“Let me know when you’ve got 5 minutes and I’ll come over to explain this.”

It’s a phrase that’s near ubiquitous — no matter the job, no matter the industry, from junior level to senior executive, it’s one everyone hears around the office all the time.

And if you give it just a moment’s thought, you’ll notice it’s also completely insane.

We all work so hard to make sure that everything we create will stand on its own merits. Presentation slides may take us days or even weeks to get just right. Documents may run through twelve iterations before we’re happy. Spreadsheets live and evolve over months and even years. Even something as trifling as an email is an exercise — especially for those emails meant to present an idea or loop someone in on a project, it’s not uncommon for us to take half an hour or more to assemble all the bullets and ensure all the essential points are shared.

So why then, after all the effort we put into crafting, honing, and presenting our ideas — after all the work done to let the slides and the numbers “speak for themselves” — do we still believe that explaining it all in person is so important?

Could it be because that personal presentation actually does add value?

90% of human communication after all is nonverbal, and when it comes to learning new information nothing beats the efficiency of hearing it right from the expert. Actually presenting your ideas makes them easier for your audience — be it another individual, a whole classroom, or a packed conference hall — to engage with, understand, and act on.

All of which raises another question — what happens if you can’t swing by to present those ideas in person?

When a personal explanation isn’t possible, many of us are now finding that on-demand video shared socially — the same technology we rely on to teach ideas like how to tie a tie or install a light fixture — can work wonders in our professional lives as well. With just the webcams already built into our laptops and smartphones and a corporate YouTube like Panopto’s video platform, we can record a quick rundown of our latest projects and ideas and share them instantly for the audience of our choice to view them on-demand.

This week we saw more and more people taking advantage of the power of video to share ideas, send messages, and make a statement. And in the spirit of passing it on, these are just a few of the ideas shared this week with Panopto’s video recording software.

Should We Still Be Doing Heart Transplants?
Join the students and residents at the Thomas Jefferson University School of Medicine for this discussion on the continued value of performing heart transplants in the age of machine-based cardiac assistance. Dr Linda Bogar opens this recorded presentation with a review of the history of heart transplant surgery and the striking improvements that have been made in Ventricular Assist Device technology — raising the question of whether it’s still worth it to ask patients to wait for a transplant when a proven mechanical solution to many issues may be available immediately.

NHS Change Day Event Webcast
Sit in at the University of Derby for NHS Change Day, a grassroots movement that’s about harnessing the collective energy, creativity and ideas of thousands of people to improve the care and wellbeing of people who use health and care services in the UK. NHS Change Day 2015 focuses on the stories of people in the healthcare system, sharing the details of changes they’ve actually started. These actions are our chance to make a positive improvement to the NHS. Every action, whether big or small, will make a difference. It will also help inspire other people to get involved. Taken together, all the actions add up to one really big difference in the NHS with a move towards better outcomes for patients and staff.

Symposium on Photonics Science and Technology
The 2015 International Year of Light, as proclaimed by the United Nations, is an exciting, historic moment – and the Duke University Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics is recognizing this global event at its 2015 annual symposium. You can experience the entire event on-demand, including the complete roster of distinguished speakers (including two Nobel laureates) and a pre-symposium open house to expose the latest in light-based science and technologies to the public. Day One of the conference can be viewed here, and Day Two can be watched here.

Secure Coding
Interested in coding? You’ll want to see this recorded lecture from University of Aberystwyth Lecturer and Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute Visiting Scientist Fred Long on CERT Secure Coding Standards. Long introduces the topic with the challenge of how software developers can eliminate vulnerabilities resulting from coding errors before software is deployed, and delves into the details of the CERT coding standards as a potential solution to the problem.

Leeds College of Music Augmented Reality Project
Augmented Reality (AR) apps allow you to use your smartphone or tablet to put layers of information or interactivity on top of real life objects. See how the Leeds College of Music has developed a unique AR experience to be used in the university’s recording studios. This new Augmented Reality resource supports students working and studying in the music studios by displaying 3D visual overlays, technical documentation and other media assets, linking them to the physical production equipment in front of them. Using iPads, students stand in front of the production desk and the Augmented Reality software tracks the 3d object before snapping different coloured content accurately over it providing the user with a way to interact with different parts, surfacing contextual material. A sharp new technology — and a great video review to share the new idea with colleagues, peers, and prospective students!

Try It For Yourself!

Panopto makes it easy for anyone, anywhere to record video presentations and share them online, both as live streaming webcasts and recorded on-demand video. To see how Panopto can help you share your ideas, contact our team for a free trial today.