Sometimes, you really want to get a point across.
When you want to get a point across, you have several reliable options;
- Shout and/or be insulting
- Be extremely witty and dazzle your audience
- Write a clear and comprehensive guide
- Crack a silly joke
Usually I like to avoid number 1), and number 2) isn’t really my strong point (I get distracted too easily to be witty). That leaves two options.
Number three is good, it’s a solid option for anyone who wants to understand your point. But what happens when you’re at work, you’re giving training on your area of expertise – what if your audience might not necessarily want to know what you’re trying to tell them?
The only option left is to crack a joke.
Of course, I’m in this position right now; I’m giving a talk on Thursday about Photon Detection Efficiency and dead time effects. That’s a somewhat dry subject. There’s a very important point that I need to make though, and it might be easily missed and forgotten. So I produced this. It’s not that funny, but it’s silly enough to be remembered – that’s what counts.
So: How bad are dead time effects really? I’m going to ask former Prime Minister John Major to make a guest appearance for me…
