An actor gave a nonsense lecture, and medical experts rated him a great teacher
In 1970, researchers hired an actor to deliver an entirely made-up, jargon-filled lecture on a topic he knew nothing about, coached only to be warm, confident and expressive. Experienced physicians and educators in the audience rated the performance highly and reported learning a great deal, unaware the content was meaningless. The result, later called the 'Dr. Fox effect,' showed that charismatic delivery alone can convince experts they've been taught something real.