Thanks to the Science Borealis, Canadian science blog aggregator, which is where I found Raymond Nakamura’s July 1, 2015 posting about an April 15, 2015 Curiosity Collider event (Note: Information for the next events follow this excerpt) for Vancouver’s Science World blog, Note: Links have been removed,

Instead of watching the first Canucks’ playoff game [hockey] to see bodies collide, I instead went to the first Curiosity Collider event to see ideas collide.

Science communicating dynamo and Curiosity Collider Co-founder, Theresa Liao, welcomed us from the stage at Cafe Deux Soleils and explained how the group moniker came to be from how curiosity motivates people who go into science.

Domedecahedron

The evening of seven-minute, show-and-tells about science and art playing nicely together began with Adam Barlev and his adventures in architectural origami. He wanted to build a large-scale origami structure at Burning Man and sought advice from Robert Lang, a physicist turned origami artist. When Barlev gained access to laser cutting equipment, he was able to make more complex structures designed in Mathematica. Barlev got hooked on the dodecahedron as a building block to create sets for music performances, models of DNA, and a domed structure he dubbed the domedecahedron.

What can Art and Science Learn from Each Other?

Erik Zepka shared some of his projects in new media and efforts with Open Science to make technologies available to a broader cross section of people. One of his projects on our interactions with technology was called Comprehensive Malfunction. I found this amusing because it turned out that his phone, which he had set to record himself, stopped part way through his talk.

Here’s a little more about Curiosity Collider from its website homepage,

Curiosity Collider promotes interdisciplinary collaborations that capture natural human curiosity. At the intersection of technology, art, culture, and humanity are innovative ways to communicate the daily relevance of science. Collide with us and help create new ways to experience science.

Upcoming Curiosity Collider events

There are two upcoming events. The first, a Meet and Greet, is being held tonight, July 7, 2015. From the Curiosity Collider Events page,

Curiosity Collider will have its first Meet & Greet at 6pm on Tuesday, July 7 at the Gallery Cafe (Vancouver Art Gallery [750 Hornby St.]). Grab a drink, join us on the patio, and chat about the collisions between Science and Art, Culture, Humanity &Technology. Let us know how you would like to see Curiosity Collider grow! Bring your ideas about how you want to participate or collaborate to this Meet & Greet! We will also be celebrating our incorporation as a non-profit organization.

Let us know you are coming: http://bit.ly/CCMeetGreet

* Vancouver Art Gallery is open until 9pm on Tuesdays and admission will be by donation. So it is also a great opportunity to visit the Art Gallery!

There’s an exhibition of Geoffrey Farmer’s work “How Do I Fit This Ghost in My Mouth?” and “Of Heaven and Earth: 500 years of Italian Painting” from Glasgow Museums, as well as, a display featuring the architectural firm, Herzog and De Meuron, which has been commissioned to design a highly speculative (i.e., there’s been much discussion as to whether or not this will ever be built) new Vancouver Art Gallery.

Getting back to Curiosity Collider, the second event will be held Aug. 19, 2015,

Our August Curiosity Collider event will be at 8pm on Wednesday, August 19th at Cafe Deux Soleils. The theme will be “Collisions between Art & Science: Untold Stories,” with compelling stories brought to you by (Note: Links have been removed):

Emily Smith, Textile Artist
Graham With, Brewmaster
Omar Dominguez, Sustainability and Community Development   Professional
RC Weslowski, Poet
Wayne Maddison, Biologist
Laura Ulrich, Biological illustrator/animator in training

Cafe Deux Soleils is at 2096 Commercial Drive. This group does like to know if you are planning to attend, : http://bit.ly/ArtSciStories

Anecdotal Evidence Stories: about Science

This looks like promising but they don’t seem to have any events lined up for summer 2015. The group met at the Railway Club, 579 Dunsmuir Street, (Cafe Scientifique meets there too) in April and in May 2015. Here’s a little of what they were looking forward to on May 16, 2015 (from the Anecdotal Evidence: Stories about Science Facebook page),

TONIGHT! Author Chelsea Rooney hosts our evening of science stories, and it’s going to be awesome! Hear about grizzly encounters, cosmic loneliness, rattlesnakes, sheep and more!

Also, a reminder that we are asking for a donation of $5 at the door for Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland. Remember to bring a little cash. And get there early to grab a seat!

Look forward to seeing you all tonight!

Turnout seems to have been healthy as they collected $360. for Big Sisters.

Here’s a bit more about the stories and the lineup for May 16, 2015,

Featuring stories from:

– Kat Anderson
– Mika McKinnon
– Jim Mainguy
– Taylor Brown-Evans
– Coreen Forbes
– Matt Barbour
– Sarah Klain

Anecdotal Evidence is a storytelling series about the human side of science. Tales from the lab, the field and the classroom.

Stories are about the human experience of science. The rapture in the research and humanity behind the abstract. Stories about love, disease, death, animals, calculations, success, failure, natural disaster. How science impacts our lives on a personal level.

The stories are true, 7(ish)-minute tales told live, onstage, without notes.

…

Are you interested in telling a story? Get in touch here, or at anec.evidence@gmail.com!

I wish both groups good luck and much participation!

One final comment, is seven minutes magical? I notice both Curiosity Collider and Anecdotal Evidence: Stories about Science limit their speakers to seven minutes.