A talk based on Edward Tufte’s book “The Visual Display of Quantitative Information”. In the history of graphs, some are exceptionally good at representing their information, others use trickery to mislead readers. Graphs should include a certain degree of context to fairly represent the big picture. You’ll be surprised at the range of information that graphs can effectively represent! (Train schedules, Napoleon army’s size and how it correlates to the temperature and the army’s proximity to Russia)
Past Talks
The Otaku Anime Industry
The speaker examined the otaku anime industry’s content, business models, and targeted consumers. For the male-dominated sub market, the anime foster a feeling of adoration (“moe”) in its viewers for the girls depicted. The industry as a whole produces content that appeals to niche avid followers rather than pleases the mass crowd. People tend to become increasingly invested into purchasing merchandize. Many viewers enjoy this genre because it reminds them of the happy and carefree times of high school and youth. Many accept this life style of anime over real people due the mentality of “it can’t be helped.”
Raw Denim Jeans
A thorough overview of raw denim jeans. The speaker showed pictures of how denim jeans age over time, with before and after photos of washing the jeans in the bathtub and the ocean! The talk also explained how some raw denim jeans are weaved (“selfedge”)and produced, and demonstrated the differences between normal and raw denim jeans with real jeans he brought. He also described the environmental impact of mass produced jeans (a river that flows blue from the indigo).
Nuclear Energy
The physics, history, and future of nuclear energy
Multi-level Marketing
Bonnie shares her experience being part of one of these “not-a-pyramid-scheme”s
Roadtripping California
An overview of some of the crazy and fun sights you can see in this wondrous state of ours
Your Thing is A Thing
An interactive talk that ask the audience to come up with answers to insightful questions such as “what were you fascinated with when you were in kindergarten? What is the insight you have about your field of expertise?” Through these questions, the audience explored a more wholesome way to find fitting career options and to represent themselves in ways other than a cookie cutter resume.
10 Day Silent Meditation
A free-form Q&A on the speaker’s experience at a 10 Day Silent Meditation Retreat. The form of meditation taught is one of the purest in this world, because the content has been carefully passed down.
Group Meditation Session
A guided visualization group meditation – imagine sitting by an ocean, breathe in as the waves brush your feet, breathe out as the waves retreat. Visualize sending out positive energy to the entire world as you breathe out.
Guide to Beer & Home Brew
Everything you’ll need to know to understand beer and the process behind home brewing your own batches of it!
