Sara – Don’t I know it.

AM8 – I think that’s some of the fascination I have for it. I make a living creating (or perhaps re-creating) voids, but I still find Double Negative disturbing.

Dr. Bailey – Thank you so much for your comments! I think it’s point one that I worry the most about, at this stage. So good to talk to you, and hope to see you again soon.

1) you as speaker know more about your subject than any one in the audience (if not then you shouldn’t be giving a public lecture about that topic).

2) you should look at the chance to give a Brown Bag or seminar as a chance for you (!) to learn something…ask the audience to contribute to your work (and then take their comments seriously).

3) in reality, many people asking questions are trying to score points for themselves (“gee, isn’t Bill Bloggs clever”)

4) 20% of your audience will love you, 20% will hate you, and the remaining 60% won’t be bothered one way or the other (and it doesn’t matter what you lecture about or how well/badly you do it).

5) you only need to worry if no one asks any questions.

I find Double Negative disturbing. Maybe a bit hypocritical of me…as I earn some of my daily bread by digging smaller holes in the ground and thereby disturbing the nearby ecosystem.

I’m glad to hear someone was managing to turn it into a collegial activity, rather than the combative “my brain is bigger than yours, fear me” sort of thing it often devolves into. And Wylie is a class act.