The Week in Geek, 2.21.11 - 2.28.11: Assassins, Stephen Fry, and The Googlization of Everything

Welcome back, humans, for another episode of THE WEEK IN GEEK! You may have thought this so-called "President's Day" would stop us, but oh no. Would a giant laser-shooting robot pause world destruction to observe any kind of human holiday? Get real.

MONDAY, 2.21.11

Science on Screen: DEATH IN VENICE with psychologist/author Dr. Nancy Etcoff @ Coolidge Corner
Beautiful movie that raises questions about beauty itself and the relationship humans have with it? Check. Doctor of Mind/Brain Science to help us learn more about it? Check. 7:30pm at Coolidge Corner Theatre!

National Engineers Week @ MIT Museum
National Engineers Week starts today, and MIT museum is celebrating daily with Robotic Engineering workshops and Scavenger Hunts. Fun for cyborgs of every age (actually, you have to be 10).

Comically Speaking Turns 20! @ Comically Speaking
The venerable Reading comic-book store celebrates its 20th birthday all week with huge sales (from 20 to 50 percent depending on the day), as well as guests.  Check out the Facebook event, and get on it!


TUESDAY, 2.22.11

"Beyond the Double Helix: Varying the ‘Histone Code" @ Radcliffe Institute
Honestly, all I can tell you is that it's about genetics. But I know some of you clones are wondering how you were made, so this might be a useful lecture by C. David Allis, of Rockefeller University. 3pm.

Speed Geeking:  A Nonprofit Tech Meeting of the Hearts @ MassChallenge
Have you been looking to work for a non-profit?  MassChallenge presents a speed-dating inspired matchup session for geeks and non-profit companies looking for help with their technology!  6:30pm-8:30pm.

Elizabeth Bear, signing and reading @ Pandemonium Books & Games
The Hugo Award-winning author will read excerpts from her speculative fiction novels "The Sea Thy Mistress," "Grail," and "The White City." Unmissable for fantasy lovers! 7pm!

Stephen Fry @ Harvard
We've posted about this before, hopefully you got your tickets. If not, go anyway and storm the auditorium!! Just kidding, but hopefully they'll have an overflow auditorium with a live feed.

Fight Night @ Game Underground
If all these talks are too boring for you to handle, maybe you just need something a little more button-mashy. For an ass-kicking good time, head to Game Underground in Framingham around 7, when they'll be playing Marvel v Capcom 3!


WEDNESDAY, 2.25.11

Wednesday could be a sad day indeed around the New England area, as I can't find diddly-squat to do.  Unless....

SMUT SLAM @ Kennedy's Midtown
If you've never met anyone who has actually had sex, you may want to tread slowly into the erotic-waters. Come out for a night of stories of others first experiences and see if sexual activity is for you.


THURSDAY, 2.24.11

TOTAL CONFUSION 25!!! @ Holiday Inn Mansfield
This massive gaming convention celebrates a quarter century this year, starting on Thursday!  Discussions, panels, tournaments (including a North American Catan Qualifier), film screenings, and anything else an RPG fan could ask for.  Runs till Sunday.

Rock Paper Scissors Tournament @ PA's Lounge
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's that time again. USMS presents the 3rd Annual Rock Paper Scissors Tournament. Use humanity's oldest weapons to defeat opponents on your path to glory!  7pm, cash prizes!  "Do you have what it takes?"

FRIDAY, 2.25.11

Siva Vaidhyanathan on "The Googlization of Everything" @ Harvard Book Store
"And why we should worry" is the subtitle. Vaidhyanathan's book explores how Google controls information, and why that may not be a good thing for a consuming public. Sound familiar? 3pm.

Public Board Games Night @ MIT
MIT's Strategic Gaming Society presents another night full of Settlers, Battlestar, and Power Grid.  Did we mention they have an "extensive game library"?  7pm-11:30pm.

Nels Cline Singers vs. Rova Quartet @ ICA Boston
Nels Cline (of Wilco) brings his trio to the ICA to play a set with the Rova Saxophone quartet!  Should be an awesomely experimental evening. 7:30pm.


SATURDAY, 2.26.11

Call of Duty Tournament @ Game Underground
Game Underground in Framingham is hosting a 4v4 Call of Duty Tournament, starting at noon. $100 per team!?  Payout is going to be huge, boys and girls, huge.  Check that out.

PATROL!!! @ MIT
Oh my god!  MIT Assassin's Guild presents a public game of Patrol every Saturday night!?  How did we not know about this?  "Travel to strange new classrooms. Meet interesting people, and kill them!" 8-11pm.

SUNDAY, 2.27.11

Cakes & Robots Potluck Party @  Artisan's Asylum
Now where did I leave my cookbook that had the robot cake recipe in it?  Come down to Union Square's Artisan's Asylum for a Cake and Robot themed potluck party.  Things involved:  music, food, dancing, drinking, and best of all, cakes and robots. 8pm!

You're watching the Oscars. Aren't you?

Now for some robot jokes.

#weekingeek

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