PENGUIN!

Am I losing my mind?
No.

Did I suddenly change my field of research?
Also no. I love viruses, plasma and water too much.

What is happening is that I wanted to get your attention (in a slightly exaggerated way).

In times when we are constantly bombarded with stimuli, getting (and keeping) someone’s attention is becoming harder than ever.

And this is also true for presentations.
That is why it matters how you start them.

Does this mean you should do it by shouting random words?
In most cases, the answer is no.

What to do instead?
There are many different ways, including starting with:

🔹 A question or rhetorical question
“Do you know what the most diverse and abundant biological entities on the planet are?”

🔹 A fun fact
“There are more viruses on Earth than stars in the visible universe.”

🔹 A beautiful or devastating visual
An electron microscope image of viruses or a picture showing a very sick individual.

🔹 A demonstration
Bring your work with you, maybe a device you have developed.
(In case you work with infectious viruses, I’d recommend leaving them in the lab)

🔹 Your results (if you feel particularly courageous)
“We have destroyed all the viruses…”
Think of it as a retrospective movie. Start with the ending, then explain how you got there.

However, don’t forget that a good opening will only open the door to your audience’s attention.

Then it’s time to keep it.