It’s a harsh and drastic measure to take but just about everyone (including event coordinators and guest speakers) have been annoyed by, loud, talkative attendees who seem intent on having their own event while the actual event they came to plays out around them. If I had a dime for every time this happened at a conference, I’d buy an island in the South Pacific.

Kazutaka Kurihara of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology and Koji Tsukada of Ochanomizu University, believe they have the answer for silencing the big mouths of the world.

It works like this:

Psychologists discovered years ago that it is virtually impossible to speak when your words are replayed to you with a delay of a fraction of a second.

The device that Kurihara and Tsukada have engineered does just that (and it only takes a microphone and a speaker). The contraption records the person’s voice and replays it for them in 0.2 seconds. The cool part, it can be aimed at the speaker for a distance like a gun.

The developers claim their device causes no discomfort (but if you’re zapping someone throwing your event off-schedule blabbing non-stop, I’m guessing their discomfort is the last thing you’re thinking about).

They also suggest their device be used to maintain silence in public libraries and to “facilitate discussion” in big meetings (that’s kind of scary in a dictatorial sort of way). Says the dynamic duo: “We have to establish and obey rules for proper turntaking when speaking.” Order of the highest degree.

Call me radical, but this could even be used on panels (for that speaker who drones on, and on, and on, and… ZAP!).  Just a thought.

Would you use speech-jaming device at an event (perhaps for that one attendee who asks questions too long or out of turn?). This speech stun gun could turn up at an event near you.