Tag Archives: Laara Cerman

Science Slam on November 29, 2019 and Collider Cafe: Art. Science. Analogies. on December 4, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada

Starting in date order:

Science Slam in Vancouver on November 29, 2019

I first featured science slams in a July 17, 2013 posting when they popped up in the UK although I think they originated in Germany. As for Science Slam Canada, I think they started in 2016, (t least, that’s when they started their twitter feed).

As for the upcoming event, here’s more from Science Slam Vancouver’s event page (on the ‘at all events in’ website),

Science Slam YVR at Fox
It’s beginning to look a lot like … it’s time to have another Science Slam at the Fox!

For those of you who have never experienced the wonder of Science Slam, welcome! We are Vancouver’s most epic science showdown. Sit back, relax, and watch as our competitors battle to achieve science communication fame and glory.

What exactly is a science slam? Based on the format of a poetry slam, a science slam is a competition where speakers gather to share their science with you – the audience. Competitors have five minutes to present on any science topic without the use of a slideshow and are judged based on communication skills, audience impact and scientific content. Props and creative presentation styles are encouraged!

Whether you’re a researcher, student, educator, artist, or communicator, our stage is open to you. If you’ve got a science topic you’re researching, or just a topic you’re excited about, send in an application! If you’re not sure about an idea, just ask!

Application link: https://forms.gle/y5nQZwLzVUcRiHZT9

YouTube channel (for creative inspiration): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWmI8llf3pAW5xtbvnXmsog

*Early Bird Tickets are $10, Regular are $12. [emphasis mine] Purchase them here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/science-slam-at-fox-tickets-80868462749

Doors open at 7pm, event begins at 7:30pm. We’ll see you there!

Accessibility Notes:

Science Slam acknowledges that this event takes place on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Squamish, Sto:lo, Musqueam, and Tsleil Waututh Nation. Many of our attendees, Science Slam included, are are guests of these territories and must act accordingly.

Science Slam is an inclusive event, as a result hate speech and abuse will not be tolerated. This includes anti-blackness, anti-indigenous, transphobia, homophobia, biphobia, islamophobia, xenophobia, fatphobia, ableism, transmisogyny, misogyny, femmephobia, cissexism, and anti-immigrant attitudes.

Ticket Information Ticket Price
*General Admission CAD 14
*Early Bird Ticket CAD 12 [emphases mine]

I went to the eventbrite website where you can purchase tickets and the prices reflect the first set in the announcement. Early bird tickets are sold out, which leaves you with General Admission at $12.

Collider Cafe in Vancouver on December 4, 2019

I think they were tired when they (CuriosityCollider.org) came up with the title for the upcoming Collider Cafe December 2019 event. Unfortunately, the description isn’t too exciting either. On the plus side, their recent Invasive Systems Collisions Festival was pretty interesting and one of the exhibits from that festival is being featured (artist: Laara Cerman; scientist: Scott Pownell)..

Here’s more about the upcoming Collider Cafe from their November 27, 2019 announcement (received via email),

Art. Science. Analogies.

Let analogies guide us through exploring the art and science in chemistry, nature, genetics, and technology.

Our #ColliderCafe is a space for artists, scientists, makers, and anyone interested in art+science to meet, discover, and connect. Are you curious? Join us at “Collider Cafe: Art. Science. Analosiges.” to explore how art and science intersect in the exploration of curiosity.

When: 8:00pm on Wednesday, December 4, 2019. Doors open at 7:30pm.
Where: Pizzeria Barbarella. 654 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC (Google Map).
Cost: $5-10 (sliding scale) cover at the door. Proceeds will be used to cover the cost of running this event, and to fund future Curiosity Collider events.

//Special thanks to Pizzeria Barbarella for hosting the upcoming Collider Cafe!//

With speakers:
Vance Williams (Chemistry) – Crystalline Landscapes
Laara Cerman (Art & Nature) and Scott Pownell (Genetics) – Flora’s Song (DNA Sonification)
Chris Dunnett (Multidisciplinary Art) – Poetry of Technology

Plus, interact with Laara and Scott’s work “Flora’s Song No. 1 in C Major” – a hand-cranked music box that plays a tune created from the DNA of local invasive plants.

Also, CC Creative Director Char Hoyt will share highlights from our annual art-science festival Collisions Festival: Invasive Systems.

Head to the Facebook event page – let us know you are coming and share this event with others! Follow updates on Instagram via @curiositycollider or #ColliderCafe. 

Back to me, I’m still struggling with this hugely changed Word Press, which they claim is an ‘improvement’. In any case, for this second event, I decided that choosing a larger font size was superior to putting everything into a single block as I did for the Science Slam event. Please let me know if you have any opinions on the matter in the comments section.

Moving on, don’t expect Chris Dunnett’s presentation ‘Poetry of Technology’ to necessarily feature any poetry, if his website is any indication of his work. Also, I notice that Vance Williams is associated with 4D Labs at Simon Fraser University. At one time, 4D Labs was a ‘nanotechnology’ lab but at this time (November 29, 2019), it seems they are a revenue-producing group selling their materials expertise and access to their lab equipment to industry and other academic institutions. Still, Williams may feature some nanoscale work as part of his presentation.