Beamer Example

Below is a short example of how to make a presentation using the Beamer Class for LaTeX. I’ve been using this for about 2 years and only just became competent, but if you are less likely to leave things to the last minute than me – which you most likely are – you can probably have success much sooner.


\documentclass{beamer}
\mode
{
\usetheme{Pittsburgh}
\setbeamercovered{transparent}
}

\title[Short Title]{Longer Title}
\author[Another]{A. N. Other}
\institute[University of Somewhere] % (optional, but mostly needed)
{
Department of This and That\\
University of Somewhere
}

\subject{Example Presentation using Latex Beamer Class}

\begin{document}

\begin{frame}
\titlepage
\end{frame}

\begin{frame}
\frametitle{Contents}
\tableofcontents
% You might wish to add the option [pausesections]
\end{frame}

\section{Example Section}

\subsection{Example subsection}
\begin{frame}
\frametitle{Another page title}
Some unstructured content
\end{frame}

\end{document}


For a longer example, including examples of inclusion of images, download this gzipped tape archive file. I like quite a simple layout for presentations, either some text of an image which takes most of the screen up.

PowerPoint for Rocket Science

There is an interesting discussion of the role that PowerPoint had in the Columbia discussion. In summary as information is passed up through the organisation at NASA more and more detail is lost until the point you wouldn’t know there is a problem anymore. Either go and read the story at the link above or just read the short summary below.

• Don’t use PowerPoint
– PowerPoint makes you stupid
– Technical Reports are better for technical information
– PowerPoint is bad, mm’kay
› Your conclusions here

I’ve also prepared some slides to summarise the results: Don’t Use PowerPoint

Thanks to Richard Kemp for pointing me to this story.