Six Free Stanford Talks to Attend this Winter
Not a Stanford student, but still want to know what hot topics have the campus buzzing? No problem. Stanford professors are offering an array of open talks from video games to climate change geared towards educating and enriching the local community.
So come to Stanford campus if you want to hear the newest research, learn about technology, or just need a little bit of inspiration. Here are six upcoming talks we recommend seeing.
Crumpets and Badonkadonks: Creating Tiny Tina
When: Nov. 29 12:00–1:00 p.m.
Where: Shriram 104, Center for Bioengineering and Chemical Engineering located at 443 Via Ortega, Stanford
If you’re a video game enthusiast, you probably know about Borderlands. The critically acclaimed series has three games with a fourth in the making and a film adaptation in development by Lionsgate. One of the franchise’s characters, Tiny Tina — a hyperactive (borderline psychotic) 13-year old explosives expert — has quickly become a fan favorite. In this talk, former Borderlands writer, Anthony Burch, and his sister, Ashly Burch (who voices Tiny Tina), discuss how they brought the idea of Tiny Tina from the drawing board to life. The process of creating such a character, besides the brainstorming and casting, goes beyond the entertainment industry. Video games impact education, science, health, and all topics were used in the making of one of Gearbox Software’s most beloved characters. // events.stanford.edu/events/643/64319
What Makes Owls So Special?
When: Nov. 30 7:30–9:00 p.m.
Where: Cubberley Auditorium located at 485 Lasuen Mall, Stanford
Come one, come all, owl lovers. For once you won’t be that awkward owl person. That’s because everyone will be staring at Hans Peeters, an ornithologist, painter, author, naturalist, professor of biology, zoology, ecology and an even bigger owl expert than you. Peeters completed his graduate studies at UC Berkeley and has spent the majority of his life learning everything there is to know about this unique, extremely intelligent species. People consider owls wise because of their seductive blinking and fascinating 360-degree head turns, but where’s the evidence? Peeters has the answer and some surprises to share about this mysterious bird. // events.stanford.edu/events/631/63117
How I Did It (or How I’m Trying): a panel of Stanford alums working in the arts
When: Dec. 7 4:30–6:00 p.m.
Where: Black Community Services Center located at 418 Santa Teresa St., Stanford
Life can be tough when you’re an artist in Silicon Valley. You often feel like the only non-techie in your group of friends and in comparison to the computer scientists, your job opportunities are few and far between. But contrary to what it seems, you are not alone. Stanford alums Sanaz Mazinani, Kai Knight and Xandra Clark are here to give you a new perspective on art grads “making it” after college. Whether you’re a musician, painter, writer, or something else, your topic will be covered, at least in the broadest sense. If you’re an artist struggling to find like-minded people in this tech-dominated area, this is a direct call to you. Come join the Stanford alums and fellow artists and find your niche within the community. // events.stanford.edu/events/639/63967
The Future Fate of the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets — Implications for Global Coastlines
When: Dec. 9 TBD
Where: Mitchell Earth Sciences, Room 350 located at 397 Panama Mall, Stanford
Hey climatologists, we have some good news and bad news. As always, bad news first.The newest ice-sheet modeling has created a grim future for the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.The Antarctic ice sheets are particularly vulnerable to the warming atmosphere as a notable portion of them rests more than 500 meters below sea level. In the past, the models used for observation captured several factors that impacted ice sheet retreat, including structural failure of the ice cliffs, which were dismissed as unimportant. Structural failure and the other factors will be discussed in this lecture as well as approaches to accurately determine the triggering thresholds for irreversible ice sheet damage. Buy hey, at least there’s bound to be some new policies everyone can debate about. // events.stanford.edu/events/643/64379
DHAsia Presents Diasporas Online: A Mixed Methods Approach to Sikh and Tamil Identity Policies
When: Jan. 24 4:15–6:00 p.m.
Where: CESTA, Wallenberg Hall, 4th floor located at 160, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford
Interested in international politics or transnational social movements? Stanford knows all about them. Their new Digital Humanities initiative DHAsia focuses on East, South, Southeast and Inner/Central Asia. Professor Priya Kumar, a resident in DHAsia, will talk about her research on the Sikh and Tamil (two communities dispersed from their homeland) and present an online view of diaspora identity politics. Using data from the e-Diasporas Atlas project, content analysis and interviews, Professor Kumar highlights how web 2.0 technologies are creating more public forms of diaspora identity politics and strengthens the bond between online political parties and offline mobilization groups. The best part for any diaspora-interested scholar? Her talk is just the first of seven from DHAsia. // events.stanford.edu/events/642/64207
‘Girls Coming to Tech!’ A History of American Engineering Education for Women
When: Feb 2 4:30–6:00 p.m.
Where: Paul Allen Center for Integrated Systems Annex, Room 101x located at 330 Serra Mall, Stanford
Listen up, female engineers. Actually, make that females everywhere. Women have made incredible progress towards equality but ever stop and think of how it happened? Amy Bix knows. Bix, a professor of history at Iowa State University, discusses how women got started in a traditional male world and reshaped college education, especially in engineering on Feb. 2. But this isn’t just a moment for female engineers, it’s a moment for all women. The courage of those women made it possible for females everywhere to explore their interests in all areas. // events.stanford.edu/events/615/61565
None of these catch your interest? See more Stanford events here.
