by Elio
Having a point in every direction is the same as having no point at all.
The Pointed Man in Harry Nilsson's The Point!
More often than not, speakers at lectures use a laser pointer to circle around or "underline" items on a slide they wish to emphasize.
The laser dot, having a mind of its own, dances around briskly. A voice in my head instructs: follow the dot and do not blink. This distracting exercise makes me want to yell out loud, "Please hold the pointer steady!" Fortunately, new technology has come along. At the recent ASM meeting in Toronto, computers were equipped with a mouse-controlled green arrow. The arrow is easier to control and can be made to pause on the item of interest. Meanwhile, should we start a Society for the Prevention of Laser Pointer Abuse (SPLPA)?