Dr. Leif W. Hanlen

Dr. Leif W. Hanlen

Researcher

Wireless Signal Processing Program
National ICT Australia

Backdoor Seminar Series

Convenor: Leif Hanlen

Too much time is spent in academic presentations providing glossy slides, and interesting plots of material which is safely developed to completion. As academics and students, we are very shy of showing problems that we cannot yet solve. Where are the unsolved questions? the potential for a speaker to say "I don't know why this happens, but it's interesting" or simply "Here's a problem, so far it's not solved, but I have some guesses...."?

After the end of an exciting presentation, colleagues will often press together, at the back door of the seminar room, or in a coffee house, discussing the problems that aren't yet solved, and possible directions of the research. Often, the most valuable breakthoughs are made during these discussions, when the emphasis is not on presenting, but rather openly discussing material. The backdoor seminar series is a no-gloss approach to speaking which attempts to capture these free-flowing discussions, with the following suggestions:

• Rules: no rules
• No slides: informal talks with little or no preparation
  
• No completed work
• Short, 5--10 minute seminars with little or no background material
• Lots of questions and interruptions