# You have to do a 45 minute presentation with no preparation right now. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 28, 2017, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521 "2017-09-28T14:26:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/61 "2017-09-29T14:33:21Z")
In order of how well I would do: 1. Basic Judaism 2. Advanced Judaism 3. American Sign Language 4. Jack the Ripper 5. Real-life Cases behind _Law & Order_ Episodes 6. Why Richard III Didn’t Kill His Nephews ---
**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:** [September 29, 2017, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/62 "2017-09-29T14:36:46Z")
I’ve had to do short presentations of this type in management training classes, though they were usually 15-30 minute presentations. In each case, I spoke on haplodiploidy. I wrote at least three papers on the subject in college and graduate school, so it comes easily. It’s such an odd subject to choose that everyone is either fascinated or bewildered. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/63 "2017-09-29T14:38:53Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > In order of how well I would do: > > 1. Basic Judaism > 2. Advanced Judaism > 3. American Sign Language > 4. Jack the Ripper > 5. Real-life Cases behind _Law & Order_ Episodes > 6. Why Richard III Didn’t Kill His Nephews I could cover the basics of Roman Catholicism. Or quilting. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/64 "2017-09-29T14:40:17Z")
Health care reform ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/65 "2017-09-29T15:40:08Z")
Ignoring artificial intelligence, which I teach so that would be too easy, I could do 45 minutes on the history of video games I think. Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/66 "2017-09-29T17:41:37Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > I’ve had to do short presentations of this type in management training classes, though they were usually 15-30 minute presentations. In each case, I spoke on haplodiploidy. I wrote at least three papers on the subject in college and graduate school, so it comes easily. It’s such an odd subject to choose that everyone is either fascinated or bewildered. Ahh, nuts, that was going to be at least 10 minutes of my bee presentation. Can you go after me? I’m only going to cover the very basics… ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/67 "2017-09-29T17:50:37Z")
Sons of Anarchy - Jax Teller was a moron and deserved all the bad shit that happened to him ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/68 "2017-09-29T17:54:41Z")
I could do 45 minutes on a dozen different subtopics within Florida workers’ compensation law. But I’d prefer to do 45 minutes on why Chris DeGarmo is the greatest and why Queensryche has been awful since he left, or the relative strengths of Tampa Bay Buccaneers position groups over the years, or the _Fallout_ series of games (I bought FO1 on release day just because the cover art was cool and never looked back). ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/69 "2017-09-29T18:38:48Z")
Soaring, as in flying gliders. Its my main hobby and there’s plenty to talk about. I’m an instructor (not a glider instructor or school teacher ) and on our first day of instructor training we had to pick a a word out of a hat and do a three minute presentation on the spot. My word was “ice”. It was easy and they had to cut me off. Luckily, I didn’t pick “crayon” like the guy before me. That would have been a disaster. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/70 "2017-09-29T18:42:37Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > That sounds like a recipe for some of the best teaching, _and_ some of the worst. You are correct, sir. My approach has been both brilliant and, occasionally, dreadful. Even when it’s very interesting, there’s a risk that kids remember all the detours rather than what they’re SUPPOSED to be learning. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/71 "2017-09-29T20:56:20Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I love the fact that you can do a 45 minute impromptu presentation specifically on the Flight of the Nolder. (and I know you can do it). Me, I was going to cover all of Middle Earth and related matters to fill 45 minutes. I could talk for a _year_ on ME. My family says I already have!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/72 "2017-09-29T21:15:32Z")
> [@BeepKillBeep](#): > > Ignoring artificial intelligence, which I teach so that would be too easy, I could do 45 minutes on the history of video games I think. > > Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk Do you have an estimated timeline for when we will have intelligent AI that can make meaningful advances in science and technology on a world wide scale (ie, not a device with a very narrow use that requires tons of programming). ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2017, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/73 "2017-09-29T21:25:15Z")
Best estimate for that would be approximately 60 years ago, give or take maybe a decade. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2017, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/74 "2017-09-30T01:44:36Z")
1. How to find a job 2. How to deliver stuff door-to-door 3. How to cold call to set appointments Probably more, but just wanted to list 3. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2017, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/75 "2017-09-30T02:05:37Z")
Rocket engines. Specific points of interest are: a basic history; the fundamentals of rocketry (Newton’s laws, essentially); fuel types (monopropellant, bipropellant, storable vs. cryogenic, etc.); and cycles (pressure fed, expander cycle, bleedoff, gas generator, partial closed, full-flow closed, etc.). The 3D graphics pipeline. A basic overview/history of vertex transformation and triangle rasterization, and moving onto the modern pipeline of compute shaders, vertex shaders, pixel shaders, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Periwinkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Periwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Periwinkle)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2017, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/76 "2017-09-30T02:54:26Z")
Business Valuation Puppy training Basic Cookery ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2017, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/77 "2017-09-30T05:22:58Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Do you have an estimated timeline for when we will have intelligent AI that can make meaningful advances in science and technology on a world wide scale (ie, not a device with a very narrow use that requires tons of programming). Do you mean make advances all on its own? If so, the best I can say is, probably not any time soon. The best way to think about AI as it exists today is as a computational aide to human abilities. I personally think we don’t have the the right kind of computational tools to do it. So, the first question in my mind is, when will we have the ability to do the right kind of computing? People are working on that, for example, quantum computing is a (somewhat) different way of thinking about computation. I don’t think that, but I’m not certain, that quantum computing is the path to strong AI or a general problem solver, but I think this is the kind of work that needs to be done. If you mean, an AI that helps to make meaningful advances, we have those already but I think it would fall under the “very narrow use” clause. So, how soon until we have a broader, more generalized computational tool that is not itself strong AI? Not that long I don’t think. 10-15 years maybe. The degree of understanding on how the AI we have can help us is growing in leaps and bounds. Take all of this with a grain of salt of course, I could be very wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time, nor will it be the last. Discoveries do sometimes just kind of happen and _poof_ some kind of major leap forward but that’s the exception to the rule. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2017, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/78 "2017-09-30T05:43:18Z")
45 minutes!?!?!? I know a lot less about things than I used to. Specialising in nerdy nonsense has lost its appeal over the years, and I now only have passing knowledge of the things that I used to be into, and no new things have taken my fancy since. I could give a lesson in my Photoshop techniques, including other methods to do the same things. Or I could probably still talk a bit about the current state of movie visual effects, as long as nobody needed to know how to use specific applications, or expect absolute factual accuracy. But I’d even struggle with those after about 20 minutes or so. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2017, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/79 "2017-09-30T20:50:26Z")
How to play ukulele Songwriting Any aspect of children’s library What it’s like to have your 17 year old son suffer a massive stroke and fall into a profound coma right in front of your eyes on what was otherwise a perfectly routine Saturday morning. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2017, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521/80 "2017-09-30T21:19:21Z")
> [@Arrendajo](#): > > How to play ukulele > Songwriting > Any aspect of children’s library > What it’s like to have your 17 year old son suffer a massive stroke and fall into a profound coma right in front of your eyes on what was otherwise a perfectly routine Saturday morning. Oh, lord. I’m so sorry. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-to-do-a-45-minute-presentation-with-no-preparation-right-now/797521.md?page=5)