The Sound and the Fury

I am all in favor of increasing scientific communication, both within the field and to the general public. So, let me first go on record as saying I think it's a great thing that the American Astronomical Society decided to podcast some of the large plenary talks from their latest meeting in Seattle. Podcasting is a terrific way of giving more people access to something that you'd have to be priviliged with time, money, and credentials to attend. Apple had a big presence in the plenary sessions, and have even loaded the talks into iTunes! (Search on "AAS/AAPT"). A big "huzzah!" to all involved. However. For scientific talks, the visuals are key. Plots, diagrams, equations -- key content is lost when all you have is sound. If you listen to any of the talks, you'll hear people saying "If you look here...", "As you see...", etc. Now, if you already ...