Nerd Nite SF #22: Contemplative neuroscience, squid, and piracy!

Brains, tentacles, and cutlasses, oh my! Grab a beer, nod your head to the beats, and listen to these three awesome presentations. Be there and be square!

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"The mindful brain: If the Buddha was a neuroscientist" by Philippe Goldin, Ph. D.

There is an evolving contemplative neuroscience of how we transform ourselves from anxious, overwhelmed, and inattentive creatures to beings that can develop laser-beam attention, refined emotion regulation skills, and a genuine motivation to care for others. Get a glimpse into the cutting-edge field of contemplative science and how new neuroimaging research is being applied at Google, in mental health clinics, and beyond!

Philippe is a research scientist and directs the Clinically Applied Affective Neuroscience group in the Department of Psychology at Stanford University.

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"Making Squid Babies: Investigations of an Invertebrate Invasion" by Danna Staaf

Humboldt squid sporadically show up en masse in California, prompting media outlets to freak out about a squid invasion. Is it all hype, or is there cause for alarm? Will Humboldt squid move here for good and devour all our fish? Danna will offer answers and insight from her experience as a mad scientist creating baby squid in Petri dishes.

Danna is a marine biologist, a science writer, a novelist, an artist, and an educator.

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"Noblemen Gone Wrong: Piracy and the Democratic Society" by Brittany Stonesifer

Pirates have been remembered for their vicious skirmishes and jewel-laden shipwrecks, but less well-known for their role in influencing contemporary politics. From the (relative) egalitarianism of Golden Era privateers to the basis of modern anti-terrorism law, the world of scurvy corsairs has been a hotbed for developments and failures in the democratic experiment.

Brittany is a law student in S.F., focusing in international human rights and Constitutional law, and an amateur pirate specialist.

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And DJ Alpha Bravo selects vinyl cuts to illuminate our presenters' themes.