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Be a Part of the DLS Committee!
We meet every Tuesday evening at 7:30 PM TITU.
Upcoming Events
Sunday, 11/1/2009
7:30 pm
Steven Pinker
One of the world’s leading cognitive scientists, Steven Pinker asks audacious questions about the human mind – then boldly sets out to answer them. Recently named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in The World, he is enormously popular in the media and highly respected in scientific circles. Known for his verve, his wit, and his profound ideas — many of them explained by referencing pop culture – Pinker is a brilliant speaker who helps non-specialists understand the science behind human thought and action. His latest book, The Stuff of Thought, shows how our words reflect the thoughts we think, the emotions we feel, and the relationship we hold.
Tickets are available at the Union Theater box office on October 22 for students, and October 28 for the general public.
Memorial Union - Wisconsin Union Theater.
Free
Tuesday, 11/10/2009
7:30 pm
Dan Ariely
Dan Ariely is the James B. Duke Professor of Behavioral Economics at Duke University and visiting Professor at the MIT Media Lab. A behavioral economist, Ariely's research has shown that we all succumb to irrationality in situations where rational thought is expected. He is an expert on how people actually act -- and why they act -- in all kinds of business and economic environments, and what this means for business innovation, strategy, marketing and pricing. Ariely is the author of the new best-selling book, Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions (HarperCollins), currently on the New York Times best-seller list. His work has also been featured in a variety of media including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, Business 2.0, Scientific American, Science, CNN, NPR, and he was interviewed for ABC's 20/20. Ariely is the author of the new best-selling book, Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions (HarperCollins), currently on the New York Times best-seller list.
Memorial Union - Wisconsin Union Theater.
Free
www.union.wisc.edu/DLS
Jeremy Rifkin
Futurist Jeremy Rifkin is the author of 16 books on the impact of scientific and technological changes on the economy, the work force, society, and the environment. His book, The End of Work, is an international best-seller that is widely credited with helping shape the current global debate on technology displacement, corporate downsizing, and the future of jobs. His is a frequent guest on numerous television programs, including Crossfire, Face the Nation, Nightline, 20/20, Larry King Live, The Today Show, and Good Morning America. Rifkin's latest book, The Hydrogen Economy, is an eye-opening journey into the next great commercial era in history. He envisions the dawn of a new economy powered by hydrogen that will fundamentally change the nature of our market, political and social institutions, just as coal and steam power did at the beginning of the industrial age. Futurist Jeremy Rifkin is the author of 16 books on the impact of scientific and technological changes on the economy, the work force, society, and the environment.
Memorial Union - Wiscosin Union Theater.
Free; see website for free ticket distribution information
www.union.wisc.edu/DLS
Derrick Ashong
Committed to filling the void of positive leadership in our society, Ashong is quickly becoming known as "the voice of a new generation." Optimistic that we have the power to create change in the world and influence a better future, he is considered a social entrepreneur who is at the forefront of a global movement to empower young people. A Harvard-educated musician, lyricist, actor, and political activist, Ashong is constantly trying to find ways to enthuse and engage today's youth. Most recently revered for his powerfully moving thoughts on Barack Obama - one of the most popular hits on YouTube, with over a million views since its release. He is also the man behind Take Back the Mic, a youth-centered movement challenging a new generation to put meaning back into today's music. A Harvard-educated musician, lyricist, actor, and political activist, Ashong is constantly trying to find ways to enthuse and engage today's youth to put meaning back into today's music.
Memorial Union - Wisconsin Union Theater.
Free; see website for free ticket distribution information
www.union.wisc.edu/DLS
V. S. Ramachandran
V. S. Ramachandran is the director of the Center for Brain and Cognition at the University of California, San Diego, and an adjunct professor at the Salk Institute. His investigations into phantom limb pain, synesthesia and other brain disorders allow him to explore (and begin to answer) the most basic philosophical questions about the nature of self and human consciousness. The ability to concretely and simply describe the most complicated inner workings of the brain, has led him to author Phantoms in the Brain, the basis for a Nova special, as well as A Brief Tour of Human Consciousness. "Ramachandran is a latter-day Marco Polo, journeying the silk road of science to strange and exotic Cathays of the mind. He returns laden with phenomenological treasures...which, in his subtle and expert telling, yield more satisfying riches of scientific understanding." -Richard Dawkins Ramachandran's ability to concretely and simply describe the most complicated inner workings of the brain, has led him to author Phantoms in the Brain, the basis for a Nova special, as well as A Brief Tour of Human Consciousness.
Memorial Union - Wisconsin Union Theater.
Free-see website for free ticket distribution information
www.union.wisc.edu/DLS
Vandava Shiva
Vandana Shiva, a leader in the International Forum on Globalization (IFG) along with Ralph Nader and Jeremy Rifkin, fights actively for changing practices in agriculture and the way humans view food. Emphasizing the need for sustainable agriculture, she is an opponent of genetic engineering, and a supporter of getting women for her work "placing women and ecology at the heart of modern development discourse." Vandana Shiva is also the recipient of the United Nations Environment Programme's Global 500 Award and the Earth Day International Award of the United Nations. She is author of many books, including Earth Democracy: Justice, Sustainability, and Peace and Manifestos on the Future of Food & Seed. In her most recent work, Soil Not Oil, Vandana Shiva brilliantly reveals what connects humanity's most urgent crises -- food insecurity, peak oil, and climate change -- and why any attempt to solve one without addressing the others will get us nowhere. In Soil Not Oil Vandana Shiva brilliantly reveals what connects humanity's most urgent crises --food insecurity, peak oil, and climate change -- and why any attempt to solve one without addressing the others will get us nowhere.
Memorial Union - Wisconsin Union Theater.
Free-see website for free ticket distribution information
www.union.wisc.edu/DLS