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Title - Great Moments in Scientific History (with Improv)
Speaker - Paul Smaldino, PhD, Professor of Cognitive and Information Sciences at UC Merced
Location - Sacramento Comedy Spot: 1050 20th St #130, Sacramento, CA 95811
Details:
The history of science is packed with brilliant people doing genuinely reckless, ridiculous, and occasionally dangerous things in pursuit of truth. Did you know Sir Isaac Newton once jabbed a long, blunt needle into his eye socket to see if it changed the way colors appeared? Have you heard about the research team who taught mice to play the classic video game Doom? Some of the most famous scientists who ever lived did some really strange stuff in the name of science. This lecture is a celebration of their work, and a celebration of the scientific process, especially when that process leads to some wild places.
Cognitive scientist, Dr. Paul Smaldino returns to the Common Knowledge lecture stage to recount some of the greatest and strangest moments in scientific history. He’ll explore some of the most outlandish experiments ever run and what we learned from them. But here's the twist: the night is structured in three parts, and after each part, the Comedy Spot’s improv team will take the stage to spin these wild, true scientific stories into hilarious improv scenes. It’s a night of scientific history, laughs, and who knows what else.
After this lecture you'll never look at a lab coat, or a blunt needle, quite the same way again.
Dr. Paul Smaldino studies how behaviors emerge and evolve in response to social, cultural, and ecological pressures, as well as how those pressures can themselves evolve. He is a Professor of Cognitive & Information Sciences, and faculty in the Quantitative and Systems Biology graduate program at UC Merced. He is affiliated with UC Merced's Center for Analytic Political Engagement, the Center for Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, and the Health Sciences Research Institute. He's also an External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute and at the Complexity Science Hub in Vienna.
Sacramento Comedy Spot is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. It's Sacramento’s first comedy theater featuring improv, stand-up, and sketch comedy shows and classes. They serve beer, featuring a great selection of local and craft brews. In addition, they sell small snacks, soda, water, and candy at the bar.
All Common Knowledge events are 21+
Schedule: Please note that this Sunday lecture begins an hour earlier than our weeknight lectures.
5pm - Doors Open - grab a drink and mingle. We'll have trivia questions on the screen and some surprises
5:45pm - Program begins with an intro & prize giveaway
6pm - Lecture with improv begins
7:15pm - Q&A
7:30pm - Mingle, discuss the lecture, meet the speaker
8pm - You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here
What to Expect:
Common Knowledge is Sacramento's premiere bar lecture series.
Common Knowledge is about bringing diverse people together to have a great time. We believe that grabbing a drink and learning something new is the best way to spend a night out.
This event is open seating so come at 5pm to to grab a drink and a seat. Before the lecture we'll have music and trivia questions on the screen. We'll also have a fun, low pressure "side quest" so you can win a free drink.
The lecture will last for 45 minutes with 30 minutes for improv. The lecture is written for an intelligent, general audience so you don't need any science background to have a great time. After the lecture, there will be 15 minutes for Q&A and then the bar will be open for to hang out, meet the speaker, and discuss the ideas you just heard.
The bar will close at 8pm.
Parking:
Sacramento Comedy Spot is located In the iconic MARRS Bldg. on 20th Street between J & K. There is street parking as well as parking lots nearby.
Policies:
All Common Knowledge events are 21+
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