"BAASICS.5: Monsters" July 14, 2014 @ ODC Theater, SF Daniel Cohen recently escaped graduate school at UC Berkeley/UCSF (Bioengineering) with most of his fingers intact and a Ph.D. This still surprises him, especially as his doctoral work spanned inkjet printers, nanotube sensors, dinosaurs, Frankenstein, and swarming. He is now a post-doc at Stanford where he is applying his questionable skills to building cell-scale sheepdogs and electric bandages, and to making waterbears the new cupcake. http://www-bsac.eecs.berkeley.edu/directory/zoom.php?PersonID=1232762209 +++++ Monsters are everywhere. They lurk in the shadows and stalk our imagination. They terrorize and fascinate us. But what, exactly, are they? Scholars differ on whether the word is derived from the Latin verb monstrare, “to show,” or from monere, “to warn.” Either way, as horror theorist John Halberstam writes, monsters are “meaning machines.” They embody our preoccupations and anxieties, and they reflect our morals. This is as true of the “real world” humans and creatures we label monstrous — sharks, serial killers, and “freaks” — as it is of the classic monsters that reside in our fictions, the vampires, zombies, and bogeymen. "BAASICS.5: Monsters" brings together a diverse group of artists, scientists, and performers to consider all manner of monsters. +++++ BAASICS is a San Francisco based nonprofit organization dedicated to exploring contemporary topics through the juxtaposition of art and science. We produce entertaining, free programs that make the contemporary fine arts and sciences accessible and inspiring for a popular audience. Additionally, we aim to foment interdisciplinary exchange and a new genre of experimentation that will move beyond what one of these disciplines can achieve on its own. BAASICS was conceived and is produced by Selene Foster & Christopher Reiger, with support from Southern Exposure’s Alternative Exposure Grant Program. BAASICS is proud to have presented its first four events in conjunction with ODC Theater and Root Division, and its fifth program in continued partnership with ODC Theater. BAASICS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity. The generosity and enthusiasm of our sponsors, individual donors, and grantees makes our programming possible.

• published: 26 Sep 2014
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