[act-ma] Energy (and Other) Events
George Mokray
gmoke at world.std.com
Sun Jan 29 18:08:42 PST 2012
Energy (and Other) Events is a weekly mailing list published most
Sundays covering events around the Cambridge, MA and greater Boston
area that catch the editor's eye.
Hubevents http://hubevents.blogspot.com is the web version.
If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe to Energy (and Other) Events
email gmoke at world.std.com
---------------------------------------------------------
************************************************
Democracy Technology http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/01/24/1057803/-Democracy-Technology
---------------------------------------------------------
************************************************
Tech's Top Teachers Talk Turkey
Mon Jan 30
12-01:00 pm
MIT, Building 4-163, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Facilitated by: Lori Breslow, Teaching & Learning Lab
Join us for a session in which some of MIT's best teachers — both
faculty and teaching assistants — talk about how to teach well. This
is a panel discussion at which questions are strongly encouraged.
Contact: Leann Dobranski, 5-122, x3-3371, leann at mit.edu
Sponsor: Teaching and Learning Lab
-------------------------
"The MIT Future of the Electric Grid Study"
12:00pm - 1:30pm
HarvardBell Hall, Belfer Center 5th Floor, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge
Richard Schmalensee, MIT.
Contact Name: Louisa Lund louisa_lund at harvard.edu
-------------------------
Countercyclical Restructuring and Jobless Recoveries
Monday, January 30, 2012
2:30p–4:00p
MIT, Building E51-376, 2 Amherst Street, Cambridge
Speaker: David Berger
Web site: http://econ-www.mit.edu/files/7498
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Economics Job Market Seminars
For more information, contact:
Theresa Benevento
theresa at mit.edu
------------------------
MITHENGE (Infinite Sunset) 4:48pm and 17 seconds, Altitude, 47 feet
Monday, January 30, 2012
4:48p
MIT, Infinite Corridor (Between Buildings 7 & 8), 77 Massachusetts
Avenue, Cambridge
Speaker: The Setting Sun
The Infinite Corridor is 825 feet long X 9 feet wide X 16 feet high
(Nearly 3 football fields). This layout allows the corridor to capture
the setting sun at a particular moment creating a solar phenomenon
sometimes called MITHENGE. When this occurs, given favorable weather
conditions, a shaft of sunlight is thrown the entire length of the
corridor. The best viewing occurs at the third-floor level, which has
fewer obstructions and less traffic.
Web site: http://web.mit.edu/mithenge
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Information Center, The Sun
For more information, contact:
617-253-4795
infocenter-www at MIT.EDU
------------------------
Crowdsortium Boston II
January 30, 2012
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
The Microsoft New England Research & Development Center (NERD), 1
Memorial Drive, Cambridge
RSVP at http://crowdsortiummeetup2-esearch.eventbrite.com/?srnk=18
Last year, uTest and Crowdly (formerly Appswell) kicked off the first
Crowdsortium Boston meetup. Harvard professor Karim Lakhani and CEOs
of the top crowdsourcing companies came together to introduce the
current state and coming evolution of the crowdsourcing model.
Due to its great success, this year we’re exploding into 2012 with
another event! Thanks to Crowdly, uTest, and our sponsor Article One
Parners, Crowdsortium Boston II will be on Monday, January 30 from
6:30-8:30pm again at the Microsoft NERD, Cambridge!
After a brief introduction from Professor at Northeastern Jeff Howe,
who coined the term crowdsourcing, a panel of chief community
executives from leading crowdsourcing companies will discuss Community
Management: Evolving From Mobs To Crowds To Communities and dive
deeper into the keys to successfully employing a crowdsourcing model.
Anyone can build a loosely affiliated, unstructured crowd – a mob.
The secret to community management is to advance beyond the ‘mob’
to create an engaged, interactive community of diverse and skilled
professionals. Panel topics include:
Challenges and opportunities of managing a massive global workforce
Scaling a crowdsourcing business sharply, quickly and profitably
How to get what you want, while giving them what they want
Recruitment and engagement; reputation and compensation systems.
After the panel, we’ll wrap up the meetup with the opportunity to do
some networking along with complimentary pizza and beer!
Moderator:
Jeff Howe, Father of Crowdsourcing and Professor at Northeastern
University
Confirmed Panelists:
Matt Johnston, CMO at uTest
Gabe Miano, VP of Product at OnForce
About The Crowdsortium
With more than 80 crowdsourcing companies and 200 venture capitalists,
researchers and professionals, the Crowdsortium is a group of industry
practitioners that have self-organized to advance crowdsourcing models
through best practices, education, data collection and public dialog.
The Crowdsortium aims to provide each of its constituents with the
knowledge to get the most out of participating in crowdsourcing. Find
out more about how to become a member athttp://www.crowdsortium.org/membership/
.
-----------------------------
Nerd Night
Monday January 30, 2012
8pm at Middlesex Lounge, 315 Mass Ave, Cambridge
$5
Featuring Nerd-appropriate tunes by Claude Money
Talk 1. “Frontier Nerd: Going it Alone in Western Montana”
by Mattie Booth
Talk 2. “CA$H FOR YOUR WARHOL: The Evolution of a Prank”
by Geoff Hargadon
For more information about the speakers and the talks
http://boston.nerdnite.com/2012/01/22/nerdnitejan30/
(Public) Service Smorgasbord: Eats and Opportunities
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
12:00p–1:30p
MIT, Building W20-491
RSVP to http://bit.ly/ti9Bhx
What type of service do you want to do? Maybe you want to tutor high
school students in Cambridge, be paid for public service work with a
great organization whoneeds your help, work with a community partner
somewhere else in the world, or develop a new solution to deliver
impact. We'll have an open conversation over a smorgasbord of food to
share with you the best way to get started on public service or to try
something new.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Public Service Center
For more information, contact:
Jennifer Currie
psc at mit.edu
-----------------------
"Obama's Latest Lessons in Policy, Politics & Polarization."
Tuesday, January 31
12 p.m.
Harvard, Taubman 275, 5 Eliot Street, Cambridge
Alexis Simendinger, White House correspondent, RealClearPolitics.
-------------------------
Urban Planning Movie Marathon
Tue Jan 31
12pm-12:00am
MIT, AVT
This year's noon-to-midnight Marathon will feature a variety of films
on topics related to urban planning, environmentalism, affordable
housing, design, development, globalism, and the nature of regions,
cities, and neighborhoods. In addition to feature-length films and
documentaries, we'll include a few shorts (and maybe even a few
cartoons).
Full program TBA at http://web.mit.edu/eglenn/www/iap_films_2012.html;
come for one or stay for all. Popcorn and other food served.
Contact: Ezra Glenn, 7-337, x3-2024, eglenn at mit.edu
Sponsor: Urban Studies and Planning
-----------------------------
Designing for Remixing: Computer-supported Social Creativity
Tuesday, January 31, 12:30 pm
Harvard, Berkman Center, 23 Everett Street, second floor
RSVP required for those attending in person at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/luncheon/2012/01/monroy-hernandez#RSVP
This event will be webcast live at 12:30 pm ET at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/interactive/webcast
and archived on our site shortly after.
Andres Monroy-Hernandez, Berkman Fellow & MIT Media Lab
In this talk I present a framework for the design and study of an
online community of amateur creators. I focus on remixing as a lens to
understand the social, cultural, and technical structures of a social
computing system that supports creative expression. I am motivated by
three broad questions: 1) what is the functional role of remixing in
cultural production and social learning? 2) what are the structural
properties of an online remixing community? 3) what are amateur
creators' attitudes towards remixing? This research builds on my work
on the Scratch Online Community, an online community I conceived,
developed and studied. The Scratch website allows young people to
share and remix their own video games and animations, as well as those
of their peers. In four years, the community has grown to close to a
million registered members and more than two million user-contributed
projects.
About Andres
Andrés Monroy-Hernández is a post-doctoral researcher at Microsoft
Research and a Fellow at Harvard University's Berkman Center for
Internet & Society. His main area of research is human-computer
interaction, with a focus on social computing and social media. He is
particularly interested in the design and study of online communities
for creative expression. His work has been featured in the New York
Times, CNN, Wired, and has received awards from Ars Electronica, and
the MacArthur Digital Media and Learning Competition. He was PhD
student at the MIT Media Lab and holds a B.S. in computer engineering
form Tec de Monterrey in Mexico.
-----------------------
The Renewable Energy Research in Southern Arava
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
4 p.m.
BU, 8 Saint Mary’s St., Room 339, Boston
Refreshments will be served outside Room 339 at 3:45 p.m.
Director of the Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation
Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, Israel
The Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation is carrying
out research on a wide variety of subjects:
Dust Removal from Solar Collectors: This research is based on the
established “electrodynamic screen” approach, in which a low-
frequency surface traveling wave of electric field sweeps deposited
particles laterally across the surface, thereby removing them from the
solar collector. The method is effective for both charged and
uncharged particles regardless of particle conductivity. Bench-top
experiments on small panels have demonstrated that 95% of deposited
dust can be removed after only 60 seconds of energization while
drawing less than 2% of the power output of a photo- voltaic panel.
Biogas Production: The project is aimed at adapting a waste recycling
process based upon anaerobic digestion and composting technologies for
the organic solid wastes produced in small rural settlements in arid
zones such as the Bedouin villages in the Israeli Negev or rural
villages in Jordan. In the framework of the project, four
demonstration pilot-plants (D-PP) are built and operated; two in
Jordan and two in Israel. These four D-PPs are used to investigate the
efficiency of the “modified” technology and in turn, to
demonstrate its positive impacts in the areas of improved
environmental conditions, improved health of local residents,
economic contribution, and the social value of strengthening the
status of women in the community.
On Board Hydrogen Production: The most important and the most urgent
application of hydrogen is its use for transportation. One of the most
severe challenges is the lack of a safe and efficient onboard storage
technology. One opportunity to overcome some of these hurdles is to
produce the hydrogen on board the vehicle by reacting a light metal
with water. One of the most promising metal candidates is boron. The
reaction of boron and water has high hydrogen storage capacity based
on both volume and mass compared with other candidate technologies. In
this study, a process is described in which boron is used as a means
to store and transport solar energy from a production site to motor
vehicles, where it is used to generate hydrogen and heat.
PV Cooling: This study is investigating the passive convection cooling
of the photovoltaic (PV) panels to increase the rate of heat transfer
to greatly increase the convection rate and increase the cooling rate
of the photovoltaic panels by channeling natural air flow under the
photovoltaic panels. This process will lead to a significant increase
in the efficiency and decrease the thermal degradation of the solar
cells. The preliminary results show an average improvement in PV system
output of 5-10%.
For more information: http://www.bu.edu/ece/calendar
------------------------------
Everyone Leads: A Night with Paul Schmitz of Public Allies
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Microsoft NERD Center, One Memorial Drive, Cambridge
Register at http://everyoneleadswithpaulschmitz-esearch.eventbrite.com/?srnk=7
Please join Public Allies CEO and “Everyone Leads” author Paul
Schmitz for an engaging dialogue around asset-based leadership. Paul
will share some of the key experiences andcritical lessons that his
organization has learned from two decades of finding and developing
thousands of young leaders across the country. Paul will also share
his own inspiring story about journeying from an aimless youth to a
national nonprofit leader and Presidential advisor.
Hors d'oeuvres and cocktails
** ATTENTION ALL YOUNG LEADERS **
Please join us prior to the event for an intimate “leadership
salon” conversation with Paul Schmitz - where Paul will talk candidly
about his personal and professional growth, answer your questions and
offers his advice for your leadership challenges.
------------------------
Saving the Banks: Comparing Bailout Strategies in the United States
and Europe during the Financial Crisis
WHEN Wed., Feb. 1, 2012, 12:15 – 1:45 p.m.
WHERE Harvard, Cabot Room, Busch Hall, 27 Kirkland Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Business, Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Visiting Scholars Seminar: New Research on
Europe (CES)
SPEAKER(S) Cornelia Woll, visiting scholar, CES
COST Free
CONTACT INFO Arthur Goldhammer: art.goldhammer at gmail.com
LINK http://ces.fas.harvard.edu/studygroups/sg26.html
--------------------------
Seminar in Environmental Economics and Policy: "The Impact of
Voluntary Programs on Polluter Behavior: Evidence from Pollution
Prevention Programs and Toxic Releases"
WHEN Wed., Feb. 1, 2012, 4 – 5:30 p.m.
WHERE Harvard Kennedy School, Littauer-382, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Environmental Sciences, Lecture, Sustainability
SPEAKER(S) Linda Bui
LINK http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k82245&pageid=icb.page443881
------------------------
The Origin of Cellular Life
WHEN Wed., Feb. 1, 2012, 6 – 7 p.m.
WHERE Harvard Museum of Natural History, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Education, Lecture, Science, Special Events
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Harvard Museum of Natural History, supported by
a gift from Herman and Joan Suit
SPEAKER(S) Jack W. Szostak
COST Free and open to the public
NOTE The amazing diversity of life is a result of billions of years
of evolution. But how did the process of evolution begin? Jack
Szostak, a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and
distinguished investigator at Mass General, will describe how efforts
to design and build very simple living cells are testing our
assumptions about the nature of life, generating ideas about how life
emerged from the chemistry of early Earth, and offering clues as to
how modern life evolved from its earliest ancestors.
Free parking available in the 52 Oxford Street garage.
-----------------------
After Hours Coalition
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
American Twine, 222 3rd Street, 4th floor, Cambridge
intrepidlabs presents After Hours Coalition
Come check out what these hot tech startups have been up to:
One Laptop Per Child
Brass Monkey
Tip Tap
Coachup
Enjoy presentations by local start-ups, expand your network, and
indulge in an evening at intrepidlabs
brews, hors d'oeuvres, raffle
Come help welcome Intrepid Labs as Kendall's newest team work space.
Make sure to bring your business cards!
-----------------------
Extreme Weather
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
7:00 p.m.
Museum of Science, Boston
Register at http://extremeweather.eventbrite.com/
Bonnie Schneider, meteorologist, CNN Headline News.
In this post-Katrina era, we are more aware than ever of our
vulnerability to natural disasters. Yet a 2007 survey conducted by the
Harvard School of Public Health found that more than 30 percent of
residents living within 20 miles of the coastline vowed they would not
leave if ordered to evacuate for a major hurricane. The exact number
of people killed in Pompeii when Mount Vesuvius erupted is unknown,
but 1,044 casts of bodies in ash deposits have been recovered.
Centuries later, why do so many people stay in place and put
themselves at risk despite dire warnings?
In her new book, Extreme Weather, CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider
explains the science behind when natural disasters are likely to
strike. Hear the latest on how to prepare for the unexpected and how
these responses can make a difference between life and death. Book
signing to follow.
Advance registration begins at 9:00 a.m., Wednesday, January 18
(Sunday, January 15 for Museum members). Any reserved seating passes
not claimed 15 minutes before the program start time will be released
to walk-ins. A limited number of passes will be available in the lobby
on the day of the event: first come, first served. For more
information or to register over the phone: 617-723-2500.
Admission is free thanks to the generosity of the Lowell Institute.
----------------------------
Navigating the Nuclear Marketplace: How States Select Acquisition
Strategies
WHEN Thu., Feb. 2, 2012, 12:15 – 2 p.m.
WHERE Belfer Center Library, Littauer-369, Harvard Kennedy School, 79
JFK Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR International Security Program & Project on
Managing the Atom
SPEAKER(S) Malfrid Braut-Hegghammer, assistant professor, Norwegian
Defence University; former research fellow, International Security
Program/Project on Managing the Atom, 2008–10
CONTACT INFO susan_lynch at harvard.edu
LINK http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/events/5681/navigating_the_nuclear_marketplace.html
-------------------------
After Kim Jong Il: The Korean Peninsula and East Asian Security
WHEN Thu., Feb. 2, 2012, 12:30 – 2 p.m.
WHERE Belfer Case Study Room (S020), Japan Friends of Harvard
Concourse, CGIS South Bldg., 1730 Cambridge St., Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Program on U.S.-Japan Relations; co-sponsored by
the Kim Koo Forum on U.S.-Korea Relations, the Korea Institute; and
the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University
SPEAKER(S) Stephen W. Bosworth, dean, The Fletcher School of Law and
Diplomacy, Tufts University; United States special representative for
North Korea policy (2009-11); and U.S. ambassador to the Republic of
Korea (1997-2001)
COST Free
CONTACT INFO xtian at wcfia.harvard.edu
LINK http://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/us-japan/schedule/schedule.htm
-------------------------
Intellectual Property and Patent Law
Thursday, February 02, 2012
2:00p–4:00p
MIT, Whitehead Auditorium, 9 Cambridge Center, Kendall Square, Cambridge
What kinds of opportunities exist in law related professions? What are
these careers like and are they right for you?
Eileen Falvey, Partner, Jones Day
Robert Plotkin, Founder and IP lawyer at Robert Plotkin, PC, Adjunct
Professor at Boston University
Ronda Moore, Partner, Burns & Levinson LLC
Christine Vito, Partner, K&L Gates
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Biology
--------------------------
Design to Scale - Developing Technologies for Global Impact
Thursday, February 02, 2012
3:30p–5:00p
MIT, Building 56-114, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Working to scale a technology designed for the bottom of the pyramid?
Come join for the first of a series of events as we lay the foundation
for what to consider when designing for global impact. You'll hear
from a handful of entrepreneurs working on development technologies as
we explore questions like ??? how to select the right problem to
solve, design for dissemination, to test your technology in the field,
finance growth, manage operations and scale working models.
Confirmed speakers with more to be announced:
Peter Haas with AIDG (http://www.aidg.org)
Zubaida Bai, Ayzh (http://ayzh.com)
Moderated by Joost Bonsen
RSVP to http://bit.ly/vth7Id
* This is the first of a monthly series.
Web site: http://globalchallenge.mit.edu/events/view/210
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): IDEAS Global Challenge, International Development
Initiative, MIT Public Service Center, MIT Sloan Entrepreneurs for
International Development, D-Lab, Media Lab Entrepreneurship Program
For more information, contact:
Kate Mytty
6177155474
kmytty at mit.edu
-------------------------
The Arab Awakening
Thursday, February 2, 2012
6:00-7:30 PM
John F. Kennedy School of Government, 79 John F. Kennedy Street,
Cambridge
One Year Anniversary: The Arab Awakening
John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum Event
Open to the Public
Description: With Open Hands Initiative Founder Tina Brown
(Moderator), HKS Professor Tarek Masoud, Global Post co-founder,
editor and Vice President Charles M. Sennott, and journalist Mona
Eltahawy. Co-sponsored by the Open Hands Initiative.
Contact: Middle East Initiative
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
John F Kennedy School of Government, 79 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge
--------------------------
A night with the USGBC Student Groups of MA & RI.
Feb. 2, 2012
6-8:30pm
Space with a Soul, 7th floor loft, 281 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
Registration is FREE.
"USGBC Students recruits, connects and equips the next generation of
green building leaders by empowering them to transform their campuses,
communities and careers."
1. Introduction from Pat Lane, Update on USGBC Students Program
2. Attendee Introductions and Roundtable Discussion
3. Best student group practices: LEED GA study groups, group
fundraising for Greenbuild attendance, campus project planning, and
member recruiting
4. Green School Presentation
5. Food and Open Networking between students, group advisors, any
Emerging Professionals (EPMA)
RSVP:http://usgbcma.org/civicrm/event/register?id=163&reset=1
USGBC Students website: http://centerforgreenschools.org/usgbcstudents
--------------------------
Consent of the Networked
Thursday, February 2, 2012
6:00 PM
New MIT Media Lab, Silverman Room (E14-648), 75 Amherst Street,
Cambridge
Free and Open to the Public
RSVP required for those attending in person. RSVP at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/2012/02/mackinnon#RSVP
Rebecca MacKinnon
A global struggle for control of the Internet is now underway. At
stake are no less than civil liberties, privacy and even the character
of democracy in the 21st century. Many commentators have debated
whether the Internet is ultimately a force for freedom of expression
and political liberation, or for alienation, and repression. It is
time to stop arguing over whether the Internet empowers individuals
and societies, and address the more fundamental and urgent question of
how technology should be structured and governed to support the rights
and liberties of all the world’s Internet users. In her timely book,
Rebecca MacKinnon warns that a convergence of unchecked government
actions and unaccountable company practices is threatening the future
of democracy and human rights around the world. Consent of the
Networked is a call to action: Our freedom in the Internet age depends
on whether we defend our rights on digital platforms and networks in
the same way that people fight for their rights and accountable
governance in physical communities and nations. It is time to stop
thinking of ourselves as passive “users” of technology and instead
act like citizens of the Internet – as netizens – and take
ownership and responsibility for our digital future.
About Rebecca
Rebecca MacKinnon is a Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow at the New
America Foundation, where she conducts research, writing and advocacy
on global Internet policy, free expression, and the impact of digital
technologies on human rights. She is cofounder of Global Voices, an
international citizen media network. She also serves on the Boards of
Directors of the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Global
Network Initiative.
Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, MacKinnon worked as a journalist for CNN
in Beijing for nine years and was Beijing Bureau Chief and
Correspondent from 1998-2001, then served as CNN’s Tokyo Bureau Chief
and Correspondent from 2001-03. From 2004-06 she was a Research Fellow
at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, where she began
her ongoing research and writing about the Chinese Internet in
addition to launching Global Voices with colleague Ethan Zuckerman. In
2007-08 she taught online journalism at the University of Hong Kong’s
Journalism and Media Studies Centre. In 2009 she conducted research
and writing as an Open Society Fellow, and in the Spring of 2010 she
was a Visiting Fellow at Princeton’s Center or Information Technology
Policy. MacKinnon received her AB magna cum laude from Harvard College
and was a Fullbright scholar in Taiwan in 1991-92.
----------------------
Community Health Online: The Emergence of ePatients.
WHEN Thu., Feb. 2, 2012, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
WHERE RCC conference room, 26 Trowbridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Health Sciences, Lecture
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Real Colegio Complutense
SPEAKER(S) Ana Isabel Masedo, UCM (Madrid, Spain)
COST Free
CONTACT INFO rcc_info at harvard.edu
NOTE in English, open to the public
--------------------------
High Efficiency Electric Power Generation: The Environmental Role
Fri Feb 3
11am-01:00pm
MIT, Building 66-110, 25 Ames Street, Cambridge
Janos Beer
It is generally understood that high efficiency electric power
generation consistent with high reliability of operation and reduced
cost of electricity is economically beneficial, but its effect upon
reduction of all plant emissions without the installation of
additional emission control equipment is less well appreciated. High
efficiency as the most cost effective tool capable of reducing CO2
emission from fossil fuel plant in the short term has become a key
concept for the choice of technology for both new plant and upgrades
of existing plant. High efficiency is also important for future
applications of CCS to mitigate the energy penalty of the CO2 capture
process.
Power generating options including Coal based Rankin cycle with
advanced steam parameters, Coal gasification combined cycle, Natural
gas-fired combined cycle and Oxy combustion are discussed and compared
for their development, demonstration and commercial availability for
deployment.
Contact: Janos Beer, 66-301, x3-6661, jmbeer at mit.edu
Sponsor: Chemical Engineering
-------------------------------
The Biophysical Borderline: Exploring the Boundary Between Inanimate
and Living Matter
Friday, February 03, 2012
1:30p–2:30p
MIT, Building 6-120, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
MIT Physics Lecture Series:
Professor Jeremy England
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)
Living things are good at collecting information about their
surroundings, and at putting that information to use through the ways
they interact with their environment so as to survive and replicate
themselves. Thus, talking about biology inevitably leads to talking
about decision, purpose, and function. At the same time, living things
are also made of atoms that, in and of themselves, have no particular
function. Rather, molecules and the atoms from which they are built
exhibit well-defined physical properties having to do with how they
bounce off of, stick to, and combine with each other across space and
over time. Making sense of life at the molecular level is all about
building a bridge between these two different ways of looking at the
world. In this lecture we will discuss the ways in which a deep
understanding of statistical physics can help to illuminate the inner
workings of biological systems.
Web site: http://student.mit.edu/iap/ns8.html
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Physics IAP, Physics Department
For more information, contact:
Denise Wahkor
617-253-4855
------------------------------
Resilience Circles Introductory Webinar
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST
Webinar Registration at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/303828366
Join us for an interactive online webinar about Resilience Circles, an
approach to building individual and community resilience during
difficult economic times. We’ll talk about how to start a circle for
your community or congregation, including:
finding an organizing partner
finding participants through base communities and the "linking method"
how to share the idea of a circle with others
some notes on the curriculum
Please enter any questions or comments for our panelists below. Read
more about Resilience Circles at http://localcircles.org.
***********
-------------
Upcoming
-------------
***********
Harvard Law School Food Law Society Hosting a Raw Milk Debate
When: Thursday, February 16, 2012, 7:15 pm – 8:45 pm
Where: Harvard Law School, Langdell South Classroom. For those that
can’t make it, the event will be live-streamed. Video will also be
available after the event.
At one time, everyone drank raw milk. But with the invention of
pasteurization and its attendant safety benefits, consumption of raw
milk in this country almost completely disappeared. In fact, in many
states it is illegal to sell raw milk. But a growing segment of the
population is clamoring for increased access to raw milk, citing its
nutritional benefits. Opponents are skeptical of such nutritional
claims and believe the safety risks of unpasteurized milk are simply
too high.
Join the Food Law Society as we present a debate covering the legal,
health, and nutritional merits of raw milk. The participants are:
Fred Pritzker, Pritzker & Olson Law Firm
Dr. Heidi Kassenborg, Director, Dairy & Food Inspection Division,
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
vs.
Sally Fallon Morell, President, Weston A. Price Foundation
David Gumpert, Author, The Raw Milk Revolution
Contact: Jonathan Abrams, jabrams at jd12.law.harvard.edu
---------------------------
Implementing Bold State Energy-Related Environmental Regulations,
Policies, & Programs in Massachusetts and Connecticut;
and The Future of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
Friday, February 17, 2012
9 am to 12:30 pm
Foley Hoag LLP, 155 Seaport Boulevard, 13th Floor, Boston, MA 02210
***Free and open to the public with no advanced registration***
Join us as we kick off the Roundtable's 17th year with a blockbuster
Roundtable focusing on bold state and regional energy-related
environmental regulations, policies, and programs.
Our first panel features recent important state-level developments in
Massachusetts and Connecticut.Massachusetts Department of
Environmental ProtectionCommissioner Ken Kimmel will describe the
various new activities that DEP and the state are undertaking to
insure the successful implementation of Massachusetts' landmark
legislation, including the Global Warming Solutions Act and the Green
Communities Act.
Connecticut's recently-appointed Deputy Commissioner of Energy
Jonathan Schrag will then discuss the plethora of activities
Connecticut is undertaking (following the recent consolidation of its
energy and environmental agencies under a new Department of Energy and
Environmental Protection), all of which aim to reduce energy prices,
while enhancing the pursuit of energy efficiency and clean energy
technologies.
Our second panel focuses on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
(RGGI), the first carbon cap and trade system in the United States, as
it completes its third year of operation and begins a three-year
review process that could result in changes to RGGI's design and
implementation. Yet with New Jersey's recent withdrawal from RGGI and
New Hampshire's near-withdrawal, is RGGI's future secure?
The panel begins with Maine PUC Commissioner David Littell (who is
also Chairman of RGGI,Inc.)
Commissioner Littell will take stock of RGGI's first phase, laying out
the questions that the states will be trying to answer in their review
process and describing the review process itself.
Analysis Group Senior Vice President Paul Hibbardwill then present the
findings of an in-depth study undertaken by Analysis Group, with
funding support from several foundations, on the economic costs and
benefits of RGGI's first phase - both regionally and state-by-state.
Rounding out the panel and sharing their insights on RGGI's first
three years, the Analysis Group study, and their hopes and fears
regarding RGGI's future, will be Environment Northeast's Director for
Energy/Climate Policy Derek Murrow, and NRG Energy's Senior VP for
Sustainability Policy & Strategy Steve Corneli.
12/9/11 Restructuring Roundtable Meeting video at http://www.raabassociates.org/main/roundtable.asp?sel=110
*************
----------------
Opportunity
---------------
*************
*J e s t e r*
**Facebook Profile <https://www.facebook.com/jester.ronin> **¦**
LinkedIn<http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?trk=tab_pro&id=26526883>
**
P a r a n o i d Z e n
jes... at paranoidzen.com*
http://www.paranoidzen.com
Hi All,
I am sending this out to a bunch of lists I'm on, so apologies for
cross posting effects.
Our new forums are up and running, and they are free for all! We are
aiming for this to become a place where Boston area collaborations,
discussions and skill shares in audio, video, lighting, programming,
hacking, and other various forms of 'making' happen.
Find them here: http://cemmi.org/index.php/forum/index
Since its early, I imagine they will go through some serious
evolutions in terms of organization but we hope you will stop by and
check them out. The forums even work on most mobile platforms :)
You can sign in using your Gmail, Google app, or Facebook credentials
so there is no need to create a new account (we'll be adding a button
to make that more obvious soon).
If you have any suggestions or changes, let us know, and if you are up
for helping moderate, please reach out!
Many thanks, and I hope to see you there!
------------------------
Young World Inventors Success!
Young World Inventors (http://yinventors.wordpress.com/) finished
their Kickstarter campaign (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1036325713/youngworldinventorscom
) to fund insider web stories of African and American innovators in
collaboration successfully.
New contributions, however, will be accepted.
*********
-----------
Resource
-----------
Massachusetts Attitudes About Climate Change – An opinion survey of
Massachusetts residents conducted by MassINC and sponsored by the Barr
Foundation found that 77% of respondents believe that global warming
has “probably been happening” and 59% of all respondents see see it
as being at least partially caused by human pollution. Only 42% of
the state’s residents say global warming will have very serious
consequences for Massachusetts if left unaddressed. The 18 to 29 age
group is more likely to believe global warming is appearing and caused
by humans compared to the 60+ age group. African-American (56%) and
Latino residents (69%) are more likely than white residents (40%) to
believe global warming will be a very serious problem if left
unaddressed. The MassINC report, titled The 80 Percent Challenge:
What Massachusetts must do to meet targets and make headway on climate
change (http://www.massinc.org/Research/The-80-percent-
challenge.aspx), contains many other findings.
----------------------------------------------------
The presentations from the recent Affordable Comfort National Home
Performance Conference are available online at
http://2011.acinational.org/downloadable_resources
Lots of good information from what some call the best energy
conference in the USA on Deep Energy Retrofits to Community Energy
Challenges with details on insulation, heat flow, energy metering,
ducting, hot water, and many, many other topics. If you are a
practical energy wonk, this should make your eyes light up.
--------------------------------------------------
Free Monthly Energy Analysis
CarbonSalon is a free service that every month can automatically track
your energy use and compare it to your past energy use (while
controlling for how cold the weather is). You get a short friendly
email that lets you know how you’re doing in your work to save energy.
https://www.carbonsalon.com/
---------------------------------------
Boston Food System
"The Boston Food System [listserv] provides a forum to post
announcements of events, employment opportunities, internships,
programs, lectures, and other activities as well as related articles
or other publications of a non-commercial nature covering the area's
food system - food, nutrition, farming, education, etc. - that take
place or focus on or around Greater Boston (broadly delineated)."
The Boston area is one of the most active nationwide in terms of food
system activities - projects, services, and events connected to food,
farming, nutrition - and often connected to education, public health,
environment, arts, social services and other arenas. Hundreds of
organizations and enterprises cover our area, but what is going on
week-to-week is not always well publicized.
Hence, the new Boston Food System listserv, as the place to let
everyone know about these activities. Specifically:
Use of the BFS list will begin soon, once we get a decent base of
subscribers. Clarification of what is appropriate to announce and
other posting guidelines will be provided as well.
It's easy to subscribe right now at https://elist.tufts.edu/wws/subscribe/bfs
----------------------
Artisan Asylum http://artisansasylum.com/
Sprout & Co: Community Driven Investigations
Greater Boston Solidarity Economy Mapping Project http://www.transformationcentral.org/solidarity/mapping/mapping.html
a project by Wellesley College students that invites participation,
contact jmatthaei at wellesley.edu
------------------------
Bostonsmart.com's Guide to Boston http://www.bostonsmarts.com/BostonGuide/
********************************************
-----------------------------------------------------
Links to events at 60 colleges and universities at Hubevents http://hubevents.blogspot.com
Thanks to
Fred Hapgood's Selected Lectures on Science and Engineering in the
Boston Area http://www.BostonScienceLectures.com
Boston Area Computer User Groups http://www.bugc.org/
Arts and Cultural Events List http://aacel.blogspot.com/
http://www.mitenergyclub.org/calendar/mit_events_template
http://sustainability.mit.edu/
http://www.environment.harvard.edu/events/calendar/
http://green.harvard.edu/events
http://microsoftcambridge.com/Events/tabid/57/Default.aspx
http://pechakuchaboston.org/blog/
http://boston.nerdnite.com/
http://www.meetup.com/
http://www.eventbrite.com/
More information about the Act-MA
mailing list