The swinging ball of death: another example of using objects as visual aids

This is the latest in a series of posts on the effectiveness of using an object as a visual aid (for a selection of others, see the links below) and comes from one of the Royal Institution's Christmas lectures for children by Professor Chris Bishop.

Apart from the sheer entertainment value, at least three other points are worth noting.

1. The eager excitement on the faces of the audience after he tells them he's going to let go of the steel ball.
2. The way in which they are paying close enough attention to be able to join in the 'countdown' for the second two of the three numbers.
3. How their focus on the swinging ball is so precise that they start clapping at exactly the moment at which the ball reaches its closest point to the professor's forehead.

OTHER POSTS ON USING OBJECTS AS VISUAL AIDS:

• Showing what you mean: more from Professor Sir Lawrence Bragg
• Objects as visual aids: Obama & Archbishop Sentamu in action
• Steve Jobs shows how to use an object as a visual aid (and how to speak about it)
• If Bill Gates doesn't read bullet points from PowerPoint slides
• No flies on Obama
• Senator Scott Brown shows how to use a newspaper as a visual aid

(See also Speech-making and Presentation Made Easy, pp.67-69)

Media News: a decision is not going to be made

Our local newspaper, The Wells Journal, occasionally comes up with such breath-taking headlines or stories that they cry out to be shared with a wider audience, as when it told us that a council official was about to walk along path that doesn't exist, or when one of its pre-Christmas headlines warned of a 'Busy time for postal workers' (HERE).

This week's Journal excels itself with the lead headline and opening lines of its front page story about something that's not going to happen and a meeting that's not going to take place - pushing news of a local murder trial (very rare around here, thankfully) on to an inside page:

City kept waiting for news about store
A decision on which site in Wells will be used for a new supermarket will not be made this week. Mendip District Council has decided to postpone a debate and decision on a new supermarket after a last minute application by the Morrisons chain...

READ MORE and/or keep up with the latest from the Wells Journal (?) HERE.

Using 'clap on the name' to introduce or commend someone

This is a sequel to yesterday's post on How NOT to introduce a speaker, and shows some more examples of the 'clap on the name technique' in action.

In the first one, Michael Parkinson is introducing the next guest on his chat show.

(1) Identify or hint at the person's identity:

".. her latest film, 'In the Cut', is dark and erotic."

(2) Say a few words about him/her:

"She’s a writer who becomes involved with a detective investigating a serial killer. Ladies and Gentlemen"

(3) Name him/her:

"Meg Ryan" [Applause/cheers].

The second example shows how the 'clap on the name' technique doesn't just work for introductions, but is also just as effective when you're congratulating or commending someone.

In this clip, Barack Obama is commending John Kerry at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

(1) Identify or hint at the person's identity:

"Our party has chosen a man to lead us"

(2) Say a few words about him/her:

"who embodies the best this country has to offer, and that man is"

(3) Name him/her:

"John Kerry" [Applause/cheers].