Dr. Jeff Karp

I initially said no, because I was so frightened. I had not memorized anything since public school. But then I thought about it and I was like, okay, I will never be asked again to speak on this stage. And I went and I said yes.

I initially said no, because I was so frightened. I had not memorized anything since public school. But then I thought about it and I was like, okay, I will never be asked again to speak on this stage. And I went and I said yes.

I initially said no, because I was so frightened. I had not memorized anything since public school. But then I thought about it and I was like, okay, I will never be asked again to speak on this stage. And I went and I said yes.

So what happened was I practiced like crazy. I rented out the Kresge Auditorium at MIT, which is the biggest auditorium. I presented to four people, my family who were there. And I knew that talk inside and out. It was like 15 minutes, purely memorized. I had slides, I had animations, I had to get the timing right. I had to make it look like I didn't memorize it. There was all these sort of stages.

So what happened was I practiced like crazy. I rented out the Kresge Auditorium at MIT, which is the biggest auditorium. I presented to four people, my family who were there. And I knew that talk inside and out. It was like 15 minutes, purely memorized. I had slides, I had animations, I had to get the timing right. I had to make it look like I didn't memorize it. There was all these sort of stages.

So what happened was I practiced like crazy. I rented out the Kresge Auditorium at MIT, which is the biggest auditorium. I presented to four people, my family who were there. And I knew that talk inside and out. It was like 15 minutes, purely memorized. I had slides, I had animations, I had to get the timing right. I had to make it look like I didn't memorize it. There was all these sort of stages.

And I was ready to go. And I get to TEDMED. It was at the Kennedy Center in DC. And I practiced my talk and they suggest some changes. And I'm like, oh my god, I can't change it now. It's tomorrow. So I try to figure out how am I going to because I've memorized it. Then we go on stage beforehand, there's sort of like walkthrough and they say, by the way, the clicker only goes forward.

And I was ready to go. And I get to TEDMED. It was at the Kennedy Center in DC. And I practiced my talk and they suggest some changes. And I'm like, oh my god, I can't change it now. It's tomorrow. So I try to figure out how am I going to because I've memorized it. Then we go on stage beforehand, there's sort of like walkthrough and they say, by the way, the clicker only goes forward.

And I was ready to go. And I get to TEDMED. It was at the Kennedy Center in DC. And I practiced my talk and they suggest some changes. And I'm like, oh my god, I can't change it now. It's tomorrow. So I try to figure out how am I going to because I've memorized it. Then we go on stage beforehand, there's sort of like walkthrough and they say, by the way, the clicker only goes forward.

It doesn't go back. If you go too fast and hit it, you know, you have to yell to the AV person, can you go back? And I'm like, there's no way I'm doing that. And they said, sometimes people freeze in the middle of their talk. They said, the two reactions that we've seen is one, they run off the stage. They said, don't run off the stage if that happens.

It doesn't go back. If you go too fast and hit it, you know, you have to yell to the AV person, can you go back? And I'm like, there's no way I'm doing that. And they said, sometimes people freeze in the middle of their talk. They said, the two reactions that we've seen is one, they run off the stage. They said, don't run off the stage if that happens.

It doesn't go back. If you go too fast and hit it, you know, you have to yell to the AV person, can you go back? And I'm like, there's no way I'm doing that. And they said, sometimes people freeze in the middle of their talk. They said, the two reactions that we've seen is one, they run off the stage. They said, don't run off the stage if that happens.

The second reaction we've seen is people will actually start crying. They said, don't do that either.

The second reaction we've seen is people will actually start crying. They said, don't do that either.

The second reaction we've seen is people will actually start crying. They said, don't do that either.

I'm sure that's happened at some point. And then they said, just stand there and smile. And so I am like, you know, I'm ready to go. I'm like, I get a pack of Hall's in my hand. I'm eating them all right before I go up. I get up on stage. I have it so well memorized that I can think about other things. It's five high definition cameras on me being live streamed throughout the world.

I'm sure that's happened at some point. And then they said, just stand there and smile. And so I am like, you know, I'm ready to go. I'm like, I get a pack of Hall's in my hand. I'm eating them all right before I go up. I get up on stage. I have it so well memorized that I can think about other things. It's five high definition cameras on me being live streamed throughout the world.

I'm sure that's happened at some point. And then they said, just stand there and smile. And so I am like, you know, I'm ready to go. I'm like, I get a pack of Hall's in my hand. I'm eating them all right before I go up. I get up on stage. I have it so well memorized that I can think about other things. It's five high definition cameras on me being live streamed throughout the world.

It's filled at this Kennedy Center in D.C., the president of my institutions in the audience. And I get to the middle of my talk and I think to myself, I missed a line. There was a line that I forgot to say. And my mind couldn't get unhooked from that. And I stopped in the middle of it for 15 seconds. I said nothing. Now, 15 seconds is a very long time to pause on this type of a stage.

It's filled at this Kennedy Center in D.C., the president of my institutions in the audience. And I get to the middle of my talk and I think to myself, I missed a line. There was a line that I forgot to say. And my mind couldn't get unhooked from that. And I stopped in the middle of it for 15 seconds. I said nothing. Now, 15 seconds is a very long time to pause on this type of a stage.