By the 1950s I had found I was frightened when giving public talks to large audiences, this in spite of having taught classes in college for many years. On thinking this over very seriously, I came to the conclusion I could not afford to be crippled that way and still become a great scientist; the duty of a scientist is not only to find new things, but to communicate them successfully in at least three forms: Writing papers and books Prepared public talks Impromptu talks Lacking any one of these would be a serious drag on my career. How to learn to give public talks without being so afraid was
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