Brain Rules (What all presenters need to know?)

Brain Rules
Takeaways & Quotes
from Dr. John Medina’s
What all presenters need to know
A presentation (of sorts)
by Garr Reynolds

Dr. Medina’s findings discussed
in Brain Rulesare ideas worth
spreading...
So I extracted some quotes
and key points as they relate to
my field — presentation — to
help you spread the word.

Brain Rules is one of the
most informative, engaging,
and useful books of our
time. Required reading for
every educator and every
business person. My
favorite book of 2008!
“
”— Garr Reynolds
Presentation Zen

Here’s your host for
this presentation...

Hello! My name’s Biff.
Agalychnis Callidryas

I’ll be your host for this online
version of the presentation.

Why me? Three reasons: (1) Let my enormous
eyes remind you that vision is the most
dominant sense for you humans.

And (2) allow my remarkable coloring andshape to remind you that you humans arewired to notice differences and patterns...

And (3) let my tiny, primitive brain remind
you that, while I get the most use out of
my brain (as far as I know), you, my friend,
could learn to use your massive, evolved brain
much more effectively...

And (3) let my tiny, primitive brain remind
you that, while I get the most use out of
my brain (as far as I know), you, my friend,
could learn to use your massive, evolved brain
much more effectively...
Right, on with the preso...

This is Dr. John Medina
He knows how these work

Because his book is
*%$#@ fantastic!
Why is he
so happy?

These takeaways and quotes are based
on three of Dr. Medina’s 12 rules
just
>

These takeaways and quotes are based
on three of Dr. Medina’s 12 rules
just
>
Here they are...

Rule #1
Exercise boosts brain power.
Rule #4
We don’t pay attention to boring things.
Rule #10
Vision trumps all other senses.

If you are in education,
you are in the business
of brain development.
If you are leading a
modern corporation...
you need to know how
brains work.
“
”— Dr. John Medina

Death-by-PowerPoint is
so common that it’s just
considered “normal.”
Yeah, abnormal...

Death-by-PowerPoint is
so common that it’s just
considered “normal.”
Yeah, abnormal...
Abby Normal?

Sometimes people aren’t even
aware of their own ppt suffering:
Check this guy out...

What does Brian Rules say
about presentations?

Dr. Medina on
presentations
Today
>

Toss your PowerPoint
presentations.“ ”— Dr. John Medina

Do you really have to ask why you
should toss your current slides?

Because,
“ ”says Dr. Medina...

...it’s text-based with six
hierarchical levels of chapters
and subheads—all words.
“
”Get that textoff the screen...

...it’s text-based with six
hierarchical levels of chapters
and subheads—all words.
“
”Get that textoff the screen...
Huh?

You get what I’m sayin’?
Now let’s look at howBrain Rules can help...

12 Brain rules
We’ll look at #1, #4, and #10.

Exercise boosts brain powerRule #1

What are some examples
of perfect “anti-brain”
environments today?
according to Dr. Medina

Classroom pic
Lecture hall
the

Whoa! Those are
scary environments!

Whoa! Those are
scary environments!
How can you thinkin those spaces?

There is no greater anti-brain
environment than the classroom
and cubicle.
— Dr. John Medina
“
”

There is no greater anti-brain
environment than the classroom
and cubicle.“
Amen, brother!

Sure, you know exercise
is good for you...

But exercise is not just good
for general health, it actually
improves cognition.

But exercise is not just good
for general health, it actually
improves cognition.
Two reasons for this...

Exercise increases
oxygen ﬂow into the
brain, which reduces
brain-bound free radicals
...an increase in oxygen
is always accompanied
by an uptick in mental
sharpness.
“
1

Exercise acts directly
on the molecular
machinery of the
brain itself. It increases
neurons’ creation,
survival, and resistance
to damage and stress.
“
2

Reduces Alzheimer’s
Improves long-termImproves reasoning
Helps you solve problems
Improves fluid
Reduces depression
Treats dementia
And more...
More brain beneﬁts:
BENEFITS
intelligence
risk by 50%
memory

What’s this have to do
with presentations?
Two things...

Passively sitting is a very
unnatural thing. Audiences
have no patience for tedium.
Think of the presentation
from your audienceʼs
point of view.
1

During the preparation stage,
if youʼre struggling with an
idea, if youʼre stuck, then go
for a walk, a run, just move...
2

Evidence suggest we may
even think better if we toss
the couch-potato lifestyle.
...we were born to move.

Hmmm...Potato...
Evidence suggest we may
even think better if we toss
the couch-potato lifestyle.
...we were born to move.

We don’t pay
attention to
boring things
Rule #4

Here’s something else important to
remember in the preparation stage:
Multitasking
is a myth.

Multitasking, when
it comes to paying
attention, is a myth.
“

We are biologically incapable of
processing attention-rich inputs
simultaneously.
“

Take 50% longer to complete a task.
Make 50% more errors.
People who are interrupted:

Take 50% longer to complete a task.
Make 50% more errors.
People who are interrupted:
You’d be more efficientwithout the interruptions

Hey, being online is great, but
you’d be surprised how much of
your “being connected” is also
“being interrupted.”

When you’re always online
you’re always distracted.“ ”— Dr. John Medina

So the always online
organization is the always
unproductive organization.
— Dr. John Medina
“
”

Yet, most presentations are put
together while doing other things...
Is this you?

Johnson! Where’sthat presentation
I asked for?!!!!

Yes time is an issue, and
each case is different, but...

If the presentation matters, you
need time off the grid to prepare.

If the presentation matters, you
need time off the grid to prepare.
You might want to ditch the
computer too for a while...

Try “going analog” and focusing only
on the presentation in the prep stage.
Is this you?

Structure your presentation
around meaning, and the big
picture. Then support key ideas
with details.

If you want to get the particulars
correct, donʼt start with the details.
Start with the key ideas and, in
hierarchical fashion, form the details
around these larger notions.
“
Good advice, but how long can peoplepay attention to your talk?

If keeping someone’s attention
in a lecture was a business, it
would have an 80% failure rate.
“

After 10 minutes,
audience attention
steadily drops.

Minutes of class time
10 20 30 40 50
High
Low
Attention
The 10-minute rule
Source: www.brainrules.net/attention

So do something
emotionally relevant at
each 10-minute mark to
regain attention.

Dr. Medina suggests
changing gears every
10 minutes in your
presentation (lecture,
etc.). Tell a relevant
story, show a relevant
video, do a relevant
activity, etc.

One more thing about attention...

We’re wired to
notice patterns

Chunking example
IRSYMCAWTFIBMKGBFBI
At first those letter won’t make sense...
But eventually you’ll recognize
chunks you’ve seen before.

Chunking example
IRSYMCAWTFIBMKGBFBI
Of course, graphic design can help you see the chunks...
Adapted from: www.brainrules.net/attention

The brain pays
attention to patterns.
Remembering some-
thing we’ve seen
before (like quick-
sand) is a useful
evolutionary trait.
“

What’s the most common
communication mistake?
according to Dr. Medina

Relating too much information,
with not enough time devoted to
connecting the dots. Lot’s of force
feeding, very little digestion.
“

The brain doesn’t pay attention to
boring things, and I am as sick of
boring presentations as you are.
“

Vision trumps
all other senses
Rule #10

Fact: we have
better recall for
visual information

We are incredible at remembering pictures.

Hear a piece of information,
and three days later you’ll
remember 10% of it.

Add a picture and you’ll
remember 65%.

Oral 10%
Visual
Oral &
Visual
35%
65%
6x
Source: Najjar, LJ (1998) Principles of educational multimedia user interface design (via Brain Rules by John Medina, 2008)
Rule of thumb
3x

Why is vision such a big
deal to us? Perhaps
because it’s how we’ve
always apprehended major
threats, food supplies and
reproductive opportunity.
“

Why is vision such a big
deal to us? Perhaps
because it’s how we’ve
always apprehended major
threats, food supplies and
reproductive opportunity.
“
Can I eat it? Will it eat me? Can I mate with it?
Will it mate with me? Have I seen it before?

Recognition soars with pictures
0% 50% 100%
pictures only
text only
source: www.brainrules.net/vision
Various studies show that recognition
doubles for a picture compared with text.
“ ”— Dr. John Medina

Pictures beat text...because
reading is so inefﬁcient for us. We
have to identify certain features in
the letters to be able to read them.
That takes time.
“
” — Dr. John Medina

Let’s see those three rules again...

Rule #1
Exercise boosts brain power.
Review✓ Our brains were built for walking/moving!
✓ To improve your thinking skills, move!
✓ Exercise gets blood to the brain, bringing
it glucose and oxygen.
✓ Aerobic exercise 2x/week halves the risk
of general dementia, reduces risk of
Alzheimer’s by 60%.
✓ Exercise is just about the best thing you
can do for yourself says Dr. Medina.

Rule #4
We don’t pay attention to boring things.
✓ No multitasking. When it comes to
attention, it’s only one thing at a time.
✓ We are better at seeing patterns,
abstracting meaning than recording details.
✓ Tapping people’s emotions helps them learn.
✓ People start to fade after 10 minutes. Get
them back by telling stories, examples, and
targeting their emotions.
Review

Review
✓ Vision is our dominant sense, using half of
the brain’s resources.
✓We learn/remember best through pictures
compared to text or spoken words.
✓Try to communicate more with pictures.
✓Toss your current PowerPoint slides.
Rule #10
Vision trumps all other senses.

What do these 3 rules mean for the
world of presentation? And for the
world of work and school in general?
Question:
All 12 rules at a glance

John Medina’s 12 Brain rules
>>You can download this list in PDF
from the Brain Rules website:
www.brainrules.net/the-rules

John Medina’s 12 Brain rules
>

Want to learn more?
Then get this book...
www.brainrules.net
Includes a great DVD too!
And go to this website:

About these slides
All images from www.istockphoto.com,
except for images of Dr. Medina which
are available in the Brain Rules media
kit here: www.brainrules.net/mediakit

These slides were produced by Garr Reynolds
in his home in Osaka Japan. Software used
was Apple’s Keynote (but PowerPoint would’ve
done the trick as well) and a bit of Photoshop.
GARR REYNOLDS www.presentationzen.com
Checkout the
PZ website!
in his home in Osaka, Japan. Software used
Checkout the
PZ website!

in his home in Osaka Japan. Software used
Checkout the
PZ website!
どうもありがとう
Domo Arigatou

Brain Rules (What all presenters need to know?)

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