Theory for Hg cycling

Environmental implications CSP, 2nd, pp. 178-180

[Alley, 2013]

*

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

Keeping audienceon the path

[Alley, 2013]

Another key assumption is that the slides projected are ____________________________________________

≠

CSP, 2nd, p. 107

PowerPoint’s original defaults were not based on ________and ________________________

1987

2003

2007

[Gomes 2007] CSP, 2nd, p. 108

PowerPoint’s defaults run __________________________ to how people learn

______________________

_________________________

_____________________Consumes valuable space thatcould be used for images

CSP, 2nd, pp. 108-114

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

[Sawarynski, 2009]

scentsource

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

[Settles et al., 2002]

CSP, 2nd, pp. 130, 144

scentsource

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

[Settles et al., 2002] CSP, 2nd, pp. 132-139

scentsource

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

[Settles et al., 2002] CSP, 2nd, p. 140

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

sentenceheadline

CSP, 2nd, pp. 132-139

A succession of electron acceptors occurs when an aquifer becomes contaminated with oil

CH4CH4 SO4SO42−2−

FeFe 3+3+ NO3

Mn

NO3

Mn

−−

4+4+

O2O2

––––––

OilOil

Flow

CSP, 2nd, pp. 122-123

A data acquisition system changes the form of the dataA digital acquisition system has to sample at a ratefast enough to retain the shape of the analog signal

Analog-to-Digital Converter

MeasurementDevice

Digital Acquisition System Sampling

Vibration measured by accelerometer– Analog voltage produced– Sinusoidal shape

Analog signal converted to digital signal Signal sampled at a specific rate Rate → high enough to retain analog shape

CSP, 2nd, pp. 110-111

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

Analog-to-Digital Converter

MeasurementDevice

CSP, 2nd, pp. 115-116

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

visualevidence

CSP, 2nd, p. 140

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

CSP, 2nd, pp. 148-149

Since its construction in 1952, traffic across the bridgehas grown exponentially

19521.1 million vehicles

[Maryland Transportation Authority, 2007] CSP, 2nd, pp. 140-142

Using the measurement data, we calculated the normalized friction factors and Nusselt numbers

Reynolds Number

Nuo, fo

Pressure Drop

Friction Factor, f

4.08.00 PrRe023.0 Nu

2.00 Re046.0 f

Pressure Taps ThermocouplesVenturi Meter Voltmeter

CSP, 2nd, pp. 146-148

How much power from a truck’s engine is needed to overcome aerodynamic drag?At typical highway speeds, overcoming drag requires about two-thirds of a truck engine’s output

[McCallen, 2004]

Aerodynamic DragCD = 0.6

Rolling Friction and Accessories

CSP, 2nd, pp. 143-144

≠

A data acquisition system changes the form of the dataA digital acquisition system has to sample at a ratefast enough to retain the shape of the analog signal

Analog-to-Digital Converter

MeasurementDevice

Another assumption is that the slides that we project are for our _____________, rather than for __________

CSP, 2nd, p. 107

The third step is to avoid the weak defaults of PowerPoint

CSP, 2nd, pp. 154-159

Before:

Tsunamis cause devastating destruction, especially to sparsely vegetated areas.

• 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: Gleebruk Village, Sri LankaAfter:

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

PPT’s defaults

crowd this slide

CSP, 2nd, pp. 166-168

2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: Gleebruk Village, Sri Lanka

Before

Tsunamis cause devastating destruction, especially to sparsely vegetated areas

After

[homepage.mac.com/demark/]

Sparse

SparseSparse

CSP, 2nd, pp. 166-168

June 23, 2008 2008 ASEE Annual Conference -- Pittsburgh

Questions ?

A common error in the endings of scientific talks is ______________________________________

CSP, 2nd, pp. 181-184

Adsorbed HOAc allows the growth of siderite

A thick siderite layer protects the steel from corrosion

Questions?

In summary, high concentrations of acetic acidhelp protect steel from corrosion

SteelFe3+x O4-y

FeCO3

CSP, 2nd, pp. 181-184

Many engineers and scientists have had successusing the assertion-evidence approach

CSP, 2nd, pp. 199

In a scientific presentation, the speaker’s words most oftenarise from ________________________________________

Memorized

Read

Impromptu

Planned, practiced, butfashioned on the spot

CSP, 2nd, pp. 229-240

In her TED talk, Patek focused on the ____________ andher ___________ for the ideas

Sheila Patek[TED.com]

CSP, 2nd, pp. 268-270

Hans Rosling

___________ leads to __________________ which then leads to ____________________

[TED.com]

CSP, 2nd, pp. 268-270

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]CSP, 2nd, pp. 1-3