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Actually, Mike, I find that fire usually does the trick nicely.
http://www.interactives.co.uk/hearts_custard_photos.htm

Or water. I treasure a beautiful series of shots taken by a press
photographer, standing behind me as I faced a dauntingly serious,
stony-faced, German-speaking audience in Switzerland at the start of a
family science show. Subsequent photos show them seconds after I have fired
a supersoaker water pistol at them while explaining the concept of
'pressure', and after I launched a powerful coke-bottle water-rocket which
slid along a rope above their heads towards the back of the room at 100
miles per hour, spraying them with more water. Their faces were totally
transformed.

From then on, the audience was with me ... and I was with them. Whatever the
context of the presentation, I've discovered that I don't feel relaxed until
I've heard the first laughter. Probably the audience feels the same.

Maybe pack a loaded supersoaker in case the jokes don't work? Mind you don't
take out that Powerpoint projector.

[log in to unmask] * http://www.interactives.co.uk
*
Give people facts and you feed their minds for an hour.
Awaken curiosity and they feed their own minds for a lifetime.
*
Ian Russell 
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Informal Science Education Network 
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mike Levad
> Sent: 08 October 2008 16:28
> 
> One thing I love about presenting at ASTC is that if you ever 
> feel the attention in the audience waning it is perfectly 
> legit to light something on fire! 

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