[act-ma] Energy (and Other) Events - July 29, 2018
gmoke
gmoke at world.std.com
Sun Jul 29 09:40:39 PDT 2018
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) EventsGeo
http://hubeventsnotes.blogspot.com/2013/11/what-i-do-and-why-i-do-it.html
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Details of these events are available when you scroll past the index
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Index
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Monday, July 30
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10am The Neural Bases of Disgust for Cheese: An fMRI Study
6pm Shadow Libraries
6:30pm Public Lecture: The Data Revolution in African Economic History - Boston
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Tuesday, July 31
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10am Introduction to Virtual Reality
12pm US Solidarity Economy Network presents: "Solidarity Economy: Resist & Build in Jackson, Mississippi”
2pm Picking Robots – Ready for Primetime?
2pm The Beautiful Brain Spotlight Tour: Julie Pryor, Director of Communications,McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT
5pm Reduce Your Plastic Footprint
6pm SBN on Tour at ReVision Urban Farm
6pm Boston Green Drinks - July 2018 Happy Hour
7pm Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter
7pm Crop Diseases That Threaten Global Food Security (and Your Breakfast)
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Wednesday, August 1
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5pm TEDxBeacon Street Salon: Emerging Technology
5:30pm Fuckup Nights Boston Vol. VIII
6pm Editing our Evolution - a Building with Biology forum
6pm Humans & Virtual Reality
6:30pm Curing cancer: Where are we and what will it take to succeed?
7pm 90s Bitch: Media, Culture, and the Failed Promise of Gender Equality
7pm Carceral Capitalism
7pm From Broken Glass: My Story of Finding Hope in Hitler's Death Camps to Inspire a New Generation
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Thursday, August 2
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1pm Humans & Virtual Reality
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Friday, August 3 - Sunday, August 5
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Boston Greenfest
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Friday, August 3
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7pm The Performance Cortex
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Sunday, August 5
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3pm Call Mr Robeson
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Monday, August 6
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10am Is That Me or My Twin? Lack of Self-Face Recognition Advantage in Identical Twins
12pm Leveraging Universities for Advancing State & Local Energy Policy
6:30pm Tumor Metabolism: How cancer cells fuel their growth
6:30pm The GIANT (Genetic Investigation of ANthropometric Traits) Consortium
6:30pm The Future of Work in a Tech-Driven Economy
7pm You Can Stop Humming Now: A Doctor's Stories of Life, Death, and In Between
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Tuesday, August 7
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10am Introduction to Satellite Remote Sensing
3pm Congressional Debate: Representative Capuano & City Councilor Pressley
5:30pm "Forgotten Farms" Film Screening
7pm You Can Stop Humming Now
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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
Geometry Links - July 24, 2018
http://geometrylinks.blogspot.com/2018/07/geometry-links-july-24-2018.html
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Monday, July 30
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The Neural Bases of Disgust for Cheese: An fMRI Study
Monday, July 30
10am
Toscanini’s Ice Cream, 159 First Street, Cambridge
Marc Abrahams and Gus Rancatore
More information at https://www.improbable.com/2018/07/11/new-series-of-events-improbable-research-table-talks/
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Shadow Libraries
Monday, July 30
6:00pm to 7:00pm
MIT Press Bookstore, Building N50, 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Join the MIT Press Bookstore in welcoming Joe Karaganis and Evelin Heidel to the bookstore to discuss their book, Shadow Libraries: Access to Knowledge in Global Higher Education.
Shadow Libraries explores how students get the materials they need as opportunities for higher education expand but funding shrinks. From the top down, the book’s contributors examine the institutions and policy battles that have shaped the provision of educational materials. From the bottom up, the contributors to Shadow Libraries explore how students get the materials they need–from informal student networks and Facebook groups to downloading from unauthorized sources and the ubiquitous practice of photocopying.
Joe Karaganis is Vice President of The American Assembly, a public policy institute at Columbia University, and editor of Media Piracy in Emerging Economies.
Evelin Heidel (aka scann) is a teacher and open knowledge advocate from Argentina with deep experience in DIY digitization.
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Public Lecture: The Data Revolution in African Economic History - Boston
Monday, July 30
6:30 PM – 9:30 PM EDT
Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Cambridge, 120 Broadway, Six Cambridge Center, Cambridge
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/public-lecture-the-data-revolution-in-african-economic-history-boston-tickets-47481149396
Public Lecture- Prof Johan Fourie from Stellenbosch University
On July 30th, Prof Johan Fourie will be presenting this guest lecture titled ‘The Data Revolution in African Economic History’ alongside his colleagues in Boston.
There has never been a better time to be African. The surge in African economic growth over the past two decades has raised interest in understanding the dynamics of the continent’s revolving fortunes. By means of innovative techniques for uncovering large historical datasets, researchers benefit from the data revolution to reveal the complexity of the African past, and to improve understanding of the trajectory of current economic development.”
Prof Fourie is an associate professor in economics at SU and coordinator of the Laboratory for the Economics of Africa’s Past, an interdisciplinary research group aimed at investigating African economic history. Prof Fourie received a Ph.D. from Utrecht University in 2012 for his dissertation on the prosperity of Cape Colony farmers, which also won him the Best Dissertation prize at the World Economic History Congress in 2015. He has published more than 50 scientific papers and writes a regular column for a South African financial weekly and a blog at johanfourie.com.
A networking reception will follow after the lecture.
All are welcome, space is limited please RSVP
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Tuesday, July 31
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Introduction to Virtual Reality
Tuesday, July 31
10:00am to 12:00pm
MIT, Building 7-238, GIS Lab, Rotch Library, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
RSVP at http://libcal.mit.edu/event/4271833
Come hear an overview of VR hardware and software, and learn different ways to get started with this technology. There will be demos of current applications ongoing in the GIS Lab using an HTC Vive.
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US Solidarity Economy Network presents: "Solidarity Economy: Resist & Build in Jackson, Mississippi"
Tuesday, July 31
12 PM - 1:30 PM EST
Webinar
RSVP at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vfF6tjqlQeyPhewC_BjFfg
Speakers: Kali Akuno of Cooperation Jackson
Description: Resist and Build, Fight and Build, Oppose and Propose, Resist and Insist - whatever the wording, there is great convergence about the need to connect these dimensions. Even if the lines are a bit blurry, we can broadly distinguish between resist work that seeks to fight back against an oppressive, unjust and unsustainable social/economic system, and the build work of the solidarity economy that seeks to build 'another world' beyond capitalism to one that puts people and planet, equity, justice and sustainability front and center. Resistance without knowing where you're going is likely to lead only to reform of the current system. Building a solidarity economy without being grounded in grassroots organizing runs the risk of losing touch with the struggle that impels the need for a solidarity economy in the first place.
Kali Akuno brings a powerful vision and deep analysis that is changing the social and economic fabric of Jackson, Mississippi. Activists are bringing together resist and build through three spheres of organizing: 1) Cooperation Jackson is building the solidarity economy through cooperative and community controlled enterprises and initiatives, 2) People's Assemblies are used to organize the community, as well as to 3) engage in a political/electoral strategy to take power through local government and grassroots organizing.
Event details via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/790891094453521/
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Picking Robots – Ready for Primetime?
Tuesday, July 31
2:00 PM EDT
Webinar
RSVP at https://event.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1201317&tp_key=e70bd16dd6
Supply chain automation has experienced impressive growth in the past few years, particularly among mobile platforms. Could pick-and-place robots be far behind?In this webcast, Robotics Business Review looks at various approaches to machine manipulation, the pros and cons of each, and major providers in this space.When combined with collaborative robot arms, sensors, and the right software, picking systems offer new levels of flexibility and productivity to small and midsize enterprises. Use cases include e-commerce order fulfillment, food processing, and healthcare. We also speak with a leading supplier about example end users, new developments and remaining challenges, and the competitive landscape.
Presented By:
Eugene Demaitre, Senior Editor, Robotics Business Review
Carl Vause, CEO, Soft Robotics Inc.
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The Beautiful Brain Spotlight Tour: Julie Pryor, Director of Communications,McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT
Tuesday, July 31
2:00pm
MIT Museum, 265 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Spotlight Tours
Explorations led by local and Spanish scientists, artists, and entrepreneurs who will share their unique perspectives on particular aspects of the exhibition. (2:00 pm on select Tuesdays and Saturdays)
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Reduce Your Plastic Footprint
Tuesday, July 31
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM EDT
CIC Boston, 50 Milk Street, Hemingway Conference Room 18th floor, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reduce-your-plastic-footprint-tickets-48375915666
Join us for an educational workshop on one of the most important environmental problem that we face today. Learn how the plastic pollution impacts the environment and our health and wellbeing.
We are going to introduce the Action Toolkit that helps you to assess your personal plastic footprint and show how you as an individual can lower your own plastic pollution impact.
We all can do our parts today and lead by example and share our action and knowledge with our communities.
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SBN on Tour at ReVision Urban Farm
Tuesday, 31 July
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM EDT
ReVision Urban Farm, 38 Fabyan Street, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.sg/e/sbn-on-tour-at-revision-urban-farm-tickets-48016024221
What image comes to mind when you think of a farm? Is it fruitful plots of land in the middle of the city? Join SBN as we tour ReVision Urban Farm, an urban farm that works to make healthy, culturally appropriate food accessible to the community. Since 1990 ReVision Urban Farm has been growing food for homeless families and the community, while also offering job training and working to support a food system that is inclusive and diverse.
Join us at 5:00pm for casual networking with SBN members and others engaged in the local food system.
A farm tour will follow and highlight the work that ReVision Urban Farm is doing with food production, food access, and job training.
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Boston Green Drinks - July 2018 Happy Hour
Tuesday, July 3
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (EDT)
Warehouse Bar & Grille, 40 Broad Street, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-green-drinks-july-2018-happy-hour-tickets-48420743748
Join the conversation with sustainability professionals and hobbyists. Enjoy a drink and build your connection with our green community!
Boston Green Drinks builds a community of sustainably-minded Bostonians, provides a forum for exchange of sustainability career resources, and serves as a central point of information about emerging green issues. We support the exchange of ideas and resources about sustainable energy, environment, food, health, education.
Why Warehouse?
They are currently in the process of updating their food & beverage menu, as well as their business practices, to put a focus on more sustainable and ethical items! All this (below) and more in their efforts to become a Certified Green Restaurant®! And we ought to be applauding & supporting such efforts however we can.
What are they trying?
1. Recycling food waste in partnership with Agri Cycle Clean Energy. They essentially turn the food waste & packaging scraps into energy - www.agricycleenergy.com
2. Adding all sorts of vegan options, including the Impossible Burger https://www.impossiblefoods.com/burger/. As Cliff, their owner, puts it: The movement towards a plant-based diet is here and we're trying to meet the demands of our customers. There's no denying the detrimental impact that animal agriculture has on the environment so we're attempting to shift our menu to food that is more sustainable.
3. Growing their own herbs in house, cutting down on transportation & packaging costs of having them delivered. Basil, cilantro and oregano are their first three and the hope is to start to grow their own salad greens as well.
4. Continuing best efforts to minimize utility consumption by using low flow toilets, LED light bulbs and energy star rated cooking & refrigeration equipment. They were lucky enough to build our space brand new so took advantage of some energy efficient programs the state offers restaurants.
5. In partnership with our trash provider - Used cardboard boxes are recycled.
6. In partnership with our beer distributors - Glass bottles & alumni cans are recycled.
7. They're exploring ways to eliminate use of plastic straws.
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Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter
Tuesday, July 31
7:00 PM
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Harvard Book Store welcomes award-winning environmental journalist BEN GOLDFARB for a discussion of his latest book, Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter.
About Eager
In Eager, environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb reveals that our modern idea of what a healthy landscape looks like and how it functions is wrong, distorted by the fur trade that once trapped out millions of beavers from North America’s lakes and rivers. The consequences of losing beavers were profound: streams eroded, wetlands dried up, and species from salmon to swans lost vital habitat. Today, a growing coalition of “Beaver Believers”—including scientists, ranchers, and passionate citizens—recognizes that ecosystems with beavers are far healthier, for humans and non-humans alike than those without them. From the Nevada deserts to the Scottish highlands, Believers are now hard at work restoring these industrious rodents to their former haunts.
Eager is a powerful story about one of the world’s most influential species, how North America was colonized, how our landscapes have changed over the centuries, and how beavers can help us fight drought, flooding, wildfire, extinction, and the ravages of climate change. Ultimately, it’s about how we can learn to coexist, harmoniously and even beneficially, with our fellow travelers on this planet.
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Crop Diseases That Threaten Global Food Security (and Your Breakfast)
WHEN Tuesday, July 31, 2018, 7 – 8:15 p.m.
WHERE Harvard, Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Environmental Sciences, Exhibitions, Health Sciences, Lecture, Science, Special Events
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Harvard Museum of Natural History, presented in collaboration with the American Phytopathological Society (Teaching Committee and Office of Professionalism and Outreach) and the International Society for Plant Pathology Task Force on Global Food Security, as part of the 2018 International Congress of Plant Pathology.
SPEAKER(S) Jacques Avelino, Plant Pathologist, French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), Meghan Dewdney, Associate Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Gary Foster, Professor of Molecular Plant Pathology, University of Bristol, Randy C. Ploetz, Professor of Plant Pathology, Tropical Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, and Angela Records, International Agricultural Research Advisor, United States Agency for International Development. Moderated by Jean Beagle Ristaino, William Neal Reynolds Professor of Plant Pathology and Director of Emerging Plant Disease and Global Food Security, North Carolina State University.
CONTACT INFO (617) 495-3045, hmnh at hmsc.harvard.edu
DETAILS Coffee, oranges, bananas, and potatoes are among the most widely-consumed breakfast foods in the United States. What if these morning staples were to become scarce or unavailable? In this panel discussion, specialists in plant pathology and agriculture will discuss the emerging diseases that pose serious threats to these and other crops, and to the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people involved in their cultivation. The panelists will highlight approaches to understanding the evolution of plant pathogens, tracking how they spread around the globe, and developing strategies to combat plant diseases that are threatening global food production. Panel Discussion. Free and open to the public. Free event parking at 52 Oxford Street Garage.
LINK https://hmnh.harvard.edu/event/crop-diseases-threaten-global-food-security-and-your-breakfast
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Wednesday, August 1
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TEDxBeacon Street Salon: Emerging Technology
Wednesday, August 1
5-9 pm:
Kendall Square, Cambridge
RSVP at https://tedxbeaconstreet.com/tedxbeaconstreet-salon-kendall-square-at-ey/
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Fuckup Nights Boston Vol. VIII
Wednesday, August 1
5:30 PM – 9:00 PM EDT
Mass Challenge, 21 Drydock Avenue, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fuckup-nights-boston-vol-viii-tickets-48246469489
Cost: $10
What is Fuckup Nights?
Fuckup Nights is a global movement born in Mexico in 2012 to publicly share business failure stories. Hundreds of people attend each event to hear three to four entrepreneurs share their failures.
Each speaker is given 7-10 minutes and is able to use 10 images to illustrate their story.
What to expect in Vol. VIII?
We'll be celebrating entrepreneurship in the Mass Challenge space - along with their entire cohort of startups. Come mingle and meet new people and celebrate failure as the best business teacher.
Doors open at 5.30pm. First speaker goes on at 6.30pm. We will wrap up all the loveliness by 9pm.
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Editing our Evolution - a Building with Biology forum
Wednesday, August 1
6 PM
Warehouse XI, 11 Sanborn Court, Somerville
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/editing-our-evolution-a-building-with-biology-forum-tickets-47769785715
As gene editing techniques become more refined, the possibility of editing the human genome is moving from science fiction to reality. What should we do with this power? Many in the scientific community are calling for strict regulations on the use of this technology, while others are excited about the possibilities. How can we maximize benefits from these scientific advances while minimizing the harm that might come from them?
Join BosLab (www.boslab.org), a community lab in Somerville, and local experts in a conversation about how we should handle the power of gene editing techniques.
A light dinner will be served.
Sponsored by:
Warehouse XI
Cuisine en Locale
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Humans & Virtual Reality
Wednesday, August 1
6 - 9pm
Metro Meeting Centers, 101 Federal Street, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/81-6-pm-free-humans-virtual-reality-att-workshops-boston-registration-46620758945
See why over 6,300 people have attended AT&T workshops!
“Without a clear understanding of the human side of virtual reality, the experience will always fail.” (Jason Jerald)
Designing for virtual reality is an incredibly complex challenge. When done well, these experiences can be brilliant and pleasurable, but when done badly, they can result in frustration and sickness. In this free 3-hour workshop Jason Jerald, author of The VR Book: Human-Centered Design for Virtual Reality and Co-Founder & Principal Consultant of NextGen Interactions, through a combination of use cases and demonstrations will show how users perceive and intuitively interact with various forms of reality, discuss the causes of VR sickness, and demonstrate how to employ useful and pleasing content to create an immersive experience.
When you leave the workshop, you will understand virtual reality from the human experience perspective, allowing you to better create – or simply appreciate – powerful VR applications, whether for entertainment, education, science, healthcare, or the myriad of other uses of this new and exciting technology.
This workshop is for everyone, whether a developer, content creator, filmmaker, or simply someone interested in knowing more about VR.
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Curing cancer: Where are we and what will it take to succeed?
Wednesday, August 1
6:30 - 7:30pm
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge
Jesse Boehm
More information at https://www.broadinstitute.org/midsummer-nights-science/midsummer-nights-science-2018
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90s Bitch: Media, Culture, and the Failed Promise of Gender Equality
Wednesday, August 1
7:00 PM
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Harvard Book Store welcomes award-winning journalist ALLISON YARROW for a discussion of her latest book, 90s Bitch: Media, Culture, and the Failed Promise of Gender Equality.
About 90s Bitch
To understand how we got here, we have to rewind the VHS tape. 90s Bitch tells the real story of women and girls in the 1990s, exploring how they were maligned by the media, vilified by popular culture, and objectified in the marketplace. Trailblazing women like Hillary Clinton, Anita Hill, and Marcia Clark were undermined. Newsmakers like Monica Lewinsky, Tonya Harding, and Lorena Bobbitt were shamed and misunderstood. The advent of the 24-hour news cycle reinforced society's deeply entrenched sexism. Meanwhile, marketers hijacked feminism and poisoned girlhood for a generation of young women.
Today, there are echoes of 90s “bitchification” nearly everywhere we look. To understand why, we must revisit and interrogate the 1990s—a decade in which female empowerment was twisted into objectification, exploitation, and subjugation.
Yarrow’s thoughtful, juicy, and timely examination is a must-read for anyone trying to understand 21st-century sexism and end it for the next generation.
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Carceral Capitalism
Wednesday, August 1
7:00pm
Porter Square Books, 25 White Street, Cambridge
In this collection of essays in Semiotext(e)'s Intervention series, Jackie Wang examines the contemporary incarceration techniques that have emerged since the 1990s. The essays illustrate various aspects of the carceral continuum, including the biopolitics of juvenile delinquency, predatory policing, the political economy of fees and fines, cybernetic governance, and algorithmic policing. Included in this volume is Wang's influential critique of liberal anti-racist politics, "Against Innocence," as well as essays on RoboCop, techno-policing, and the aesthetic problem of making invisible forms of power legible.
Wang shows that the new racial capitalism begins with parasitic governance and predatory lending that extends credit only to dispossess later. Predatory lending has a decidedly spatial character and exists in many forms, including subprime mortgage loans, student loans for sham for-profit colleges, car loans, rent-to-own scams, payday loans, and bail bond loans. Parasitic governance, Wang argues, operates through five primary techniques: financial states of exception, automation, extraction and looting, confinement, and gratuitous violence. While these techniques of governance often involve physical confinement and the state-sanctioned execution of black Americans, new carceral modes have blurred the distinction between the inside and outside of prison. As technologies of control are perfected, carcerality tends to bleed into society.
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From Broken Glass: My Story of Finding Hope in Hitler's Death Camps to Inspire a New Generation
Wednesday, August 1
7:00 pm
Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard Street, Brookline
Michael P. Ross, Glenn Frank & Brian Wallace
Steve Ross’s son and co-authors speak about the survivor of ten Nazi concentration camps who went on to create the New England Holocaust Memorial and pen this inspiring memoir of strength in the face of despair.
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Thursday, August 2
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Humans & Virtual Reality
Thursday, August 2
1 - 4pm
Metro Meeting Centers, 101 Federal Street, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/81-6-pm-free-humans-virtual-reality-att-workshops-boston-registration-46620758945
See why over 6,300 people have attended AT&T workshops!
“Without a clear understanding of the human side of virtual reality, the experience will always fail.” (Jason Jerald)
Designing for virtual reality is an incredibly complex challenge. When done well, these experiences can be brilliant and pleasurable, but when done badly, they can result in frustration and sickness. In this free 3-hour workshop Jason Jerald, author of The VR Book: Human-Centered Design for Virtual Reality and Co-Founder & Principal Consultant of NextGen Interactions, through a combination of use cases and demonstrations will show how users perceive and intuitively interact with various forms of reality, discuss the causes of VR sickness, and demonstrate how to employ useful and pleasing content to create an immersive experience.
When you leave the workshop, you will understand virtual reality from the human experience perspective, allowing you to better create – or simply appreciate – powerful VR applications, whether for entertainment, education, science, healthcare, or the myriad of other uses of this new and exciting technology.
This workshop is for everyone, whether a developer, content creator, filmmaker, or simply someone interested in knowing more about VR.
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Friday, August 3 - Sunday, August 5
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Boston Greenfest
1 City Hall Plaza, Boston
More information at http://www.bostongreenfest.org
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Friday, August 3
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The Performance Cortex
Friday, August 3
7:00pm
Porter Square Books, 25 White Street, Cambridge
Why couldn't Michael Jordan, master athlete that he was, crush a baseball? Why can't modern robotics come close to replicating the dexterity of a five-year-old? Why do good quarterbacks always seem to know where their receivers are?
On a quest to discover what actually drives human movement and its spectacular potential, journalist, sports writer, and fan Zach Schonbrun interviewed experts on motor control around the world. The trail begins with the groundbreaking work of two neuroscientists in Major League Baseball who are upending the traditional ways scouts evaluate the speed with which great players read a pitch. Across all sports, new theories and revolutionary technology are revealing how the brain's motor control system works in extraordinary talented athletes like Stephen Curry, Tom Brady, Serena Williams, and Lionel Messi; as well as musical virtuosos, dancers, rock climbers, race-car drivers, and more.
Whether it is timing a 95 mph fastball or reaching for a coffee mug, movement requires a complex suite of computations that many take for granted--until they read The Performance Cortex. Zach Schonbrun ushers in a new way of thinking about the athletic gifts we marvel over and seek to develop in our own lives. It's not about the million-dollar arm anymore. It's about the million-dollar brain.
Zach Schonbrun has been a contributing writer for The New York Times since 2011, covering primarily sports and business. Six of his articles have appeared on the newspaper's front page. He graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in economics in 2009 and earned a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism in 2011. His work has also appeared in ESPN magazine, Newsday, The Washington Post, Yahoo! Sports, VICE, and SB Nation Longform. He currently lives in New York City with his wife.
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Sunday, August 5
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Call Mr Robeson
Sunday, August 5
3 PM - 4:30 PM
BA Plaza Theater, 539 Tremont Street, Boston
RSVP at https://www.bostontheatrescene.com/season/Call-Mr-Robeson/
CostL $18.50 - $23.50
About
Paul Robeson is a world-famous actor, singer, and civil rights campaigner. When he gets too radical and outspoken for the establishment's liking, he is branded a traitor to his country, is harassed, and denied opportunities to perform or travel.
This roller-coaster journey through Robeson's remarkable life highlights how his pioneering and heroic political activism led many to describe him as the forerunner of the civil rights movement. It features some famous songs (including a dramatic rendition of Ol' Man River), speeches, and a spectacularly defiant testimony to the Senate House Un-American Activities Committee.
One of the 20th Century's most impressive but overlooked figures is revived in this powerful, compelling tour-de-force performance, performed at New York's Carnegie Hall in February 2012.
Run time: 85 minutes, no intermission
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Monday, August 6
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Is That Me or My Twin? Lack of Self-Face Recognition Advantage in Identical Twins
Monday, August 6
10am
Toscanini’s Ice Cream, 159 First Street, Cambridge
Marc Abrahams
More information at https://www.improbable.com/2018/07/11/new-series-of-events-improbable-research-table-talks/
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Leveraging Universities for Advancing State & Local Energy Policy
Monday, August 6
12 pm
Webinar
RSVP at https://suce.memberclicks.net/index.php?option=com_mc&view=mc&mcid=form_255727
Presented by Richard Reibstein
Earth & Environment Rick Reibstein has recently created GE 532 Research for Environmental Agencies & Organizations, in which students perform discrete research tasks for government and nonprofit groups on environmental and public health matters. The course has proven to be a great way to supplement scarce agency and NGO resources and produce work useful to the clients, the students, and the public. He will discuss student projects that involved energy, including:
Examining the potential for community solar to clean up waste sites;
The implementation of community choice aggregation;
The optimal placement of EV charging stations.
For those who might wish to consider replicating this approach, the conversation will cover how the course is conducted:
How research tasks are identified and selected;
The role of the course instructor in ensuring quality of product;
The team relationship and independent student work;
Contacts with relevant staff and experts.
Reception of student work has been enthusiastically positive in nearly all cases. Agencies and organizations use the class for research they don’t have the time to perform. Students learn about real world issues, make contacts and gain insight into how government works and experience that helps them get jobs. The work is made publicly available for anyone to use, at www.bu.edu/rccp. Some projects continue from semester to semester and some students have stayed with the class for successive terms working on the same or related projects. For example, one student evaluated tree retention policies for the state (these were for municipalities to implement), and in the next semester participated in a team that looked at getting carbon credits for forest conservation – both efforts should be considered as opportunities for carbon sequestration and part of a climate change mitigation
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Tumor Metabolism: How cancer cells fuel their growth
Monday, August 6
6:30 - 8pm
Burden, 247 Elm Street, Somerville
Scientists from Dr Marcia Haggis' group
More information at http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/science-by-the-pint/
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The GIANT (Genetic Investigation of ANthropometric Traits) Consortium
Monday, August 6
6:30pm
Broad Institute, 415 Main Street, Cambridge
Joel Hirschhorn
(GIANT = The Genetic Investigation of ANthropometric Traits consortium seeks to identify genetic loci that modulate human body size and shape, including height and measures of obesity.)
More information at https://www.broadinstitute.org/midsummer-nights-science/midsummer-nights-science-2018
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The Future of Work in a Tech-Driven Economy
Monday, August 6
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM EDT
General Assembly Boston, 125 Summer Street, 13th Floor, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-future-of-work-in-a-tech-driven-economy-tickets-47446122630
With the rapid pace of technological progress, work in the future will look very different than today. Presented with the Inclusive Innovation This event will explore how working people can anticipate the challenges and pursue the professional and economic opportunities in the future of work.
WHY IT MATTERS?
We live in perhaps the greatest age of technological innovation in human history. Yet many people are not experiencing the benefits of this progress. Wage growth is at a standstill, and jobs that were once pathways to guaranteed prosperity have dramatically changed or disappeared. To thrive in the rapidly advancing digital economy, working people will need to be prepared.
WHAT YOU'LL TAKE AWAY
How work is changing?
What jobs will be relevant in the future?
What skills will be required?
How will we maintain our personal financial security?
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You Can Stop Humming Now: A Doctor's Stories of Life, Death, and In Between
Monday, August 6
7:00 PM
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Harvard Book Store and Mass Humanities welcome physician and writer DANIELA LAMAS—pulmonary and critical care doctor at the Brigham & Women's Hospital and instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School—for a discussion of her debut book, You Can Stop Humming Now: A Doctor's Stories of Life, Death, and In Between.
About You Can Stop Humming Now
Modern medicine is a world that glimmers with new technology and cutting-edge research. To the public eye, medical stories often begin with sirens and flashing lights and culminate in survival or death. But these are only the most visible narratives. As a critical care doctor treating people at their sickest, Daniela Lamas is fascinated by a different story: what comes after for those whose lives are extended by days, months, or years as a result of our treatments and technologies?
In You Can Stop Humming Now, Lamas explores the complex answers to this question through intimate accounts of patients and their families. A grandfather whose failing heart has been replaced by a battery-operated pump; a salesman who found himself a kidney donor on social media; a college student who survived a near-fatal overdose and returned home, alive but not the same; and a young woman navigating an adulthood she never thought she'd live to see—these moving narratives paint a detailed picture of the fragile border between sickness and health.
Riveting, gorgeously told, and deeply personal, You Can Stop Humming Now is a compassionate, uncompromising look at the choices and realities that many of us, and our families, may one day face.
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Tuesday, August 7
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Introduction to Satellite Remote Sensing
Tuesday, August 7
10:00am to 12:00pm
MIT Building 7-238, GIS Lab, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
RSVP at http://libcal.mit.edu/event/4271828
Come learn about satellite remote sensing, and get an overview of the many ways to process satellite imagery. There will be demos in ENVI and ArcGIS software, both of which are available in the Geographic Information System (GIS) Lab.
Editorial Comment: This is for the MIT Community but one of the categories for registration is “Visitor” so if you’re interested, give it a shot.
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Congressional Debate: Representative Capuano & City Councilor Pressley
Tuesday, August 7
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT
University of Massachusetts Boston Campus Center Ballroom A, B, & C, 100 William T Morrissey Boulevard, Boston
RSVP https://www.eventbrite.com/e/congressional-debate-representative-capuano-city-councilor-pressley-tickets-48255843527
BE SEATED BY 2:45 P.M.
THIS WILL BE A LIVE RADIO BROADCAST.
The University of Massachusetts Boston McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, WBUR radio, and TheBoston Globe will host a live debate with the Democratic candidates running in the 7th Congressional District this year.
Radio Boston host Meghna Chakrabarti will be joined by The Boston Globe Columnist Adrian Walker to co-moderate. The conversations will be conducted before a live audience at UMass Boston, and live-streamed on bostonglobe.com, wbur.org, and umb.edu.
Because the debate is taking place as part of WBUR’s Radio Boston program from 3 to 4 p.m., the live audience must be in their seats in the Campus Center Ballrooms A, B, and C, by 2:45 p.m. The doors open at 2:15p.m. and close at 2:45p.m. The debate is free and open to the public, but registration will be required.
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"Forgotten Farms" Film Screening
Tuesday, August 7
5:30pm
The Brattle Theater, 40 Brattle Street, Cambridge
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.sg/e/cabot-presents-forgotten-farms-screening-qa-tickets-47453735400
As part of Eat Local Month, Cabot, in partnership with SBN and MDAR, is presenting a screening of Forgotten Farms followed by a question and
As part of Eat Local Month, Cabot, in partnership with SBN and MDAR, is presenting a screening of Forgotten Farms followed by a question and answer session with the directors.
Forgotten Farms examines class divides in our farm and food communities. Most people buy their food in supermarkets and don’t have a chance to meet their farmer, as the bumper sticker recommends. But in more affluent communities, farm-to-table restaurants, farmer's markets and CSAs are booming and the new farmers are celebrated.
There is another farmer who is left out of the local food celebration.
New England has lost over 10,000 dairy farms in the past 50 years; fewer than 2,000 farms remain. Collectively, they tend 1.2 million acres of farmland and produce almost all of the milk consumed in New England. In our enthusiasm for the new food movement, we often overlook the farmers at the foundation of the regional agricultural economy. Only 100 years ago, New England produced most of its own food on 16 million acres of farmland. Climate change will demand that more of our food is grown closer to where we live. As we strive to revive local production, we have much to learn from dairy farmers who have been managing most of the farmland and sustaining the farm economy all along. Through conversations with farmers and policy experts, the film reconsiders the role of these vital but forgotten farmers.
Forgotten Farms gives us a glimpse into the past and a vision for a future regional food system. The documentary shows the cultural divide between the new food movement and traditional farming, highlighting the need to examine differences, develop mutual understanding, and find common ground. A truly sustainable local food system that benefits everyone will rely on all of our farmers.
“You build your farm over generations and you lose your farm in an hour.” – Vic Ziemba, Dairy Farmer
Editorial Comment: When we talk about “agriculture,” usually people mean fruits and vegetables, the food we see at the local farmers’ market but there are other kinds of agriculture like dairy farming, animal farming for meat, and commodity farming for beans and grains. Each of these operates at a different scale and has vastly different problems. When we talk about “agriculture,” we should be thinking of all of them.
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You Can Stop Humming Now
Tuesday, August 7
7:00pm
Porter Square Books, 25 White Street, Cambridge
Daniela Lamas discusses her book with Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich.
Modern medicine is a world that glimmers with new technology and cutting-edge research. To the public eye, medical stories often begin with sirens and flashing lights and culminate in survival or death. But these are only the most visible narratives. As a critical care doctor treating people at their sickest, Daniela Lamas is fascinated by a different story: what comes after for those whose lives are extended by days, months, or years as a result of our treatments and technologies?
In You Can Stop Humming Now, Lamas explores the complex answers to this question through intimate accounts of patients and their families. A grandfather whose failing heart has been replaced by a battery-operated pump; a salesman who found himself a kidney donor on social media; a college student who survived a near fatal overdose and returned home, alive but not the same; and a young woman navigating an adulthood she never thought she'd live to see -- these moving narratives paint a detailed picture of the fragile border between sickness and health.
Riveting, gorgeously told, and deeply personal, You Can Stop Humming Now is a compassionate, uncompromising look at the choices and realities that many of us, and our families, may one day face.
Daniela Lamas is a pulmonary and critical care doctor at the Brigham & Women's Hospital and faculty at Harvard Medical School. Following graduation from Harvard College, she went on to earn her MD at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, where she also completed internship and residency. She then returned to Boston for her subspecialty fellowship. She has worked as a medical reporter at the Miami Herald and is frequently published in the New York Times. This is her first book.
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Upcoming Events
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Wednesday, August 8
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The new era of postbiotics: Gut microbiome-derived lipid metabolites for health and wellness
Wednesday, August 8
12:00 p.m. ET
Webinar
RSVP at http://www.sciencemag.org/custom-publishing/webinars/new-era-postbiotics-gut-microbiome-derived-lipid-metabolites-health-and
Speakers
Jun Ogawa, Ph.D., Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
Jun Kunisawa, Ph.D., National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Osaka, Japan
Ikuo Kimura, Ph.D., Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Japan
Moderated by
Sean Sanders, Ph.D., Science/AAAS, Washington, DC
It is believed that over 100 trillion microbes make up the human gut microbiome. These microorganisms decompose indigestible substances such as fiber, providing an energy source for their human host. They also metabolize ingested food to produce various beneficial “postbiotic” compounds, including amino acids, vitamins, and short-chain fatty acids such as acetic acid and butyric acid. In recent years, the fields of metagenomics and metabolomics have advanced dramatically, broadening our understanding of the role of microbes and the metabolites they produce on human health. As the full importance of the gut microbiome is uncovered, and we learn more about the active metabolites generated by the microbiome, the role of these postbiotic metabolites is attracting greater attention. In particular, the discovery that novel bioactive fatty-acid metabolites may have health-promoting effects has generated much discussion. Our expert speakers will describe the importance of the human gut microbiome and its postbiotic metabolites, and will illustrate the beneficial effects of postbiotics on the host, focusing mainly on fatty-acid metabolites.
During the webinar, viewers will:
Be introduced to gut microbiome–derived postbiotics and their potential benefits
Hear about research into the generation of specific postbiotic fatty acids by enterobacteria and the metabolic pathways involved in postbiotics production
Learn about the health-promoting effects of postbiotics—particularly fatty-acid metabolites—on the host
Have the opportunity to have their questions answered during the live broadcast!
This webinar will last for approximately 60 minutes.
Speaker bios
Jun Ogawa, Ph.D., Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
Since 2009, Dr. Ogawa has been a professor in the Graduate School of Agriculture at Kyoto University in Japan, where he also obtained his Ph.D. in 1992. He joined the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science in 1994 as an assistant fellow. He became an assistant professor in the Faculty of Agriculture at Kyoto University in 1995, moving to Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (the National Institute of Agricultural Research) in France as a visiting scholar in 2006 before rejoining Kyoto University in 2008 as a professor in the Research Division of Microbial Sciences. Dr. Ogawa’s research covers applied microbiology, microbial biochemistry, microbial physiology, fermentation physiology, enzyme engineering, environmental microbiology, and microbial molecular biology. His work focuses on identification and characterization of novel microbial functions.
Jun Kunisawa, Ph.D., National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Osaka, Japan
Dr. Kunisawa is the head of the Laboratory of Vaccine Materials and the Laboratory of Gut Environmental Systems at the National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN) in Osaka, Japan. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Osaka University and is a visiting professor at the University of Tokyo, Kobe University, and Hiroshima University. He was awarded his Ph.D. from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Osaka University at 2001. Following postdoctoral training at the University of California, Berkeley, he was recruited by the University of Tokyo in 2004. He spent nine years in Tokyo as assistant and associate professor before moving to NIBIOHN to establish a new laboratory. His research focuses on immune regulation by the gut environment (including nutrition and commensal bacteria) and its association with immune diseases and human health. He also performs translational research for the development of vaccines, medicines, and functional foods.
Ikuo Kimura, Ph.D., Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Japan
Since 2013, Dr. Kimura has been an associate professor in the Department of Applied Biological Science at the Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. He obtained his B.S. from the Kyoto University School of Pharmacy in 2001 and his Ph.D. from the Graduate School and Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Kyoto University in 2006. He held assistant professorships in the Laboratory of Applied Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy in the Chiba Institute of Science, and in the Department of Genomic Drug Discovery Science, Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. In 2011, he joined the Department of Reproductive Medicine in the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego as a visiting scholar. Dr. Kimura’s research focuses on the relationship between gut microbes and host energy regulation via diet, specifically how dietary metabolites may exert beneficial effects by improving the intestinal environment. His work aims to explore novel functional food materials by initiating cross-disciplinary efforts with professionals in fermentology and applied microbiology.
Sean Sanders, Ph.D., Science/AAAS, Washington, DC
Dr. Sanders did his undergraduate training at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge, UK, supported by the Wellcome Trust. Following postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health and Georgetown University, Dr. Sanders joined TranXenoGen, a startup biotechnology company in Massachusetts working on avian transgenics. Pursuing his parallel passion for writing and editing, Dr. Sanders joined BioTechniques as an editor, before joining Science/AAAS in 2006. Currently Dr. Sanders is the Senior Editor for Custom Publishing for the journal Science and Program Director for Outreach.
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The Eliana Hechter Lecture: The GIANT [Genetic Investigation of ANthropometric Traits] Consortium
Wednesday, August 8
6:30 - 7:30pm
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge
Joel Hirschhorn
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Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World
Wednesday, August 8
7:00 PM
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Harvard Book Store welcomes MARYANNE WOLF—acclaimed researcher, professor, and author of Proust and the Squid—for a discussion of her latest book, Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World.
About Reader, Come Home
A decade ago, Maryanne Wolf’s Proust and the Squid revealed what we know about how the brain learns to read and how reading changes the way we think and feel. Since then, the ways we process written language have changed dramatically with many concerned about both their own changes and that of children. New research on the reading brain chronicles these changes in the brains of children and adults as they learn to read while immersed in a digitally dominated medium.
Drawing deeply on this research, this book comprises a series of letters Wolf writes to us—her beloved readers—to describe her concerns and her hopes about what is happening to the reading brain as it unavoidably changes to adapt to digital mediums. Wolf raises difficult questions, including:
Will children learn to incorporate the full range of "deep reading" processes that are at the core of the expert reading brain?
Will the mix of a seemingly infinite set of distractions for children’s attention and their quick access to immediate, voluminous information alter their ability to think for themselves?
With information at their fingertips, will the next generation learn to build their own storehouse of knowledge, which could impede the ability to make analogies and draw inferences from what they know?
Will all these influences, in turn, change the formation in children and the use in adults of "slower" cognitive processes like critical thinking, personal reflection, imagination, and empathy that comprise deep reading and that influence both how we think and how we live our lives?
Will the chain of digital influences ultimately influence the use of the critical analytical and empathic capacities necessary for a democratic society?
How can we preserve deep reading processes in future iterations of the reading brain?
Who are the "good readers" of every epoch?
Concerns about attention span, critical reasoning, and over-reliance on technology are never just about children—Wolf herself has found that, though she is a reading expert, her ability to read deeply has been impacted as she has become, inevitably, increasingly dependent on screens.
Wolf draws on neuroscience, literature, education, technology, and philosophy and blends historical, literary, and scientific facts with down-to-earth examples and warm anecdotes to illuminate complex ideas that culminate in a proposal for a biliterate reading brain. Provocative and intriguing, Reader, Come Home is a roadmap that provides a cautionary but hopeful perspective on the impact of technology on our brains and our most essential intellectual capacities—and what this could mean for our future.
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Written Off: Mental Health Stigma and the Loss of Human Potential
Wednesday, August 8
7:00pm
Porter Square Books, 25 White Street, Cambridge
Philip Yanos discusses his book with Dr. Eve Davison of the Boston VA.
Written Off tells the story of how mental health stigma comes to have a profound impact on the lives of people diagnosed with mental illnesses. It reviews theory, research, and history - illustrated with a multitude of personal stories - in four major areas. These areas are: the prevalence and predictors of negative attitudes and behaviors toward mental illness, the impact of community attitudes and behaviors on the self-perceptions of people diagnosed with mental illness, the impact of self-perceptions on the community participation of people diagnosed with mental illness, and how to change self-perceptions through a variety of approaches.
Philip T. Yanos, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at John Jay College, City University of New York. He is an Associate Editor for the journal Stigma and Health, and the interim Director of Clinical Training for the clinical psychology Ph.D. program at John Jay College.
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Thursday, August 9
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Building Markets: Energy Storage in Massachusetts and Offshore Wind in Rhode Island
Thursday, August 9
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM EDT
Webinar
RSVP at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8111210918468775425
This webinar highlights two winning programs from CESA’s 2018 "State Leadership in Clean Energy Awards": Massachusetts’ Advancing Commonwealth Energy Storage (ACES) Program, and Rhode Island’s Block Island Offshore Wind Farm.
In Massachusetts, the Advancing Commonwealth Energy Storage (ACES) Program was created to jump-start the state’s energy storage industry by piloting innovative, broadly replicable energy storage demonstration projects with multiple value streams, thereby priming Massachusetts for increased commercialization and deployment. ACES will demonstrate nine storage use cases to accelerate the adoption of storage technologies, provide benefits to customers and utilities, and highlight market and regulatory barriers. The 26 demonstration projects supported by the ACES program will collectively add 32MW/83MWh to the grid where only 4MW/7MWh currently exists.
In December 2016, Rhode Island became home to North America’s first offshore wind farm with the successful installation and operation of the 30 MW Block Island Wind Farm. This five-turbine project was developed by Deepwater Wind of Providence, RI. The project connected Block Island to the mainland electrical grid for the first time, allowing residents to end reliance on imported diesel to meet their electric generation needs. The project represents a significant clean energy accomplishment for Rhode Island and the nation, and it is helping to spur an entirely new industry and job creator for the coastal economy.
In two very different ways, each program is successfully advancing emerging clean energy technologies in their state. Guest speakers from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (RIOER) will present.
Presenters:
Kavita Ravi, MassCEC
Galen Nelson, MassCEC
Chris Kearns, RIOER
For more information about the 2018 State Leadership in Clean Energy Awards, visit http://www.cesa.org/projects/state-leadership-in-clean-energy/2018
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Slow Money Boston Summer Social at Bow Market
Thursday, August 9
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT
Bow Market, Bow Market Way, Somerville
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/slow-money-boston-summer-social-at-bow-market-tickets-47897834713
Cost: $10 Ticket price includes $5 voucher that can be used at any of the food or drink vendors at Bow Market.
Join Slow Money Boston and Bow Market for a summer social event on August 9th. Located at the heart of Union Square, Bow Market is a multi-use space that provides small-scale storefronts to established and aspiring food vendors, retailers, and artists in Somerville and Greater Boston. Come tour the new space and learn about the founding, mission and vendors of the new Bow Market.
The evening will begin with a market tour and Q&A with the co-founders, along with some of the vendors. After, we will continue the conversation with networking and beverages at Remnant Brewing.
6 - 7pm Tour of Bow Market
7 - 8pm SMB Social & Networking
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Future of Food
Thursday, August 9
6 – 8:30 pm EDT
GA Boston, 125 Summer Street 13th Floor, Boston
Our food system is rapidly changing and these innovators are staying ahead of the game.
Join us at General Assembly for a panel discussion exploring the future of the food industry as it intersects with technology and changing consumer behaviors. We'll delve into the rising trends around food tech as it applies to on demand delivery, access to healthy meal plans, culinary media, food waste management, and consumer experiences. Hear straight from experts in the space to small business food entrepreneurs who are revolutionizing the industry in Boston.
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Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History
Thursday August, 9
7:00 pm
Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard Street, Brookline
Keith O’Brien
The untold story of five women who fought to compete against men in the high-stakes national air races of the 1920s and 1930s — and won.
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Friday, August 10
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National Day of Civic Hacking 2018: IGNITE Boston
Friday, August 10
6:00 PM – 9:30 PM EDT
CIC Cambridge, 1 Broadway, 5th Floor, Cambridge
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/national-day-of-civic-hacking-2018-ignite-boston-tickets-48052189392
Please join Code for Boston for an evening of IGNITE talks for our sixth annual National Day of Civic Hacking event on Friday, August 10. Taking place at CIC Cambridge, this year’s event will feature a series of IGNITE talks from prominent members of Boston's civic tech and government communities.
We can't wait to see you all for an evening of talks, conversation, and networking!
Should I come to National Day of Civic Hacking (NDoCH)?
Yes! NDoCH is for urbanists, civic hackers, government staff, developers, designers, community organizers, technologists, data scientists, engaged citizens, and anyone with the passion to make their government better.
What will we be doing at National Day of Civic Hacking?
Our goal at NDoCH is to bring together government folks, technologists, and regular citizens to engage with local problems in their communities. This year, we'll be hosting a series of IGNITE talks to explore important topics in technology, government, inclusion, and more.
If you’re not familiar with the IGNITE talk format, it goes like this: Presenters get 20 slides, which automatically advance every 15 seconds, for a total of 5 minutes for the whole talk. They can be pretty hectic and high-energy, and quite a lot of fun. Code for Boston ran an evening of IGNITES as part of National Day of Civic Hacking in 2015 featuring talks from MAPC, TUGG, Resilient Coders, the City of Cambridge, Code for America Fellows, and more, and it was a blast. Check out the video on YouTube.
What's the lineup for the IGNITE talks?
We've put together an awesome lineup of local civic tech and government leaders for the evening's program. This year, we'll be joined by:
Laura Melle, Senior Procurement Lead, City of Boston
Alicia Rouault, Digital Services Director, Metropolitan Area Planning Council
Sky Rose, Software Engineer, MBTA Customer Technology Department
Nnenna Ndukwe, Software Engineer, Bison
Ethan Bagley, Innovation Program Manager, Amica Insurance
And a longer talk by Dana Chisnell of the Center for Civic Design and UsabilityWorks.
Keep checking back as we add to our lineup!
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Monday, August 13
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Numerical Methods for Modeling, Simulation and Control for Deformable Robots
Monday, August 13
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Wyss Institute, 60 Oxford Street, Room 330, Cambridge
Dr. Christian Duriez, Research Director, DEFROST
The design of robots can now be done with complex deformable structures, close to organic material that can be found in nature. Soft robotics opens very interesting perspectives in terms of human interaction, new applications, cost reduction, robustness, security… Soft robotics could bring new advances in robotics in the coming years. However these robots being highly deformable, traditional modeling and control methods used in robotics do not fully apply. During this talk, this scientific challenge of modeling and control of soft robot will be presented. Dr. Duriez will also present contributions which make use of methods from numerical mechanics (like Finite Element Methods) and adapt them to fulfill the constraints of robotics: real-time computation, direct and inverse kinematic models, and closed loop control.
Contact
ana.villardejimenez at wyss.harvard.edu
617-496-6345
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The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea
Monday, August 13
7:00 PM
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Harvard Book Store welcomes award-winning author and environmental historian JACK E. DAVIS for a discussion of his latest book, The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea—winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize in History.
About The Gulf
Hailed as a “nonfiction epic . . . in the tradition of Jared Diamond’s best-seller Collapse, and Simon Winchester’s Atlantic” by the Dallas Morning News, Jack E. Davis’s The Gulf is what the Wall Street Journal calls “by turns informative, lyrical, inspiring and chilling for anyone who cares about the future of ‘America’s Sea.’” Illuminating America’s political and economic relationship with the environment from the age of the conquistadors to the present, Davis demonstrates how the Gulf’s fruitful ecosystems and exceptional beauty empowered a growing nation. Filled with vivid, untold stories from the sportfish that launched Gulfside vacationing to Hollywood’s role in the country’s first offshore oil wells, this “vast and well-told story shows how we made the Gulf [into] a national sacrifice zone” (Bill McKibben). The first and only study of its kind, The Gulf offers what Edward O. Wilson calls “a unique and illuminating history of the American Southern coast and sea as it should be written.”
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Tuesday, August 14
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Healthy Building Summit - Wellness is the Bottom Line
Tuesday, August 14
7:30am - 12pm
Le Meridien, Cambridge-MIT, 20 Sidney Street, Cambridge
RSVP at http://usgbcma.org
Cost: $53.55 - 69.31
In 2018, the World Green Building Council reported that buildings designed for occupant wellness reported healthier, happier, and more productive employees. One Harvard University study even found that better air quality in office environments was linked with higher cognitive function in occupants.
The data shows that healthy buildings are not a frivolous expense. In fact, they can directly improve the bottom line of many organizations. Yet from Health Product Declarations (HPD) to Red Lists, WELL to FitWell, and LEED to the Living Building Challenge, the avenues for pursuing healthy buildings for your occupants can be overwhelming.
We want to empower you with healthy building strategies so that the people who occupy your buildings, as your employees, your tenants, or your clients can be productive and feel great in an optimal working environment.
For our Healthy Building Summit, we have gathered an expert panel from top corporations and institutions. Join us for a hot breakfast and converse with your colleagues about healthy buildings. Afterwards, our panel will spearhead a discussion, engaging the audience with provocative questions and information on the science and engineering of healthy buildings.
Agenda:
7:30–8:30 – breakfast and networking
8:30–9:30 – Kickoff Presentations from the Panel
9:30–10:15 – Roundtable Discussions
10:15–10:30 – Break
10:30 – Panel Responses to Roundtable Provocations
11:00–11:30 – Whole-Room Moderated Conversation
11:30–12:00 – Networking
Meet our Presenters
Moderator, Nadav Malin, President, BuildingGreen
Nadav is the building industry’s acknowledged go-to resource when you need a thoughtful perspective on the materials and design solutions that define sustainable building practice. He is an experienced trainer and facilitator, convening the network of architecture firm Sustainable Design Leaders and teaching diverse groups about LEED and green building. He consults and leads workshops for major corporations, not-for-profit organizations, and design firms. He is a LEED Fellow and Honorary AIA.
Heather Henriksen
Managing Director, Harvard University Office for Sustainability
Heather Henriksen has served as Harvard University’s chief sustainability officer since 2008, advising the President and senior leadership on strategy and building an organizational change initiative that resulted in the University community achieving its initial science-based climate goal of a 30% reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions, from 2006 to 2016, despite the addition of over 3 million square feet of space. Heather directs the Office for Sustainability which oversees the implementation of the Harvard’s comprehensive Sustainability Plan (co-created with faculty and students in 2014) and the University’s ambitious new Climate Action Plan, announced by President Drew Faust, which sets bold targets to transform campus operations to be fossil fuel-free by 2050 and fossil fuel-neutral by 2026.
George Bandy
Vice President of Sustainability and Commercial Marketing, Mohawk
George provides substantial knowledge of the concepts and practices of sustainability. He believes that looking at opportunities to position environmental, economic and socially responsible solutions for customers can set the standard for other businesses to follow that will result in a brighter future for us all. George is a dynamic speaker that shares the vision for a sustainable future; covering such topics as: The Business Case for Sustainability, Health and Wellness, Innovation and Smart Design, Greening the Supply Chain, Social Sustainability, Marketing for 2020 Minds and Culture Change. In addition to his duties at Mohawk, George is the former Chairman of the Board at the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).
Monica Nakielski
Director, Sustainability and Environmental Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield
Monica Nakielski, of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, is one of the professionals responsible for providing leadership and vision for the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts sustainability and environmental health strategy. Nakielski earned her MBA from the Simmons School of Management and a B.S. in Medical Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Her most recent work has been advocating for positive impact on the environment, health, and climate within hospitals and the medical industry. Prior to the Blue Cross Blue Shield, she was the senior program manager for Partners Healthcare developing sustainable initiatives for 16 medical facilities.
Jeff Hyman
Associate Director, Environment Health & Safety US at EMD Serono, Inc.
Jeffrey Hyman is the Environment Health and Safety Associate Director at EMD Serono, Inc. With his strong track record of over 30 years of experience in Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical operations, he is passionate about promoting, protecting and securing the well-being of people. Working at EMD Serono for over 28 years, he and his team are supporting over 1,300 nationally, providing opportunities to create secure and safe work cultures in the industry.
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Play Labs Demo Day
Tuesday, August 14
6:00pm to 9:00pm
MIT, Building E51-115, Wong Auditorium, 70 Memorial Drive, Cambridge
Come join us for Play Labs’ Demo Day @ MIT, a playful tech accelerator hosted by the MIT Game Lab.
Agenda:
6:00-6:30 Registration and intros
6:30-8:00 Batch 2 Company Pitches
8:00-9:00 Networking and Hands On Demos
Summary of Startups:
Batch 2 consists of 10 startups working with playful tech, including VR/AR/AR/esports for entertainment, gaming, and business applications. The second batch spans a wide breadth of categories, including:
eSports (2 startups)
VR/AR (2 startups)
Educational Technology (2 startups)
Blockchain (2 startups)
AI & Machine Vision (2 startups)
Voice Applications (2 startups)
The following is a list of the startups in the 2018 batch (in alphabetical order):
BitMovio is a blockchain enabled video entertainment marketplace, connecting forward-thinking content creators with passionate consumers. (http://www.bitmov.io)
BlocksCAD 3D modeling software fills a critical need for teachers in elementary and middle schools seeking ways to leverage engaging 3D printers with teaching math and coding fundamentals. (https://www.blockscad3d.com)
BUTTON WALLET is developing a multi-crypto-currency wallet called BUTTON and crypto exchange which works inside Telegram (the key messaging platform in the crypto/blockchain industry). (https://buttonwallet.com)
InTheGame creates apps gamifying the viewing experience of esports and live broadcasts, powered by our computer vision & ai technology. (https://www.inthegame.io)
LUI is a new Human-Computer Interface for interactive media on large screens and AR/VR platforms. It utilizes voice and gestures to naturally control UI elements such as Maps, Photos and Youtube using interfaces like those featured in Minority Report and Iron Man. ( https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/large-user-interface-with-gesture-and-voice-feedback/overview/)
PlaySpark is creating the next generation of social gaming in Augmented Reality. (http://playsparkgames.com)
Realism is a 3-d science simulation platform that teaches secondary school science concepts through real world labs and engages students through gamification. (https://realism.io)
SitNPlay Games is an E-Sports platform that connects players all around the globe providing ad-hoc competitions for real prizes that can be cashed out by the users trough PayPal, Bitcoin, Rixty Credits or even Steam Gift Cards. (https://sitnplay.games)
Toucan AI is the only platform that allows you to create conversational AI characters with their own memories and personalities. (https://www.toucanai.com)
Whetstone Technologies is a software company building a platform to enable easy creation of voice applications for Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home and other voice technologies with a specific focus on the healthcare vertical (https://whetstonetechnologies.io).
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Cerebral Cinema: Inception with Dr. Steve Ramirez
Tuesday, August 14
6:30pm to 9:00pm
MIT Museum, 265 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Join us for the first part in our Cerebral Cinema series, where you'll hear from researchers and then compare real science to depictions on the big screen.
Learn how the brain processes emotions as Kay Tye, MIT Associate Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, describes her research. Then enjoy Inside Out, the very popular animated film starring Joy, Anger, Fear, Disgust, and Sadness!
This event is presented in conjunction with The Beautiful Brain: The Drawings of Santiago Ramón y Cajal.
Free.
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Opportunity
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MIT Solve Coastal Communities Challenge
How can coastal communities mitigate and adapt to climate change while developing and prospering?
https://solve.mit.edu/challenges/coastal-communities
Challenge deadline July 1, 2018
Challenge Overview
Over 30% of humanity lives near coasts, ranging from massive cities to key ports and naval bases to small islands. The effects of climate change – including sea level rise, stronger storms, ocean warming and acidification – are causing increasing negative impacts on these communities’ lives and livelihoods. For the 600 million people supported by the fishing industry, a majority of them women, overfishing, pollution, and acidification threaten their livelihoods and the fragile ecosystems on which they depend. In cities and elsewhere, some communities already face regular flooding due to higher tides, some will see more frequent natural disasters, and others will see tourist-attracting coral reefs or surfing fade.
Further, as 60% of global GDP and 90% of global trade moves through coasts, increased flooding or damage to port infrastructure poses risks for communities and businesses alike, whether or not they are near the ocean. In addition, coastal and ocean ecosystems absorb 25% of our excess CO2, but are often degraded through coastal development, making climate change harder to mitigate.
While facing numerous impacts, coastal communities from Puerto Rico to Dhaka also have the potential to demonstrate resilient and sustainable ways of living near and with the ocean. Doing so will require people to have access to new technological solutions—along with new ways to envision and enact hard decisions about economies, society, and infrastructure. The Solve community aims to find innovative solutions to support and enhance coastal communities, while mitigating and adapting to climate change. To do so, Solve welcomes solutions from innovators around the world that:
Increase the viability and scale of sustainable economic activity from oceans, ranging from fishing to energy production to tourism
Provide cost-effective infrastructure approaches to improve resilience in the face of increased storm-, sea-, and tidewater
Rebuild or replicate mangroves, corals, and other ecosystems to restore historic functions, including storm surge absorption, carbon uptake, and stable fisheries
Enable coastal communities, governments, and corporations to use data to understand and make complex decisions around sustainable and resilient development
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Announcing Destination 2040: The next long-range transportation plan for the Boston region
How would you improve the Boston region’s transportation system? That’s the question at the heart of the MPO’s preparations for Destination 2040, which the MPO expects to adopt in the spring of 2019.
Every four years, the MPO identifies the system’s strengths and weaknesses; forecasts changes in population, employment, and land use; and creates a plan to address existing and future mobility needs. The resulting long-range transportation plan (LRTP) allocates funding for major projects in the Boston region and guides the MPO’s funding of capital investment programs and studies.
Use the new Destination 2040 website at http://ctps.org/lrtp-dev to explore the state of the system; learn how the MPO will identify needs, revisit its vision and goals, and prioritize its investments; and share your own interests, concerns, and ideas.
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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. 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://somervilleyogurtmakingcoop.wordpress.com
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Free solar electricity analysis for MA residents
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHhwM202dDYxdUZJVGFscnY1VGZ3aXc6MQ
Solar map of Cambridge, MA
http://www.mapdwell.com/en/cambridge
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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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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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The Boston Network for International Development (BNID) maintains a website (BNID.org) that serves as a clearing-house for information on organizations, events, and jobs related to international development in the Boston area. BNID has played an important auxiliary role in fostering international development activities in the Boston area, as witnessed by the expanding content of the site and a significant growth in the number of users.
The website contains:
A calendar of Boston area events and volunteer opportunities related to International Development - http://www.bnid.org/events
A jobs board that includes both internships and full time positions related to International Development that is updated daily - http://www.bnid.org/jobs
A directory and descriptions of more than 250 Boston-area organizations - http://www.bnid.org/organizations
Also, please sign up for our weekly newsletter (we promise only one email per week) to get the most up-to-date information on new job and internship opportunities -www.bnid.org/sign-up
The website is completely free for students and our goal is to help connect students who are interested in international development with many of the worthwhile organizations in the area.
Please feel free to email our organization at info at bnid.org if you have any questions!
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Boston Maker Spaces - 41 (up from 27 in 2016) and counting: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zGHnt9r2pQx8.kfw9evrHsKjA&hl=en
Solidarity Network Economy: https://ussolidarityeconomy.wordpress.com
Bostonsmart.com's Guide to Boston: http://www.bostonsmarts.com/BostonGuide/
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Links to events at over 50 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://calendar.mit.edu
Harvard Events: http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/harvard-events/events-calendar/
Harvard Environment: http://environment.harvard.edu/events/calendar/
Sustainability at Harvard: http://green.harvard.edu/events
Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/
Eventbrite: http://www.eventbrite.com/
Startup and Entrepreneurial Events: http://www.greenhornconnect.com/events/
Cambridge Civic Journal: http://www.rwinters.com
Cambridge Happenings: http://cambridgehappenings.org
Cambridge Community Calendar: https://www.cctvcambridge.org/calendar
If you have an event you would like to see here, the submission deadline is 11 AM on Sundays, as Energy (and Other) Events is sent out Sunday afternoons.
More information about the Act-MA
mailing list