# On What Subjects can You Deliver a Two Page Report Off the Top of Your Head? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 12, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130 "2017-07-12T21:47:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/1 "2017-07-12T21:47:25Z")
I could rattle off a two page report on the following without touching a book or Wikipedia: Abraham Lincoln Henry the Eighth Al Capone How about you? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/2 "2017-07-13T00:29:15Z")
Does it have to be factual? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/3 "2017-07-13T00:32:14Z")
Guess. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/4 "2017-07-13T00:40:49Z")
How to write and submit a picture book. Ditto for a story for a children’s magazine. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/5 "2017-07-13T00:57:49Z")
I have to do it all the time at work but it is more like 10 - 20 pages. Unfortunately, they are all about obscure systems in the medical devices industry that compliance people check for formatting and terminology, file away and nobody ever reads again. Think [TPS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TPS_report) reports. I can easily write a 2 page essay on lots of neuroscience, computing and aeronautics topics off the top of my head. Also include Louisiana history and culture. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/6 "2017-07-13T02:15:16Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Does it have to be factual? > [@running\_coach](#): > > Guess. > > 😃 Seriously, I could knock off 1,000 words or so on my college major and on a couple of industries I consulted for before I retired. I can’t guarantee the information would be the most up to date, but what I would write would be accurate, and would be written plainly enough for the general public. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/7 "2017-07-13T02:31:35Z")
The French and Indian War in general and most battles and personalities involved. Some firearms and aspects of gunsmithing. Russian coins and paper money up to 1917; all money during the colonial era 1600-1800. Motorcycles; their care, use and history. Most amusement parks east of the Mississippi. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/8 "2017-07-13T05:44:58Z")
Dog training Migraines Autism Napoleonic wars, particularly from the British perspective Urban fantasy, science fiction ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/9 "2017-07-13T05:50:36Z")
Things That Piss Me Off ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/10 "2017-07-13T08:59:38Z")
Property Insurance Air Traffic Control Woodworking ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/11 "2017-07-13T10:14:55Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I have to do it all the time at work but it is more like 10 - 20 pages. Unfortunately, they are all about obscure systems in the medical devices industry that compliance people check for formatting and terminology, file away and nobody ever reads again. Think [TPS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TPS_report) reports. > > I can easily write a 2 page essay on lots of neuroscience, computing and aeronautics topics off the top of my head. Also include Louisiana history and culture. I was hoping to see more threads here on neuroscience when I joined. Most of them tend to fall flat pretty quickly. Not sure why I am fascinated with it. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/12 "2017-07-13T11:54:02Z")
Installation, maintenance, trouble shooting and repair of fire alarm systems. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/13 "2017-07-13T12:03:30Z")
> [@LH75](#): > > Installation, maintenance, trouble shooting and repair of fire alarm systems. Hey, longhair75! Yes, I know you could. But you probably wouldn’t even get to smoke detector placement on sloped ceilings with beams. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/14 "2017-07-13T12:10:00Z")
True. Also, smoke detector placement for smoke control for fire doors. Or ground fault diagnostics , locating and repair. As an EST dealer, I could do a few pages on how to write programming rules for the EST 3 system. I am also maybe one of the last IRC 3 programmers left in the business ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/15 "2017-07-13T12:17:30Z")
Lord Horatio Nelson machine learning web development interpretation of _Moby Dick_ ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/16 "2017-07-13T13:16:46Z")
The Wars of the Roses The Princes in the Tower The Rules of Hockey The Battle of Verdun Standard manuscript format Cooking eggs History of pie throwing in movies Traffic (the rock group) Many more. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/17 "2017-07-13T13:37:54Z")
My kids would argue that I only speak in 2-page structured reports 😉 Many topics. My area of expertise includes developing structured arguments on the fly so I bring that to any topic. However, within the context of the SDMB, would y’all be surprised if I went on for a couple of pages about guitars? 😉 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/18 "2017-07-13T14:14:37Z")
Um, sex. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/19 "2017-07-13T14:20:45Z")
The past fifty years in music. Anything to do with the 1960’s Anything to do with real estate Musical theatre The Legion of Super-Heroes Serial killers ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130/20 "2017-07-13T14:21:56Z")
Isokinetic source sampling for air pollutants Basic weather understanding… how the atmosphere behaves Motorcycle operation and handling Single-engine airplane operations Traffic dynamics and survival (not rock groups :)) Backpacking/Camping/Hiking North Carolina topography and ecosystems Combustion engines; compare and contrast [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-subjects-can-you-deliver-a-two-page-report-off-the-top-of-your-head/791130.md?page=2)