[act-ma] Energy (and Other) Events - June 8, 2014
George Mokray
gmoke at world.std.com
Sun Jun 8 11:21:51 PDT 2014
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
What I Do and Why I Do It: The Story of Energy (and Other) Events
http://hubeventsnotes.blogspot.com/2013/11/what-i-do-and-why-i-do-it.html
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Event Index - full Event Details available below the Index
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Monday, June 9
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12:45pm Regional Food Economies: Building Market Opportunities for Rural America
5:30pm Reciprocity, Conflict, Indifference: Relationships Between Performance and Its Sites
5:30pm Weathering the Storm: Boston's Future Climate
6:30pm India's Predicament - Balancing National & Ecological Security
7pm How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking
7pm "The Search for the Center: Copernicus’ Heliocentric Astronomy”
7pm An evening with Chris Hedges
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Tuesday, June 10
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8am Boston TechBreakfast: AudibleAssist, Slingbot, Epidemico, Vocoli, ShoutHub
12:30pm Caring for Audiences: Building Communities, Design, and Social Movements
1:30pm “Shortening the Innovation Lifecycle”
6:30pm A Conversation About the Intersection of Technology and Art in Public Places
6:30pm Vision-Driven: Beyond Tangible Bits, Towards Radical Atoms
7pm Somerville Marshmallow Fluff Festival Brainstorm
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Wednesday, June 11
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5:30pm Places of Theatrical Imagination
5:30pm GMO OMG
6pm MassChallenge Open House Celebration
6:30pm Swiss American Startup Meetup
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Thursday, June 12
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11am Smart Cars for Safe Pedestrians
12pm The German 'Energiewende' and its Impact on the Global Energy Transformation
2pm Media Lab Conversations Series: Judith Donath
2pm Boston TechJam
3:30pm Ambri NEWIEE Tour
5pm Cambridge Bicycle Network Plan
5:30pm The Mellon School of Theater and Performance Research at Harvard University: Roundtable Discussion
5:30pm EnergyBar: Summer Patio Edition!
6pm The Hunt for Silk Road’s Masters - When Deep Web turns to Murder!
6:30pm Microsoft Cognitive Computing via Open Source
7pm Conflicting Science on the Safety of Genetically Modified Food - Science for the Public: The Public Science Lectures
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Friday, June 13
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8am MassHack
1:30pm DNA: Not Merely the Secret of Life
5pm Second Fridays at the MIT Museum: Nothing to Hide? Illusions of Privacy and Security
7pm @party 2014
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Saturday, June 14
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8am Bangladesh Development Conference 2014: Globalization and Sustainability of Bangladesh Garment Industry
10:30am Butterfly Gardening 101
2pm Science Communication: American Sci-dol
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Monday, June 16
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8:30am Climate Change Symposium on Sustaining Coastal Cities
12pm “Hacking Medicine and the Rx It Offers for Innovation in All Industries”
6pm 2014 Global Pitchfest: International Elevator Pitch Contest + Networking
7pm Tweets and Trills: The Natural History of Birdsong
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Tuesday, June 17
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8am Around the World in 120 Days: Latin America 101 - Opportunities South of the Border
6pm The Future of Startup Culture
6pm Boston New Technology June 2014 Product Showcase #BNT42
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My rough notes on some of the events I go to and notes on books I’ve read are at:
http://hubeventsnotes.blogspot.com
The Populist Moment
http://hubeventsnotes.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-populist-moment.html
It Ain't How Much Energy We Generate, It's How Much We "Reject" (for the USA at least)
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/07/1303975/-It-Ain-t-How-Much-Energy-We-Generate-It-s-How-Much-We-Reject-for-the-USA-at-least
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Monday, June 9
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Regional Food Economies: Building Market Opportunities for Rural America
Monday, June 9
12:45 pm ET
http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
How is investing in local food economies an investment in rural America? How can rural America benefit from the growing demand for local food? How are local food systems supporting the economy in your town?
Please join us for Regional Food Economies: Building Market Opportunities for Rural America, a virtual White House Rural Council Stakeholder Forum featuring a moderated conversation between USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, US Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, Dan Carmody of Detroit's Eastern Market Corporation, and Melissa Rivers of the East Arkansas Planning and Development District. Leaders from the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Delta Regional Authority and the Environmental Protection Agency will also be participating.
During this conversation, find out how local food systems are emerging as economic drivers in rural communities and what Federal resources are available to support this work.
This inspirational conversation will be live-streamed at Monday, June 9 at 12:45 pm on www.whitehouse.gov/live. We invite you to tune in, watch with others, and continue the conversation in your community. Use the attached tiles and #ruralmade on Twitter or other social media platforms to invite others in your community to participate, learn and engage.
The White House Rural Council is a cabinet-level council established by the President to drive job creation and economic development in rural America. The Council coordinates the Administration’s efforts in rural America by streamlining and improving the effectiveness of federal programs serving rural America; engaging stakeholders, including farmers, ranchers, and local citizens, on issues and solutions in rural communities; and promoting and coordinating private-sector partnerships.
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Reciprocity, Conflict, Indifference: Relationships Between Performance and Its Sites
WHEN Mon., June 9, 2014, 5:30 – 7 p.m.
WHERE Harvard, Barker Center, Thompson Room, 12 Quincy Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Art/Design, Conferences, Humanities, Lecture, Theater
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR The Mellon School of Theater and Performance Research at Harvard University
SPEAKER(S) Mike Pearson, Aberystwyth University
COST Free and open to the public
LINK http://thschool.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k76089&tabgroupid=icb.tabgroup142417
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Weathering the Storm: Boston's Future Climate
Monday, June 9
Reception 5:30 p.m.; panel 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, Wimberly Theatre, 527 Tremont Street, Boston
RSVP at https://support.nature.org/site/Ticketing?view=Tickets&id=5102
Cost: $25
What will climate change mean for Boston and other coastal cities? How can we adapt to the impacts of climate change, even as we work to mitigate greenhouse gases emissions in the future? How can New England be more resilient in the face of sea level rise and stronger storms?
Speakers will include: Adam Freed of The Nature Conservancy; Vivien Li, president of the Boston Harbor Association; Brian Swett of the City of Boston; and Vicki Arroyo of the Georgetown Climate Center.
Click here to buy tickets to our June 9 event; https://support.nature.org/site/Ticketing?view=Tickets&id=5102
See more at: http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/massachusetts/explore/ma-future-of-nature.xml#sthash.g35IZGrm.dpuf
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India's Predicament - Balancing National & Ecological Security
Monday, June 9
6:30pm
MIT, Building 4 - 231, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
The core part of a new strategy to ramp up economic progress of India involves aggressive promotion of industrial and infrastructure growth, without bottlenecks, backed by a resurgent national security agenda.
Can these objectives be sustained while neglecting their repercussions to environment, human rights and food sovereignty?
Leo Saldanha and Bhargavi Rao of Environment Support Group in Bangalore India deliberate whether the new Government's reform agenda is inchoate, incoherent, or if it is the right way forward for India?
More details about the speakers and their work may be accessed at: http://www.esgindia.org.
Talk is Free & Open to all, Light refreshment provided.
https://www.facebook.com/events/530278807077290/
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How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking
Monday, June 9
7:00 PM
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
This event is free; no tickets are required.
Harvard Book Store welcomes Professor of Mathematics at University of Wisconsin-Madison JORDAN ELLENBERG for a discussion of his book How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking.
The math we learn in school can seem like a dull set of rules, laid down by the ancients and not to be questioned. In How Not to Be Wrong, Jordan Ellenberg shows us how terribly limiting this view is: Math isn’t confined to abstract incidents that never occur in real life, but rather touches everything we do—the whole world is shot through with it.
Math allows us to see the hidden structures underneath the messy and chaotic surface of our world. It’s a science of not being wrong, hammered out by centuries of hard work and argument. Armed with the tools of mathematics, we can see through to the true meaning of information we take for granted: How early should you get to the airport? What does “public opinion” really represent? Why do tall parents have shorter children? Who really won Florida in 2000? And how likely are you, really, to develop cancer?
How Not to Be Wrong presents the surprising revelations behind all of these questions and many more, using the mathematician’s method of analyzing life and exposing the hard-won insights of the academic community to the layman—minus the jargon. Ellenberg chases mathematical threads through a vast range of time and space, from the everyday to the cosmic, encountering, among other things, baseball, Reaganomics, daring lottery schemes, Voltaire, the replicability crisis in psychology, Italian Renaissance painting, artificial languages, the development of non-Euclidean geometry, the coming obesity apocalypse, Antonin Scalia’s views on crime and punishment, the psychology of slime molds, what Facebook can and can’t figure out about you, and the existence of God.
Ellenberg pulls from history as well as from the latest theoretical developments to provide those not trained in math with the knowledge they need. Math, as Ellenberg says, is “an atomic-powered prosthesis that you attach to your common sense, vastly multiplying its reach and strength.” With the tools of mathematics in hand, you can understand the world in a deeper, more meaningful way. How Not to Be Wrong will show you how.
General Info (617) 661-1515
info at harvard.com
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"The Search for the Center: Copernicus’ Heliocentric Astronomy”
Monday, June 9
7pm
The Burren, 247 Elm Street, Somerville
Owen Gingerich
Dr. Owen Gingerich is a Professor Emeritus of Astronomy and of History of Science. While his early work modeled the solar atmosphere, his recent work is an depth history of 16th and 17th astronomers, including Johannes Kepler and Nicholas Copernicus, who proposed the heliocentric model. To chronicle the impact and circulation of Copernicus’ great book De revoluntionibus, Owen scoured dozens of libraries across several continents in search of the rare surviving original copies. His census of the books is a published academic work, while his travel adventures are expanded upon in The Book Nobody Read.
On Monday, June 9th, Owen will discuss his ventures in hunting down the rare Copernican ‘De revolutionibus’ books. Then we will open the floor to Harvard History of Science graduate students, who will introduce their projects on a range of topics from lunatic asylums in colonial India to the pursuit of immortality through elixir chemistry in ancient China.
More information at http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/science-by-the-pint/
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An evening with Chris Hedges
Monday, June 9
7pm-8:30pm
First Church Jamaica Plain, 6 Eliot Street, Jamaica Plain
Co-sponsors: Jamaica Plain Forum, Common Dreams
Cost: Admission is free (Though small donations welcome at the door)
RSVP: Those planning to attend can sign-up on the event's Facebook page <https://www.facebook.com/events/1381519838760176/?ref_dashboard_filter=calendar> here.
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Tuesday, June 10
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Boston TechBreakfast: AudibleAssist, Slingbot, Epidemico, Vocoli, ShoutHub
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
8:00 AM
Microsoft Technology Center (4th Floor Longfellow), 1 Cambridge Center, Cambridge
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/Boston-TechBreakfast/events/155722922/
Interact with your peers in a monthly morning breakfast meetup. At this monthly breakfast get-together techies, developers, designers, and entrepreneurs share learn from their peers through show and tell / show-case style presentations.
And yes, this is free! Thank our sponsors when you see them :)
Agenda for Boston TechBreakfast:
8:00 - 8:15 - Get yer Bagels & Coffee and chit-chat
8:15 - 8:20 - Introductions, Sponsors, Announcements
8:20 - ~9:30 - Showcases and Shout-Outs!
LifeAssist: AudibleAssist - Jean Anne Booth
Slingbot - Sebastian Fung
MedWatcher Social: Epidemico - Nabarun Dasugpta
Vocoli - Rich Kneece
ShoutHub - Max Alexander
~9:30 - end - Final "Shout Outs" & Last Words
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Caring for Audiences: Building Communities, Design, and Social Movements
June 10
12:30pm ET
Berkman Center for Internet & Society, 23 Everett Street, 2nd Floor, Cambridge
RSVP required for those attending in person at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/luncheon/2014/06/sigal#RSVP
This event will be webcast live on http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/luncheon/2014/06/sigal at 12:30pm ET
Ivan Sigal
"I am exploring the effects of citizen media and social movements, within the lens of Global Voices coverage and activism, with an eye toward developing future editorial practices. The world is now saturated with media content, and attention is scarce almost everywhere. The fact of saturation and the ease of production does not mean equitable access to attention, even for important and worthwhile content. What we call the caring problem for audiences is not a determined fact, but also of building communities, language choices, design, and social media tactics."
About Ivan
Ivan Sigal is the Executive Director of Global Voices, an online citizen media network that amplifies unheard stories and perspectives, originally founded at the Berkman Center. He designs and creates media projects around the world with a focus on networked communities, conflict, development, and humanitarian disasters. He was a Senior Fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace, writing about digital media technologies and their effect on conflict. He also held many positions over a 10-year period at Internews, working on dozens of media projects across the former Soviet Union and Asia, on topics such as conflict, transitional societies, humanitarian information, broadcast and Internet media infrastructure, and freedom of expression.
Ivan is also a photographer, working on long-term projects that chronicle places and situations. He is the author of White Road, a book of photography and writing about Central Asia and Siberia, and is currently working on two other projects, about urban spaces and the ordering of nature in Asia and a visual memoir of Pennsylvania. He speaks Russian (fluently) and German (less so). He has an undergraduate degree from Williams College, and an MA from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy. Ivan has lived and worked in over 70 countries, including long periods in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and Asia.
At the Berkman Center, Ivan will research the impact of shifting information technology preferences on the citizen media communities, focusing on evolving forms of content creation, sharing, news and information production, and storytelling.
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“Shortening the Innovation Lifecycle”
Tuesday, June 10
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Hynes Convention Center, Room 254B, Boston
A session during the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE), hosted by Earl Jones. Please join the New England Water Innovation Network for an exciting look at innovation in the water industry.
As the global water challenges of scarcity, quality and costs continue to worsen, there has never been greater urgency to find new technologies, products and business models that can deliver more effective and affordable treatment solutions. Ple ase join us for an exciting and energizing look at innovation through the lens of some of our industry’s leading thinkers from across New England. Our collection of speakers is sure to inform and entertain as they deliver a series of vignettes showcasing cutting edge innovation. Afterwards, our speakers will join together in a panel to answer your questions.
NEWIN is the water industry cluster for New England. A 503 (c) (6) non-profit, our mission is to make an impact on the global water challenges by both broadening and accelerating innovation to market. NEWIN harnesses the deep water industry capabilities from across industry, academia, finance and government to break down the barriers that slow the adoption of new technologies and solutions.
CONFIRMED PRESENTERS INCLUDE:
Scott Bryan, COO, Imagine H2O
Elizabeth Holst, Founder and CEO, Clean WaterNet
John H. Lienhard, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, MIT
Louis Masi, Co-founder and Executive Vice President, FloDesign Sonics
Jim Matheson, President & CEO, Oasys Water
Alicia Barton, CEO and Executive Director, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
Karen Oates, Dean of Arts and Sciences, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Matthew Silver, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Cambrian Innovation
Richard Stover, Executive Vice President, Desalitech
contact at newengland-win.org
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A Conversation About the Intersection of Technology and Art in Public Places
Tuesday, June10
6:30pm-8:00pm
MIT, Building E15-070, List Visual Arts Center, Bartos Theatre, 20 Ames Street, Cambridge
In this program we want to illuminate the ways in which technological innovations can — and should — not only enhance the art in question, but also provide the means by which the public and the place play a role in shaping that art. We are eager to hear your perspective on how these interrelationships currently play out and what a vision for an even more robust future might look like. As we begin to shape that vision, there will be opportunity to identify best practices from other cities, both nationally and internationally.
6:30 – 8:00pm: Discussion and Open forum
Reception to follow
Optional
5:00 - 6:00pm: A Walking Investigation: Public Art @ MIT
Tour will depart from the Ames Street entrance to the LIST.
Ron Mallis, Director Boston APP/LAB,Facilitator
Participants include:
George Fifield is an independent curator of new media, with numerous projects here and abroad. He is the founding director of Boston Cyberarts Inc., a nonprofit arts organization programming numerous art and technology projects, including curating two large public LED screens in downtown Boston and running the Boston Cyberarts Gallery in Jamaica Plain. He was executive co-producer for The Electronic Canvas, an hour-long documentary on the history of the media arts (PBS, 2000). The Boston Cyberarts Festival (1999-2011), an international biennial of artists working in new technologies, featured exhibitions of visual arts; music, dance, and theatrical performances; film and video presentations; and symposia throughout Greater Boston. In 2007 the Festival was the recipient of the Commonwealth Award in the category of Creative Economy. George writes on a variety of media, technology, and art topics for numerous publications and is adjunct faculty at the Rhode Island School of Design in the graduate Digital + Media department. In 2006, the International Association of Art Critics (AICA) Boston Chapter honored Fifield with the First Annual Special Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Arts Community.
Primavera De Fillipi researcher, CERSA / CNRS / Université Paris II and research fellow, Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Harvard University, where she is investigating the concept of “governance by design” as it relates to cloud computing and peer-to-peer technologies. Primavera holds a PhD from the European University Institute in Florence, where she explored the legal challenges of copyright law in the digital environment. Primavera is an administrator of the Communia association for the public domain, a coordinator at the Open Knowldege Foundation and legal expert for Creative Commons in France. She is also the co-founder of an artistic collective called Okhaos that produces interactive (digital and mechanical) works released under open licenses.
Matthew Blumberg likes to make stuff up. He is founder and executive director of GridRepublic, a nonprofit organization that uses “volunteer computing” to provide supercomputing resources to scientific and medical research (recently in partnership with Intel as “Progress Thru Processors”). Other recent projects include “Charity Engine” (commercial volunteer computing, with proceeds to charity), and consulting with DARPA’s “Social Computing Seedling.” Previously, he produced the feature film “Amongst Friends” (a Sundance Film Festival Selection, distributed theatrically worldwide), and was partner in TGT Energy Ltd., a company commercializing
Dan Sternof Beyer, co-founder, New American Public Art. A sociologist and arts advocate. Raised in Nevada by a screenplay writer and a hovercraft innovator. Left promising career in advertising to follow passion as a designer of public space and social interaction. Believes that public expression of curiosity drives community formation and cultural identity.
Camilø Alvårez was born in 1976 in New York to Dominican parents and lived in Santo Domingo for seven years. He received a B.A. from Skidmore College and is currently studying to receive a Masters of Liberal Arts in Museum Studies from Harvard University. He has worked, among other places, at Exit Art, Socrates Sculpture Park, MIT’s List Visual Art Center, and the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture. He is currently the Owner, Director, and Preparator at Samsøñ, formerly Samson Projects, founded in 2004. Samsøn’s programs and exhibitions have been reviewed by ArtForum, the Boston Globe and Flash Art. In 2010, Camilo initiated sübsamsøn, a form of artist’s residency within the gallery.
Pedro Alonzo, is a Boston based independent curator. He is currently an Adjunct Curator at Dallas Contemporary. Alonzo was formerly an adjunct curator at the ICA Boston (2011-2013) and at the Institute of Visual Arts (inova), University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (1996-2002). Since 2006 Pedro has specialized in producing exhibitions that transcend the boundaries of the museum walls and spill out onto the urban landscape. In doing so, his exhibitions intentionally address audiences beyond the traditional museum public. At the ICA Boston he curated Shepard Fairey’s 20-year survey titled, Supply and Demand, a solo exhibition with Dr. Lakra, a site specific installation by SWOON and Os Gemeos. For the MCA San Diego he organized the group exhibition Viva la Revolucion: A Dialogue with the Urban Landscape. In 2013 he organized the first solo museum exhibition for the French artist JR, winner of the 2011 Ted Prize, at the Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati and the Dallas Contemporary. Alonzo is currently developing a citywide exhibition for the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program.
http://listart.mit.edu/
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Vision-Driven: Beyond Tangible Bits, Towards Radical Atoms
Tuesday, June 10
6:30 PM to 9 PM
Tufts University, 196 Boston Avenue, 4th floor, Medford
Please register for our free meeting. It helps us and our hosts plan things appropriately:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hiroshi-ishii-vision-driven-beyond-tangible-bits-towards-radical-atoms-tickets-11597541559
Hiroshi Ishii
Associate Director, MIT Media Lab, Jerome B. Wiesner Professor of Media Arts and Sciences, Co-Director, Things That Think, & Head, Tangible Media Group
This is a joint event with BostonCHI Labs
Abstract
Our vision-driven design research is carried out through an artistic approach. Whereas today’s mainstream Human Computer Interaction (HCI) research addresses functional concerns – the needs of users, practical applications, and usability evaluation – Tangible Bits and Radical Atoms are driven by vision. This is because today’s technologies will become obsolete in one year, and today’s applications will be replaced in 10 years, but true visions – we believe – can last longer than 100 years.
Tangible Bits seeks to realize seamless interfaces between humans, digital information, and the physical environment by giving physical form to digital information, making bits directly manipulable and perceptible. Our goal is to invent new design media for artistic expression as well as for scientific analysis, taking advantage of the richness of human senses and skills – as developed through our lifetime of interaction with the physical world – as well as the computational reflection enabled by real-time sensing and digital feedback.
Radical Atoms takes a leap beyond Tangible Bits by assuming a hypothetical generation of materials that can change form and properties dynamically, becoming as reconfigurable as pixels on a screen. Radical Atoms is the future material that can transform its’ shape, conform to constraints, and inform the users of their affordances. Radical Atoms is a vision for the future of human-material interaction, in which all digital information has a physical manifestation so that we can interact directly with it.
I will present the trajectory of our vision-driven design research from Tangible Bits towards Radical Atoms, and a variety of interaction design projects that were presented and exhibited in Media Arts, Design, and Science communities.
Bio
Hiroshi Ishii is Jerome B. Wiesner Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at the MIT Media Lab, where he is head of the Tangible Media group and co-director of the Things That Think (TTT) consortium. Ishii’s research focuses upon the design of seamless interfaces between humans, digital information, and the physical environment. His group seeks to change the “painted bits” of GUIs to “tangible bits” by giving physical form to digital information. Their work emphasizes that the development of tangible interfaces requires the rigor of both scientific and artistic review.
Ishii and his team have presented “Tangible Bits” at a variety of academic, design, and artistic venues such as ACM SIGCHI and SIGGRAPH, Industrial Design Society of America, AIGA, Ars Electronica, ICC, Centre Pompidou, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. A display of many of the group’s projects took place at the NTT InterCommunication Center (ICC) in Tokyo in 2000, and at Ars Electronica Center in Linz, Austria from September 2001 to August 2004.
Prior to joining the Media Lab in 1995, Ishii led a CSCW research group at NTT Human Interface Laboratories, where he and his team invented TeamWorkStation and ClearBoard. He was a visiting assistant professor at the University of Toronto in 1993 and 1994. Ishii received his BE degree in electronic engineering, and ME and PhD degrees in computer engineering, from Hokkaido University, Japan. In 2006 ACM SIGCHI elected Ishii to the CHI Academy, recognizing his substantial contributions to the field of Human-Computer Interactions through the creation of a new genre called “Tangible User Interfaces.”
Evening Schedule
6:30 – 7:00 Networking over pizza and beverages
7:00 – 8:30 Meeting
8:30 – 9:00 CHI Dessert and more networking!
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Somerville Marshmallow Fluff Festival Brainstorm
Tuesday, June 10
7PM
Design Annex, 66 Union Square, Suite 103, Somerville
It’s that time of year again !
What the Fluff? is a unique Somerville festival dedicated to food, invention and art that celebrates Archibald Query, Somerville resident and inventor of Marshmallow Fluff. Each year the residents of Somerville collaborate on a huge festival that features activities, music, food and fun for Fluff fans of all ages.
This year’s What the Fluff? Festival is steampunk-inspired – yeah, it’s Steam-Fluff ! — and will take place on Saturday, September 27 in Union Square Somerville. (Rain date is Sunday, September 28.) We’re kicking it up yet another notch this year and are scheming for the evening before the festival to host a Fluffernutter Fun Run from Union to Davis and back with appropriate refreshments along the way.
Join us for a session of brainstorming, planning and organizing this Tuesday, June 10 at 7PM in the Design Annex located at 66 Union Square, Suite 103, Somerville. That’s upstairs from Precinct right on the plaza.
We're looking for performers, artists, graphic designers, photographers, costume designers, game-makers, mad-cappers, instigators, play mavens of any and all sorts to join us.
Interested volunteers and collaborators, both new and seasoned, are invited to meet this summer’s staff, hear what we have planned so far, and offer ideas, suggestions, inspiration and help to make this year’s festival the best one ever!
Bring your thoughts and your friends to this fun, casual meeting about one of Somerville’s favorite yearly events!
To learn more about the festival:
https://unionsquaremain.org/fluff-festival/
For more information about this meeting:
mimi at unionsquaremain.org
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Wednesday, June 11
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Places of Theatrical Imagination
WHEN Wed., June 11, 2014, 5:30 – 7 p.m.
WHERE Harvard, Barker Center, Thompsron Room, 12 Quincy Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Humanities, Lecture, Theater
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR The Mellon School of Theater and Performance Research at Harvard University
SPEAKER(S) Elinor Fuchs, Yale University
COST Free and open to the public
LINK http://thschool.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k76089&tabgroupid=icb.tabgroup142417
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GMO OMG
Wednesday, June 11, 2013
5:30 PM Reception, Film Start 6:00 PM
Emerson College, The Paramount Center, (Bright Family Screening Room), 559 Washington Street, Boston
Cost: $10 to benefit GMO labeling campaign (inquire about sliding scale seats) SPACE IS LIMITED
Tickets available at the box office, or online at http://bit.ly/1nqHvRm
Please RSVP and share the Facebook Event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/327180054100676/
This Wednesday, join Mass Right to Know GMOs <http://marighttoknow.org/>and Lighter <http://www.lighterculture.com/> for a special screening of the film GMO OMG with filmmaker Jeremy Seifert, state legislators and GMO labeling champions, sponsored by Ben & Jerry's and Dean's Bean's Organic Coffee.
Followed by panel discussion with the filmmaker and GMO labeling proponents.
(And yes, there will be free coffee and ice cream...AND everyone will get a voucher for a free meal at Chipotle!).
Hosted by Mass. GMO labeling champions:
Representative Todd Smola (R- Palmer)
Rep. Ellen Story (D- Amherst)
Deirdre Cummings (MASSPIRG)
Dean Cycon (Dean's Beans Organic Coffee)
Pat Fiero (MoveOn.org)
Jack Kittredge, (NOFA/Mass)
Who controls the future of your food?
GMO OMG explores the systematic corporate takeover and potential loss of humanity?s most precious and ancient inheritance: seeds. Director Jeremy Seifert investigates how loss of seed diversity and corresponding laboratory assisted genetic alteration of food affects his young children, the health of our planet, and freedom of choice everywhere. GMO OMG follows one family?s struggle to live and eat without participating in an unhealthy, unjust, and destructive food system. In GMO OMG, the encroaching
darkness of unknown health and environmental risks, chemical toxins, and food monopoly meets with the light of a growing global movement to take back what we have lost. Has the global food system been irrevocably hijacked? Is there still time to reclaim its purity, protect biodiversity and save ourselves?
Join us as we explore these important questions and discuss what we can do to take back a piece of food democracy here in Massachusetts by passing legislation that would require the labeling of all genetically engineered seeds and food ingredients.
See the official movie trailer, here: http://youtu.be/ynyB2fNn8kQ
Take action to Label GMOs, now: http://marighttoknow.org/take-action
Please contact MAR2KGMOs at gmail.com with any questions.
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MassChallenge Open House Celebration
Wednesday, June 11
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (EDT)
21 Drydock Avenue, 6th Floor, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/masschallenge-open-house-celebration-tickets-11616869369
OPEN HOUSE CELEBRATION
Join us at our NEW HEADQUARTERS!
Putting together our new home was a community
effort, and we're opening our doors to celebrate!
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Swiss American Startup Meetup
Wednesday, June 11
6:30 PM to 9:30 PM
swissnex Boston, Consulate of Switzerland, 420 Broadway, Cambridge
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/swiss-american-startup-meetup-tickets-11428275279
The Swiss National Startup Team, made up of 20 Swiss-based entrepreneurs, is coming to Boston for the annual Venture Leaders program, an intensive 10-day business development boot camp taking place from June 11 to June 21 .
You can learn more about the team and their activities on our blog: ventureleaders.swissnexboston.org
On this occasion, it would be our great pleasure to count you in for the Swiss American Startup Meetup that we organize at swissnex Boston. This networking event will give you the unique opportunity to discover more about the program and meet some of the most promising entrepreneurs that our country offer. Furthermore you will be able to connect with innovative entrepreneurs of the Greater Boston Area.
We are looking forward to see you there!
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Thursday, June 12
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Smart Cars for Safe Pedestrians
Thursday, June 12, 2014
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
MIT, Building 32-D507, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Dariu M. Gavrila , Daimler R&D and Univ. of Amsterdam
One of the most significant large-scale deployments of intelligent systems in our daily life nowadays involves driver assistance in smart cars.
Accident statistics show that roughly one quarter of all traffic fatalities world-wide involve vulnerable road users (pedestrians, bicyclists); most accidents occur in an urban setting. Devising an effective driver assistance system for vulnerable road users has long been impeded, however, by the "perception bottleneck", i.e. not being able to detect and localize vulnerable road users sufficiently accurate. The problem is challenging due to the large variation in object appearance, the dynamic and cluttered urban backgrounds, and the potentially irregular object motion. Topping these off are stringent performance criteria and real-time constraints. I give an overview of the remarkable computer vision progress that has been achieved in this area and discuss the main enablers: the algorithms, the data, the hardware and the tests.
Daimler has recently introduced an advanced set of driver assistance functions in its Mercedes-Benz 2013-2014 S-, E-, and C-Class models, termed “Intelligent Drive”, using stereo vision. It includes a pedestrian safety component which facilitates fully automatic emergency braking - the system works day and night. I discuss “Intelligent Drive” and future research directions, on the road towards accident-free driving.
Bio:
Dariu M. Gavrila received the PhD degree in computer science from the University of Maryland at College Park, USA, in 1996. He was a Visiting Researcher at the MIT Media Laboratory in 1996. Since 1997, he has been with Daimler R&D in Ulm, Germany, where he is currently a Principal Scientist. In 2003, he was further appointed professor at the University of Amsterdam, chairing the area of Intelligent Perception Systems (part time). Over the past 15 years, Prof. Gavrila has focused on visual systems for detecting humans and their activity, with application to intelligent vehicles, smart surveillance and social robotics. He led the multi-year pedestrian detection research effort at Daimler, which materialized in the Mercedes-Benz S-, E-, and C-Class models (2013-2014). He is frequently cited in the scientific literature and he received the I/O 2007 Award from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) as well as several conference paper awards. His personal Web site is www.gavrila.net.
Contact: Andrew Owens, andrewo at mit.edu
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The German 'Energiewende' and its Impact on the Global Energy Transformation
Thursday, June 12
12:00 - 2:00 pm
Goethe-Institut Boston, 170 Beacon Street, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/register?orderid=302608107997&client_token=29d0615e04684f54b51c51a4f3eca73a&eid=11485372057
Lecture by Eicke R. Weber, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE
Discussion and Luncheon
A rapid transformation of our global energy system away from the current fossil and nuclear-based power supply to the efficient use of increasingly renewable energy is the big task of our and the next generation.
With the 'Energiewende' Germany has embarked vigorously on this path, and the EU has accepted 20-20-20 goals in the same spirit. Whereas the US is still slow on this trajectory, individual states, among them California and Massachusetts, are developing strategies along the same lines.
This talk will present key elements of the needed transformation process and discuss opportunities especially in the transatlantic cooperation that was started as the 'Transatlantic Climate Bridge' in December 2008 in Washington.
Info: +1 (617)262-6050
info at boston.goethe.org
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Media Lab Conversations Series: Judith Donath
Thursday, June 12
2:00pm - 3:30pm
MIT, Building E-14, Media Lab, 3rd Floor Atrium, 75 Amherst Street, Cambridge
Judith Donath in Conversation with Joi Ito and Ethan Zuckerman
All talks at the Media Lab, unless otherwise noted, are open to the public.
This talk will be webcast. Join the conversation on Twitter: #MLTalks
Judith Donath synthesizes knowledge from urban design, evolutionary biology, and cognitive science to design innovative interfaces for online communities and virtual identities. A Harvard Berkman Faculty Fellow and formerly director of the MIT Media Lab's Sociable Media Group, she is known internationally for her writing on identity, interface design, and social communication. She is the creator of many pioneering online social applications; her work and that of the Sociable Media Group have been shown in museums and galleries worldwide. She is the author of The Social Machine: Designs for Living Online (MIT Press, 2014). Her current research focuses on how we signal identity in both mediated and face-to-face interactions, and she is working on a book about how the economics of honesty shape our world.
She received her doctoral and master's degrees in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT and her bachelor's degree in history from Yale University.
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Boston TechJam
Thursday, June 12
2:00pm - 9:00pm
2:00 - 4:00pm Pitch Heard 'Round the World @ Faneuil Hall, Boston
4:00 - 9:00pm Boston TechJam Party @ City Hall Plaza, Boston
Cost: Students: FREE, Admission for Pitch: $10, Admission for Party: $10, Admission for Pitch and Party: $20
Location: Boston City Hall Plaza
RSVP at https://masstlc.proximate.com/boston-techjam-june-2014
Massachusetts has the world's greatest concentration of entrepreneurs, emerging and leading tech companies, top-tier academic institutions and students, world-class venture capitalists, incubators, and an eco-system of supporting service providers. There is no better place on earth to launch and scale innovative ideas that tackle the toughest challenges. We're about real and meaningful innovations that change the world.
Boston TechJam is a time when we all come together -from every corner of our innovation economy- to celebrate and accelerate our leading position. It's a collaboration between local tech companies, leading industry groups, the City of Boston, and you.
If you have any questions please contact info at bostontechjam.org or if you would like to sponsor or exhibit at this event please contact sponsor at bostontechjam.org.
This is a 21+ event
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Ambri NEWIEE Tour
Thursday, June 12
3:30 PM to 4:30 PM (EDT)
Ambri Headquarters, 19 Blackstone Street, Cambridge
Please join NEWIEE to tour Ambri's Cambridge facility. Ambri is an exciting local startup developing novel Liquid Metal Battery grid-scale energy storage technology. It was just named one of "25 companies that are changing the world"! Got to www.ambri.com to learn more.
The tour will begin at 3:30 followed by networking. Refreshments will be provided. Space is limited, so RSVP today (and if you RSVP and can no longer attend, please let us know).
NEWIEE
Founded in Boston in 2008 by a group of accomplished women in the sector, NEWIEE harnesses the passion, intelligence and leadership experience of New England women to promote and encourage public interest in the energy and the environment sectors. Comprised of members across the public and private sectors, as well as various age groups, NEWIEE is also a stimulating forum for networking, sharing of expertise and information and mentoring. Go to http://www.newiee.org/home for more information.
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Cambridge Bicycle Network Plan
Thursday, June 12
5:00 – 8:30 pm
Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge
Top Ten Reasons you should come to the Cambridge Bicycle Plan Open House:
10. Win free prizes! Also for kids!
9. Check out the newly debuted map on Bicycle Comfort Levels on Cambridge city streets
8. If you sign up for a Hubway membership you will get a free helmet
7. It’s a chance to see what your friends and neighbors are saying – the Wikimaps page has almost 500 people and 800 comments – do you agree with what they said??
6. This is *the* place to be and be seen in June
5. Snacks
4. Cats vs. Dogs – we’ll duke it out here
3. Dreaming of what bicycling could be? Survey here:
Survey for Cyclists and Wannabe Cyclists, 0 - 80 Years Old: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CambridgeCyclistsSurvey
2. It’s a chance to participate in a city process without having to sit through boring presentations and endless commentary
1. Because bicycling is FUN!!!
Cambridge Bicycle Network Plan
There are many ways to share your ideas: please go to our Bikes in Cambridge page for all the information:
http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/Transportation/bikesincambridge.aspx
http://www.cambridgema.gov/bike
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The Mellon School of Theater and Performance Research at Harvard University: Roundtable Discussion
WHEN Thu., June 12, 2014, 5:30 – 7 p.m.
WHERE Harvard, Barker Center, Thompson Room, 12 Quincy Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Humanities, Lecture, Theater
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR The Mellon School of Theater and Performance Research at Harvard University
SPEAKER(S) Debra Caplan, Baruch-CUNY; Ju Yon Kim, Harvard University; Derek Miller, Harvard University; Carrie Preston, Boston University; Martin Puchner, Harvard University; Andrew Sofer, Boston College
COST Free and open to the public
LINK http://thschool.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k76089&tabgroupid=icb.tabgroup142417
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EnergyBar: Summer Patio Edition!
Thursday, June 12
5:30-8:30 PM
Greentown Labs, 28 Dane Street, Somerville
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/energybar-summer-patio-edition-tickets-11709355999
2014 Boston Cleanweb Data Jam Finals
Almost two months ago, teams from the 3rd Boston Cleanweb Hackathon began a competition to turn their ideas into functioning startup companies. On June 12th, they'll square off in a Data Jam pitch and demo competition. Each team will make a short pitch, then the judges will award the final prize to the most promising company. Competition starts at 6:00PM!
Co-Sponsor
EnergyBar is a bi-monthly event devoted to helping people in clean technology meet and discuss innovations in energy technology. Entrepreneurs, investors, students, and 'friends of cleantech,' are invited to attend, meet colleagues, and expand our growing regional clean technology community.
Greentown Labs is a startup incubator that enable entrepreneurs to solve big energy and environmental problems. Our mission is to enable a vibrant community of entrepreneurs to work on their visions and to provide access to the space, resources, and funding that allows their early-stage companies thrive. Located near Somerville, MA, just 3.5 miles from downtown Boston, we offer 33,000 sq. ft. of prototyping lab and co-located office space, a shared machine shop, and immersion in a growing community of energy and clean technology entrepreneurs, and on-site events and programs designed to enable start-ups to rapidly grow their networks and their companies. We believe that the cleantech industry is absolutely necessary, and, in fact, growing!
Show your support for the cleantech industry by sponsoring this event!
Drinks/food served starting around 5:30pm. Dress code is shop floor casual.
Please RSVP to help us plan for food and beverages. See you there!
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The Hunt for Silk Road’s Masters - When Deep Web turns to Murder!
Thursday, June 12, 2014
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Google, 3 Cambridge Center, floor 4, Cambridge
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/boston-security-meetup/events/153128442/
Cost: $1.00/per person
A story that involves Deep Web, Bitcoin, TOR, deception, betrayal, multiple murders for hires and how a simple online slip-up may have ended one of the most profitable underground sites in history. This presentation will outline the government’s hunt for the people behind Silk Road. This evening will start with a 30 minute primer to introduce Bitcoin and how it compares to other currencies and then the main presentation “The Hunt for Silk Road’s Masters”.
About
Paul is a Director Emeritus and advisor to NAISG after being a Director for 9 years. Paul and NAISG prepared over 100 students for their CISSP exams through exam preparation seminars held to support the Premananda Orphanage and other charities. Paul has been involved with Bitcoin and been a researcher on Deep web for several years. Paul also specializes in researching the use of social media, astroturfing, digital forgeries and fraud tomanipulate stocks and public opinion.
Schedule
6:00 - 6:30: Pizza
6:30 - 6:35: Cybersecurity Opener by Akshat
6:35 - 6:40: Tool of the Month by Dawn
6:40 - 6:45: Lulzy News by Cindy
6:45 - 7:05: Bitcoin overview
7:05 - 8:05: Hunt for Silk Road's Masters
8:05+ Craft beer @ MeadHall
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Microsoft Cognitive Computing via Open Source
Thursday, June 12
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Microsoft NERD, Thomas Paul Room, 1 Memorial Drive, Cambridge
Enter and sign in. Registration required. If technically talented go on wait-list.
RSVP http://www.meetup.com/Cognitive-Computing/events/182869532/
Microsoft Cognitive Computers (MCC)
IBM with Watson and BlueMix has taken the lead in Cognitive Computing. Our goal, as Microsoft experts, is to catch up. This is our first meeting. The room is limited to 40 people and sign-ups will be on a first-quality-come basis. You must pre-register. You must be technical talented.
This is a very, very technical meeting. We are looking for a group to develop an open-source alternative to Watson. Some call this Watson Jr. I prefer to call it Gates.
You must be a programmer to attend. Your should have a working knowledge of cognition, NLP, Data Analytics, AI, Decision Support, Adaptive Pages, etc. This task will not be easy. The universal cognitive algorithm is elusive.
CC is coming. It is the next step beyond Big Data. Think of it as "applied Big Data."
If you believe that applications will become more "cognitive" in the future, come join in our collective efforts to create an open source solution. The goal is to make it better than the Watson BlueMix offering.
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Conflicting Science on the Safety of Genetically Modified Food - Science for the Public: The Public Science Lectures
Thursday, June 12
7:00 PM
Cambridge Public Library, Lecture Hall, 449 Broadway, Cambridge
Sheldon Krimsky, PhD., Lenore Stern Professor of Humanities & Social Sciences; and Adjunct Professor, Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, Tufts University.
While there have been controversies between vegetarians and meat-eaters or organic versus conventional farming, rarely has there been a time when food has divided society into two major warring camps. But that is the situation regarding genetically modified food (aka genetically modified organisms or GMOs). One camp proclaims that genetically modified crops represent the future of food. The other camp believes it is a corporate conspiracy that will contaminate and endanger the world's food supply. Can science bring us closer to the truth about GMOs?
Dr. Krimsky is Chairman of the Board for the Council for Responsible Genetics. The CRG provides a unique historical lens into the modern history, science, ethics, and politics of genetic technologies. Since 1983 the Council has had leading scientists, activists, science writers, and public health advocates researching and reporting on a broad spectrum of issues, including genetically engineered foods, biological weapons, genetic privacy and discrimination, reproductive technologies, and human cloning.
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Friday, June 13
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MassHack
Friday, June 13, 2014 at 8:00 AM - Sunday, June 15, 2014 at 9:00 PM (EDT)
100 Northern Avenue, Boston
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/masshack-tickets-6340698199
Hackathons are all about innovation. Innovation fuels the economy and helps solve some of the day’s greatest challenges. We need more innovation and to help drive this we are creating one of the largest crowd-funded and crowd-sourced programs – the Massachusetts Hackathon 2014.
Developed to be able to bring competitive teams of one-to-four developers into a structured, 48-hour applications development environment, MassHack 2014 brings the best of the Left Coast’s hackathons together with the venture capital and academic communities of the Right Coast. The Boston metropolitan area has long been home to cool and creative companies, and now we have a world-class competition to challenge the best and brightest!
Some of the judges for the Hackathon include:
Jeff Pulver - Dreamer, Entrepreneur, Early-Stage Seed Investor.
Marsh Sutherland - Marsh is ranked #5 in the Top 100 Startup Experts to Follow on Twitter.
Gaurav Jain - Principal at Founder Collective
James Falkoff - Analyst at Longworth Ventures
In addition to the hackathon we will be having introductory programming classes and workshops focused on entrepreneurship and startup lead some of the top minds in Boston.
Goto http://masshack.com for full agenda.
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DNA: Not Merely the Secret of Life
Friday, June 13
1:30pm - 2:30pm
Wyss Institute, 3 Blackfan Circle, Room 521, Boston
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Health Sciences, Lecture, Science
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University
SPEAKER(S) Ned Seeman
CONTACT INFO alison.reggio at wyss.harvard.edu
NOTE We build branched DNA species that can be joined using Watson-Crick base pairing to produce N-connected objects and lattices. We have used ligation to construct DNA topological targets, such as knots, polyhedral catenanes, Borromean rings and a Solomon's knot. Nanorobotics is a key area of application. We have made robust 2-state and 3-state sequence-dependent devices and bipedal walkers. We have constructed a molecular assembly line using a DNA origami layer and three 2-state devices, so that there are eight different states represented by their arrangements. We have demonstrated that all eight products can be built from this system. One of the major aims of DNA-based materials research is to construct complex material patterns that can be reproduced. We have built such a system, which can reach 2 generations of replication. In a new system that demonstrates exponential growth, we are progressing towards selection of self-replicating materials. Recently, we have self-assembled a 3D crystalline array and reported its crystal structure to 4 Å resolution. We can use crystals with two molecules in the crystallographic repeat to control the color of the crystals. Rational design of intermolecular contacts has enabled us to improve crystal resolution to better than 3 Å. Thus, structural DNA nanotechnology has fulfilled its initial goal of controlling the internal structure of macroscopic constructs in three dimensions. A new era in nanoscale control awaits us.
LINK http://wyss.harvard.edu/viewevent/389/wyss-lecture-ned-seeman
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Second Fridays at the MIT Museum: Nothing to Hide? Illusions of Privacy and Security
Friday, June 13, 2014
5:00p–8:00p
MIT, Building N51, MIT Museum, 265 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Second Fridays at the MIT Museum
Explore the questions of privacy and security raised by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's installation "Please Empty Your Pockets," alongside digital art, documentary footage, short live performances by the Underground Railway Theater, and an opportunity for in-depth discussion with MIT researchers.
Web site:http://web.mit.edu/museum/programs/secondfridays.html
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free with Museum admission
Sponsor(s): MIT Museum, The Technology and Culture Forum at MIT
For more information, contact: Andrew Hong
617.324.7313
andhong at mit.edu
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@party 2014
June 13
7:00 pm - June 15 @ 12:00 pm
RSVP at http://gamelab.mit.edu/event/party-2014/
Cost: $20-$45
Sponsored by the MIT Game Lab
Come join us for our fifth year!
@party is a demoparty, or collaborative computer art festival where people participate in a variety of competitions that allow them to demonstrate their technical and artistic skills. These include graphics, music, games, wild, and of course demo (see our website for rules).
We are part of the demoscene, a computer art subculture focused on the symbosis of art and technology.
The goal of our event is to provide an environment in which folks can meet, learn from each other, and share nifty expressive projects involving technology, particularly computers.
Free to MIT students, faculty, and staff.
Contact us directly at questions @ atparty-demoscene.net if you are unemployed, underemployed, or in financial stress to see about volunteer opportunities and reduced-cost tickets.
@party is a program of Boston Cyberarts and is made possible by the MIT Game Lab.
We are pleased to announce the speakers for @party 2014.
Sean Kean, Voxon – the Voxiebox, a new volumetric display
Seth Riskin, MIT Museum – holography and spatial imaging
Sophia Brueckner, MIT Media Lab – Code That Sings Itself
Arlene Ducao, MIT Media Lab – MindRider, an EEG feedback display
Matt Trusten, Qualcomm – Tiled-rendering architectures
Britt Snyder, Worcester Polytechnic Institute – New directions for visual art education in college game development programs
James Susinno, Boston VR Meetup – RiftRay, an implementation of Shader Toy on the Oculus Rift
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Saturday, June 14
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Bangladesh Development Conference 2014: Globalization and Sustainability of Bangladesh Garment Industry
Saturday, June 14
8:00am - 6:00pm
Harvard, CGIS South, Tsai Auditorium S010, 1730 Cambridge Street, Cambridge
RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1dHRygFA7jCRMn-QTzPU0mOvlCkF-AQUAdI9U4ZPweN0/viewform
The objective of this year’s conference is to explore the linkages among development, garment sector and health and safety issues in Bangladesh. It will highlight the actors and factors that impinge on this linkage at national and global levels. The deliberation will explore how the development partners can more effectively facilitate and assist in solving the key problems for sustaining the competitiveness of Bangladesh garment industry. How to enhance the role international community and of industry experts for practical solutions will come up for discussion.
The seminar is bringing together experts, industry people, NGO representatives and practitioners from development agencies and high level policy makers from Bangladesh and the USA. Participants will include representatives from Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), other manufacturers, international brands and retailers, workers rights groups, international labor organizations, United Nations Agencies, and representatives from international financial institutions.
The organizing committee invites you to attend this seminar and to participate in the discussion dealing with aspects of the global economy, garment industry, trade and development in the context of Bangladesh garments and apparel industry and the role of international community and development partners.
Contact Name: Mohammed Iqbal Yousuf
mohammed_yousuf at dfci.harvard.edu
http://southasiainstitute.harvard.edu/event/globalization-and-sustainability-of-bangladesh-garment-industry/
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Butterfly Gardening 101
Sat, Jun 14
10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Boston Nature Center, 500 Walk Hill Street, Mattapan
RSVP at http://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/program-catalog#program:sanctuary=21:program_code=34468
or call 617-983-8500 to register by phone.
Cost: $5.00 - $7.00
Do you think butterflies are beautiful? Would you like to see more of them in your neighborhood? Join butterfly gardening enthusiast Karen First to take a closer look at how to attract these magnificent creatures to your own yard. We will learn about varieties of native plants that support butterflies through their entire lifecycle.
Preregistration is encouraged, though walk-ins are welcome.
For more information, contact: Boston Nature Center, 500 Walk Hill Street, Mattapan, MA 02126
bnc at massaudubon.org
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Science Communication: American Sci-dol
Saturday, June 14, 2014
2:00p–3:30p
MIT, Building N51, MIT Museum, 265 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
The search is on for the next science communication superstar! Join our panel of judges to decide which graduate student will be the next American Sci-dol!
Presented together with ComSciCon, communicating science workshop - http://comscicon.com/
Web site: http://web.mit.edu/museum/programs/calendar.html
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free with Museum admission
Sponsor(s): MIT Museum
For more information, contact: Brindha Muniappan
617-253-0527
brindha at mit.edu
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Monday, June 16
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Climate Change Symposium on Sustaining Coastal Cities
Monday, June 16, 2014
8:30a–3:00p
MIT, Building E-51, 2 Amherst Street, Cambridge
Cost: Student full registration: $75, Daily rate: $150, Early Registration (by June 1st): $300, Full registration (after June 1st): $375
Tickets: http://seagrant.mit.edu/conferences/CCS2014/register.php
Speaker: Leaders in academia, government, and private industry
Climate Change Symposium on Sustaining Coastal Cities
MIT Sea Grant College Program is convening a three-day Climate Change Symposium on Sustaining Coastal Cities. Leaders in academia, government, and private industry will address concerns for change in sea level, storm surges, extreme precipitation and flooding and options for adapting to these risks.
Noted speakers and experts with vested interests in public health and safety will share the latest scientific, technical and social information in three general thematic areas. With shared knowledge and increased understanding, we can move forward to wisely use, manage, and protect our coastal areas now and in the future.
Our Non-Profit Organizing Partners include Boston Society of Architects, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, The City of Boston, Greenovate Boston, and UMass Boston Urban Harbors Institute. The Boston Foundation is a lead Symposium Partner, and Partners HealthCare and Sasaki are also event Sponsors.
MIT Sea Grant College Program is convening a three-day Climate Change Symposium on Sustaining Coastal Cities. Leaders in academia, government, and private industry will address concerns for change in sea level, storm surges, extreme precipitation and flooding and options for adapting to these risks. Noted speakers and experts with vested interests in public health and safety will share the latest scientific, technical and social information in three general thematic areas. With shared knowledge and increased understanding, we can move forward to wisely use, manage, and protect our coastal areas now and in the future.
Web site:http://seagrant.mit.edu/conferences/CCS2014/index.php
Open to: the general public
Cost: Student full registration: $75, Daily rate: $150, Early Registration (by June 1st): $300, Full registration (after June 1st): $375
Tickets: http://seagrant.mit.edu/conferences/CCS2014/register.php
Sponsor(s): MIT Sea Grant
For more information, contact: Gayle Sherman
(617) 252-1617
gsherman at mit.edu
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“Hacking Medicine and the Rx It Offers for Innovation in All Industries”
Monday, June 16
noon-1pm
MIT SDM Systems Thinking Webinar Series
Andrea Ippolito, SDM '11, PhD Student, Engineering Systems, MIT
Allison Yost, PhD Candidate, Mechanical Engineering, MIT
Free and open to all
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2014 Global Pitchfest: International Elevator Pitch Contest + Networking
Monday, June 16
6:00 - 9:00 PM
District Hall, 75 Northern Avenue, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/global-pitchfest-2014-tickets-11154207535
Join swissnex Boston, venture lab and MassChallenge at the Global Pitchfest 2014. As part of the venture leaders Boston Bootcamp, 30 entrepreneurs from all over the globe will be going head-to-head for the title of Global Pitchfest Champion. The event will end with a catered networking session.
YOU CHOOSE THE NEXT CHAMPION!
Each entrepreneur will have 1 minute to pitch their company to the audience. By using our SMS-based polling system, you will choose your favorite pitcher of the night. Then, our jury will choose another winner!
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES? JOIN THE PITCHFEST TODAY!
Did you recently launch a startup in the Boston area and want to train your pitch, while getting more visibility for your business? (Don’t worry - you don’t have to be Swiss or American... Every nationality is welcome!)
Join our lineup of presenters by contacting Genevieve atgenevieve at swissnexboston.org
MEET THE VENTURE LEADERS CLASS OF 2014:
Executed annually since 2000, the venture leaders program is a 10-day business development bootcamp in the US for Swiss entrepreneurs presented by Venture Lab and swissnex Boston. Every March, twenty Swiss-based entrepreneurs - out of hundreds of motivated candidates - are selected to attend the venture leaders program in Boston.
Visit http://ventureleaders.swissnexboston.org for video profiles of all 20 venture leaders.
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Tweets and Trills: The Natural History of Birdsong
WHEN Mon., June 16, 2014, 7 – 8:30 p.m.
WHERE Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Classes/Workshops, Environmental Sciences, Science
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Arnold Arboretum
SPEAKER(S) Bruce Byers, Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
COST $10 general; free for Arboretum members
TICKET WEB LINK https://my.arboretum.harvard.edu/Info.aspx?DayPlanner=1323&DayPlannerDate=6/16/2014
CONTACT INFO 617.384.5277
LINK arboretum.harvard.edu
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Tuesday, June 17
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Around the World in 120 Days: Latin America 101 - Opportunities South of the Border
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
8:00a–10:00a
MassBio, 300 Technology Square, 8th Floor, Cambridge
Cost: Free for MIT faculty, staff and students. $35 for others.
Speaker: Various Corporate Officers; Moderated by Pedro Arboleda, MS, MBA, Director, Strategy, Monitor Deloitte
South America, Mexico, and Central America are among the leading life sciences emerging markets in the world. Our experts will discuss the latest trends and cover topics ranging through market distinctions, business development, new product launches, clinical trial management, and CROs servicing companies in the region.
Key discussion points will include:
The role and importance of Private Public Partnerships (PPPs) in Latin America. How to materialize PPPs.
The role of patients when introducing new and innovative therapeutics in the region
The importance of including strong government affairs expertise from the start in your local team
Which big pharma/biotechs are striking deals with regional companies and why?
What are the barriers (IP, export control, etc.) to entry that U.S. companies need to consider/overcome in order to have successful product launches?
What do American companies need to do to partner with regional players and expand their markets?
What are the market distinctions among countries and subregions?
What are the pros/cons to conducting clinical trials in the region?
Are the market opportunities for U.S.???based CROs?
Web site: http://www.massbio.org/events/calendar/2591-around_the_world_in_120_days_latin_america_101-/event_detail
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free for MIT faculty, staff and students. $35 for others.
Tickets: https://www.massbio.org/events/calendar/2591-around_the_world_in_120_days_latin_america_101-/event_detail/556/register
Sponsor(s): MIT Technology Licensing Office, MassBio Forums
For more information, contact: Susan Silberman
617-674-5149
susan.silberman at massbio.org
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The Future of Startup Culture
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
6:00 PM
WeWork (South Station), 745 Atlantic Avenue, Boston
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/Boston-Startup-Culture-Meetup/events/183437402/
Our workplace is drastically different from what it was not too long ago. Greater Boston's startup culture has also seen its fair share of an evolution and it isn't about to stop improving anytime soon. What does the future hold for those of us tirelessly contributing to the startup community? How will we shape our work to make the experience more impactful and meaningful for everyone, not just those in the startup peripheral? Join Matt Lauzon, Co-Founder of Dunwello, Michelle Darby, Co-Founder & CEO of Roomzilla, and Allan Telio, Vice President at Startup Institute for an honest talk about what we can do to ensure the momentum of startup culture enthusiasm keeps up with our ambitions!
Matt Lauzon, Co-Founder of Dunwello
Michelle Darby, Co-Founder & CEO of Roomzilla
Allan Telio, Vice President at Startup Institute
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Boston New Technology June 2014 Product Showcase #BNT42
June 17
6:00PM–9:00PM
Foley Hoag LLP, Seaport West, 155 Seaport Boulevard, Boston,
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/Boston_New_Technology/events/181596732/
Free event!
Come learn about 7 innovative and exciting technology products and network with the Boston/Cambridge startup community! Each presenter gets 5 minutes for product demonstration and 5 minutes for Questions & Answers. Please follow @BostonNewTech and use the #BNT42 hashtag in social media posts: details here.
Products / Presenters:
Schedule
6:00 to 7:00 - Networking with dinner and beverages
7:00 to 7:10 - Announcements
7:10 to 8:20 - Presentations, Questions & Answers
8:20 to 9:00 - Networking
9:00 - More networking over drinks across the street, at The Whiskey Priest, 150 Northern Ave. (at Seaport Blvd.), Boston, MA. (optional)
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Upcoming Events
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Wednesday, June 18
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Hubway Open House
June 18th, 2014
5:30-7:30 PM
Dana Park picnic tables, Cambridge
Please drop by at any time to learn more about Cambridge’s Hubway system, how the bikes work, usage of the station at Dana Park, and parking data that we have been collecting around the Park.
If you cannot make this open house, please contact Bill Deignan with questions, comments or for additional information after the meeting. See contact information below. If there is severe weather at the time of the gathering, the date of this gathering may be postponed. Thank you.
Bill Deignan, Transportation Program Manager
Cambridge Community Development Department
344 Broadway, Cambridge, MA. 02139
www.cambridgema.gov/CDD
wdeignan at cambridgema.gov
M: 8:30-8:00 T-Th: 8:30-5:00 F: 8:30-Noon
617/349-4632
617/349-4633 FAX
617/349-4621 TTY
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Science in the News Lecture: Small Brains, Big Ideas: The Value of Model Organisms to Science
WHEN Wed., June 18, 2014, 7 – 9 p.m.
WHERE Harvard, Pfizer Lecture Hall (B23), Malinckrodt Chemistry Lab, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Science
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Science in the News
SPEAKER(S) Yuly Fuentes-Medel
CONTACT INFO sitnboston at gmail.com
NOTE Come hear a Ph.D. student give an engaging and accessible lecture on his or her cutting-edge research. No prior knowledge necessary! Free refreshments!
LINK http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/seminar-series/
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Thursday, June 19
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Sustainability Public Policy Forum: Community Strategies for Sustainable Development
June 19, 2014
1:00 PM - 6:00 PM
BSA Space, Fort Point Room, 290 Congress Street, Boston
RSVP at https://online.architects.org/bsassa/ecmssamsganalytics.click_through?p_mail_id=E33376A2856337B1C49534
Meetings are free and open to all, but rsvp's are required. Click "Register" above to login and rsvp for this event.
with AIA Massachusetts and USGBC MA
States and local communities have taken up the task of crafting a sustainable future, and are leading innovation across the nation. This forum will showcase efforts currently being implemented in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with an emphasis on community-based initiatives. An afternoon of presentations will be followed by an opportunity for interaction, both in a formal wrap-up session and an informal reception in the BSA gallery.
Ken Fisher FAIA
Vernon Woodworth FAIA, LEED AP
Co-chairs, Committee for the Advancement of Sustainability
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Earthos Conversation about Renewable Energy
June 19
6:00PM-9:00PM
Earthos Lab, 1310 Broadway, Somerville
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/earthos-conversations-series-topic-3-energy-tickets-11783886923
Cost: $15
How do we collaboratively create+innovate community-to-regional ENERGY systems that sustain all of us into the future? We've invited energy experts and innovators, along with community members, who are grappling with this question. Together, we'll explore possible solutions and directions for New England and other regions.
Each month, Earthos hosts a Conversation about a key resource at the New Earthos Lab for resilient and sustaining regions. Each conversation focuses on a resource system, and how it relates to the other resources: food, energy, land, biodiversity, waste, and people [art+innovation+education+basic needs+economy+justice].
The Earthos Lab brings people together to research, learn, collaborate towards robust regional systems.
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Friday, June 20
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EurekaFest 2014: InvenTeams Presentations
Friday, June 20
9:00a–11:00a
MIT, Building 32-144, 32-141, 32-155, 32-124, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
The 2014 Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams will discuss their invention prototype and inventive process in small groups.
EurekaFest is a multi-day celebration designed to empower a legacy of inventors through activities that inspire youth, honor role models, and encourage creativity and problem solving. Presented by the Lemelson-MIT Program, the 9th annual EurekaFest event will celebrate the inventive spirit June 20-21, 2014, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge and at the Museum of Science in Boston.
Web site: www.eurekafest.org
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): Lemelson-MIT Program
For more information, contact: 617-253-1000
eurekafest at mit.edu
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EurekaFest 2014: National Collegiate Student Prize Competition Showcase
Friday, June 20, 2014
5:00p–6:00p
MIT, Building 32, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Competition winners will exhibit their invention prototypes on the first floor of the MIT Stata Center.
EurekaFest is a multi-day celebration designed to empower a legacy of inventors through activities that inspire youth, honor role models, and encourage creativity and problem solving. Presented by the Lemelson-MIT Program, the 9th annual EurekaFest event will celebrate the inventive spirit June 20-21, 2014, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge and at the Museum of Science in Boston.
Web site: www.eurekafest.org
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): Lemelson-MIT Program
For more information, contact:
617-253-1000
eurekafest at mit.edu
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EurekaFest 2014: National Collegiate Student Prize Winners Presentations & Awards Ceremony
Friday, June 20, 2014
7:00p–8:30p
MIT, Building 32-123, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Winners of the Cure it! and Use it! Lemelson-MIT Student Prize will discuss their technology-based inventions that can improve healthcare and consumer devices and tools. Cure it! and Use it! Lemelson-MIT Student Prize winners will also be recognized for their inventive achievements.
Web site: www.eurekafest.org
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): Lemelson-MIT Program
For more information, contact:
617-253-1000
eurekafest at mit.edu
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Saturday, June 21
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Tour de Hives 2014
Saturday, June 21
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
John F Kennedy Park, 970 Memorial Drive, Cambridge
We will meet at 9:00am sharp in JFK Park in Cambridge, near the intersection of JFK Street and Memorial Drive. Please arrive on time to get your tour map and T-shirt so that we can get the tour rolling on time!
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/Boston-Beekeepers-Club/events/159687082/
Cost: $20
The 4th Annual Boston Tour de Hives will engage, educate and enchant you with a first-hand look at honeybees in hives across the city, and will be guided by the humans who tend them. On Saturday June 21st come celebrate the bees on this auspicious Summer Solstice during National Pollinator Week! Hives in North Cambridge, Fresh Pond, and Newton will be featured on this year's tour, which you will visit by bicycle.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN & STRONGLY RECOMMENDED (once we reach capacity we will have to close registration and turn away walk-ins on the day of):http://2014tourdehives.bpt.me/
Highlights of this year's tour include (not necessarily in this order)....
Site A: tending warre hives at an urban elementary school, chat with teachers
Site B: honeybees and fruit at an assisted living facility, speak with residents and their beekeeper
BYO PICNIC LUNCH: Featuring Commonwheels Bicycle Collective with a free DIY bike-maintenance skill share, including free tool use
Site C: backyard beekeeping, hear from a Newton family about their home honey production
Site D: beekeeping at Fresh Pond Reservoir in Cambridge
We will gather together at John F. Kennedy Park in Cambridge at 9:00am (near the intersection of JFK Ave & Memorial Drive), divide into 4 groups and visit 2 local apiaries, convening as a large group for lunch before splitting off into 4 groups again for the final 2 sites. At each site, you will have the chance to hear from local beekeepers and meet their bees! The total ride will be ~15 miles, broken up by hive visits, snacks and lunch (no single leg will be longer than 5 miles).
Please bring a bag lunch, bicycle, helmet, and water bottle!
Don't have a bike? No problem! Rent one from Urban AdvenTours at a discounted price of $20 when you mention Tour de Hives. A one-day, $20 rental is good for 24 hours. Bikes can be picked up on June 20th during UA's store hours and dropped off after the Tour during their hours. UA is located at 103 Atlantic Ave Boston, MA 02110.
The registration fee of $20 covers snacks and an event T-shirt (organic & hand-printed by a local artist). Pre-register today athttp://2014tourdehives.bpt.me/ if you want to be sure to get a spot on the tour (and a T-shirt)! While no one will bee denied TdH access for lack of funds, once we reach capacity we will regrettably have to close registration. Please contact us if the suggested registration fee of $20 is prohibitive for you. Any proceeds raised will bee reinvested in education & outreach initiatives by the Boston Area Beekeepers Association (formerly Boston Beekeepers Club).
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Summer Solstice Celebration: Night at the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture
Saturday, June 21
5:00pm to 9:00pm
Activities at: The Plaza, Harvard Semitic Museum, Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, and Harvard Museum of Natural History
Kick off summer with the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture's annual Summer Solstice celebration! Enjoy a fun evening of telescope viewings, music, food, and hands-on activities for all ages at The Plaza near Memorial Hall, with free nighttime admission to the Harvard Semitic Museum, Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, and Harvard Museum of Natural History. You won't want to miss this special summer night!
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Monday, June 23
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Introduction to Regenerative Practice for Social and Environmental Impact: Environmental Leadership Program
Monday, June 23
1:00 PM to 5:00 PM (EDT)
Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts, 99 Bishop Allen Drive, Suite 100, Cambridge
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/introduction-to-regenerative-practice-for-social-and-environmental-impact-tickets-11763443777
Introduction to Regenerative Practice for Social and Environmental Impact
Regenerative Development is a way of thinking and working through which the long-term and large-scale effect of an organization, project or community is considered. The ultimate goal of regenerative practice is that a project or organization will add value in a social, environmental, cultural and economic sense that goes beyond just remaining sustainable, and that has a continual ripple effect by design.
Please join Senior Fellow Andrea Atkinson and Bill Reed, regenerative development expert, in a session to explore how regenerative thinking can help you to bring a new perspective and energy to an aspect of your work and/or life. The goal will be to work individually and in small groups to tackle a challenge and begin to transform it into a viable opportunity that inspires you and engages others. Bring a community or work project in mind in order to apply basic principles of regenerative thinking.
About the Workshop Leaders
Andrea Atkinson
Andrea Atkinson is a sustainability professional with a background in international relations, non-profit management and sustainable program development. Andrea now manages her consulting entity, Scopa Group - providing sustainability solutions and programming for communities and companies. Previous to her current role, Andrea worked with The Green Roundtable, a green building organization, launching and managing NEXUS Green Building Resource Center, and educational center in downtown Boston. She has a degree in International Relations with a focus on sustainable development, Latin America and Africa. Andrea grew up in Brazil, Bolivia and Niger and has travelled extensively, always with an eye for intercultural relationship-building and social and environmental perspectives.
Bill Reed
An internationally recognized proponent and practitioner in sustainability and regeneration Bill is a principal in three firms, the Integrative Design Collaborative, Regenesis, Inc., and Delving Deeper – green building consulting, living system design, and education organizations working to lift building and community planning into full integration and co-evolution with living systems. His work centers on creating the framework for and managing an integrative, whole-systems design process. The objective: to improve the overall quality of the physical, social and spiritual life of our living places and therefore the planet.
http://youtu.be/BFzEI1rZG_U
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Tuesday, June 24
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Free Ferry to Boston Harbor Islands
Boston Harbor Event http://www.bostonharborislands.org/event-details?rid=1984
"Visit either Georges or Spectacle Islands on Tuesday, June 24 and enjoy a free boat ride to get there. Ferries depart every half hour from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. A return time will be assigned based on departure time when tickets are allocated. Tickets are to one designated island, and if visitors depart Boston by 3:00 PM, there will be approximately two or two and a half hours to explore either Spectacle or Georges. Due to high demand, all tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are available starting at 8:00 am on the day of the trip at Boston's Harbor Cruises Long Wharf-North Ferry Center. No advance reservations. Parties are limited to five."
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(In)Security in Home Embedded Devices
June 24
12:30pm ET
Berkman Center for Internet & Society, 23 Everett Street, 2nd Floor, Cambridge
RSVP required for those attending in person at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/luncheon/2014/06/gettys#RSVP
This event will be webcast live on http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/luncheon/2014/06/gettys at 12:30pm ET
Jim Gettys
We now wander in Best Buy, Lowes and on Amazon and buy all sorts of devices from thermostats, hi-fi gear, tablets, phones, and laptops or desktops as well as home routers to build our home networks. Most of these we plug in and forget about. But should we?
"Familiarity Breeds Contempt: The Honeymoon Effect and the Role of Legacy Code in Zero-Day Vulnerabilities", by Clark, Fry, Blaze and Smith makes clear that ignoring these devices is foolhardy; unmaintained systems become more vulnerable, with time.
Structural issues in the market make the situation yet worse, as pointed out in Bruce Schneier's Wired editorial in January: "The Internet of Things Is Wildly Insecure — And Often Unpatchable", which I instigated and fed Bruce the ammunition. "Binary blobs" used in these systems have the net effect of "freezing" software versions, often on many year old versions of system software. Even if update streams are available (which they seldom are), blobs may make it impossible to update to versions free of a vulnerability.
There are immediate actions you can personally take, e.g. by running open source router firmware in your network, but fixing this problem generically will take many years, as it involves fundamental changes and an attitude change in how we develop and maintain embedded systems, and hardest, changes in business models to enable long term support of popular hardware.
About Jim
Jim Gettys is an American computer programmer. He coined the term "bufferbloat" and has organized efforts to combat it in the Internet (see gettys.wordpress.com), and has been working on home routers. He was the Vice President of Software at the One Laptop per Child project, working on the software for the OLPC XO-1. He is one of the original developers of the X Window System at MIT and worked on it again with X.Org, where he served on the board of directors. He previously served on the GNOME foundation board of directors. He worked at the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and was the editor of the HTTP/1.1 specification in the Internet Engineering Task Force through draft standard. Gettys helped establish the handhelds.orgcommunity, from which the development of Linux on handheld devices can be traced.
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Boston Businesses Acting on Rising Seas Launch: Climate Adaptation Strategies for Small Business
Tuesday, June 24
6:00pm - 8:00pm
District Hall, 75 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA. 02210
CALC would like to invite you to our celebratory launch for our exciting project, Boston Businesses Acting on Rising Seas, BostonBARS!
Climate Action Liaison Coalition will be convening a discussion on climate adaptation strategies for small business and the City of Boston’s preparedness efforts in response to rising sea levels. The conversation will start with high profile speakers and a focus on moving data storage to the cloud for remote access to mitigate disruption during the fallout from an extreme weather event.
Speakers Include:
Jim Newman, LEED AP, Principal, Linnean Solutions
Susan Labandibar, President and CEO, Tech Networks of Boston
Brian R. Swett, Chief of Environment and Energy, City of Boston
Light refreshments (beer/wine) and snacks will be provided!
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/bostonbars-launch-climate-adaptation-strategies-for-small-business-tickets-11635956459
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Cambridge Net Zero Task Force
June 25
6:00 pm
Citywide Senior Center, 806 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
This is a regular meeting of the Getting to Net Zero Task Force which is charged with coming up with recommendations by the end of the year on how to move Cambridge toward being a net zero greenhouse gas emissions community in terms of building energy use. For more information, http://www.cambridgema.gov/cdd/projects/climate/netzerotaskforce.aspx
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Thursday, June 26
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Using Multiplayer Games in the High School Math and Biology Classroom
Thursday, June 26, 2014
9:00a–3:30p
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/using-multiplayer-games-in-the-high-school-math-and-biology-classroom-tickets-11663540965
Cost: $20
Speaker: Susannah Gordon-Messer, Education Content Manager, The Education Arcade at MIT
This one-day professional development session is designed for high school math, biology and technology teachers interested in using The Radix Endeavor, a new online, multi-player game. that will address many of your questions about using an online game for STEM learning within the classroom environment. This fun, hands-on workshop on the MIT campus will address:
How games can be used to set the context for or reinforce difficult concepts
The learning standards addressed in The Radix Endeavor
How scaffolding is addressed within specific quest lines
In-game assessments
Reports and built-in teacher monitoring tools
Options for enrolling in the Radix Pilot
PDPs available upon request.
Web site: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/using-multiplayer-games-in-the-high-school-math-and-biology-classroom-tickets-11663540965?aff=eac2
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Scheller Teacher Education Program, Comparative Media Studies/Writing, The Education Arcade
For more information, contact: Carole Urbano
617-324-8217
radixhelp at mit.edu
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Friday, June 27
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Bioinspired Adaptive Materials: From Molecules to Buildings - Wyss Institute's 5th Annual Symposium
Friday, June 27, 2014
8:15am - 6:30pm
Joseph B. Martin Conference Center, Amphitheater, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA
RSVP at https://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=1525735
The Wyss Institute's 5th international annual symposium will focus on the development of innovative materials inspired by Nature that respond to the environment by adapting their shape and function to continuously optimize energy efficiency, thermal gain, and other properties critical for sustainability or other high value applications. Organized by Wyss Institute Core Faculty members Joanna Aizenberg, Jennifer Lewis and Don Ingber, the day will include a number of distinguished speakers and a keynote presentation by Peter Vikusic from the University of Exeter.
Session Topics*
Programmable Fabrication
Built Environment
Bioinspired Surfaces: To stick or not to stick
Smart, Adaptive Materials
*The complete program will be available in the coming weeks.
Confirmed Speakers
Martin Bechthold, Ph.D., Wyss Institute, Harvard University
Lei Jiang, Ph.D., Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jeff Karp, Ph.D., Brigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical School
Hod Lipson, Ph.D., Cornell University
Achim Menges, Ph.D., Universitat Stuttgart
Fiorenzo Omenetto, Ph.D., Tufts University
Neri Oxman, Ph.D., MIT Media Lab
Ozgur Sahin, Ph.D., Columbia Universitykm
Stephen Selkowitz, MFA, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
George Whitesides, Ph.D., Wyss Institute, Harvard University
Contact information:
info at wyss.harvard.edu
617.432.7038
This symposium is free, however, registration is required: https://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=1525735
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The New England Electricity Restructuring Roundtable Presents: The Utility of the (Near?) Future; and The Promise of Storage for Renewables
Friday, June 27, 2014
9 am to 12:30 pm
Foley Hoag LLP, 155 Seaport Boulevard, 13th Floor, Boston
In this, our 141st Roundtable, we explore how the utility of the not-so-distant future will need to adapt and transform to accommodate a brave new world of ubiquitous distributed generation, storage, technology-enabled demand response, and electric vehicles. Such a utility will be required to manage more complex two-way power
flow, while facing greater load, and hence, cost-recovery uncertainty. How should
our utilities of the (near) future best be structured, what services will they need to provide to their customers, and how can costs be recovered from ratepayers, while compensating shareholders - without sparking massive load and customer defection?
While many states, such as Massachusetts and New York, have commenced proceedings to modernize the electric grid, it's essential to simultaneously consider both regulatory and business models to enable the utility of the future. To provide deeper insight into these issues, we go straight to the source - the leaders of our
two largest PUCs in the Northeast, and the region's two largest utilities:
Chair Audrey Zibelman, New York Public Service Commission
Chair Ann Berwick, Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities
Tom King, Executive Director US, National Grid
David McHale, Chief Administrative Officer & EVP, Northeast Utilities
Preceding The Utility of the (Near) Future panel, we are pleased to be presenting
two directly relevant, recently released studies related to The Promise of Storage
for Renewables. First, Jon Creyts, Managing Director, Rocky Mountain Institute,
will present on RMI's study, "The Economics of Grid Defection: When and Where Distributed Solar Generation Plus Storage Competes With Traditional Utility Storage." In it, RMI looks at falling PV and battery storage prices and explores the tipping
point in five places around the U.S., including NY. In the second presentation, Paul Hibbard, Vice President at Analysis Group, discusses their findings in their recent study, "Project Vigilance: Functional Feasibility Study for the Installation of Ambri Energy Storage Batteries at Joint (military) Base Cape Cod." In this study, Analysis Group explores the economic and self-reliance benefits of various combinations of renewables and battery back-up.
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Opportunity
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FREE Top-Of-The-Line Event Space
Monday, June 2, 2014 (All day)
Cost: 0
Location: 210 Broadway, Suite 201, Cambridge
Register Here: BOOK YOUR EVENT!
Description: Planning Event? Need a space?
Stop looking! NGIN offers its new Top-Of-The-Line Event Space in Kendall Square to host your conference, course, Meetup, launch party, or networking event* for Free during the months of May & June.
Save-the-date TODAY before someone else does!
Send an email to olga at nginworkplace.com or call 617.863.3770
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Intern with Biodiversity for a Livable Climate!
Biodiversity for a Livable Climate (BLC) is a nonprofit based in the Cambridge, MA area. Our mission is to mobilize the biosphere to restore ecosystems and reverse global warming.
Education, public information campaigns, organizing, scientific investigation, collaboration with like-minded organizations, research and policy development are all elements of our strategy.
Background: Soils are the largest terrestrial carbon sink on the planet. Restoring the complex ecology of soils is the only way to safely and quickly remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the ground, where it’s desperately needed to regenerate the health of billions of acres of degraded lands. Restoring carbon to soils and regenerating ecosystems are how we can restore a healthy hydrologic cycle and cool local and planetary climates safely, naturally, and in time to ensure a livable climate now and in the future.
Our Work: immediate plans include
Organizing the First International Biodiversity, Soil Carbon and Climate Week, October 31-November 9, 2014, and a kick-off conference in the Boston area, “Mobilizing the Biosphere to Reverse Global Warming: A Biodiversity, Water, Soil Carbon and Climate Conference – and Call to Action” to expand the mainstream climate conversation to include the power of biology, and to help initiate intensive worldwide efforts to return atmospheric carbon to the soils.
Coordination of a global fund to directly assist local farmers and herders in learning and applying carbon farming approaches that not only benefit the climate, but improve the health and productivity of the land and the people who depend on it.
Collaboration with individuals and organizations on addressing eco-restoration and the regeneration of water and carbon cycles; such projects may include application of practices such as Holistic Management for restoration of billions of acres of degraded grasslands, reforestation of exploited forest areas, and restoring ocean food chains.
Please contact Helen D. Silver, helen.silver at bio4climate.org for further information.
781-316-1710
Bio4climate.org
SharedHarvestCSA.com
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Climate Stories Project
http://www.climatestoriesproject.org
What's your Climate Story?
Climate Stories Project is a forum that gives a voice to the emotional and personal impacts that climate change is having on our lives. Often, we only discuss climate change from the impersonal perspective of science or the contentious realm of politics. Today, more and more of us are feeling the effects of climate change on an personal level. Climate Stories Project allows people from around the world to share their stories and to engage with climate change in a personal, direct way.
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Where is the best yogurt on the planet made? Somerville, of course!
Join the Somerville Yogurt Making Cooperative and get a weekly quart of the most thick, creamy, rich and tart yogurt in the world. Membership in the coop costs $2.50 per quart. Members share the responsibility for making yogurt in our kitchen located just outside of Davis Sq. in FirstChurch. No previous yogurt making experience is necessary.
For more information checkout.
https://sites.google.com/site/somervilleyogurtcoop/home
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Cambridge Residents: Free Home Thermal Images
Have you ever wanted to learn where your home is leaking heat by having an energy auditor come to your home with a thermal camera? With that info you then know where to fix your home so it's more comfortable and less expensive to heat. However, at $200 or so, the cost of such a thermal scan is a big chunk of change.
HEET Cambridge has now partnered with Sagewell, Inc. to offer Cambridge residents free thermal scans.
Sagewell collects the thermal images by driving through Cambridge in a hybrid vehicle equipped with thermal cameras. They will scan every building in Cambridge (as long as it's not blocked by trees or buildings or on a private way). Building owners can view thermal images of their property and an analysis online. The information is password protected so that only the building owner can see the results.
Homeowners, condo-owners and landlords can access the thermal images and an accompanying analysis free of charge. Commercial building owners and owners of more than one building will be able to view their images and analysis for a small fee.
The scans will be analyzed in the order they are requested.
Go to Sagewell.com. Type in your address at the bottom where it says "Find your home or building" and press return. Then click on "Here" to request the report.
That's it. When the scans are done in a few weeks, your building will be one of the first to be analyzed. The accompanying report will help you understand why your living room has always been cold and what to do about it.
With knowledge, comes power (or in this case saved power and money, not to mention comfort).
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Free solar electricity analysis for MA residents
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHhwM202dDYxdUZJVGFscnY1VGZ3aXc6MQ
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HEET has partnered with NSTAR and Mass Save participating contractor Next Step Living to deliver no-cost Home Energy Assessments to Cambridge residents.
During the assessment, the energy specialist will:
Install efficient light bulbs (saving up to 7% of your electricity bill)
Install programmable thermostats (saving up to 10% of your heating bill)
Install water efficiency devices (saving up to 10% of your water bill)
Check the combustion safety of your heating and hot water equipment
Evaluate your home’s energy use to create an energy-efficiency roadmap
If you get electricity from NSTAR, National Grid or Western Mass Electric, you already pay for these assessments through a surcharge on your energy bills. You might as well use the service.
Please sign up at http://nextsteplivinginc.com/heet/?outreach=HEET or call Next Step Living at 866-867-8729. A Next Step Living Representative will call to schedule your assessment.
HEET will help answer any questions and ensure you get all the services and rebates possible.
(The information collected will only be used to help you get a Home Energy Assessment. We won’t keep the data or sell it.)
(If you have any questions or problems, please feel free to call HEET’s Jason Taylor at 617 441 0614.)
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Sustainable Business Network Local Green Guide
SBN is excited to announce the soft launch of its new Local Green Guide, Massachusetts' premier Green Business Directory!
To view the directory please visit: http://www.localgreenguide.org
To find out how how your business can be listed on the website or for sponsorship opportunities please contact Adritha at adritha at sbnboston.org
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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/
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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
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Artisan Asylum http://artisansasylum.com/
Sprout & Co: Community Driven Investigations http://thesprouts.org/
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
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Bostonsmart.com's Guide to Boston http://www.bostonsmarts.com/BostonGuide/
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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
MIT Events: http://events.mit.edu
MIT Energy Club: http://www.mitenergyclub.org/events/calendar/
Harvard Events: http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/harvard-events/events-calendar/
Harvard Environment: http://www.environment.harvard.edu/events/calendar/
Sustainability at Harvard: http://green.harvard.edu/events
Mass Climate Action: http://www.massclimateaction.net/calendar/events/index.php
Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/
Eventbrite: http://www.eventbrite.com/
Microsoft NERD Center: http://microsoftcambridge.com/Events/qw
Startup and Entrepreneurial Events: http://www.greenhornconnect.com/events/calendar
High Tech Events: http://harddatafactory.com/Johnny_Monsarrat/index.html
Cambridge Civic Journal: http://www.rwinters.com
Cambridge Happenings: http://cambridgehappenings.org
Boston Area Computer User Groups: http://www.bugc.org/
Arts and Cultural Events List: http://aacel.blogspot.com/
Boston Events Insider: http://bostoneventsinsider.com/boston_events/
Nerdnite: http://boston.nerdnite.com/
More information about the Act-MA
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