November 17, 2015

Geek Bar Beta
1941 West North Avenue, Chicago, IL, USA

The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) recently opened a one-of-its-kind temporary exhibit, Robot Revolution. This unprecedented exhibit features more than 40 robots from all over the world. MSI’s robot wrangling team spent five years developing this program with the help of esteemed robotics advisors. The team scoured the world — including Japan, China, Germany, and France — to find the most advanced and exciting robots to showcase to the public. Kathleen McCarthy was part of this team.

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November 12, 2015

Northwestern University, Chicago Campus, Hughes Auditorium
303 East Superior Street, Chicago, IL, USA

Graphic narratives—also known as comics—are increasingly being used to unpack complex concepts and experiences. Despite the stigma of being thought of as juvenile reading matter (and not ‘real reading’ at that), comics actually have a long history of addressing complex topics. When serious graphic novels began appearing in the 1980s, they were met with great critical acclaim by both popular media and academia. A significant cohort of comics tackling scientific topics now exists.

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November 3, 2015

Geek Bar Beta
1941 West North Avenue, Chicago, IL, USA

Wearable devices such as smartwatches and fitness trackers have brought us closer to quantifying our lives, but will they truly change the way we interact with the world? This talk explores how the right combination of advances in energy harvesting, big data, and artificial intelligence could enable wearable devices to truly become digital extensions of us as humans.

October 21, 2015

Chicago Tech Academy High School
1301 West 14th Street, Chicago, IL, USA

Those who practice science know that research is full of wrong turns, cul-de-sacs, mistaken identities, false findings, errors of fact and judgement, and only the occasional success. Firestein, the author of the highly praised Ignorance, argues that the view that science is infallible originates in an education system that teaches nothing but facts and is proliferated by media who report on discoveries but almost never on process. Read more…

Since just after World War II, U.S. and global researchers have attempted to evolve diamond’s use beyond simple gem. With extreme material properties such as ultra hardness, complete transparency to visible light, ultra high thermal conductivity, ultra fast power and frequency handling and switching, diamond it would seem, would be a perfect fit for technological use.

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October 17, 2015

AMC River East 21
33 East Illinois Street, Chicago, IL, USA

From “Memento” to “The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” amnesia is a common trope in movies—a powerful launching point to explore issues such as identity and emotion. This year’s Festival includes three films, “Embers,” “Open Tables,” and “Other Madnesses,” which portray characters with faulty memories. Read more…