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@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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Hubevents http://hubevents.blogspot.com is the web version.
If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe to Energy (and Other) Events email gmoke@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
Watt d’Or Exhibition of Swiss Energy Innovation Award Winners
Northeastern International Village, 1155-1175 Tremont Street, Boston
until September 14
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Tuesday, August 19
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9am Free Spectacle Island Cruise
5:30pm Summer Solar Soiree: The African Photovoltaic Project and Community Water Solutions
6pm Boston New Technology August 2014 Product Showcase #BNT44
7pm CafeSci Boston - "The Science of Decision Making" with Leslie Pack Kaelbling
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Wednesday, August 20
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9am Sustainability Breakfast
12pm Key Trends in Information Stewardship (Brown Bag Talk)
7pm Planning for Healthy Cities: A Public Forum
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Thursday, August 21
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11am Vision seminar: reconstructing visual information from images and videos
12pm HEET Race to Solar Workshop
6pm Startup Stir Gubernatorial Candidate Forum - Charlie Baker
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Friday, August 22
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8:30am Innovation Breakfast at General Assembly
12am Miniaturized High Throughput Experimentation as an Enabling Tool for Drug Discovery
7pm Building a Movement of Movements: Towards the Peoples Climate March in NYC
7pm Engadget Live
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Saturday, August 23
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10am Grow or Die Garden Bike Tour
2pm Fresh Pond Monarch Watch: Butterfly Release Ceremony
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Tuesday, August, 26
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2pm Models for Emotion Recognition in Natural Settings and Perspectives for Energy Efficiency
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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
Two Points about Militarized Policing
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/08/15/1321986/-Two-Points-About-Militarized-Policing
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Watt d’Or Exhibition of Swiss Energy Innovation Award Winners
Northeastern International Village, 1155-1175 Tremont Street, Boston
until September 14
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Tuesday, August 19
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TBHA will provide beach toys for kids to enjoy. Feel free to bring a picnic lunch; food is also available for purchase on the island. This trip is generously made possible through a grant from the Boston Water and Sewer Commission.
Boarding begins at 9:00 am, departs at 9:30 am. Ferry will return to Boston at 1 pm. Reservations are required.
Summer Solar Soiree: The African Photovoltaic Project and Community Water Solutions
Tuesday, August 19
5:30 PM to 8:30 PM (EDT)
TRADE Restaurant and Bar, 540 Atlantic Avenue, Boston
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/summer-solar-soiree-tickets-12425323477
Please join us for a networking mixer on Tuesday, August 19th from 5:30-8:30pm at TRADE 540 Altantic Ave. Boston, MA 02110 for the:
Summer Solar Soirée a.k.a SOLAREEZY a social accelerator attracting a dynamic and bright demographics of professionals and students in the hub. Light appetizers will be provided with a cash bar.
The purpose of the event is to create buzz, awareness, and discuss future benefits for two local nonprofits that were initiated in hub that now have a global impact: Community Water Solutions andThe African Photovoltaic Project. These projects promote water and renewable solar energy - green living, as well social innovation.
Find out about current and future projects, big events, partnerships, and how you can get involved with these exciting environmentally sustainable nonprofits! Feel free to invite colleagues and friends!
Looking forward to seeing you all there!
http://www.sndden.org/en/news-and-events/photovoltaic-project/sisters-of-notre-dame-de-namur-pvproject1/
https://www.rotary.org
http://www.communitywatersolutions.org/
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Boston New Technology August 2014 Product Showcase #BNT44
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
IBM Innovation Center, 1 Rogers Street, Cambridge,
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/Boston_New_Technology/events/195066542/
Take the elevator up to the second floor and sign in at the registration table.
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 #BNT44 hashtag in social media posts: detailsathttp://www.meetup.com/Boston_New_Technology/pages/Help_Promote_BNT_Meetups_and_Companies!
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CafeSci Boston - "The Science of Decision Making" with Leslie Pack Kaelbling
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
7:00 PM to 8:45 PM
Middlesex Lounge, 315 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/NerdFunBoston/events/198373872/
Hey all. Scott from NOVA here with August's CafeSci Boston. This month, our speaker is Leslie Pack Kaelbling, professor of computer science and engineering at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at MIT.
Leslie will be talking about her work in robotics and the continuing development of artificial intelligence at CSAIL. Specifically, we'll be learning about "decision making under uncertainty" and reinforcement learning in artificially intelligent robots.
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Wednesday, August 20
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Sustainability Breakfast
Wednesday, August 20
7:30am – 8:30am
Pret-A-Manger, 185 Franklin Street, Boston
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/august-boston-sustainability-breakfast-meetup-tickets-12292562385
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Speaker: Dr. Micah Altman, Director of Research, MIT Libraries; Head/Scientist, Program on Information Science
Planning for Healthy Cities: A Public Forum
Wednesday, August 20
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/planning-for-healthy-cities-a-public-forum-registration-12446250069
Cities are wonderful places to live, work, and have fun. However, cities often experience a range of environmental and human health challenges and disparities. With overall warmer temperatures and poorer water and air quality, it can be difficult to make urban spaces as healthy as their surroundings.
Led by four local youth, this forum will be based around real environmental data collected in and around Boston. Come learn the issues and challenges the greater Boston area faces as a city, discuss the options we have to increase the health of our city, and share your opinion!
This program is recommended for grades 8-12 and adults.
This program is free thanks to the generosity of the Lowell Institute.
Have questions about Planning for Healthy Cities: A Public Forum? Contact Museum of Science
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Thursday, August 21
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HEET Race to Solar Workshop
Thursday, August 21
12pm to 1:30pm
Cambridge City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway, Cambridge
Through the Race to Solar program, eligible nonprofits can acquire a solar electric energy system for their school, house of worship, food pantry, community center, or other building owned by their nonprofit organization. Learn more about the Race to Solar program at the upcoming workshop and meet the solar and efficiency experts that can help your organization save energy and money. Please RSVP to attend the following workshop:
For more information about the program contact info at HEETma.org or call 617-HEET-350.
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Startup Stir Gubernatorial Candidate Forum - Charlie Baker
Thursday, August 21
6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Workbar, 45 Prospect Street, Cambridge
We're asking -
If elected, what will you do to foster the innovation economy and help startups, entrepreneurs and small business owners succeed?
Each candidate will speak independently on their candidacy, their plans for small business development and their support of entrepreneurs and the innovation economy.
Charlie Baker, Republican
Charlie Baker is a Republican candidate for governor of Massachusetts. A former Secretary of Administration and Finance under Governors Weld and Cellucci, and former CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Charlie has been a highly successful leader of complex organizations in both the private and public sectors. He has spent the past three years as an Entrepreneur in Residence at the venture capital firm General Catalyst Partners.
Charlie and his wife, Lauren, have been heavily involved in numerous civic and charitable endeavors. They live in Swampscott, and have three children: Charlie, AJ, and Caroline.
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Friday, August 22
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Innovation Breakfast at General Assembly
Friday, August 22
8:30 AM to 10:00 AM
General Assembly, 51 Melcher Street, Boston
The Roving Innovation Breakfast is visiting General Assembly in Boston. General Assembly transforms thinkers into creators through education and opportunities in technology, business, and design.
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Miniaturized High Throughput Experimentation as an Enabling Tool for Drug Discovery
Friday, August 22
10:00a–11:00a
MIT, Building 32-124, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Dr. Timothy A. Cernak, Merck
Organic Chemistry Seminar
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Chemistry Department
For more information, contact: Chemistry Department
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Building a Movement of Movements: Towards the Peoples Climate March in NYC
Friday, 22 August
7:00 to 9:30PM
Boston Opera House, 539 Washington Street, Boston
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/building-a-movement-of-movements-towards-the-peoples-climate-march-in-nyc-tickets-12358629995
Cost: $12 - $100
A night of inspiring stories, lessons, and ideas from across the climate movement!
A movement of movements is growing around the Peoples Climate March this September in New York City. As United Nations Secretary Ban Ki Moon calls world leaders together for a landmark summit on climate change, we know that this is our moment for a historic march of unprecedented proportions to demand climate justice and build real solutions to the climate crisis.
As we build towards this mobilization - we want to highlight the important ongoing work and struggles happening in communities across the globe, and illuminate how climate change is a cross-cutting issue that impacts every person and every issue. And it's our opportunity - to build a movement of movements powerful enough to transform our society - and build a world that is based on justice and sustainability at the core.
Join us in Boston to hear inspiring movement leaders, community organizers, and activists talk about these issues, and get connected to local organizing around the Peoples Climate March.
Speakers at the Boston event include:
Bill McKibben - author, educator, environmentalist, co-founder of 350.org
Vanessa Rule - Co-Director of Mothers Out Front, co-founder of Better Future Project
Koreti Mavaega Tiumalu - Pacific Islands Climate Warrior Campaigner
Sandra Steingraber -Biologist, author, and science advisor for Americans Against Fracking
Varshini Prakash - UMass Amherst student, Board Member at Responsible Endowments Coalition and Divestment Student Network
More tbd!
Doors open at 6:30, Show starts at 7:30 promptly! There will be informational tables in the lobby about the PCM - including ways to join (or host) a charter bus, organize in your community, and outreach materials.
For more information on the Peoples Climate March, September 21st in NYC, visit: http://peoplesclimate.org/march/
This is an invitation to change everything.
In September, world leaders are coming to New York City for a UN summit on the climate crisis. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is urging governments to support an ambitious global agreement to dramatically reduce global warming pollution.
With our future on the line and the whole world watching, we’ll take a stand to bend the course of history. We’ll take to the streets to demand the world we know is within our reach: a world with an economy that works for people and the planet; a world safe from the ravages of climate change; a world with good jobs, clean air and water, and healthy communities.
To change everything, it takes everyone.
Sunday, September 21 in New York City. Join us.
http://peoplesclimate.org/march/
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Engadget Live
Friday, August 22
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Royale, 279 Tremont Street, Boston
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/engadget-live-in-boston-registration-10679579911
Unlike all the tradeshows and press-only events that don’t let consumers attend, Engadget Live is designed specifically to bring gadget lovers and tech brands together.
As always, we’ll have a bunch of great companies with us at the event ready to show you their newest products and hear what you think.
There’ll be tons of great swag and chances to win some awesome gear.
If you're a member of the media and you're interested in attending the press preview hour from 6:00pm to 7:00pm, email live@engadget.com and we’ll send you the details.
If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, send an email to sponsors@engadget.com
You can see the current list of the companies participating at http://www.engadget.com/engadget-livebut check back because we’re still adding more.
Also, be sure to follow @engadget for updates! The official hashtag for this event is #EngadgetBOS. We’d love to have everyone join the conversation before, during and after the show.
See you there!
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Saturday, August 23
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Grow or Die Garden Bike Tour
Saturday, August 23
10:00 AM to 2:00 PM (EDT)
Roxbury, MA
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/grow-or-die-garden-bike-tour-tickets-12459902905
Dave Jenkins
For three years, the Roxbury Environmental Empowerment Project (REEP) has been transforming communities with urban gardening. This August, we want to share it with you.
Please join us for a bike tour of our beautiful community gardens and learn about our campaign for food justice!
In 2011, REEP launched Grow or Die in response to the lack of healthy and affordable food in our neighborhoods. We began taking over vacant lots, testaments to Boston’s racism and classism, and building raised beds to grow our own food. Today, over 100 families grow vegetables and herbs in our Roxbury and Dorchester gardens.
Join us and our friends at Bikes Not Bombs to see the impacts of our campaign and help keep this work going. Bring your bike. A light lunch will be provided.
August 23, 2014
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Start location TBA
“The food system we know is rooted in racism, poverty, and corporate greed. Food should be about life, growth, health, community, and justice."
--Grow or Die launch statement
Models for Emotion Recognition in Natural Settings and Perspectives for Energy Efficiency
Tuesday, August 26
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Refreshments: 1:45 PM
MIT, Building 32-G449, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Hazem Hajj , American University of Beirut
Abstract: This last decade has seen a major shift towards user centric computing. This shift has further inspired an attempt to personalizing devices and capturing the deepest essence of humans: emotions. Despite advances in the field of emotion recognition, challenges remain for the devices to operate unobtrusively and accurately capture user emotions in natural settings. The two main challenges are accurate models in natural settings and energy availability on mobile devices for continuous operation. To address these challenges, I will cover, in the first part of the talk, models for emotion recognition in natural settings from different modalities. I will walk through the end to end process presenting challenges and solutions for: proposing new features inspired from human thinking, developing ground truth data, evaluating features from different modalities, and providing end user recommendations. In the second part of the talk, I will present approaches for evaluating and improving energy efficiency across the different ends of the computing spectrum. For algorithm centric evaluation, the method uses a top-down approach to energy assessment in software computations. For platform centric evaluation, I will present enhancements for cloud computing, and mobile computing. These methods include Hadoop enhancements to support integration to high-end reconfigurable data nodes on a cloud computing platform and energy efficient sensing methods for mobile devices.
Bio: Hazem Hajj is an Associate Professor with the American University of Beirut (AUB). Sine joining AUB, he had led several initiatives, including the AUB’s Intel Middle East Energy Efficiency Research (MER) initiative. Before joining AUB in 2008, Hazem was a principal engineer at Intel Corporation. At Intel, he led research and development for Intel’s manufacturing automation, where he received several patents, and numerous Intel Achievement Awards. On the academic front, Hazem received his bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering from AUB in 1987 with distinction, and his PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996, where he also received several teaching awards, including the University Teaching Excellence Award. Hazem’s research interests include Data Mining, Energy-Aware Computing, with special interests in Opinion Mining, Mobile Sensing, and Emotion Recognition.
Contact: Mary McDavitt, 617-253-9620, mmcdavit@csail.mit.edu
International Development Networking Night
Wednesday, August 27
Restoring Balance with Noise: Science for the Public's Public Science Lectures
Wednesday, September 3
6:30 PM
Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge
Note: This lecture will not be recorded, so be sure to join the audience.
James J. Collins, PhD, William F. Warren Distinguished Professor, University Professor, and Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Director, Center of Synthetic Biology, Boston University; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
Dr. Collins was a core founding faculty member of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. He is also Boston University's first HHMI Investigator.
Balance seems effortless --until you lose it. The loss of balance due to conditions such as aging, Parkinson's Disease, stroke or injury severely limits mobility. In this presentation, Dr. Collins explains the physical mechanisms of balance that most of us take for granted, as well as what causes the loss of balance. By applying a unique biophysics approach to the problem of balance loss, he developed a very effective solution: specially engineered lightweight wearable devices such as vibrating insoles and leg cuffs that deliver random mechanical "noise" signals to affected muscles. The mechanism that makes these restorative devices so effective is as fascinating as the devices themselves. And the devices represent a great advance for rehabilitative medicine. Dr. Collins is one of America's most innovative scientists, and his balance-restoration devices are just one area of his work.
James Collins is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Physical Society, and the American Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering.
Don't Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change
Wednesday, September 3
7:00 PM
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
This event is free; no tickets are required.
Harvard Book Store welcomes climate change expert and founder of the Climate Outreach and Information Network GEORGE MARSHALL for a discussion of his book Don't Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change.
Most of us recognize that climate change is real, and yet we do nothing to stop it. What is this psychological mechanism that allows us to know something is true but act as if it is not? George Marshall’s search for the answers brings him face to face with Nobel Prize–winning psychologists and the activists of the Texas Tea Party; the world’s leading climate scientists and the people who denounce them; liberal environmentalists and conservative evangelicals. What he discovered is that our values, assumptions, and prejudices can take on lives of their own, gaining authority as they are shared, dividing people in their wake.
With engaging stories and drawing on years of his own research, Marshall argues that the answers do not lie in the things that make us different and drive us apart, but rather in what we all share: how our human brains are wired—our evolutionary origins, our perceptions of threats, our cognitive blindspots, our love of storytelling, our fear of death, and our deepest instincts to defend our family and tribe. Once we understand what excites, threatens, and motivates us, we can rethink and reimagine climate change, for it is not an impossible problem. Rather, it is one we can halt if we can make it our common purpose and common ground. Silence and inaction are the most persuasive of narratives, so we need to change the story.
In the end, Don’t Even Think About It is both about climate change and about the qualities that make us human and how we can grow as we deal with the greatest challenge we have ever faced.
"In 42 engaging, bite-size chapters, Marshall presents the psychological research demonstrating why climate change simply doesn’t feel dangerous enough to justify action and how we can trick our brains into changing our sense of urgency about the problem. His work is a much needed kick in the pants for policymakers, grassroots environmentalists, and the public to induce us to develop effective motivational tools to help us take action to face the reality of climate change before it’s too late." —Booklist
"The science of climate change is easy: burning fossil fuels creates greenhouse gasses that are warming our world. George Marshall reminds us about the hard part: connecting the wellhead to the tailpipe in people’s minds as soon as possible. Please read this book, and think about it. Let’s get to work." —Bill Nye
Near-Term Climate Change: Projections and Mitigation
Friday, September 5
12:00pm to 1:00pm
Harvard, Pierce Hall 100F, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge
Abstract: While anthropogenic climate change is a long-term phenomena, anthropogenic influences on climate will also be felt in the near-term. New work examining the near-term rate of climate change will be presented showing that the rate of global and regional changes will soon be increasing to well above background levels. The talk will then examine the potential for short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs) to reduce near-term climate change. Forcing agents with relatively short atmospheric lifetimes, short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs), are a potentially attractive mitigation target since they offer the prospect of reducing near-term anthropogenic climate change. Much of the work in this area has focused on black carbon and methane. The potential for near-term climate mitigation by SLCFs was analyzed and shown to be smaller than previously estimated. Climate and atmospheric inertia reduce the near-term SLCF mitigation potential well below equilibrium values. SLCF mitigation potential has a high uncertainty, which was also assessed. A large portion is due to uncertainty in carbonaceous aerosol emissions and aerosol forcing in general.
Email: xilu@fas.harvard.edu
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Saturday, September 6
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Exploring Boston’s Urban Forest
Wednesday, September 6
10am-4pm
Cambridge DPW, 147 Hampshire Street, Cambridge
Cost $15.00 but free with promo code TREES
RSVP at http://earthwatch.org/expeditions/exploring-bostons-urban-forest
How are our most important neighbors—our cities' trees—faring? Find out while exploring one charming city.
Urban forests are more than pretty: they mitigate climate change, improve psychological health, filter pollutants, and increase oxygen levels.
Cities are made up of buildings and streets, but between and among human structures are thousands of trees that make up the urban forest. Earthwatch is collaborating with the arborist of the City of Cambridge, just across the river from Boston, to collect data to study and protect the 18,000 trees that make up the city's critically important urban forest.
You'll be trained in techniques for identifying species, measuring and observing individual tree samples, and uploading data via mobile apps. During the course of the day you'll work in groups, exploring Cambridge's urban forest and collecting data on the health, growth patterns, and impact on buildings and streets of individual trees.
You'll help build a growing database of information needed to understand how trees positively impact urban areas and what trees need to survive and thrive in stressful environments.
Why You Can't Find a Taxi in the Rain and Other Labor Supply Lessons from Cab Drivers
Monday, September 8
4:00p–5:30p
MIT, Building E51-151, 2 Amherst Street, (70 Memorial Drive), Cambridge
Speaker: Hank Farber (Princeton Univeristy)
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Public Finance/Labor Workshop
For more information, contact: economics calendar
econ-cal@mit.edu
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Speaker: Debra Fischer, Yale
The search for exoplanets is motivated by the question of whether life exists elsewhere. This drives our interest in the detection of planets that are similar to our own world: rocky planets with the potential for liquid surface water and plate tectonics; worlds that might harbor life that we can recognize. Importantly, we will need to discover not just a few, but hundreds of these worlds to eventually gain a statistical understanding of whether life is rare, common, or ubiquitous and ground-based telescopes offer an ideal platform for carrying out decade-long surveys. It is critical for follow-up studies (imaging, atmospheric studies) that these planets orbit nearby stars. In this talk, I will discuss how we plan to take what we've learned and push on to the next frontier: our plans for a next generation spectrograph, EXPRES, to carry out a search 100 Earths with the Discovery Channel Telescope.
MIT Astrophysics Colloquium
Web site: http://space-live.mit.edu/events/all
Open to: the general public
Cost: no charge
Tickets: n/a
Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research
For more information, contact: Debbie Meinbresse
617-253-1456
meinbres@mit.edu
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Wednesday, September 10
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The State of the Euro in a Changing EU
WHEN Wed., Sep. 10, 2014, 12 – 2 p.m.
WHERE Harvard, The Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Lower Level Conference Room, 27 Kirkland Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Business, Humanities, Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR European Union Study Group, Weatherhead Canter for International Studies and the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies
SPEAKER(S) Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, visiting scholar, Program on Transatlantic Relations; Richard N. Cooper, Maurits C. Boas Professor of Economics, Harvard University; Jeffry A. Frieden, Stanfield Professor of International Peace, Department of Government, Harvard University; Hans-Helmut Kotz, senior fellow, Center for Financial Studies, Goethe University; Karl Kaiser, director, Program on Transatlantic Relations
COST Free and open to the public
CONTACT INFO atownes@wcfia.harvard.edu
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Saturday, September 13
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DESIGN DIALOGUES: Grounded Visionaries
Saturday, September 13
8am - 4 pm
Gund Hall, 48 Quincy Street, Cambridge
RSVP at https://secure.post.harvard.edu/olc/pub/HAA/event/showEventForm.jsp?form_id=174416
Cost: $50-75
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Sunday, September 14
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Boston Local Food Festival
Sunday, September 14
11 a.m.-5 p.m
Boston Local Food Festival, considered New England's largest one day farmers market, is Boston's premier food event connecting eaters and consumers to healthy sustainable foods grown and produced close to home. Attracting thousands of residents and visitors, it provides an ideal opportunity for local food growers and producers to showcase their products and connect with new and existing costumers while growing and supporting the local food movement.
More information at http://bostonlocalfoodfestival.com
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Monday, September 15
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Vehicle Scrappage and Gasoline Policy
Speaker: Hank Farber (Princeton)
Monday, September 15
4:00p–5:30p
MIT, Building E51-151, 2 Amherst Street, Cambridge
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Public Finance/Labor Workshop
For more information, contact: economics calendar
econ-cal@mit.edu
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Opportunity
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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@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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Resource
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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@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@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/
Startup and Entrepreneurial Events: http://www.greenhornconnect.com/events/
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/
Watt d’Or Exhibition of Swiss Energy Innovation Award Winners
Northeastern International Village, 1155-1175 Tremont Street, Boston
until September 14
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Tuesday, August 19
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9am Free Spectacle Island Cruise
5:30pm Summer Solar Soiree: The African Photovoltaic Project and Community Water Solutions
6pm Boston New Technology August 2014 Product Showcase #BNT44
7pm CafeSci Boston - "The Science of Decision Making" with Leslie Pack Kaelbling
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Wednesday, August 20
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9am Sustainability Breakfast
12pm Key Trends in Information Stewardship (Brown Bag Talk)
7pm Planning for Healthy Cities: A Public Forum
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Thursday, August 21
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11am Vision seminar: reconstructing visual information from images and videos
12pm HEET Race to Solar Workshop
6pm Startup Stir Gubernatorial Candidate Forum - Charlie Baker
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Friday, August 22
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8:30am Innovation Breakfast at General Assembly
12am Miniaturized High Throughput Experimentation as an Enabling Tool for Drug Discovery
7pm Building a Movement of Movements: Towards the Peoples Climate March in NYC
7pm Engadget Live
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Saturday, August 23
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10am Grow or Die Garden Bike Tour
2pm Fresh Pond Monarch Watch: Butterfly Release Ceremony
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Tuesday, August, 26
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2pm Models for Emotion Recognition in Natural Settings and Perspectives for Energy Efficiency
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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
Two Points about Militarized Policing
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/08/15/1321986/-Two-Points-About-Militarized-Policing
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Watt d’Or Exhibition of Swiss Energy Innovation Award Winners
Northeastern International Village, 1155-1175 Tremont Street, Boston
until September 14
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Tuesday, August 19
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Free Spectacle Island Cruise
The Boston Harbor Association
Tuesday, August 19
The Boston Harbor Association
Tuesday, August 19
9:00 AM to 1:00 PM (EDT)
Rowes Wharf, Gate C, 60 Rowes Wharf, Boston
Rowes Wharf, Gate C, 60 Rowes Wharf, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-spectacle-island-cruise-august-19th-tickets-12610286707
Join The Boston Harbor Association for a free boat cruise to Spectacle Island. Located twenty minutes from Boston, Spectacle Island is one of the most easily accessible Boston Harbor Islands. Hike to the top of the island and enjoy panoramic views of the city, check out the exhibits in the "green" visitor's center, or relax on the sandy beach.
Join The Boston Harbor Association for a free boat cruise to Spectacle Island. Located twenty minutes from Boston, Spectacle Island is one of the most easily accessible Boston Harbor Islands. Hike to the top of the island and enjoy panoramic views of the city, check out the exhibits in the "green" visitor's center, or relax on the sandy beach.
TBHA will provide beach toys for kids to enjoy. Feel free to bring a picnic lunch; food is also available for purchase on the island. This trip is generously made possible through a grant from the Boston Water and Sewer Commission.
Boarding begins at 9:00 am, departs at 9:30 am. Ferry will return to Boston at 1 pm. Reservations are required.
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Summer Solar Soiree: The African Photovoltaic Project and Community Water Solutions
Tuesday, August 19
5:30 PM to 8:30 PM (EDT)
TRADE Restaurant and Bar, 540 Atlantic Avenue, Boston
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/summer-solar-soiree-tickets-12425323477
Please join us for a networking mixer on Tuesday, August 19th from 5:30-8:30pm at TRADE 540 Altantic Ave. Boston, MA 02110 for the:
Summer Solar Soirée a.k.a SOLAREEZY a social accelerator attracting a dynamic and bright demographics of professionals and students in the hub. Light appetizers will be provided with a cash bar.
The purpose of the event is to create buzz, awareness, and discuss future benefits for two local nonprofits that were initiated in hub that now have a global impact: Community Water Solutions andThe African Photovoltaic Project. These projects promote water and renewable solar energy - green living, as well social innovation.
Find out about current and future projects, big events, partnerships, and how you can get involved with these exciting environmentally sustainable nonprofits! Feel free to invite colleagues and friends!
Looking forward to seeing you all there!
http://www.sndden.org/en/news-and-events/photovoltaic-project/sisters-of-notre-dame-de-namur-pvproject1/
https://www.rotary.org
http://www.communitywatersolutions.org/
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Boston New Technology August 2014 Product Showcase #BNT44
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
IBM Innovation Center, 1 Rogers Street, Cambridge,
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/Boston_New_Technology/events/195066542/
Take the elevator up to the second floor and sign in at the registration table.
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 #BNT44 hashtag in social media posts: detailsathttp://www.meetup.com/Boston_New_Technology/pages/Help_Promote_BNT_Meetups_and_Companies!
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CafeSci Boston - "The Science of Decision Making" with Leslie Pack Kaelbling
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
7:00 PM to 8:45 PM
Middlesex Lounge, 315 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/NerdFunBoston/events/198373872/
Hey all. Scott from NOVA here with August's CafeSci Boston. This month, our speaker is Leslie Pack Kaelbling, professor of computer science and engineering at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at MIT.
Leslie will be talking about her work in robotics and the continuing development of artificial intelligence at CSAIL. Specifically, we'll be learning about "decision making under uncertainty" and reinforcement learning in artificially intelligent robots.
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Wednesday, August 20
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Sustainability Breakfast
Wednesday, August 20
7:30am – 8:30am
Pret-A-Manger, 185 Franklin Street, Boston
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/august-boston-sustainability-breakfast-meetup-tickets-12292562385
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Key Trends in Information Stewardship (Brown Bag Talk)
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
12:00p–1:00p
MIT, Building E25-131, 45 Carleton Street, Cambridge
12:00p–1:00p
MIT, Building E25-131, 45 Carleton Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Dr. Micah Altman, Director of Research, MIT Libraries; Head/Scientist, Program on Information Science
Effective curation and dissemination of digital information is vital to maintaining the public records necessary for understanding and evaluating government actions, the scientific evidence base for replicating experiments, building on prior knowledge, and the preservation of the nation's cultural heritage. In this talk we preview and discuss key findings from the National Agenda for Digital Stewardship, which annually integrates the perspective of dozens of experts and hundreds of institutions. The Agenda identifies emerging technological trends, gaps in digital stewardship capacity, and key areas for research and development to support the work needed to ensure that today's valuable digital content remains accessible, useful, and comprehensible in the future.
Discussant Bio: Dr. Micah Altman is Director of Research and Head/Scientist, Program on Information Science for the MIT Libraries, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Altman is also a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution. Prior to arriving at MIT, Dr. Altman served at Harvard University for fifteen years as the Associate Director of the Harvard-MIT Data Center, Archival Director of the Henry A. Murray Archive, and Senior Research Scientist in the Institute for Quantitative Social Sciences.
Altman's conducts work primarily in the fields of in social science and information privacy.
Discussant Bio: Dr. Micah Altman is Director of Research and Head/Scientist, Program on Information Science for the MIT Libraries, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Altman is also a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution. Prior to arriving at MIT, Dr. Altman served at Harvard University for fifteen years as the Associate Director of the Harvard-MIT Data Center, Archival Director of the Henry A. Murray Archive, and Senior Research Scientist in the Institute for Quantitative Social Sciences.
Altman's conducts work primarily in the fields of in social science and information privacy.
Program on Information Science Information Science Brown Bag Talks
Information Science Brown Bag talks, hosted by the Program on Information Science, consists of regular discussions and brainstorming sessions on all aspects of information science and uses of information science and technology to assess and solve institutional, social and research problems. These are informal talks. Discussions are often inspired by real-world problems being faced by the lead discussant.
Web site: http://informatics.mit.edu/event/key-trends-information-stewardship-brown-bag-talk
Open to: the general public
Cost: 0
Sponsor(s): MIT Libraries
For more information, contact: Shapiro, Randi
6173244988
shapiror@mit.edu
Information Science Brown Bag talks, hosted by the Program on Information Science, consists of regular discussions and brainstorming sessions on all aspects of information science and uses of information science and technology to assess and solve institutional, social and research problems. These are informal talks. Discussions are often inspired by real-world problems being faced by the lead discussant.
Web site: http://informatics.mit.edu/event/key-trends-information-stewardship-brown-bag-talk
Open to: the general public
Cost: 0
Sponsor(s): MIT Libraries
For more information, contact: Shapiro, Randi
6173244988
shapiror@mit.edu
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Planning for Healthy Cities: A Public Forum
Wednesday, August 20
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/planning-for-healthy-cities-a-public-forum-registration-12446250069
Cities are wonderful places to live, work, and have fun. However, cities often experience a range of environmental and human health challenges and disparities. With overall warmer temperatures and poorer water and air quality, it can be difficult to make urban spaces as healthy as their surroundings.
Led by four local youth, this forum will be based around real environmental data collected in and around Boston. Come learn the issues and challenges the greater Boston area faces as a city, discuss the options we have to increase the health of our city, and share your opinion!
This program is recommended for grades 8-12 and adults.
This program is free thanks to the generosity of the Lowell Institute.
Have questions about Planning for Healthy Cities: A Public Forum? Contact Museum of Science
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Thursday, August 21
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Vision seminar: reconstructing visual information from images and videos
Thursday, August 21, 2014
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
MIT, Building 32-D507, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Christian Richardt , Max Plank Institute for Informatics
ABSTRACT: In this talk, I will present my recent work on layered image vectorisation (EGSR 2014), video de-anaglyph (SIGGRAPH Talk 2014) and stereo panoramas (CVPR 2013 oral).
First, I present our interactive approach for decompositing bitmaps into opaque and semi-transparent vector layers. Semi-transparent layers are especially challenging to extract, since they require the inversion of the non-linear compositing equation. We make this problem tractable by exploiting the parametric nature of vector gradients,
jointly separating and vectorising semi-transparent regions. The resulting layered vector representation allows a variety of edits, including editing the shape of layers, adding texture to an object or changing its colour.
Second, I describe our approach to convert existing anaglyph videos into stereoscopic 3D videos with full-colour views. In our approach, we put the temporal coherence of the stereo results front and centre by building on a temporal-coherence framework. This makes our approach both efficient and temporally coherent. In addition, the framework computes temporally coherent optical flow and disparity maps that can be used for various post-processing tasks.
Lastly, I present our solution for generating high-quality stereo panoramas at megapixel resolutions. We use stabilisation techniques to correct camera orientations and remove undesired vertical parallax. In addition, we upsample the angular input resolution of an image sequence on the fly using optical flow to generate the optimal number
of rays for a given output resolution. Our efficient implementation also enables the adjustment of stereo parameters (vergence, baseline) interactively during rendering.
SHORT BIO
Christian Richardt is a postdoctoral researcher in the Graphics, Vision and Video group at Max-Planck-Institut für Informatik in Saarbrücken, Germany, where he works with Christian Theobalt on user-centric video processing. He was previously a postdoctoral fellow in the REVES team at Inria Sophia Antipolis, France, working with
George Drettakis and Adrien Bousseau on perceptually-based techniques for image-based rendering and vector graphics. Before interning with Alexander Sorkine-Hornung at Disney Research Zurich to work on stereoscopic panoramas, he graduated with a PhD and BA from the University of Cambridge, England, in 2012 and 2007, respectively. His PhD research, supervised by Neil Dodgson, investigated the full life cycle of videos with depth (RGBZ videos): from their acquisition, via filtering and processing, to the evaluation of stereoscopic display.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
MIT, Building 32-D507, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Christian Richardt , Max Plank Institute for Informatics
ABSTRACT: In this talk, I will present my recent work on layered image vectorisation (EGSR 2014), video de-anaglyph (SIGGRAPH Talk 2014) and stereo panoramas (CVPR 2013 oral).
First, I present our interactive approach for decompositing bitmaps into opaque and semi-transparent vector layers. Semi-transparent layers are especially challenging to extract, since they require the inversion of the non-linear compositing equation. We make this problem tractable by exploiting the parametric nature of vector gradients,
jointly separating and vectorising semi-transparent regions. The resulting layered vector representation allows a variety of edits, including editing the shape of layers, adding texture to an object or changing its colour.
Second, I describe our approach to convert existing anaglyph videos into stereoscopic 3D videos with full-colour views. In our approach, we put the temporal coherence of the stereo results front and centre by building on a temporal-coherence framework. This makes our approach both efficient and temporally coherent. In addition, the framework computes temporally coherent optical flow and disparity maps that can be used for various post-processing tasks.
Lastly, I present our solution for generating high-quality stereo panoramas at megapixel resolutions. We use stabilisation techniques to correct camera orientations and remove undesired vertical parallax. In addition, we upsample the angular input resolution of an image sequence on the fly using optical flow to generate the optimal number
of rays for a given output resolution. Our efficient implementation also enables the adjustment of stereo parameters (vergence, baseline) interactively during rendering.
SHORT BIO
Christian Richardt is a postdoctoral researcher in the Graphics, Vision and Video group at Max-Planck-Institut für Informatik in Saarbrücken, Germany, where he works with Christian Theobalt on user-centric video processing. He was previously a postdoctoral fellow in the REVES team at Inria Sophia Antipolis, France, working with
George Drettakis and Adrien Bousseau on perceptually-based techniques for image-based rendering and vector graphics. Before interning with Alexander Sorkine-Hornung at Disney Research Zurich to work on stereoscopic panoramas, he graduated with a PhD and BA from the University of Cambridge, England, in 2012 and 2007, respectively. His PhD research, supervised by Neil Dodgson, investigated the full life cycle of videos with depth (RGBZ videos): from their acquisition, via filtering and processing, to the evaluation of stereoscopic display.
Contact: Zoya Bylinskii, zoya@csail.mit.edu
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HEET Race to Solar Workshop
Thursday, August 21
12pm to 1:30pm
Cambridge City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway, Cambridge
Through the Race to Solar program, eligible nonprofits can acquire a solar electric energy system for their school, house of worship, food pantry, community center, or other building owned by their nonprofit organization. Learn more about the Race to Solar program at the upcoming workshop and meet the solar and efficiency experts that can help your organization save energy and money. Please RSVP to attend the following workshop:
For more information about the program contact info at HEETma.org or call 617-HEET-350.
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Startup Stir Gubernatorial Candidate Forum - Charlie Baker
Thursday, August 21
6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Workbar, 45 Prospect Street, Cambridge
We're asking -
If elected, what will you do to foster the innovation economy and help startups, entrepreneurs and small business owners succeed?
Each candidate will speak independently on their candidacy, their plans for small business development and their support of entrepreneurs and the innovation economy.
Charlie Baker, Republican
Charlie Baker is a Republican candidate for governor of Massachusetts. A former Secretary of Administration and Finance under Governors Weld and Cellucci, and former CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Charlie has been a highly successful leader of complex organizations in both the private and public sectors. He has spent the past three years as an Entrepreneur in Residence at the venture capital firm General Catalyst Partners.
Charlie and his wife, Lauren, have been heavily involved in numerous civic and charitable endeavors. They live in Swampscott, and have three children: Charlie, AJ, and Caroline.
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Friday, August 22
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Innovation Breakfast at General Assembly
Friday, August 22
8:30 AM to 10:00 AM
General Assembly, 51 Melcher Street, Boston
The Roving Innovation Breakfast is visiting General Assembly in Boston. General Assembly transforms thinkers into creators through education and opportunities in technology, business, and design.
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Miniaturized High Throughput Experimentation as an Enabling Tool for Drug Discovery
Friday, August 22
10:00a–11:00a
MIT, Building 32-124, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Dr. Timothy A. Cernak, Merck
Organic Chemistry Seminar
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Chemistry Department
For more information, contact: Chemistry Department
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Building a Movement of Movements: Towards the Peoples Climate March in NYC
Friday, 22 August
7:00 to 9:30PM
Boston Opera House, 539 Washington Street, Boston
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/building-a-movement-of-movements-towards-the-peoples-climate-march-in-nyc-tickets-12358629995
Cost: $12 - $100
A night of inspiring stories, lessons, and ideas from across the climate movement!
A movement of movements is growing around the Peoples Climate March this September in New York City. As United Nations Secretary Ban Ki Moon calls world leaders together for a landmark summit on climate change, we know that this is our moment for a historic march of unprecedented proportions to demand climate justice and build real solutions to the climate crisis.
As we build towards this mobilization - we want to highlight the important ongoing work and struggles happening in communities across the globe, and illuminate how climate change is a cross-cutting issue that impacts every person and every issue. And it's our opportunity - to build a movement of movements powerful enough to transform our society - and build a world that is based on justice and sustainability at the core.
Join us in Boston to hear inspiring movement leaders, community organizers, and activists talk about these issues, and get connected to local organizing around the Peoples Climate March.
Speakers at the Boston event include:
Bill McKibben - author, educator, environmentalist, co-founder of 350.org
Vanessa Rule - Co-Director of Mothers Out Front, co-founder of Better Future Project
Koreti Mavaega Tiumalu - Pacific Islands Climate Warrior Campaigner
Sandra Steingraber -Biologist, author, and science advisor for Americans Against Fracking
Varshini Prakash - UMass Amherst student, Board Member at Responsible Endowments Coalition and Divestment Student Network
More tbd!
Doors open at 6:30, Show starts at 7:30 promptly! There will be informational tables in the lobby about the PCM - including ways to join (or host) a charter bus, organize in your community, and outreach materials.
For more information on the Peoples Climate March, September 21st in NYC, visit: http://peoplesclimate.org/march/
This is an invitation to change everything.
In September, world leaders are coming to New York City for a UN summit on the climate crisis. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is urging governments to support an ambitious global agreement to dramatically reduce global warming pollution.
With our future on the line and the whole world watching, we’ll take a stand to bend the course of history. We’ll take to the streets to demand the world we know is within our reach: a world with an economy that works for people and the planet; a world safe from the ravages of climate change; a world with good jobs, clean air and water, and healthy communities.
To change everything, it takes everyone.
Sunday, September 21 in New York City. Join us.
http://peoplesclimate.org/march/
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Engadget Live
Friday, August 22
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Royale, 279 Tremont Street, Boston
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/engadget-live-in-boston-registration-10679579911
Unlike all the tradeshows and press-only events that don’t let consumers attend, Engadget Live is designed specifically to bring gadget lovers and tech brands together.
As always, we’ll have a bunch of great companies with us at the event ready to show you their newest products and hear what you think.
There’ll be tons of great swag and chances to win some awesome gear.
If you're a member of the media and you're interested in attending the press preview hour from 6:00pm to 7:00pm, email live@engadget.com and we’ll send you the details.
If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, send an email to sponsors@engadget.com
You can see the current list of the companies participating at http://www.engadget.com/engadget-livebut check back because we’re still adding more.
Also, be sure to follow @engadget for updates! The official hashtag for this event is #EngadgetBOS. We’d love to have everyone join the conversation before, during and after the show.
See you there!
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Saturday, August 23
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Grow or Die Garden Bike Tour
Saturday, August 23
10:00 AM to 2:00 PM (EDT)
Roxbury, MA
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/grow-or-die-garden-bike-tour-tickets-12459902905
Dave Jenkins
For three years, the Roxbury Environmental Empowerment Project (REEP) has been transforming communities with urban gardening. This August, we want to share it with you.
Please join us for a bike tour of our beautiful community gardens and learn about our campaign for food justice!
In 2011, REEP launched Grow or Die in response to the lack of healthy and affordable food in our neighborhoods. We began taking over vacant lots, testaments to Boston’s racism and classism, and building raised beds to grow our own food. Today, over 100 families grow vegetables and herbs in our Roxbury and Dorchester gardens.
Join us and our friends at Bikes Not Bombs to see the impacts of our campaign and help keep this work going. Bring your bike. A light lunch will be provided.
August 23, 2014
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Start location TBA
“The food system we know is rooted in racism, poverty, and corporate greed. Food should be about life, growth, health, community, and justice."
--Grow or Die launch statement
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Fresh Pond Monarch Watch: Butterfly Release Ceremony
Saturday, August 23
2 to 3:30 pm
Cambridge Water Department front door, 250 Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge
This is the big day all our hard work has been for - the release of our monarchs back into the wild! A parade - open to all (decorations and noisemakers encouraged!) - will take us from the Water Treatment Facility to Lusitania Meadow, where we’ll have a little ceremony and finally send our butterflies off into the meadow. Feel free to just meet us at the meadow too!
Saturday, August 23
2 to 3:30 pm
Cambridge Water Department front door, 250 Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge
This is the big day all our hard work has been for - the release of our monarchs back into the wild! A parade - open to all (decorations and noisemakers encouraged!) - will take us from the Water Treatment Facility to Lusitania Meadow, where we’ll have a little ceremony and finally send our butterflies off into the meadow. Feel free to just meet us at the meadow too!
For more information contact Kirsten at (617) 349-6489 / klindquist@cambridgema.gov . No registration necessary.
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Tuesday, August, 26
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Tuesday, August, 26
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Models for Emotion Recognition in Natural Settings and Perspectives for Energy Efficiency
Tuesday, August 26
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Refreshments: 1:45 PM
MIT, Building 32-G449, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Hazem Hajj , American University of Beirut
Abstract: This last decade has seen a major shift towards user centric computing. This shift has further inspired an attempt to personalizing devices and capturing the deepest essence of humans: emotions. Despite advances in the field of emotion recognition, challenges remain for the devices to operate unobtrusively and accurately capture user emotions in natural settings. The two main challenges are accurate models in natural settings and energy availability on mobile devices for continuous operation. To address these challenges, I will cover, in the first part of the talk, models for emotion recognition in natural settings from different modalities. I will walk through the end to end process presenting challenges and solutions for: proposing new features inspired from human thinking, developing ground truth data, evaluating features from different modalities, and providing end user recommendations. In the second part of the talk, I will present approaches for evaluating and improving energy efficiency across the different ends of the computing spectrum. For algorithm centric evaluation, the method uses a top-down approach to energy assessment in software computations. For platform centric evaluation, I will present enhancements for cloud computing, and mobile computing. These methods include Hadoop enhancements to support integration to high-end reconfigurable data nodes on a cloud computing platform and energy efficient sensing methods for mobile devices.
Bio: Hazem Hajj is an Associate Professor with the American University of Beirut (AUB). Sine joining AUB, he had led several initiatives, including the AUB’s Intel Middle East Energy Efficiency Research (MER) initiative. Before joining AUB in 2008, Hazem was a principal engineer at Intel Corporation. At Intel, he led research and development for Intel’s manufacturing automation, where he received several patents, and numerous Intel Achievement Awards. On the academic front, Hazem received his bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering from AUB in 1987 with distinction, and his PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996, where he also received several teaching awards, including the University Teaching Excellence Award. Hazem’s research interests include Data Mining, Energy-Aware Computing, with special interests in Opinion Mining, Mobile Sensing, and Emotion Recognition.
Contact: Mary McDavitt, 617-253-9620, mmcdavit@csail.mit.edu
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Upcoming Events
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Upcoming Events
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Wednesday, August 27
———————————
International Development Networking Night
Wednesday, August 27
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (EDT)
HI - Boston, 19 Stuart Street, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/international-development-networking-night-tickets-12553559033
Come enjoy an evening of networking and international conversation during BNID's end of the summer international development mixer. Held in Hostelling International-Boston's Community Room, attendees will have the chance to learn about Boston's premier international development organizations and how they can support their work. Partners include Boston International, the Next Mile Project, Acumen Boston and more. Light appetizers and refreshments will be provided.
Please make sure you are at our program by 7:00pm to hear about the work of some incredible organizations.
Partners: Boston International, Boston Network for International Development, Acumen Boston, Mercy Corps, the Next Mile Project and Hostelling International
——————————
Thursday, August 28
——————————
Boston Games Forum: August Demo Night
Thursday, August 28
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (EDT)
Microsoft, 1 Cambridge Center, Cambridge
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-games-forum-august-demo-night-tickets-12474630957
The Games Forum is the place to see the newest independent games being built in Boston and network with the people who built them. Each month, we get together to watch five awesome demos and eat pizza. We're doing it again this month at Microsoft. Join our community of game developers, designers, creatives, investors and more building across multiple platforms and genres.
Want to demo your game? Complete the form here and we'll be in touch.
Please include your first and last name when you RSVP. Your name must be on the list to get past building security. Also, all guests must RSVP on their own.
—————————————
Pitch Club Boston
Thursday, August 28
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
District Hall, 75 Northern Avenue, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pitch-club-boston-august-tickets-12256476451
Every pitch is a performance.
And every performance needs rehearsal.
Whether you're raising funds or just floating a half-baked business idea, standing up in front of people and giving a powerful pitch is critical. But getting that pitch right takes practice and feedback, and the stakes of getting it wrong in front of important people are high.
So what if someone provided a low-stakes venue and an audience where you could go to practice? That's PitchClub. Open mic night for entrepreneurs.
PitchClub Boston provides a powerful and confidential environment for entrepreneurs to practice and refine their presentations in front of a constructive audience ready to give feedback. There are eight presentation slots once each month. Presenters get ten minutes to pitch and five minutes for feedback. Slides are welcome, as are solo and group pitches. Time limits are strictly enforced.
————————————
Digital Health: Designing for Behavior Change
Thursday, August 28
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Microsoft New England Research and Development Center (NERD), 1 Memorial Drive, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/digital-health-designing-for-behavior-change-tickets-11768143835
Cost: $20
This unique event will feature forward thinking entrepreneurs, researchers and companies who are redefining the digital health space through the use of self-tracking systems, behavior change psychology, and human analytics.
AGENDA
6pm- Networking with refreshments
7pm- Presentations
8pm- Moderated Panel Discussion
SIGNATURE SPEAKERS
Amy Bucher, PhD - Associate Director of Behavioral Science,
Wellness & Prevention, Inc. (a Johnson & Johnson Company)
Dr. Bucher works as a member of the Behavioral Science and Data Analytics Group at Wellness & Prevention, Inc., with a focus on grounding digital health coaching program content, design, and functionality with behavioral-science based approaches. Within Johnson & Johnson, Dr. Bucher works to shape convergence opportunities where psychological science supports consumer behaviors and outcomes. She also consults with customers to design solutions that meet business challenges while being engaging, appealing, and behaviorally sound. Prior to her current role, Dr. Bucher lead the content and design development teams for HealthMedia’s suite of specialty programs, customized for pharmaceutical, medical device, and consumer packaged goods clients. Dr. Bucher received her A.B. magna cum laude in psychology from Harvard University, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the University of Michigan.
Margaret McKenna - Head of Data and Analytics, RunKeeper
Margaret is a software engineer and the Head of Data & Analytics at RunKeeper, where she leads a team of engineers and analysts focused on providing personalized guidance and motivation to people who want to improve their fitness. Margaret recieved her MPS in Interactive Telecommunications from New York University. Prior to joinging RunKeeper she worked at IBM's Visual Communication Lab and at ChoiceStream as a Senior Implementation Consolutant.
Stephen Intille, PhD - Director of the mHealth research group,Northeastern University
Stephen Intille, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the College of Computer and Information Science and Bouvé College of Health Sciences at Northeastern University. His research focuses on the development of novel healthcare technologies that incorporate ideas from ubiquitous computing, user-interface design, pattern recognition, behavioral science, and preventive medicine. Areas of special interest include technologies for measuring and motivating health-related behaviors, technologies that support healthy aging and well-being in the home setting, and mobile technologies that permit longitudinal measurement of health behaviors for research, especially the type, duration, intensity, and location of physical activity. After ten years as Technology Director of the House_n Research Consortium at MIT, in 2010 he joined Northeastern University to help establish a new transdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Personal Health Informatics.
Natasha Schüll, PhD - Associate Professor in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society, MIT - Author of Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas
Natasha Dow Schüll is a cultural anthropologist and associate professor at MIT’s Program in Science, Technology, and Society. Her recent book, ADDICTION BY DESIGN: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas draws on extended research among compulsive gamblers and the designers of the slot machines they play to explore the relationship between technology design and the experience of addiction. Her current, ongoing research concerns the rise of digital self-tracking technologies and the new modes of introspection and self-governance they engender. Schüll graduated Summa Cum Laude from UC Berkeley’s Department of Anthropology in 1993 and returned to receive her PhD in 2003. Schüll held postdoctoral positions as a Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholar at Columbia University’s Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy, and as a fellow at NYU’s International Center for Advanced Studies.
If you are a designer, technologist, health professional, entrepreneur, journalist, scientist, or user, please join us for an interactive evening of inspiration packed with great speakers, networking and more!
—————————
Friday, August 29
—————————
Innovation Breakfast at The Food Loft
Friday, August 29
8:30 AM to 10:00 AM (EDT)
The Food Loft, 535 Albany Street, Boston
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/innovation-breakfast-at-the-food-loft-tickets-12391512347
The Roving Innovation Breakfast's next step is at South Boston's Food Loft, a co-working space dedicated to Food and Tech entrepreneurs. Join us to talk about using social media to help get the word out about great new food products!
———————————————
Summer Series: Urban Design Film, The Human Scale
Friday, August 29
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Assembly Row, 100 Foley Street, Somerville
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/summer-series-urban-design-film-the-human-scale-tickets-12125195787
50% of the world’s population lives in urban areas. By 2050 this will increase to 80%. Experience a one-time film screening of The Human Scale at Assembly Row’s new outdoor amphitheater. Enjoy pop-corn and a live-skype discussion with the Danish filmmaker Andreas Dalsgaard.
The first ever Design Museum Boston Summer Series will be hosted at the outdoor amphitheater at Assembly Row in Somerville, MA. The series will consist of 3 events, each focused on a theme related to urban design (urban planning, landscape architecture, transportation, etc). When looked at holistically, the design of our urban environment and public infrastructure can shape communities to be more livable and sustainable— this tri-event series will showcase innovative thinking & inspirational examples of great urban design!
——————————
Saturday, August 30
——————————
Bread and Puppet Theater: Insurrection Oratorio
The Quarry, Acton, MA
Saturday, August 30
7 pm
Magazine Beach Park, Cambridge
plus
The Nothing Is Not Ready Circus
Magazine Beach Park, Cambridge, MA
Sunday, August 31st, 3 pm
and
Bread & Roses Heritage Festival, Lawrence, MA
Monday, September 1st, 4 pm
The award-winning Bread & Puppet Theater takes its annual Labor Day weekend "little big tour" down to the Boston area, this year not only bringing a new Insurrection Oratorio, to be performed in The Quarry located at Contemporary Arts International (CAI) in Acton on Saturday August 30th, but also their new The Nothing Is Not Ready Circus presented in Cambridge's Magazine Beach Park on Sunday August 31st. Bread & Puppet will then cap the holiday weekend by also performing their Circus at the 30th Annual Bread & Roses Heritage
Festival in Lawrence on Labor Day Monday.
Detailed listings information:
Bread & Puppet Theater: Insurrection Oratorio
Saturday, Aug. 30, 7 pm, rain or shine
The Quarry, Contemporary Arts International, 68 Quarry Road, Acton, MA 01720
[Closest stop on the Fitchburg Line commuter rail: South Acton Station, 3 miles biking distance.]
$20 general admission ("walk-in discount" $10), $35 per carload (over 3
people $10 each); tickets available at the door (cash or check only) or general admission in advance at
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/777264.
For more information: http://www.contemporaryartsinternational.org,
617-699-6401.
Description: An improvised piece developed by Peter Schumann, artistic director of Bread & Puppet, with instrumental music created on mechanical sound sculptures including "Container Man," a massive multi-media kinetic sculpture. All sound sculptures were designed by Viktor Lois, Hungarian-born artistic director of Contemporary Arts International (CAI). The Oratorio
will include Bread & Puppet's signature visual elements, along with movement, vocals, and pertinent political social commentary. Sourdough rye bread will be served and cheap art will be for sale after the performance.
Presented by CAI.
Bread & Puppet Theater: The Nothing Is Not Ready Circus
Sunday, Aug. 31, 3 pm, rain or shine
Magazine Beach Park (along the Charles River), 719 Memorial Drive,
Cambridge, MA 02139
[Located at the foot of Magazine St., across from Trader Joe's and the Micro
Center; in close proximity to the Red Line stop: Central Square Station,
less than 1 mile walking/biking distance.]
Pass-the-hat donation, rain location: Cambridge Community Center
(http://www.cambridgecc.org).
For more information: http://www.magazinebeach.org/events,
http://www.cambridgema.gov/arts/Programs/summerinthecity.aspx, 617-286-6694.
Description: The Nothing Is Not Ready Circus is for the not yet existing upriser masses and their kids who need to practice their upriser skills by teaming up with butterflies, cockroaches and elephants. Lions, horses and dogs are also employed to invent the correct rhythmical patterns that fight planetary destruction. The boot flags of the 15th century peasant revolution
lead the way, with a lively brass band for accompaniment. Bread & Puppet’s "Circus" acts can often be politically puzzling to adults, but accompanying kids can usually explain them. Sourdough rye bread will be served and cheap art will be made available (with a recommended donation) after the performance. Presented with assistance from the Cambridge Arts Council and the Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association.
Bread & Puppet Theater: The Nothing Is Not Ready Circus
Monday, Sept. 1, 4 pm performance (entire festival runs noon-5pm), rain or
shine
30th Annual Bread & Roses Heritage Festival, Lawrence Common, Lawrence, MA
01840
[Located in close proximity to the Haverhill commuter rail stop: Lawrence Station, less than 1 mile walking/biking distance.]
The Festival is free & open to all, festival donations welcome.
For more information: http://www.breadandrosesheritage.org, 978-794-1655.
Description: The Nothing Is Not Ready Circus is for the not yet existing upriser masses and their kids who need to practice their upriser skills by teaming up with butterflies, cockroaches and elephants. Lions, horses and dogs are also employed to invent the correct rhythmical patterns that fight planetary destruction. The boot flags of the 15th century peasant revolution
lead the way, with a lively brass band for accompaniment. Bread & Puppet’s "Circus" acts can often be politically puzzling to adults, but accompanying kids can usually explain them. Sourdough rye bread will be served and cheap art will be for sale after the performance. Presented as part of the 30th Annual Bread & Roses Heritage Festival, an open-air social justice celebration.
http://www.breadandpuppet.org
———————————
Tuesday, September 2
———————————
Simons Center Workshop 2014: The Social Brain - New Opportunities for Discovery and Technology Development
Tuesday, September 02, 2014
3:00p–6:00p
MIT, Building 46-3002, Building 46 Atrium (3rd Floor), 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Ulrich Froriep, Alan Jasanoff; Isaac Kohane, Elizabeth Norton, Sarah Spence, Mriganka Sur
Simons Center for the Social Brain is excited to announce the 2014 Annual Workshop: New Opportunities for Discovery and Technology Development. Please join us to hear about current research and funding opportunities in understanding the social brain and its disorders, including autism.
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/simons-center-workshop-2014-the-social-brain-new-opportunities-for-discovery-and-technology-tickets-12478957899
Sponsor(s): Simons Center for the Social Brain
For more information, contact: Alexandra Sokhina
617-324-7757
asokhina@mit.edu
———————————————
Boston Area Sustainability Group Presents: WATER
Tuesday, September 2
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
The Venture Cafe - Cambridge Innovation Center, 5th Floor 1 Broadway, Cambridge
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sept-2nd-basg-presents-water-tickets-12452847803
Cost: $8-12
In partnership with Northbound Ventures, we're kicking off the fall season with 3 top-tier speakers to lead our discussion about water. Come hear, meet and engage with:
Brian Swett, Chief, Environment & Energy at City of Boston www.linkedin.com/pub/brian-swett/1/645/163. Brian will present key sustainability initiatives of the city focusing on water use and climate change planning for a rising tide.
Brooke Barton, Director of Water Program at Ceres www.linkedin.com/in/brookebarton.Brooke will share highlights of current research and trends in corporate engagement surrounding water scarcity risks and opportunities.
Dr. C. Adam Schlosser, Senior Research Scientist, Center for Global Change Science Deputy Director for Science, MIT Joint Program for Global Change http://globalchange.mit.edu . Adam will discuss the risks imposed on our water systems for developed & developing nations as a result of anticipated changes in our natural, managed and built environments.
Time is short and we all need to learn a boatload, fast. One of BASG’s explicit goals is that we learn as much as we can from each other, where the very diversity of the group is one of our most valuable assets. Come join the discussion, or hang out and listen. Meet those folks working hard to do what you’re trying to do and your paths have not yet crossed. We have a great time and really want to meet you!
Our format for the evening begins with informal networking followed by quick introductions all round before several lightening-speed presentations from knowledgeable folks. Using a modified IGNITE-style format, our speakers share their experiences and then we open the discussion to the group.
We’ll end the discussion with time left for more networking and sharing info on other local events. Hope to see you there!
————————————
Wednesday, September 3
————————————
Come enjoy an evening of networking and international conversation during BNID's end of the summer international development mixer. Held in Hostelling International-Boston's Community Room, attendees will have the chance to learn about Boston's premier international development organizations and how they can support their work. Partners include Boston International, the Next Mile Project, Acumen Boston and more. Light appetizers and refreshments will be provided.
Please make sure you are at our program by 7:00pm to hear about the work of some incredible organizations.
Partners: Boston International, Boston Network for International Development, Acumen Boston, Mercy Corps, the Next Mile Project and Hostelling International
——————————
Thursday, August 28
——————————
Boston Games Forum: August Demo Night
Thursday, August 28
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (EDT)
Microsoft, 1 Cambridge Center, Cambridge
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-games-forum-august-demo-night-tickets-12474630957
The Games Forum is the place to see the newest independent games being built in Boston and network with the people who built them. Each month, we get together to watch five awesome demos and eat pizza. We're doing it again this month at Microsoft. Join our community of game developers, designers, creatives, investors and more building across multiple platforms and genres.
Want to demo your game? Complete the form here and we'll be in touch.
Please include your first and last name when you RSVP. Your name must be on the list to get past building security. Also, all guests must RSVP on their own.
—————————————
Pitch Club Boston
Thursday, August 28
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
District Hall, 75 Northern Avenue, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pitch-club-boston-august-tickets-12256476451
Every pitch is a performance.
And every performance needs rehearsal.
Whether you're raising funds or just floating a half-baked business idea, standing up in front of people and giving a powerful pitch is critical. But getting that pitch right takes practice and feedback, and the stakes of getting it wrong in front of important people are high.
So what if someone provided a low-stakes venue and an audience where you could go to practice? That's PitchClub. Open mic night for entrepreneurs.
PitchClub Boston provides a powerful and confidential environment for entrepreneurs to practice and refine their presentations in front of a constructive audience ready to give feedback. There are eight presentation slots once each month. Presenters get ten minutes to pitch and five minutes for feedback. Slides are welcome, as are solo and group pitches. Time limits are strictly enforced.
————————————
Digital Health: Designing for Behavior Change
Thursday, August 28
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Microsoft New England Research and Development Center (NERD), 1 Memorial Drive, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/digital-health-designing-for-behavior-change-tickets-11768143835
Cost: $20
This unique event will feature forward thinking entrepreneurs, researchers and companies who are redefining the digital health space through the use of self-tracking systems, behavior change psychology, and human analytics.
AGENDA
6pm- Networking with refreshments
7pm- Presentations
8pm- Moderated Panel Discussion
SIGNATURE SPEAKERS
Amy Bucher, PhD - Associate Director of Behavioral Science,
Wellness & Prevention, Inc. (a Johnson & Johnson Company)
Dr. Bucher works as a member of the Behavioral Science and Data Analytics Group at Wellness & Prevention, Inc., with a focus on grounding digital health coaching program content, design, and functionality with behavioral-science based approaches. Within Johnson & Johnson, Dr. Bucher works to shape convergence opportunities where psychological science supports consumer behaviors and outcomes. She also consults with customers to design solutions that meet business challenges while being engaging, appealing, and behaviorally sound. Prior to her current role, Dr. Bucher lead the content and design development teams for HealthMedia’s suite of specialty programs, customized for pharmaceutical, medical device, and consumer packaged goods clients. Dr. Bucher received her A.B. magna cum laude in psychology from Harvard University, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the University of Michigan.
Margaret McKenna - Head of Data and Analytics, RunKeeper
Margaret is a software engineer and the Head of Data & Analytics at RunKeeper, where she leads a team of engineers and analysts focused on providing personalized guidance and motivation to people who want to improve their fitness. Margaret recieved her MPS in Interactive Telecommunications from New York University. Prior to joinging RunKeeper she worked at IBM's Visual Communication Lab and at ChoiceStream as a Senior Implementation Consolutant.
Stephen Intille, PhD - Director of the mHealth research group,Northeastern University
Stephen Intille, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the College of Computer and Information Science and Bouvé College of Health Sciences at Northeastern University. His research focuses on the development of novel healthcare technologies that incorporate ideas from ubiquitous computing, user-interface design, pattern recognition, behavioral science, and preventive medicine. Areas of special interest include technologies for measuring and motivating health-related behaviors, technologies that support healthy aging and well-being in the home setting, and mobile technologies that permit longitudinal measurement of health behaviors for research, especially the type, duration, intensity, and location of physical activity. After ten years as Technology Director of the House_n Research Consortium at MIT, in 2010 he joined Northeastern University to help establish a new transdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Personal Health Informatics.
Natasha Schüll, PhD - Associate Professor in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society, MIT - Author of Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas
Natasha Dow Schüll is a cultural anthropologist and associate professor at MIT’s Program in Science, Technology, and Society. Her recent book, ADDICTION BY DESIGN: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas draws on extended research among compulsive gamblers and the designers of the slot machines they play to explore the relationship between technology design and the experience of addiction. Her current, ongoing research concerns the rise of digital self-tracking technologies and the new modes of introspection and self-governance they engender. Schüll graduated Summa Cum Laude from UC Berkeley’s Department of Anthropology in 1993 and returned to receive her PhD in 2003. Schüll held postdoctoral positions as a Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholar at Columbia University’s Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy, and as a fellow at NYU’s International Center for Advanced Studies.
If you are a designer, technologist, health professional, entrepreneur, journalist, scientist, or user, please join us for an interactive evening of inspiration packed with great speakers, networking and more!
—————————
Friday, August 29
—————————
Innovation Breakfast at The Food Loft
Friday, August 29
8:30 AM to 10:00 AM (EDT)
The Food Loft, 535 Albany Street, Boston
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/innovation-breakfast-at-the-food-loft-tickets-12391512347
The Roving Innovation Breakfast's next step is at South Boston's Food Loft, a co-working space dedicated to Food and Tech entrepreneurs. Join us to talk about using social media to help get the word out about great new food products!
———————————————
Summer Series: Urban Design Film, The Human Scale
Friday, August 29
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Assembly Row, 100 Foley Street, Somerville
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/summer-series-urban-design-film-the-human-scale-tickets-12125195787
50% of the world’s population lives in urban areas. By 2050 this will increase to 80%. Experience a one-time film screening of The Human Scale at Assembly Row’s new outdoor amphitheater. Enjoy pop-corn and a live-skype discussion with the Danish filmmaker Andreas Dalsgaard.
The first ever Design Museum Boston Summer Series will be hosted at the outdoor amphitheater at Assembly Row in Somerville, MA. The series will consist of 3 events, each focused on a theme related to urban design (urban planning, landscape architecture, transportation, etc). When looked at holistically, the design of our urban environment and public infrastructure can shape communities to be more livable and sustainable— this tri-event series will showcase innovative thinking & inspirational examples of great urban design!
——————————
Saturday, August 30
——————————
Bread and Puppet Theater: Insurrection Oratorio
The Quarry, Acton, MA
Saturday, August 30
7 pm
Magazine Beach Park, Cambridge
plus
The Nothing Is Not Ready Circus
Magazine Beach Park, Cambridge, MA
Sunday, August 31st, 3 pm
and
Bread & Roses Heritage Festival, Lawrence, MA
Monday, September 1st, 4 pm
The award-winning Bread & Puppet Theater takes its annual Labor Day weekend "little big tour" down to the Boston area, this year not only bringing a new Insurrection Oratorio, to be performed in The Quarry located at Contemporary Arts International (CAI) in Acton on Saturday August 30th, but also their new The Nothing Is Not Ready Circus presented in Cambridge's Magazine Beach Park on Sunday August 31st. Bread & Puppet will then cap the holiday weekend by also performing their Circus at the 30th Annual Bread & Roses Heritage
Festival in Lawrence on Labor Day Monday.
Detailed listings information:
Bread & Puppet Theater: Insurrection Oratorio
Saturday, Aug. 30, 7 pm, rain or shine
The Quarry, Contemporary Arts International, 68 Quarry Road, Acton, MA 01720
[Closest stop on the Fitchburg Line commuter rail: South Acton Station, 3 miles biking distance.]
$20 general admission ("walk-in discount" $10), $35 per carload (over 3
people $10 each); tickets available at the door (cash or check only) or general admission in advance at
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/777264.
For more information: http://www.contemporaryartsinternational.org,
617-699-6401.
Description: An improvised piece developed by Peter Schumann, artistic director of Bread & Puppet, with instrumental music created on mechanical sound sculptures including "Container Man," a massive multi-media kinetic sculpture. All sound sculptures were designed by Viktor Lois, Hungarian-born artistic director of Contemporary Arts International (CAI). The Oratorio
will include Bread & Puppet's signature visual elements, along with movement, vocals, and pertinent political social commentary. Sourdough rye bread will be served and cheap art will be for sale after the performance.
Presented by CAI.
Bread & Puppet Theater: The Nothing Is Not Ready Circus
Sunday, Aug. 31, 3 pm, rain or shine
Magazine Beach Park (along the Charles River), 719 Memorial Drive,
Cambridge, MA 02139
[Located at the foot of Magazine St., across from Trader Joe's and the Micro
Center; in close proximity to the Red Line stop: Central Square Station,
less than 1 mile walking/biking distance.]
Pass-the-hat donation, rain location: Cambridge Community Center
(http://www.cambridgecc.org).
For more information: http://www.magazinebeach.org/events,
http://www.cambridgema.gov/arts/Programs/summerinthecity.aspx, 617-286-6694.
Description: The Nothing Is Not Ready Circus is for the not yet existing upriser masses and their kids who need to practice their upriser skills by teaming up with butterflies, cockroaches and elephants. Lions, horses and dogs are also employed to invent the correct rhythmical patterns that fight planetary destruction. The boot flags of the 15th century peasant revolution
lead the way, with a lively brass band for accompaniment. Bread & Puppet’s "Circus" acts can often be politically puzzling to adults, but accompanying kids can usually explain them. Sourdough rye bread will be served and cheap art will be made available (with a recommended donation) after the performance. Presented with assistance from the Cambridge Arts Council and the Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association.
Bread & Puppet Theater: The Nothing Is Not Ready Circus
Monday, Sept. 1, 4 pm performance (entire festival runs noon-5pm), rain or
shine
30th Annual Bread & Roses Heritage Festival, Lawrence Common, Lawrence, MA
01840
[Located in close proximity to the Haverhill commuter rail stop: Lawrence Station, less than 1 mile walking/biking distance.]
The Festival is free & open to all, festival donations welcome.
For more information: http://www.breadandrosesheritage.org, 978-794-1655.
Description: The Nothing Is Not Ready Circus is for the not yet existing upriser masses and their kids who need to practice their upriser skills by teaming up with butterflies, cockroaches and elephants. Lions, horses and dogs are also employed to invent the correct rhythmical patterns that fight planetary destruction. The boot flags of the 15th century peasant revolution
lead the way, with a lively brass band for accompaniment. Bread & Puppet’s "Circus" acts can often be politically puzzling to adults, but accompanying kids can usually explain them. Sourdough rye bread will be served and cheap art will be for sale after the performance. Presented as part of the 30th Annual Bread & Roses Heritage Festival, an open-air social justice celebration.
http://www.breadandpuppet.org
———————————
Tuesday, September 2
———————————
Simons Center Workshop 2014: The Social Brain - New Opportunities for Discovery and Technology Development
Tuesday, September 02, 2014
3:00p–6:00p
MIT, Building 46-3002, Building 46 Atrium (3rd Floor), 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Ulrich Froriep, Alan Jasanoff; Isaac Kohane, Elizabeth Norton, Sarah Spence, Mriganka Sur
Simons Center for the Social Brain is excited to announce the 2014 Annual Workshop: New Opportunities for Discovery and Technology Development. Please join us to hear about current research and funding opportunities in understanding the social brain and its disorders, including autism.
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/simons-center-workshop-2014-the-social-brain-new-opportunities-for-discovery-and-technology-tickets-12478957899
Sponsor(s): Simons Center for the Social Brain
For more information, contact: Alexandra Sokhina
617-324-7757
asokhina@mit.edu
———————————————
Boston Area Sustainability Group Presents: WATER
Tuesday, September 2
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
The Venture Cafe - Cambridge Innovation Center, 5th Floor 1 Broadway, Cambridge
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sept-2nd-basg-presents-water-tickets-12452847803
Cost: $8-12
In partnership with Northbound Ventures, we're kicking off the fall season with 3 top-tier speakers to lead our discussion about water. Come hear, meet and engage with:
Brian Swett, Chief, Environment & Energy at City of Boston www.linkedin.com/pub/brian-swett/1/645/163. Brian will present key sustainability initiatives of the city focusing on water use and climate change planning for a rising tide.
Brooke Barton, Director of Water Program at Ceres www.linkedin.com/in/brookebarton.Brooke will share highlights of current research and trends in corporate engagement surrounding water scarcity risks and opportunities.
Dr. C. Adam Schlosser, Senior Research Scientist, Center for Global Change Science Deputy Director for Science, MIT Joint Program for Global Change http://globalchange.mit.edu . Adam will discuss the risks imposed on our water systems for developed & developing nations as a result of anticipated changes in our natural, managed and built environments.
Time is short and we all need to learn a boatload, fast. One of BASG’s explicit goals is that we learn as much as we can from each other, where the very diversity of the group is one of our most valuable assets. Come join the discussion, or hang out and listen. Meet those folks working hard to do what you’re trying to do and your paths have not yet crossed. We have a great time and really want to meet you!
Our format for the evening begins with informal networking followed by quick introductions all round before several lightening-speed presentations from knowledgeable folks. Using a modified IGNITE-style format, our speakers share their experiences and then we open the discussion to the group.
We’ll end the discussion with time left for more networking and sharing info on other local events. Hope to see you there!
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Wednesday, September 3
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Agriculture and Climate Change: The Needs of Agriculture in a Warming Climate
Wednesday, September 3
Wednesday, September 3
12:00 PM - 1:15 PM EDT
webinar at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/297810802
Join us this fall for our continuing Wednesday webinar series focused on state and federal policies that could improve our region’s food system. The webinars explore in greater detail the policies and policy options described in our report, New England Food Policy: Building a Sustainable Food System.
All webinars are recorded and will be available at www.farmland.org/newengland. You will find these four webinars already posted there:
May 14: Introduction to the New England Food Policy Report and Project
June 18th: Organic Waste: Finding Uses for It in the Food System
July 16th: Frameworks for Regional Food System Collaboration
July 23rd: Reducing Farmland Conversion: State Land Use and Protection Policies
For a more detailed description of each of the webinars, please visit www.newenglandfoodpolicy.org
May 14: Introduction to the New England Food Policy Report and Project
June 18th: Organic Waste: Finding Uses for It in the Food System
July 16th: Frameworks for Regional Food System Collaboration
July 23rd: Reducing Farmland Conversion: State Land Use and Protection Policies
For a more detailed description of each of the webinars, please visit www.newenglandfoodpolicy.org
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Restoring Balance with Noise: Science for the Public's Public Science Lectures
Wednesday, September 3
6:30 PM
Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge
Note: This lecture will not be recorded, so be sure to join the audience.
James J. Collins, PhD, William F. Warren Distinguished Professor, University Professor, and Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Director, Center of Synthetic Biology, Boston University; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
Dr. Collins was a core founding faculty member of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. He is also Boston University's first HHMI Investigator.
Balance seems effortless --until you lose it. The loss of balance due to conditions such as aging, Parkinson's Disease, stroke or injury severely limits mobility. In this presentation, Dr. Collins explains the physical mechanisms of balance that most of us take for granted, as well as what causes the loss of balance. By applying a unique biophysics approach to the problem of balance loss, he developed a very effective solution: specially engineered lightweight wearable devices such as vibrating insoles and leg cuffs that deliver random mechanical "noise" signals to affected muscles. The mechanism that makes these restorative devices so effective is as fascinating as the devices themselves. And the devices represent a great advance for rehabilitative medicine. Dr. Collins is one of America's most innovative scientists, and his balance-restoration devices are just one area of his work.
James Collins is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Physical Society, and the American Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering.
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Don't Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change
Wednesday, September 3
7:00 PM
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
This event is free; no tickets are required.
Harvard Book Store welcomes climate change expert and founder of the Climate Outreach and Information Network GEORGE MARSHALL for a discussion of his book Don't Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change.
Most of us recognize that climate change is real, and yet we do nothing to stop it. What is this psychological mechanism that allows us to know something is true but act as if it is not? George Marshall’s search for the answers brings him face to face with Nobel Prize–winning psychologists and the activists of the Texas Tea Party; the world’s leading climate scientists and the people who denounce them; liberal environmentalists and conservative evangelicals. What he discovered is that our values, assumptions, and prejudices can take on lives of their own, gaining authority as they are shared, dividing people in their wake.
With engaging stories and drawing on years of his own research, Marshall argues that the answers do not lie in the things that make us different and drive us apart, but rather in what we all share: how our human brains are wired—our evolutionary origins, our perceptions of threats, our cognitive blindspots, our love of storytelling, our fear of death, and our deepest instincts to defend our family and tribe. Once we understand what excites, threatens, and motivates us, we can rethink and reimagine climate change, for it is not an impossible problem. Rather, it is one we can halt if we can make it our common purpose and common ground. Silence and inaction are the most persuasive of narratives, so we need to change the story.
In the end, Don’t Even Think About It is both about climate change and about the qualities that make us human and how we can grow as we deal with the greatest challenge we have ever faced.
"In 42 engaging, bite-size chapters, Marshall presents the psychological research demonstrating why climate change simply doesn’t feel dangerous enough to justify action and how we can trick our brains into changing our sense of urgency about the problem. His work is a much needed kick in the pants for policymakers, grassroots environmentalists, and the public to induce us to develop effective motivational tools to help us take action to face the reality of climate change before it’s too late." —Booklist
"The science of climate change is easy: burning fossil fuels creates greenhouse gasses that are warming our world. George Marshall reminds us about the hard part: connecting the wellhead to the tailpipe in people’s minds as soon as possible. Please read this book, and think about it. Let’s get to work." —Bill Nye
Contact : (617) 661-1515
info@harvard.com
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Thursday, September 4
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Iran: Where Do We Go from Here?
WHEN Thu., Sep. 4, 2014, 4 – 6 p.m.
WHERE Harvard, CGIS, Knafel 262, 1737 Cambridge Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Center for Middle Eastern Studies
SPEAKER(S) Gary Sick, executive director, Gulf 2000, adjunct professor of international and public affairs, senior research scholar, Columbia University
CONTACT INFO lgmartin@fas.harvard.edu
NOTE This event is open to the public; no registration required. This event is off the record. The use of recording devices is strictly prohibited.
LINK http://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/node/3700
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info@harvard.com
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Thursday, September 4
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Iran: Where Do We Go from Here?
WHEN Thu., Sep. 4, 2014, 4 – 6 p.m.
WHERE Harvard, CGIS, Knafel 262, 1737 Cambridge Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Center for Middle Eastern Studies
SPEAKER(S) Gary Sick, executive director, Gulf 2000, adjunct professor of international and public affairs, senior research scholar, Columbia University
CONTACT INFO lgmartin@fas.harvard.edu
NOTE This event is open to the public; no registration required. This event is off the record. The use of recording devices is strictly prohibited.
LINK http://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/node/3700
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Opening Reception for Industrial Urbanism: Places of Production
Thursday, September 04, 2014
5:30p–7:00p
MIT, Building 7-338, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Since the Industrial Revolution, cities and industry have grown and evolved together. Despite this shared past, popular notions of urban industry tend to focus on the negative aspects of manufacturing: pollution, environmental degradation, and the exploitation of labor caused by industry.
Industrial Urbanism: Places of Production moves the conversation beyond these overly-simplified and overly-negative characterizations. It explores the relationship between current urban planning practices and the types of places that are actually designed and designated for the production of goods today. In the midst of shifting labor markets, technological changes, and resurgent metropolitan growth, the need to reimagine the role of industry in our cities is greater than ever.
The exhibition reexamines how industry can create place, sustain jobs, and promote environmental sustainability, all within the urban fabric.
Exhibition Curators:
Tali Hatuka, Laboratory for Contemporary Urban Design, Department of Geography and Human Environment, Tel Aviv University.
Eran Ben-Joseph, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, School of Architecture + Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Web site: http://www.industrialurbanism.com/
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): School of Architecture and Planning, Department of Urban Studies and Planning
For more information, contact: Amber Sinicrope
617-258-9106
asinicro@mit.edu
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Friday, September 5
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5:30p–7:00p
MIT, Building 7-338, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Since the Industrial Revolution, cities and industry have grown and evolved together. Despite this shared past, popular notions of urban industry tend to focus on the negative aspects of manufacturing: pollution, environmental degradation, and the exploitation of labor caused by industry.
Industrial Urbanism: Places of Production moves the conversation beyond these overly-simplified and overly-negative characterizations. It explores the relationship between current urban planning practices and the types of places that are actually designed and designated for the production of goods today. In the midst of shifting labor markets, technological changes, and resurgent metropolitan growth, the need to reimagine the role of industry in our cities is greater than ever.
The exhibition reexamines how industry can create place, sustain jobs, and promote environmental sustainability, all within the urban fabric.
Exhibition Curators:
Tali Hatuka, Laboratory for Contemporary Urban Design, Department of Geography and Human Environment, Tel Aviv University.
Eran Ben-Joseph, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, School of Architecture + Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Web site: http://www.industrialurbanism.com/
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): School of Architecture and Planning, Department of Urban Studies and Planning
For more information, contact: Amber Sinicrope
617-258-9106
asinicro@mit.edu
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Friday, September 5
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From planning to learning “human-aware” robot movement
Friday, September 05, 2014
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
MIT, Building 32-D463, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Dr. Jim Mainprice , WPI
Abstract: A robot acts upon its environment through motion. The ability to plan its movements is therefore an essential component of its autonomy. Motion planning is an area of research that has been widely studied in recent decades; however, the emerging subfields of assistive and collaborative robotics bring new constraints and new challenges to robotics research. Indeed, systems that are designed to help in daily tasks and work alongside humans must consider the safety and well being of the surrounding humans. Hence, robot motion planning algorithms have to reason on an explicit model of human capabilities and social behaviors. In this talk, I will present several planners able to generate motions accounting for such constraints that combine sampling-based approaches with stochastic optimization techniques to simultaneously address challenging workspaces. I will then present a coherent motion generation framework, embedding these algorithms, able to handle surrounding humans dynamically by reasoning on early prediction of human motion. While these methods are capable of generating safe and legible motions for high degree of freedom robots, careful tuning of the cost function is necessary, which is generally performed manually and can be quite unintuitive. Balancing the importance of each term of the cost function to generate motions with the proper tradeoff of efficiency, for the robot actions, and comfort for the human is key to our approach. I will present our current work to address this issue applying inverse optimal control to mimic the criteria at play in human-human collaborative manipulation. Finally, I will go over future directions and give insights on how to bridge the gap between planning and learning algorithms in the context of motion generation under human-robot interaction constraints.
Bio: Dr. Mainprice is a Post-Doc in the Autonomous Robotic Collaboration (ARC) laboratory at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He received his M.S. from Polytech' Montpellier, France, and his Ph.D. in robotics and computer science from the University of Toulouse, France, in 2009 and 2012 respectively. His research interests include motion planning, task planning, machine learning, human-robot collaboration and human-robot interaction. While completing his Ph.D. at LAAS-CNRS, he took part in the European community's 7th framework program projects Dexmart (DEXterous and autonomous dual-arm/hand robotic manipulation with sMART sensory-motor skills: a bridge from natural to artificial cognition) and Saphari (Safe and Autonomous Physical Human-Aware Robot Interaction). In 2013, he participated in the DARPA Robotic Challenge as a member of the DRCHubo team. He is currently involved in the Office of Naval Research project, Collaborative Robot Learning from Demonstration Using Hierarchical Task Networks and Attributive Motion Planning, and the National Robotics Initiative collaborative project between WPI and MIT, Adaptive Motion Planning and Decision-Making for Human-Robot Collaboration in Manufacturing.
Friday, September 05, 2014
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
MIT, Building 32-D463, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Dr. Jim Mainprice , WPI
Abstract: A robot acts upon its environment through motion. The ability to plan its movements is therefore an essential component of its autonomy. Motion planning is an area of research that has been widely studied in recent decades; however, the emerging subfields of assistive and collaborative robotics bring new constraints and new challenges to robotics research. Indeed, systems that are designed to help in daily tasks and work alongside humans must consider the safety and well being of the surrounding humans. Hence, robot motion planning algorithms have to reason on an explicit model of human capabilities and social behaviors. In this talk, I will present several planners able to generate motions accounting for such constraints that combine sampling-based approaches with stochastic optimization techniques to simultaneously address challenging workspaces. I will then present a coherent motion generation framework, embedding these algorithms, able to handle surrounding humans dynamically by reasoning on early prediction of human motion. While these methods are capable of generating safe and legible motions for high degree of freedom robots, careful tuning of the cost function is necessary, which is generally performed manually and can be quite unintuitive. Balancing the importance of each term of the cost function to generate motions with the proper tradeoff of efficiency, for the robot actions, and comfort for the human is key to our approach. I will present our current work to address this issue applying inverse optimal control to mimic the criteria at play in human-human collaborative manipulation. Finally, I will go over future directions and give insights on how to bridge the gap between planning and learning algorithms in the context of motion generation under human-robot interaction constraints.
Bio: Dr. Mainprice is a Post-Doc in the Autonomous Robotic Collaboration (ARC) laboratory at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He received his M.S. from Polytech' Montpellier, France, and his Ph.D. in robotics and computer science from the University of Toulouse, France, in 2009 and 2012 respectively. His research interests include motion planning, task planning, machine learning, human-robot collaboration and human-robot interaction. While completing his Ph.D. at LAAS-CNRS, he took part in the European community's 7th framework program projects Dexmart (DEXterous and autonomous dual-arm/hand robotic manipulation with sMART sensory-motor skills: a bridge from natural to artificial cognition) and Saphari (Safe and Autonomous Physical Human-Aware Robot Interaction). In 2013, he participated in the DARPA Robotic Challenge as a member of the DRCHubo team. He is currently involved in the Office of Naval Research project, Collaborative Robot Learning from Demonstration Using Hierarchical Task Networks and Attributive Motion Planning, and the National Robotics Initiative collaborative project between WPI and MIT, Adaptive Motion Planning and Decision-Making for Human-Robot Collaboration in Manufacturing.
Contact: Julie A Shah, julie_a_shah@csail.mit.edu
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Near-Term Climate Change: Projections and Mitigation
Friday, September 5
12:00pm to 1:00pm
Harvard, Pierce Hall 100F, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge
Abstract: While anthropogenic climate change is a long-term phenomena, anthropogenic influences on climate will also be felt in the near-term. New work examining the near-term rate of climate change will be presented showing that the rate of global and regional changes will soon be increasing to well above background levels. The talk will then examine the potential for short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs) to reduce near-term climate change. Forcing agents with relatively short atmospheric lifetimes, short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs), are a potentially attractive mitigation target since they offer the prospect of reducing near-term anthropogenic climate change. Much of the work in this area has focused on black carbon and methane. The potential for near-term climate mitigation by SLCFs was analyzed and shown to be smaller than previously estimated. Climate and atmospheric inertia reduce the near-term SLCF mitigation potential well below equilibrium values. SLCF mitigation potential has a high uncertainty, which was also assessed. A large portion is due to uncertainty in carbonaceous aerosol emissions and aerosol forcing in general.
Email: xilu@fas.harvard.edu
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Saturday, September 6
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Exploring Boston’s Urban Forest
Wednesday, September 6
10am-4pm
Cambridge DPW, 147 Hampshire Street, Cambridge
Cost $15.00 but free with promo code TREES
RSVP at http://earthwatch.org/expeditions/exploring-bostons-urban-forest
How are our most important neighbors—our cities' trees—faring? Find out while exploring one charming city.
Urban forests are more than pretty: they mitigate climate change, improve psychological health, filter pollutants, and increase oxygen levels.
Cities are made up of buildings and streets, but between and among human structures are thousands of trees that make up the urban forest. Earthwatch is collaborating with the arborist of the City of Cambridge, just across the river from Boston, to collect data to study and protect the 18,000 trees that make up the city's critically important urban forest.
You'll be trained in techniques for identifying species, measuring and observing individual tree samples, and uploading data via mobile apps. During the course of the day you'll work in groups, exploring Cambridge's urban forest and collecting data on the health, growth patterns, and impact on buildings and streets of individual trees.
You'll help build a growing database of information needed to understand how trees positively impact urban areas and what trees need to survive and thrive in stressful environments.
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Demo Day for the MIT Global Founders' Skills Accelerator
Saturday, September 6
1:00p–4:30p
MIT, Building W16-Kresge, 48 Massachusetts Ave (Rear), Cambridge
The MIT GFSA Demo Day will showcase the most passionate and talented founders at MIT and their innovative, world-changing companies. From the dorm rooms to the labs, our unique teams are solving the toughest problems across Commercializing Space, Connected Devices, HealthTech, and many more. Get your first look at these game changers in beautiful Kresge Auditorium.
We'll have some amazing speakers sharing knowledge and inspiration with the crowd, as well as presentations and demos by the GFSA 2014 teams.
A networking reception with food and drinks will follow the pitches, where you can meet the founders and learn more about their companies and technologies.
Web site: http://gfsa14demoday.eventbrite.com/?aff=eventsmitedu
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Tickets: RSVP at http://gfsa14demoday.eventbrite.com/?aff=eventsmitedu
Sponsor(s): Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship
For more information, contact: Chris Snyder
617-253-8653
trustcenter@mit.edu
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Monday, September 8
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1:00p–4:30p
MIT, Building W16-Kresge, 48 Massachusetts Ave (Rear), Cambridge
The MIT GFSA Demo Day will showcase the most passionate and talented founders at MIT and their innovative, world-changing companies. From the dorm rooms to the labs, our unique teams are solving the toughest problems across Commercializing Space, Connected Devices, HealthTech, and many more. Get your first look at these game changers in beautiful Kresge Auditorium.
We'll have some amazing speakers sharing knowledge and inspiration with the crowd, as well as presentations and demos by the GFSA 2014 teams.
A networking reception with food and drinks will follow the pitches, where you can meet the founders and learn more about their companies and technologies.
Web site: http://gfsa14demoday.eventbrite.com/?aff=eventsmitedu
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Tickets: RSVP at http://gfsa14demoday.eventbrite.com/?aff=eventsmitedu
Sponsor(s): Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship
For more information, contact: Chris Snyder
617-253-8653
trustcenter@mit.edu
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Monday, September 8
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Webinar: Move Over, Big Data! How Small, Simple Models Can Yield Big Insights
Monday, September 08, 2014
12:00p–1:00p
12:00p–1:00p
Webinar at http://sdm.mit.edu/news/news_articles/webinar_090814/big-data-vs-small-models.html
Speaker: Richard C. Larson, Ph.D., Mitsui Professor of Engineering Systems and Director of the Center for Engineering Systems Fundamentals, MIT
MIT System Design and Management Program Systems Thinking Webinar Series
This series features research conducted by SDM faculty, alumni, students, and industry partners. The series is designed to disseminate information on how to employ systems thinking to address engineering, management, and socio-political components of complex challenges.
About the Presentation
Today's emphasis on big data and data analytics may leave some folks thinking that management and policy insights can only arise from the analysis of millions of data entries. Nothing could be further from the truth! Sometimes less is more. In fact, an excess of numbers can engender more headaches than insight.
In this talk, managers and policymakers will learn how simple mathematical models of systems can improve intuition and lead to better decisions. Dr. Larson will provide concrete examples from his professional research and consulting engagements, then discuss general applications to industry. He will cover:
Flaws of averages-what they are and how to avoid them;
Square root laws-how to apply them to locating facilities and more;
Singularities-why and how managers of service systems must schedule idle time for servers or face huge waiting lines (aka the "elbow effect");
Simple difference equations-how to use them to discover major system instabilities when inputs are year-to-year gross revenues;
Going viral-how a major demography parameter can apply to exponential explosiveness in many business sectors; and
Lateral thinking-and how it can sometimes make a problem go away.
Learn to cut to the chase, see the big picture, and stay out of the weeds!
A Q&A will follow the presentation. We invite you to join us.
Web site: http://sdm.mit.edu/news/news_articles/webinar_090814/big-data-vs-small-models.html
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free and open to all
Tickets: See url above.
Sponsor(s): Engineering Systems Division, MIT System Design and Management (SDM)
For more information, contact: Lois Slavin
617-253-0812
lslavin@mit.edu
Speaker: Richard C. Larson, Ph.D., Mitsui Professor of Engineering Systems and Director of the Center for Engineering Systems Fundamentals, MIT
MIT System Design and Management Program Systems Thinking Webinar Series
This series features research conducted by SDM faculty, alumni, students, and industry partners. The series is designed to disseminate information on how to employ systems thinking to address engineering, management, and socio-political components of complex challenges.
About the Presentation
Today's emphasis on big data and data analytics may leave some folks thinking that management and policy insights can only arise from the analysis of millions of data entries. Nothing could be further from the truth! Sometimes less is more. In fact, an excess of numbers can engender more headaches than insight.
In this talk, managers and policymakers will learn how simple mathematical models of systems can improve intuition and lead to better decisions. Dr. Larson will provide concrete examples from his professional research and consulting engagements, then discuss general applications to industry. He will cover:
Flaws of averages-what they are and how to avoid them;
Square root laws-how to apply them to locating facilities and more;
Singularities-why and how managers of service systems must schedule idle time for servers or face huge waiting lines (aka the "elbow effect");
Simple difference equations-how to use them to discover major system instabilities when inputs are year-to-year gross revenues;
Going viral-how a major demography parameter can apply to exponential explosiveness in many business sectors; and
Lateral thinking-and how it can sometimes make a problem go away.
Learn to cut to the chase, see the big picture, and stay out of the weeds!
A Q&A will follow the presentation. We invite you to join us.
Web site: http://sdm.mit.edu/news/news_articles/webinar_090814/big-data-vs-small-models.html
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free and open to all
Tickets: See url above.
Sponsor(s): Engineering Systems Division, MIT System Design and Management (SDM)
For more information, contact: Lois Slavin
617-253-0812
lslavin@mit.edu
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Why You Can't Find a Taxi in the Rain and Other Labor Supply Lessons from Cab Drivers
Monday, September 8
4:00p–5:30p
MIT, Building E51-151, 2 Amherst Street, (70 Memorial Drive), Cambridge
Speaker: Hank Farber (Princeton Univeristy)
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Public Finance/Labor Workshop
For more information, contact: economics calendar
econ-cal@mit.edu
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The Ethics of the Human Genome Project
Monday, September 8
6:30p–7:30p
MIT, Building W20-303, Private Dining Room # 3, 84 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Speaker: Rabbi Gavriel Goldfeder and guests speakers from the MIT community and beyond
The amazing work around the HGP points toward unprecedented possibility, and also brings ethical questions - old and new - to the forefront. Our bi-weekly class will feature discussion of the science and the ethics, with a focus on how traditional Jewish source can be bought to bear.
Open to: the general public
Cost: 0
This event occurs every 2 weeks on Mondays through December 8, 2014.
Sponsor(s): Hillel (MIT)
For more information, contact: Rabbi Gavriel Goldfeder
heyrabbi@mit.edu
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Tuesday, September 9
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Monday, September 8
6:30p–7:30p
MIT, Building W20-303, Private Dining Room # 3, 84 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Speaker: Rabbi Gavriel Goldfeder and guests speakers from the MIT community and beyond
The amazing work around the HGP points toward unprecedented possibility, and also brings ethical questions - old and new - to the forefront. Our bi-weekly class will feature discussion of the science and the ethics, with a focus on how traditional Jewish source can be bought to bear.
Open to: the general public
Cost: 0
This event occurs every 2 weeks on Mondays through December 8, 2014.
Sponsor(s): Hillel (MIT)
For more information, contact: Rabbi Gavriel Goldfeder
heyrabbi@mit.edu
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Tuesday, September 9
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Boston TechBreakfast: NewsUp, Upshot Commerce, Voice Dream, Robin, OpportunitySpace
The Search for 100 Earths
Tuesday, September 9
4:00p–5:00p
MIT, Building 4-349, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, 182 Memorial Drive (Rear), Cambridge
Tuesday, September 9
8:00 AM
Microsoft NERD - Horace Mann Room, 1 Memorial Drive, Cambridge
Microsoft NERD - Horace Mann Room, 1 Memorial Drive, Cambridge
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/Boston-TechBreakfast/events/155723012/
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!
NewsUp - Andrew Schuster
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!
NewsUp - Andrew Schuster
Upshot Commerce - Neal Kaiser
Voice Dream - Winston Chen
Robin - Zach Dunn
OpportunitySpace: OpportunitySpace online marketplace - Alexander Kapur
~9:30 - end - Final "Shout Outs" & Last Words
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The Search for 100 Earths
Tuesday, September 9
4:00p–5:00p
MIT, Building 4-349, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, 182 Memorial Drive (Rear), Cambridge
Speaker: Debra Fischer, Yale
The search for exoplanets is motivated by the question of whether life exists elsewhere. This drives our interest in the detection of planets that are similar to our own world: rocky planets with the potential for liquid surface water and plate tectonics; worlds that might harbor life that we can recognize. Importantly, we will need to discover not just a few, but hundreds of these worlds to eventually gain a statistical understanding of whether life is rare, common, or ubiquitous and ground-based telescopes offer an ideal platform for carrying out decade-long surveys. It is critical for follow-up studies (imaging, atmospheric studies) that these planets orbit nearby stars. In this talk, I will discuss how we plan to take what we've learned and push on to the next frontier: our plans for a next generation spectrograph, EXPRES, to carry out a search 100 Earths with the Discovery Channel Telescope.
MIT Astrophysics Colloquium
Web site: http://space-live.mit.edu/events/all
Open to: the general public
Cost: no charge
Tickets: n/a
Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research
For more information, contact: Debbie Meinbresse
617-253-1456
meinbres@mit.edu
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Wednesday, September 10
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Promoting Access to Farmland for New and Established Farmers
Wednesday, September 10
Wednesday, September 10
12:00 PM - 1:15 PM
webinar at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/529496746
Join us this fall for our continuing Wednesday webinar series focused on state and federal policies that could improve our region’s food system. The webinars explore in greater detail the policies and policy options described in our report, New England Food Policy: Building a Sustainable Food System.
All webinars are recorded and will be available at www.farmland.org/newengland. You will find these four webinars already posted there:
May 14: Introduction to the New England Food Policy Report and Project
June 18th: Organic Waste: Finding Uses for It in the Food System
July 16th: Frameworks for Regional Food System Collaboration
July 23rd: Reducing Farmland Conversion: State Land Use and Protection Policies
For a more detailed description of each of the webinars, please visit www.newenglandfoodpolicy.org
All webinars are recorded and will be available at www.farmland.org/newengland. You will find these four webinars already posted there:
May 14: Introduction to the New England Food Policy Report and Project
June 18th: Organic Waste: Finding Uses for It in the Food System
July 16th: Frameworks for Regional Food System Collaboration
July 23rd: Reducing Farmland Conversion: State Land Use and Protection Policies
For a more detailed description of each of the webinars, please visit www.newenglandfoodpolicy.org
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The State of the Euro in a Changing EU
WHEN Wed., Sep. 10, 2014, 12 – 2 p.m.
WHERE Harvard, The Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Lower Level Conference Room, 27 Kirkland Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Business, Humanities, Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR European Union Study Group, Weatherhead Canter for International Studies and the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies
SPEAKER(S) Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, visiting scholar, Program on Transatlantic Relations; Richard N. Cooper, Maurits C. Boas Professor of Economics, Harvard University; Jeffry A. Frieden, Stanfield Professor of International Peace, Department of Government, Harvard University; Hans-Helmut Kotz, senior fellow, Center for Financial Studies, Goethe University; Karl Kaiser, director, Program on Transatlantic Relations
COST Free and open to the public
CONTACT INFO atownes@wcfia.harvard.edu
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Community Self Defense
Wednesday, September 10
Wednesday, September 10
5:30 PM to 7:00 PM (EDT)
Copley Square, 560 Boylston Street, Boston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-self-defense-tickets-12624429007
As one of the largest communities of women in the city, Healthworks Fitness believes it is our duty to empower women by providing training and resources to learn how to protect against violence. Join Healthworks and Impact for a Community Self Defense class in Copley Square plaza from 5:30pm-7pm. All are welcome to attend this complimentary 90 minute workshop. Please come 15 minutes early to register.
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Thursday, September 11
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The Impact of Space Weather on the Global Atmospheric Electric Circuit
Thursday, September 11
4-5PM.
BU, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 502
The seminar is preceded by a brief reception in room 500 at 3:30PM
Colin Price Tel Aviv University
Contact: http://skynet.bu.edu/mailman/listinfo/csp_seminar
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Friday, September 12
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Strong Vegetation-mediated Chemical Forcing of Climate in Modern and Deep Time
Friday, September 12
12:00pm to 1:00pm
Harvard, Pierce Hall 100F, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge
Nadine Unger
Speaker Bio: http://environment.yale.edu/profile/nadine-unger/
Contact Ploy Achakulwisut
pachakulwisut@fas.harvard.edu
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DESIGN DIALOGUES: Grounded Visionaries
Friday, September 12
3:30pm
Gund Hall, 48 Quincy Street, Cambridge
Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy Street, Cambridge
RSVP at https://secure.post.harvard.edu/olc/pub/HAA/event/showEventForm.jsp?form_id=174416
Cost: $50-75
As one of the largest communities of women in the city, Healthworks Fitness believes it is our duty to empower women by providing training and resources to learn how to protect against violence. Join Healthworks and Impact for a Community Self Defense class in Copley Square plaza from 5:30pm-7pm. All are welcome to attend this complimentary 90 minute workshop. Please come 15 minutes early to register.
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Thursday, September 11
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The Impact of Space Weather on the Global Atmospheric Electric Circuit
Thursday, September 11
4-5PM.
BU, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 502
The seminar is preceded by a brief reception in room 500 at 3:30PM
Colin Price Tel Aviv University
Contact: http://skynet.bu.edu/mailman/listinfo/csp_seminar
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Friday, September 12
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Strong Vegetation-mediated Chemical Forcing of Climate in Modern and Deep Time
Friday, September 12
12:00pm to 1:00pm
Harvard, Pierce Hall 100F, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge
Nadine Unger
Speaker Bio: http://environment.yale.edu/profile/nadine-unger/
Contact Ploy Achakulwisut
pachakulwisut@fas.harvard.edu
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DESIGN DIALOGUES: Grounded Visionaries
Friday, September 12
3:30pm
Gund Hall, 48 Quincy Street, Cambridge
Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy Street, Cambridge
RSVP at https://secure.post.harvard.edu/olc/pub/HAA/event/showEventForm.jsp?form_id=174416
Cost: $50-75
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TEDxCambridge
September 12
5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Broad Institute, 7 Cambridge Center, Cambridge
TEDxCambridge 2014 encompasses a Spring and Fall event hosted in Kendall Square at three world-renowned research centers. The conference features our unique TEDx evening event format and guest experience followed by a gourmet reception with amazing food & beverages provided by the area’s top chefs and restaurants. Request an invitation by submitting an application.
Schedule
5:00pm: Venue Doors Open
6:30pm: Talks Begin
8:30pm: Talks End & Reception Begins
11:00pm: Reception Ends
See more at: http://www.tedxcambridge.com/event-item/tedxcambridge-2014-fall/#sthash.B3mYyjdz.dpuf
TEDxCambridge 2014 encompasses a Spring and Fall event hosted in Kendall Square at three world-renowned research centers. The conference features our unique TEDx evening event format and guest experience followed by a gourmet reception with amazing food & beverages provided by the area’s top chefs and restaurants. Request an invitation by submitting an application.
Schedule
5:00pm: Venue Doors Open
6:30pm: Talks Begin
8:30pm: Talks End & Reception Begins
11:00pm: Reception Ends
See more at: http://www.tedxcambridge.com/event-item/tedxcambridge-2014-fall/#sthash.B3mYyjdz.dpuf
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Saturday, September 13
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DESIGN DIALOGUES: Grounded Visionaries
Saturday, September 13
8am - 4 pm
Gund Hall, 48 Quincy Street, Cambridge
RSVP at https://secure.post.harvard.edu/olc/pub/HAA/event/showEventForm.jsp?form_id=174416
Cost: $50-75
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Sunday, September 14
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Boston Local Food Festival
Sunday, September 14
11 a.m.-5 p.m
Boston Local Food Festival, considered New England's largest one day farmers market, is Boston's premier food event connecting eaters and consumers to healthy sustainable foods grown and produced close to home. Attracting thousands of residents and visitors, it provides an ideal opportunity for local food growers and producers to showcase their products and connect with new and existing costumers while growing and supporting the local food movement.
More information at http://bostonlocalfoodfestival.com
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Monday, September 15
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Vehicle Scrappage and Gasoline Policy
Speaker: Hank Farber (Princeton)
Monday, September 15
4:00p–5:30p
MIT, Building E51-151, 2 Amherst Street, Cambridge
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Public Finance/Labor Workshop
For more information, contact: economics calendar
econ-cal@mit.edu
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Opportunity
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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@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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Resource
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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@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@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/
Startup and Entrepreneurial Events: http://www.greenhornconnect.com/events/
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/
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