Maths And Logic Puzzles

These puzzles need basic math and logic. Some of them also need understanding of compound interest, area and volume of cubes, formulas for Newton's laws of motion (velocity, acceleration, distance: v=u+at, s=ut+0.5at^2) and basic algebra. Maths knowledge is needed at class 8 level (13 to 14 years age) though it is quite possible that older students or adults with maths and science majors may find some of these puzzles challenging. Each problem is supposed to be completed in 3 to 10 minutes.

• I am traveling by commercial jet plane at an altitude of 12000m and from my window I see another plane which is at 8000m altitude. Initially the distance between the 2 planes is 4km (say if the two planes were tied to ends of a chord, the length of that cord would be the distance). After 10 seconds, the distance between the planes is 7km. Both the planes are traveling at 900 kmph. All figures are exact, no approximations. Is this possible or are there issues in the problem? Both planes retain their altitude during the period mentioned above.

  

• A magician says he can escape from a cement enclosure in 2 minutes in which he is “buried”. To verify his assertion, he is asked to remain standing and cement is poured over and around him so that there is a cube of cement (2m each side), He is buried completely inside the cube of cement. He is 6’ tall with a chest size of 42” and weighs 80 kg. His body has a density of 0.985 gm/cc. What was the weight of cement in the cube (before he escapes)? If you need any information that is not provided, then assume values x, y etc and provide your answer in terms of the assumed values.

  

• Two cows standing 120m apart in east west direction start charging towards each other (one going east and other going west) at 10AM at the rate of 1m/s and 2m/s. There are two flies, one sitting on each cow's left horn and they start (one towards east and one towards west) at a speed of 0.5m/s at 10AM. At what time do the flies meet? (There are 2 answers)

  

• I have a huge pack of coins valued at about Rs20,000 consisting, equally in value,  of the following types of coins:  Rs1 (P gm each), 50p (Q gm each) and 25p (R gm each). I want to courier Rs 200 worth of coins to my friend who is in Jeypore, Orissa. The courier says it will cost Rs 100 up to 50gm and Rs 2 for each additional gm. Assuming I can send any combination of coins to my friend and I want to minimize courier charge, what will my cost to courier the coins? 

• We all know how to add numbers.. Let's say we have many 7 digit numbers and we want to add them all up. We would usually sum the units digit then tens and so on, from right to left. What would be the advantage of counting from the left to the right? Of course we will assume that numbers are always right aligned before we start adding –whether we add from the left or from the right. 

• Vivek express starts from Dibrugarh in Assam to Kanyakumari once every day in each direction. This is about 4000km and the avg speed is 50 kmph. What is the min number of rakes needed to cater to this train? A rake is the set of all 20 or so compartments including pantry car, engine, guard van etc that make up a train. Assume that rakes for Vivek express are not shared with any other train - the rakes are dedicated for that train only. Departure time is the same on all days of the week. Assume the trains always arrive on time. Departure time in Dibrugarh and departure time in Kanyakumari may not be the same.

• A particular family tree was analyzed for “n” generations starting from Adamosamy who was the earliest known member. There were 3 offspring for each set of parents. Every person married and had children. Each set of parents divided their wealth equally among all their children. If each person in the family (from Adamosamy to nth generation) inherited the same amount of money from the respective parents, what can you conclude about the earning / inheritance / expenditure of each scion (member) in that family tree? 

• This is a scene from the movie: Enemy At The Gates – a man shooting a person who is jumping over a ledge/broken corridor: A part of a corridor has been bombed by the Germans. A Russian has to jump across the broken corridor. A German sniper is sitting with his rifle in such a way that he can see only the broken part of the corridor. Both men are at the same height above the ground. The German can see the Russian while the latter is jumping and will try to shoot the Russian down. Before he jumps and after he has landed on the other side of the corridor, the Russian is safe from the sniper (shooter) – as the corridor is covered. Bullet velocity 200m/s, Distance of corridor from sniper 100m, Length of broken corridor: 5m, horizontal velocity of the Russian across broken corridor as he is jumping = 8m/s, What is the min and max length of broken corridor so the sniper can shoot the Russian (a notional distance of 5m is given to provide a perspective)? Disregard effect of gravity and friction in calculations.

• I plan to buy 10,000 sq ft of land at Rs 3000 per sq ft. And I plan to fence my property at Rs 20 per ft. I can buy the property in any shape. What will be cost of fencing if my primary consideration is to minimize the fencing cost? Exact answer not needed. Just give the right expression and explanation.

• 7^a +6^b = 5^c where a,b,c are integers and ^ refers to exponentiation. For what kind of values of a,b,c is this equality definitely not possible? Give reasons. 

• The cost of a passenger plane is $120million. 40% of the cost was financed through a bank loan @10% compound interest to be repaid in 10 years in equal yearly installments. Cost of fuel: Rs 50/liter, fuel efficiency: 3.5liter/km, 120 seats. 7 Air crew: each aircrew costing Rs 1000/hr. Avg flight speed = 800kmph. Cost of fuel is 50% of total costs of running an airline. 1 USD = Rs60. In a 1500km long flight what should be the avg price per seat for airline to make 10% profit? List any assumptions you need to make. 

  

• I plan to divide all my money equally among my relatives. Unfortunately I am not sure how many relatives I have (maybe 10 or even 190 – note that these are the number of my relatives and not just number of my children). I am pretty sure my wealth is about 3-4 crores - again I don't know exactly how much.. I tell my lawyer to draw up a will, leaving my entire money to be divided equally among my relatives and any balance from my estate to be given to the lawyer as his fees. No matter what MNR is, the lawyer’s fee will remain the same. Meaning the kitty for my relatives is constant - regardless of whether the number of relatives I have is 1 or 2 or … the max number of relatives (MNR). My lawyer says he doesn’t know how to handle this since I don’t know the number of relatives nor the extent of my own wealth.. I tell him "Ok, assume I have Rs 3 Crores only. What will be the value of MNR I can leave my money to?" Meaning so long as the number of my relatives is any number up to that max, my money (a fixed amount) can be divided equally among them and balance (also a fixed amount) given to lawyer. If after my death there happen to be more relatives than MNR, the lawyer will use his discretion and restrict the number to MNR. In such a case, some of my relatives won’t get any money. NOTE: MNR is decided at the time of writing the will regardless of the actual number of relatives I may actually have. NOW THE QUESTION TO YOU IS ONLY THIS: Which person got the max money from my estate and how much was it approximately?  (1crore = 10 million) Answer needs explanation.

Difference Between Cameron And Roark

My tribute to the lesser "heroes" of Ayn Rand's novels:

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/fountainhead/characters.html (the original link which compared Roark with Cameron is no longer available. This is a new link which describes each character but the comparison isn't there).

Understanding Eddie Willers (From Atlas Shrugged):

1. http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/a/atlas-shrugged/critical-essays/the-role-of-the-common-man-in-atlas-shrugged-the-eddie-willers-story - 5th para in this article on rationality is lovely. The 6th para on the difference between intelligence and rationality is beautiful - the one that compares Stadler and Eddie. The last para is also very nice. 
2. http://www.shmoop.com/atlas-shrugged/eddie-willers.html
3. http://objectivistanswers.com/questions/10340/if-dagny-had-slept-with-eddie-willers-would-john-galt-have-been-attracted-to-her

Additional reading:

http://vbala99.blogspot.com/2015/01/ellsworth-toohey.html

Truth Shall Set Your Free Will

This is in continuation of an earlier thread.

A friend sent me this:

You were absolutely right in saying Free Will has no part to play at all in one' s life. The same was said by Sri Ramana Maharshi, a renowned and revered saint of Tiruvannamalai.

As we have already seen, we are the cause of our experiences in this life.The results of our actions performed in innumerable births,slowly fructify in consequent births. There is no hard and fast rule that we reap whatever we sow in this or the immediate next birth itself. We have no control over this aspect. It is in accordance with the laws.

In this connection, even the incarnations of Lord Vishnu had to endure the pains for their actions in their previous births. To prove this statement, from the worldly standpoint, Sri Rama killed Vali by deceit. As a result of this act, He was killed by a hunter Jara in His incarnation as Sri Krishna (mistaken by the hunter to be a deer). This law does not apply to the Omniscient One but He took it upon Himself as an atonement to set an example to the world that the law is applicable to all equally.

Moving to ordinary human beings,in affinity to the aforesaid paragraph,we happen to meet many people at different points of our lifetime, but very few of them seem to be our own since ages though the acquaintance is only for a short span. An introspection into this will enable us to believe that the connection with that person or people is from some past birth or births,not from here.All of us would be experiencing this at some point.

Actions are grouped into three kinds.Two of them are storehouses awaiting to confer the consequences of our actions upon us.

1. Known by the term "Agami"-This is a store-house of actions of many many births, yet to be released.
2. Known by the term "Sanchita"-This is also a store-house of actions which are nearing fruition i.e. will commence next birth.
3. Known as "Prarabdha".

Those actions which have already commenced fructifying i.e. experiences of the current life. This in all probability would not change as it has begun operating at the commencement of this birth There is nothing we can do about it,we need to endure till the last breath.

But the first two kinds can certainly be exhausted and it is in our hands to nullify its effects.By working on this, when all actions are exhausted, it is assured that we do not return in any form on any plane which is the goal of human birth and each of us is treading towards this only knowingly or unknowingly.

A silver lining in a dark cloud is,be it any situation, "Even this shall pass away." Just as the bitterness of bitter gourd or the sweetness of a sweet, both are momentary.

My reply: 

No, I am not satisfied [with your explanation above]. My reason (take a deep breath. It's long): to me it doesn't matter who says something - Ramana maharishi, sage Vyaas or Valmiki - (that's why I don't like quotes). What is important is what is said. 

1. Does it fit in with other things I believe or know? If not either my understanding or what I heard is wrong 
2. Is it consistent with other things the person himself has said 
3. is his assertion a valid conclusion? - meaning, does it have a basis or is the assertion something like "we should love our country or our mother tongue" - just a belief or a desire and cannot be deduced from other accepted (by me) things... 

God for me is truth and understanding, I mean intellectual understanding and not the feminine "being understanding =accepting in nature". Most people can't appreciate this nor do they live by this - devotion to truth to the large exclusion of other things. That doesn't make them bad people - they just have a different value system. I may not be right in what I say but if you understand what I said you will understand me better.

The passages that I have received till now seem to fail the criteria I listed above. I believe the essential difference between us is that you may have a tendency to accept gospel on faith while I don't, I would necessarily test and try to verify its correctness. Faith is not part of my nature. 

If the teachings had a single (or 2 or 3) set of rules of life from which one could derive other conclusions, then those set of rules could be an attempt to get at truth. Ayn Rand's philosophy was one such attempt, all the more interesting because she revealed "her truth" through fiction. I am not able to see Mahabharata, another great work of fiction, in the same light as I see Ayn Rand - not that Ayn Rand's truth doesn't have its flaws. In Mahabharata I am not able to see a single truth pervading the whole story, or am I being blind? A person's desire should be based on truth. Any statement that resembles "I am one of the best known and the most popular actors that India has seen - hence you should use Reynolds pen or eat Maggi" is not going to be accepted by me. 

What is Krishna's truth? Or Ramana Maharishi's? Or Hindu Dharma's? I am not going into Islam or Chrisianity - that would be frivolous. 

Destiny and free will cannot coexist. In a universe where there is no free will, people cannot be held responsible for their actions. If everything that I do is pre-decided (or preordained) without my control, I cannot be held responsible for my actions. This is basic. Astrology and the incident mentioned in the earlier post with respect to Krishna and Kalyavan seem to go along with destiny. Hence, astrology and that story about Krishna do not gel with the concept of personal responsibility. 

Just trying to fence the issue...Creating a boundary around it.. 

Incidentally "rationality" as defined while describing Eddie Willers here is very similar to what I define as "truth". I happened to stumble on this article while reading about Eddie and Cameron, some of the less admired heroes of Ayn Rand.

Strategy

Today I came across this definition of Strategy by Kenneth Andrews:

Strategy is the pattern of decisions in a company that

1. determines and reveals its objectives, purposes, or goals,
2. produces the principal policies and plans for achieving those goals,
3. and defines the range of business the company is to pursue,
4. the kind of economic and human organization it is or intends to be,
5. and the nature of the economic and non-economic contribution it intends to make to its shareholders, employees, customers, and communities.

It's my belief that the same definition could apply to any other entity including a person. Just replace "company" by "person" (and other necessary grammatical edits) in the definition above. It's shocking to see that I have no idea about any of it in a personal capacity.

Again I ask myself this question: If Warren Buffet was posed this definition, what would his reaction / answer be to it?

Logic Puzzles Online

http://www.logic-puzzles.org/init.php

Shown below is a screen snapshot of a puzzle I was doing and got stuck - see the hint at the lower part of the picture. I realized a mistake I was making...

Clue no: 7 is not in the active list (I had moved it out after addressing the Nathan column and the "Speed Devil" row thinking it wasn't necessary anymore) - while the hint shows that clue #7 should have been considered for the next step. Wow.

Actually, the clue need not be considered again. Look at the picture above. If one considered the row and column specified above and that Nathan is not Speed Devil, one would know that Pink and Orange are shared between Nathan and Speed Devil. Chris is not Speed Devil Hence Chris is not Pink/Orange. This is better than having to keep all clues in the active section.... What say?

Maturity, Intelligence, EQ, Wisdom

We often confuse between Maturity, intelligence, EQ and wisdom. I found this lovely article that describes the difference between maturity and intelligence.

Interesting how the difference between wisdom and intelligence hasn't come out in the links below. Wisdom, maturity and EQ have to do with F and the intuitive tendency to live and make good choices while intelligence is cerebral NT (as in MBTI). Intelligence is often confused with knowledge. Not at all, intelligence is the ability to process knowledge, go beyond it and see what exists behinds the knowledge.

Article on Emotional Immaturity: http://www.hwarmstrong.org/rice05.pdf - this article is interesting though almost everything including the kitchen sink is included under the subject and at times, contradictory stuff too. The last section on mastering irresponsibility is nice.

Maturity Definition:
The word Maturity is defined here. The 1st para in the link given is very interesting and seemed to agree completely with my idea of maturity. It is an F (as in MBTI) , not T trait.


Maturity correlates well with EQ. An important part of maturity is the use of "Key Words" relevant to the topic under discussion.

Additional reading:

1. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/critical-habits-mentally-tough-people-dr-travis-bradberry?trk=eml-b2_content_ecosystem_digest-recommended_articles-116-null&midToken=AQFGTBkk8hSJtQ&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=39ao7nPrb6J6M1
2. http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/384179/dear-liberal-nerds-theres-difference-between-intelligence-and-wisdom-david-french
3. http://inspirebusinesssolutions.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-emotional-intelligence-and-emotional-maturity (also read subsequent pages in this link)
4. http://forums.philosophyforums.com/threads/wisdom-vs-intelligence-28418.html
5. http://inspirebusinesssolutions.com/blog/the-first-and-most-overlooked-step-in-conflict-management
6. http://www.experienceproject.com/question-answer/What-Is-The-Difference-Between-Wisdom-And-Intelligence/47331
7. http://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/15-signs-youre-emotionally-intelligent-without-even-realizing-it.html: On EQ

Translation Is Art Or Math?

 A friend who is a professional translator sent me this article.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/06/07/magazine/is-translation-an-art-or-a-math-problem.html?_r=1&referrer

This article itself is more like art than science.

What are the rules of translation?

We all know that if we are translating from a source language (say, Tamil) to a target language (say, English) the expectation is that the translated text in the target language (TL for short) should mean the same as the original text in the source language (SL). 

is that all that we expect from a translation?

Let's see if we can't come up with some more granular rules.

The text in the TL should be grammatically correct and should not look awkward. This seems like a no brainer. When the inexperienced translator (or take automatic translation from a tool) translates word by word, some of the issues listed below appear:

• Proverbs in SL should be converted to equivalent proverbs in the TL. If none exists in the TL, one should skip translating the proverb or explain it in a single sentence. 
• If a sentence construction or even a word in the SL doesn't translate exactly to the TL, it should be translated to the closest equivalent in the TL - even if one has to skip some words or structures in the target language.
• Every text has a certain vocabulary level. For example consider (a) and (b) below:
• (a) "I have a dog. His name is Fluffy. He wags his tail when he sees me" and (b) "The ability - to abstract the things that one sees and create a model in one's mind, which can be used subsequently to predict other events - is rare." You can see that (a) and (b) use different levels of communication. The communication level in the TL should match that in the SL. 
• The process for translation should involve reading first the whole text in the SL, then the paragraph (and perhaps finally a sentence). The sentence should be abstracted in the mind, the text in the SL forgotten and one should then speak / write what is in the mind in the TL. Meaning the translation should be a two step process.

Additional reading:

• Skype doing automatic translation: http://qz.com/526019/how-good-is-skypes-instant-translation-we-put-it-to-the-chinese-stress-test/

Maths Puzzle - Trains

Two trains start towards each other at the same time (10AM) from points A, B respectively that are 100 km apart. 1st train travels at 20kmph and the 2nd train at 10kmph. The trains do not stop inbetween. If it wasn't 1PM when the trains reach a point where the distance between them is 10km, what was the time?

Directors, NT's (And EnneaGram 5s?)

All of us think we are capable of THOUGHT. Most of us confuse an emotion, a need or something like "yeah, i need to get the laundry done" as thought.

Independent original THOUGHT is want directors aka NTs have. Robert Stadler, once such person, in the novel Atlas Shrugged once says wistfully to Dagny something along the lines of "I wish I had a bright mind to speak with." 

Today when I read this article, I was reminded of THOUGHT and how rare it is even today.

I spoke to a friend TH who has a very bright 12 year old son (a THINKER in the making perhaps). She told me her son wants his old teacher to come back. Wonder what exists between the teacher and her son.

A quote on Enneagram 5: 

Remember that as children, Fives felt they didn't quite fit into their families and so started looking for something that they could do well enough to feel safe and confident. They may have spent long periods on their own. Notice this tendency in yourself today.... Today, reflect on your feelings toward your dad (or protective-figure) growing up. As a Five, you felt ambivalent and rejected by both parents. What did you specifically not get from your father? Can you let go of this today?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/rise-new-groupthink-power-working-alone-susan-cain

Additional reading (on fives and 5W6):

• Enneagram Childhood Wounds: https://www.reddit.com/r/Enneagram/comments/4h72y6/enneagram_childhood_wounds/
• http://www.9types.com/descr/?type=5
• https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-5/
• http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/TypeFiveOverview.asp#.VSIlZtyUdrw: Is this what happened to Ayn Rand?
• http://personalitycafe.com/type-5-forum-investigator/64859-overview-5w6-problem-solver.html
• http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/TypeFive.asp#.VSEGjtyUdrw
• https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-5/
• http://personalitycafe.com/type-5-forum-investigator/64859-overview-5w6-problem-solver.html
• http://www.9types.com/writeup/Theory20.htm: Withdrawal of 5,4,9
• https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:YfANGv7ykXIJ:https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/misidentifying-1-and-5/+&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=in: Difference between 1 and 5
• About type 8: http://theenneagram.blogspot.in/2007/09/type-8.html and https://plus.google.com/+AmanJohn/posts/9uY3W7G5P9S
• https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:d-s5GeQfBkYJ:https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/misidentifying-5-and-9/+&cd=7&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=in: Difference between 9 and 5

Lead Found In Nestle Maggi - Amitabh Bachchan And Other Brand Ambassadors Being Named In This Issue

In the last one or two weeks, Nestle has been in the news (and here). Food and Drug Administration in Uttar Pradesh had found unacceptable levels of lead in Maggi noodles. Linked to this issue was the brand ambassadors also kinda facing the heat.

I am surprised. Is our FDA capable of conducting tests and ensuring recall of faulty products? I have never heard of such a thing before. I would think someone blew the whistle on Nestle, rightly or wrongly. And about 20 states plan to test Maggi by the end of the week. Do the states know how to test? Will they independently? Or will a Mr Menon from the Kerala FDA call up a Mr Saxena, his counterpart in Bihar FDA and get the result and jot the same thing down in his sheet?

Next, even assuming that Nestle has some serious manufacturing issues, how is the Big B and, for that matter, any brand ambassador responsible for this issue? It is not as though Amitabh has personally certified Maggi? Has Ranbeer Singh certified Pepsi or Virat Kohli certified Sunsilk / Clinic shampoo (whichever he is the ambassador for)? I am not naming the Anushka Sharmas and the Aishwarya Rai's or the Katrina Kaifs and the rest of the ambassadors. The issue is generic and not specific to any one specific brand ambassador.

Each of these ambassadors represents any product for a specific remuneration - with little idea about the merits of any product that they represent. 

These guys aren't product testers. Testers would subject a product to various tests and then would OK or fail the products. These guys endorse a product based on some payment. The brand owners expect people to buy these products because of the charisma that these ambassadors have. 

None of these guys knows anything about the product he endorses. Why blame them when the product turns out bad? 

If we think that Pepsi is good because so and so ambassador says it is good, is it Pepsi company's fault? Or the brand ambassador's fault? Or ours?

Crazy.

Updated on Aug 25, 2015
I saw the Tata Docomo Ad today where a guy confuses the Hindi word "mor" (peacock) for the English word more. The surprising thing is the same ad has been dubbed in Tamil as well. And in Tamil there is no word "mor" which means peacock. The ad makes no sense in the Tamil version.


Additional reading:

1. http://www.livemint.com/Money/HETjaCIfuLFDq4nohIz0JL/Maggi-noodles-crackdown-Whats-the-worst-that-can-happen-to.html
2. http://www.financialexpress.com/article/lifestyle/showbiz/amitabh-bachchan-salman-khan-in-forbes-highest-paid-global-celebs-list/91869/ - it wasn't their deep knowledge of the brands that they "ambassed" for that is the raison d'etre of their wealth!!

How Do You Connect With Your Audience?

When I googled for Sentient, I got this: "Sentience is the ability to feel, perceive, or experience subjectively. Eighteenth-century philosophers used the concept to distinguish the ability to think (reason) from the ability to feel (sentience)." 

This is the exact thing that is "F" (as against "T" in MBTI), the ability to experience subjectively which can be further categorized to having just the "K" and the deeper ability to have "C and A" (comprehension and analytical ability) in subjective traits. 

Incidentally I was talking to a friend of mine today about what makes a good teacher or speaker. She had recently attended some training programs and she was gaga about 2 of the various speakers. One was Mrs Flower and the other was Mr Mouse. 

As per my friend, 

1. both had a good voice (and perhaps voice modulation too - I have requested my friend to give me a recording of someone's voice which she considers to be not good.) 
2. both obviously had good content - they knew their subjects very well. 
3. both expressed well - their facial expressions, both tended to move around while speaking rather than standing/sitting in one place. 
4. both had good relevant humor while speaking - my friend rated Mrs Flower higher than Mr Mouse. 

Overall my friend rated the lady slightly higher than she did the gentleman. I asked her why. She replied that the lady moved around more, that both the man and the woman had good voices, both had good content, the lady's sense of humor was better - but when I questioned my friend on this, she said that the lady's higher rating was not because of the better humor. But because the lady connected with my friend and the audience better. 

I suggested to my friend that the voice modulation and tendency to move around while talking were indicative of a need to connect with the audience. If you had a flat intonation, as though you were reciting a prayer and sitting or standing in one place while delivering a lecture, it is likely that you are unaware of (the need to connect with) an audience. Put another way, if you didn't have a need to connect with the audience, your modulation and posture and movement would all be ineffective. The audience would tend to tune off. 

My friend and I went on to talk about a Mr D, who was a principal in the school where she worked. She likes the way Mr D conducts his meetings. Other people also like meetings which Mr D chaired. The interesting thing is that apparently Mr D doesn't have a good voice, doesn't move around while talking. Yet he is effective. Now how is that possible? 

Mr D is a good man. People like him. And maybe that overrides his other deficiencies. Meaning, if a stranger spoke like Mr D did, the audience would likely not have been impressed. 

My friend also talked about a third lady who moved around a lot, in almost a dramatic fashion, yet whose lecture was not good. My guess her movements were artificial. The movements were perhaps not dictated by her passion to connect, rather by the belief that movement on the stage creates a better connect. 

In conclusion, if your content is good, if you love to connect (and this would show up in your voice modulation and your posture and movements and expressions - essentially in your non verbal language), you will connect with your audience. Humor helps but probably not mandatory. The passion to connect cannot be faked.