Discover
/
Article

Panel discussions: Is there any hope?

APR 01, 1971
In which we meet a group of Operators, and discover something of the Calculus that governs their interactions.
Robert B. Leighton

Recently at a meeting of a scientific society I found myself listening to a panel discussion ostensibly devoted to give‐and‐take discussion of a certain topic dear to my heart. I have attended—and participated in—several such discussions, and have usually found them less helpful than one would wish. I had never understood the reason for this, but, as I listened, something said by one of the panelists struck a responsive chord inside me. I soon recognized the deep truth of what he said, and a whole host of previous panel experiences were thereby illuminated.

This article is only available in PDF format

More about the authors

Robert B. Leighton, California Institute of Technology.

Related content
/
Article
The ability to communicate a key message clearly and concisely to a nonspecialized audience is a critical skill to develop at all educational levels.
/
Article
With strong magnetic fields and intense lasers or pulsed electric currents, physicists can reconstruct the conditions inside astrophysical objects and create nuclear-fusion reactors.
/
Article
A crude device for quantification shows how diverse aspects of distantly related organisms reflect the interplay of the same underlying physical factors.
/
Article
Events held around the world have recognized the past, present, and future of quantum science and technology.
This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_1971_04.jpeg

Volume 24, Number 4

Get PT in your inbox

pt_newsletter_card_blue.png
PT The Week in Physics

A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.

pt_newsletter_card_darkblue.png
PT New Issue Alert

Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.

pt_newsletter_card_pink.png
PT Webinars & White Papers

The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.

By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.