UCH Speaker Suggestions

Suggestions for speakers

Your role as a speaker at the Ultracold Coffee Hour is to initiate conversation -- indeed, many conversations all at once, many of which don't involve you or the topic you chose to present! With this is mind, it is suggested that you prepare a very short presentation on a topic that is likely to be of broad interest. Structure your presentation so that even with being interrupted with all sorts of questions and comments you will still be finished within about 20 minutes. To do this, you'll have to assume that your audience knows a lot of the relevant physics already -- which they certainly do -- so that you don't spend all your time on introductory material. Spend your time selectively on the most interesting, and most provocative, parts of what you would otherwise say in a longer comprehensive talk.

A good template for the Ultracold Coffee Hour is that the first roughly 20 minutes will be free-form discussion as people are getting their coffee and arranging themselves in the room. The next 20 minutes or so will involve your presentation. And then the remainder of the time will be the most productive and interesting time, as, following your stimulating presentation, the group breaks into many parallel conversations all at once.

It is very strongly suggested that you use no Powerpoint or other projected slides. Use the white board and wave your hands as you explain things. You might have a page of notes or bullet points to organize your thoughts, but trust yourself to explain things on the fly. Thus keeping the presentations less formal and less polished will encourage everybody listening to interrupt, ask questions, and contribute to the discussion.

Thank you very much for stepping up and contributing to the intellectual environment here at Berkeley. We all appreciate your efforts. If you have suggestions for how to improve the Ultracold Coffee Hour, please let us know.