Benoit Mandelbrot delivered one of the very early 24/7 Lectures. A 24/7 Lecture is a lecture in two parts: first a complete technical description in 24 seconds, second a simple description anyone can understand in 7 words.
At the 2006 Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, Professor Mandelbrot, who invented the concept of fractals, here spoke on the topic: FRACTALS. His seven-word summary has become a classic definition, against which all others are measured.
Here’s video of that historic moment:
BONUS: The 24/7 Lectures have been a featured part of every Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony since 2001. This year’s ceremony, on September 12, 2013, will include several new 24/7 Lectures, each written and performed by one of the world’s great thinkers.
BONUS: Dany Adams’s classic 24/7 Lecture on BIOLOGY
BONUS: Eric Lander’s classic 24/7 Lecture on THE HUMAN GENOME
BONUS: Other Improbable Research videos