Poster by Rebecca Cohen.
Ease out of post-Thanksgiving torpor with Nerd Nite East Bay. An evening of drinks and education begins with Seamus O’Donnell’s exploration of stoicism. Virtue is based on knowledge, so we continue with Astronomy on Tap’s Jeffrey Silverman’s discussion of dark energy. If we figure out what’s out there, perhaps we can figure what to do here: we conclude the evening with alumnerd Sharon Osterweil’s dive into the social determinants of health.
Starting at 7PM, we’ll have food from Miss Arepita, tunes from DJ Citizen Zain, and Detention Mad Libs by Ann-Marie.
Rick, Rebecca, and the Oakland Public Library pardon no turkeys.
Be there and be square.
This event is 21+.
Monday 11/28/2016 Doors (+food,drink,"Detention" preshow) at 7 pm, talks start at 8 pm and end by 10:30 pm Club 21, 2111 Franklin St, Oakland (two blocks from the 19th St BART) We will strive to allow some purchases at the door for $10 (cash or card), but we sometimes sell out. fb
Stoicism: How an Ancient Philosophy Can Turn Us All into Laughing Vulcans by Seamus O’Donnell
Philosophy is often thought of as the exclusive playground of philosophy students and their professors, but what about the rest of us nincompoops? In ancient Greece and Rome, those who studied different schools of philosophy did so in order to live their lives by a particular model. Stoicism was such a school, one that is highly misunderstood today. The model it offers promises us a way of living that is still applicable today: one that eliminates stress, anger, and the frustrations of modern life…it probably won’t deliver all its promises, but it certainly does take the edge off. What Stoicism can do is offer different perspectives, teach acceptance of imperfections, and demonstrate an updated Vulcan model for living: to live well and prosper.
Seamus O’Donnell is a paramedic that works in the Bay Area and got his degree in Politics (Not Political Science) from UC Santa Cruz. He occasionally considered graduate school, but hates paperwork. Getting into an ambulance, he had the intention to help people, drive fast, and look cool… but mostly he does paperwork. Drat.
Exploding Stars, Dark Energy, and the Runaway Universe by Jeffrey Silverman
Some of the most energetic and fascinating objects in the Universe are exploding stars known as supernova. These colossal outbursts result from the deaths of stars and for a time can outshine the entire galaxy in which they’re found. Observations of distant supernova provided the first evidence that the expansion of the Universe is speeding up with time, rather than slowing down. This wholly unexpected phenomenon is likely due to a repulsive “dark energy” and has become one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in modern science.
For over a decade, Jeffrey Silverman used some of the biggest telescopes in the world to observe and study supernova, both as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas at Austin and as a graduate student at UC Berkeley, where he got his Ph.D. in 2011 working with Prof. Alex Filippenko. Jeff was born and raised in Anaheim, CA, just down the street from Disneyland, and has bounced between CA and TX his entire life. His latest move was from Austin back to the Bay Area to enter the wonderful world of tech as a data scientist. Jeff has given numerous public presentations (including ones at Nerd Nites in Austin and Houston) about astronomy and Disneyland and co-organizes Astronomy on Tap Bay Area, which is a free, recurring event that features accessible and engaging presentations by astronomers on a wide variety of topics.
An Apple a Day (and a High School Diploma) Keeps the Doctor Away by Sharon Osterweil
The social determinants of health are the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work, and play. But why do they matter? It’s exciting to think that getting to the gym a few extra times a week will help us live longer—and it might—but our environment and the opportunities we were afforded by accident of birth are better predictors of lifespan than the rate at which we eat donuts. Learn about what your zip code says about your health.
Sharon Osterweil works in end-of-life care, using her knowledge of how to live longer, healthier lives to help terminally ill adults die with dignity. Previously, she worked on projects related to the social determinants of health, conducting home visits with vulnerable patients in the East Bay. She is a San Francisco native who defected to NY for several years before moving to Oakland.