Did you know that the World Science Festival starts today in New York City? I expect all you eastern city folk to go. Unfortunately, I’m in an airplane flying west today, on my way to Berzerkeley, where we’ll have to celebrate science amongst a band of evolutionary/developmental biologists.
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
I saw it; I wept. I’m only 5 hours away, but finances + home responsibilities + work mean I might as well be in Anchorage. I mean, it will have Carl Zimmer AND Alan Alda! That twosome rank right up there with the Dawkins/Myers fanfic.
It includes street fair?! Aw, man.
Dang! I’m going to be busy all week/weekend and I’m only 45 minutes from NYC. WHY couldn’t this have been next weekend? I’d rather go to this then entertain people at my house. Pout. I’ll have to bookmark it for next year.
And I’ll probably miss you in Berkeley. I’ll be in El Cerrito (just north of Berkeley) starting June 9. If you’re still in town, the beer’s on me. That goes for any of you other regulars here, too, of course- drop me a line if you are in the SF Bay Area: fydylstyks “at” utanet.at.
I was a little concerned when I glanced at the speaker list and within the first three, one was a church choir, another a Roman Catholic priest, and the third a radio journalist. It just made me slightly concerned that the most science-y of the bunch was a journalist. Going down the list, though, there are some rather interesting characters (and apparently that priest is also a physicist). If anyone gets the chance to go see Arthur Benjamin speak, I would highly recommend it. I saw him when he came to the University of Toronto and he was a very interesting speaker.
Yes I felt the same disturbance in the force when I saw the Catholic Priest, the choir, and Pastor Butts, however I guess it was the Templeton Foundation as joint sponsor which gives me more pause for thought. Is this a genuine attempt to help engage society in science or are they buying credibility by association? Are any of the Templeton prize winners speaking? Apart from all this though, it looks like the best gathering since Beyond Belief 2. Wish I could be there. Alas I live in Australia.
Any chance of a SF Bay Area meet up? I am not a drinker of the beers, but Berkeley (and SF for that matter) have a great many awesome brewpubs if that’s what one desires…
I knew it; I blogged about it; I considered going; I even did a spreadsheet of expenses. It sounds like a lovely way to see the city; but because it’s spread out and the Thursday & Friday activities are evening only, I couldn’t make it worthwhile. It would have cost me $2000 to see maybe six events. It’s for people in New York or within commuting distance.
A conference format with the presentations one after another would have worked.
Dawn, who says you have to entertain them at home? Take them to the festival, too! At least the street fair.
The choir was an opportunity for Oliver Sacks to do an extra presentation about senses and the mind, because his original presentation is full up. I’d go to that.
I’m going to the opening party tonight at the AMNH, hooray!
(.)(.)
Oh, if only I could afford the 4 hour drive down I would be there in a SECOND. One of my friends who lives in the City is going, so hopefully he can update me and report back if anything is really interesting.
delurk/
I work for one of the companies supporting this.
/relurk
Welcome to Bezerkeley!
Oooh! Thanks for the heads up! I’m new in NYC, had my first day of summer classes at Columbia yesterday, and while there’s almost TOO much for this San-Diegan-who-spent-past-5-years-in-sleepy-central-PA to do all at once in this , this is definitely popping to the top of my list.
I’m a volunteering at a few of the WSF events, including the Street Fair on Saturday. If anyone’s there from 1-6pm and sees an exhausted-yet-excited blonde girl swimming in an oversized red “VOLUNTEER” T-shirt, say hi!
Sponsored by Templeton? You’ve got to be kidding…
We welcome you to crazy liberal land, PZ!
If we want a get together in the Berkeley area, I’d suggestThe Albatross.
http://www.albatrosspub.com/
I’m going!
Oh, too bad all the kids’ events are on Saturday — my son’s in school. We’ll be in the city Sunday because he’ll be in a kyokushin karate demonstration at the Japan Day celebration in Central Park. So if anyone’s between events at the WSF, there’s other things to do as well.
If you’re interested, you can always drive 70 miles up to Sac and see the big construction project on I-5 that starts on Friday.
Sigh.
Yup, exciting times in the Capitol City.
I’m just an hour away from Berkeley, down in San Jose. Name the time and place and I’ll be there.
I hear tell of large mechanical Dinosaurs walking the streets near Washington Square Park.
World?
Maybe it’s named after the World newspaper, the way the “World” Series was.
Does anyone who has tickets to “What it means to be human” feel like scalping? Please? If I miss that I will never forgive myself.
Albatross supports my local leftie radio station (which is all I know about it). I just sent email to PZ suggesting the Jupiter brew pub, on Shattuck at the BART station, near University Ave at that end of the campus.