TAM7+: Thoughts, feedback, suggestions...

[CFLarsen]

Not much time, so we better hurry...

• Neil "daG" Tyson. He has to be back, if not at TAM7, then at TAM8. He is not a lecturer, he is a performer - one who also had a lot of fun. If not on stage, then as a participant, like Adam Savage.
  
  The major reason: When he signed books at the book table, he suddenly pulled out his laptop and started to explain something about the elements to someone who had asked him a question. With absolutely no concern for those who waited to get his signature on his books, he just dived right in, explaining in detail what he wanted to convey. How nerdy! How cool!
  
  
• The corkboard worked very nicely. I'll think of ways to improve it. Provide your own. It did show one "problem", namely that TAM has become one frantic, insanely packed event: There was not enough time to do even a fraction of what was available. We have lost coherency - as in "everybody go to the same thing at the same time" - but in favor of "a plethora of different events". Could be worse, ya know.
  
  
• The forum table should be a fixture. But I want an online laptop there, so people can see what it is. Have them sign up, right there and then.
  
  
• Adam Savage is also a fixture by now. The ping pong balls is already a hit in Denmark.
  
  
• The book table almost sold out of most things. That can be attributed to the influx of lots of newbies, exemplified in the selling-out of lots of Randi's books, but also that we had great new additions.
  
  We also sold out most of the science stuff from Kookbreaker. Next year, I want to see those really strong laser pointers, where you can see the beam even in broad daylight (yes, I want a light saber!). Screw the price, just have them as an example. I would also like to see more people selling their stuff through the book table: Embroidery, t-shirts, whatever. If people aren't selling stuff, but merely have a skeptical website to promote, do it via the Forum Table.
  
  
• The Party. Be it of whatever designation, it simply cannot continue in a suite or the like. It is very bad form if the biggest skeptical gathering on this planet keeps getting evicted by security. No, it is not cool. We need to find a way to have a party without pissing off those who lend us the premises.
  

However:

One thing we don't need to do, is to work to get more women to attend. We've reached that goal: They did attend, and not as a vehicle of their husbands. They came on their own, they came in all sorts of denominations, and they came on strong. Yay!

What else?

 

[Chimera]

[*]Neil "daG" Tyson. He has to be back, if not at TAM7, then at TAM8.
[*]Adam Savage is also a fixture by now.

Yes. Ditto Wiseman and Plait, although I think they are both permanent TAM fixtures. I hope.

Derren Brown would be good too. I write him on the requested speakers list every year.

I'd like to see some charismatic female speakers too. Any ideas? Bring Julia Sweeney back?

What about a debate between a skeptic and apologetic?

 

[Ziggy66]

Not much time, so we better hurry...

• The corkboard worked very nicely. I'll think of ways to improve it. Provide your own. It did show one "problem", namely that TAM has become one...
  
• The forum table should be a fixture. But I want an online laptop there, so people can see what it is. Have them sign up, right there and then.

I wonder how we can get more of the non-forum people to use the corkboard. Atleast encourage them to join us in the activities listed there. Maybe have the emcee at the podium explain it. When I handed out registration packets I tried to point people to it as much as I could. It would be a good way to get more people active on the forum.

 

[grayman]

What was interesting for me was coming home to my Sunday paper, and finding, in the Parade supplement, an article on the Hubble telescope written by Neil deGrasse Tyson.

So cool.

 

[MLynn]

Claus the corkboard was great! At a glance and well organized.

Not only more women, but children too. Drs. Greenacre and Tyson really made them (and everyone) laugh and made science interesting; something my gradeschool teachers never managed to do.

Although I wasn't able to go to the Forum party I heard what happened. We've definately outgrown a hotel suite. Not sure what can be done except maybe rent at a reduced price a small ballroom at the conference venue that isn't being used that particular TAM7 Saturday night.

 

[automatthias]

I would suggest to remove tables from the audience area, leave just chairs, and pack rows tighter. It would greatly reduce the average distance between the stage (and faces of speakers) and the audience.

I know that there were cool big screens, with image delayed just the right amount of time to compensate for the time that sound needs to travel between front speakers and the audience in the back (so that words are in sync with lips and all that), but still... to see the faces of speakers close, without any electronic / cinematic aid makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

 

[fatewilleatyou]

If the ballroom is already paid for. Having a party in the same space, would only require packing up the merchandise while the tables are closed or just selling product all night. A couple of mobile cash bars would take care of alcohol. Maybe even a ticketed open bar. Clean-up would be an issue, hotel management could figure that out.

The fact this hasn't happened makes me curious if this is just something not allowed at the venue.

 

[articulett]

Yes. Ditto Wiseman and Plait, although I think they are both permanent TAM fixtures. I hope.

Derren Brown would be good too. I write him on the requested speakers list every year.

I'd like to see some charismatic female speakers too. Any ideas? Bring Julia Sweeney back?

What about a debate between a skeptic and apologetic?

Ann Druyen would be great and Jill Taylor Bolton-- the neurologist who had a stroke and learned from the inside how the brain is who we are... fascinating... she gave a great TED talk.

 

[seismic_cowgirl]

Ann Druyen would be great and Jill Taylor Bolton-- the neurologist who had a stroke and learned from the inside how the brain is who we are... fascinating... she gave a great TED talk.

Uhm that's Jill Bolte Taylor... and yes her talk is available on the TED website at:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html


Strange how my supervisor clued me on this particular talk BEFORE TAM.

 

[articulett]

Uhm that's Jill Bolte Taylor... and yes her talk is available on the TED website at:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html


Strange how my supervisor clued me on this particular talk BEFORE TAM.

thank you for correcting me... clearly Banacheks lessons have not taken fully...

but I heard her on NPR today... reminded me of how interesting she is.

 

[Ziggy66]

The fact this hasn't happened makes me curious if this is just something not allowed at the venue.

That, and we want to have our own quality alcohol without going broke on watered down hotel bar drinks. It was ridiculous to pay $9 for a cocktail at the welcome reception!

 

[Normal Dude]

... A couple of mobile cash bars would take care of alcohol. Maybe even a ticketed open bar....

This is where it falls apart for me. I don't like letting the hotel anally rape me with a crappy selection of ludicrously overpriced alcohol serve alcohol.

 

[arthwollipot]

Next year, I want to see those really strong laser pointers, where you can see the beam even in broad daylight (yes, I want a light saber!).

Those things are illegal to own without a permit in Australia, because of a number of well-publicised laser attacks on aircraft.

Just thought I'd throw that out there. Since I'm planning on attending TAM7, I like to see what the old hands think, so I'll return to lurking now.

 

[HghrSymmetry]

OK, OK, I get it...TAM is fantabulous.

For a green horn Tamite, what would ya'll recommend for someone interested in say... cosmology, biology, computers, and bullsh!t calling (to name just a few)?
Would a day or two do the trick or would you book the entire event?

 

[articulett]

OK, OK, I get it...TAM is fantabulous.

For a green horn Tamite, what would ya'll recommend for someone interested in say... cosmology, biology, computers, and bullsh!t calling (to name just a few)?
Would a day or two do the trick or would you book the entire event?

the whole thing... and there's always side things too... and volunteer... tons of fun, and they feed you... give you a cool shirt... call you an "unsung hero".

And go to the chat... get to know folks... http://www.skepticsrock.com
irc.skepticsrock.com channel #jref

 

[HghrSymmetry]

Cool, thanks for the info. I'll check out the link.

 

[CFLarsen]

Yes. Ditto Wiseman and Plait, although I think they are both permanent TAM fixtures. I hope.

They are. Plait, so much that we can't remove him anymore....

What about a debate between a skeptic and apologetic?

Well, Sylvia almost got there this year...

I wonder how we can get more of the non-forum people to use the corkboard. Atleast encourage them to join us in the activities listed there. Maybe have the emcee at the podium explain it. When I handed out registration packets I tried to point people to it as much as I could. It would be a good way to get more people active on the forum.

The corkboard was predominantly for official events, so everybody saw it.

We still need to solve the problem of "Where the heck is Claus/Hutch/etc?" Even when you know how people look, how do you find them in the crowd?

Claus the corkboard was great! At a glance and well organized.

Thank you!

Not only more women, but children too. Drs. Greenacre and Tyson really made them (and everyone) laugh and made science interesting; something my gradeschool teachers never managed to do.

Yes, we did have some teens who seemed to enjoy themselves.

I would suggest to remove tables from the audience area, leave just chairs, and pack rows tighter. It would greatly reduce the average distance between the stage (and faces of speakers) and the audience.

I know that there were cool big screens, with image delayed just the right amount of time to compensate for the time that sound needs to travel between front speakers and the audience in the back (so that words are in sync with lips and all that), but still... to see the faces of speakers close, without any electronic / cinematic aid makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

We already reduced the distance, by putting three chairs at each table, instead of the original two. It made it more cramped, but more people got closer to the stage.

However, having no tables at all sucks. It's hard on the back, and people can't have their laptops, notes or drinks/plates.

If the ballroom is already paid for. Having a party in the same space, would only require packing up the merchandise while the tables are closed or just selling product all night. A couple of mobile cash bars would take care of alcohol. Maybe even a ticketed open bar. Clean-up would be an issue, hotel management could figure that out.

The fact this hasn't happened makes me curious if this is just something not allowed at the venue.

Ain't gonna happen. It takes ages for the staff to set up the chairs and tables again (they would get out of sync during a party). There just isn't room for a party in the open area. There is also no way we would have money floating around while people got drunk.

Ann Druyen

It's Ann Druyan.

That, and we want to have our own quality alcohol without going broke on watered down hotel bar drinks. It was ridiculous to pay $9 for a cocktail at the welcome reception!

Since we have to kiss goodbye to the suite as a venue for the party, we also have to kiss goodbye bringing our own booze.

 

[ottle]

Yes. Ditto Wiseman and Plait, although I think they are both permanent TAM fixtures. I hope.

Derren Brown would be good too. I write him on the requested speakers list every year.

I'd like to see some charismatic female speakers too. Any ideas? Bring Julia Sweeney back?

What about a debate between a skeptic and apologetic?

I agree we definitely needed more female speakers. In fact, had you caught me at the garden bar any night, I would probably have been on my soap box on this topic Previous TAMs have done a great job of presenting extraordinarily cool women (Carolyn Porco, Julia Sweeney, Eugenie Scott, Lori Lipman Brown etc) - the line up just wasn't there, alas this year but one year does not a pattern make.

As for the debate, I love the idea. I think it would actually be much better to see Shermer in debate mode than in powerpoint mode. Having seen him several times now, I am forced to conclude that he just doesn't do a very good job of presenting a paper or topic. However, when he's on panels or debates, he rocks hard. I'd suggest playing to his strenghts and putting up a debate or more panel stuff with him - keep him away from powerpoint PLEASE

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

However:

One thing we don't need to do, is to work to get more women to attend. We've reached that goal: They did attend, and not as a vehicle of their husbands. They came on their own, they came in all sorts of denominations, and they came on strong. Yay!

No! We still need more women! Especially younger ones. Like, say, college age. And hot.

Seriously, while there are more women every year, there should still be more.

ETA: And more black folks too. Not sure how you accomplish that, but it would be nice.

 

[kookbreaker]

We also sold out most of the science stuff from Kookbreaker.

Yes. It went well. I admit my stuff being at TAM's JREF table was somewhat last minute with limited preperation. My criteria were a)what would fit in a shipping box b) might have a chance of selling and c) wouldn't mess up the home supple of inventory.

My conclusions? Next year: More robots. Also, y'all seem to like the Giant Microbes (I kinda knew that - wish I had more to send). The cards and the smaller fossils did pretty well. Folks weren't so keen on the larger fossils, though. *sniff*. The weather stations didn't move at all and I'm stunned that I had to take home any Triops. Tsk!

I do have to wonder how adding a few of the more traditional science items like Gyroscopes and Drinking Birds would do. Do most folks have this stuff already?

Next year, I want to see those really strong laser pointers, where you can see the beam even in broad daylight (yes, I want a light saber!). Screw the price, just have them as an example.

Claus, don't make me give you the optics and photonics lesson again.

A laser beam, to be visible, must have portions of its beam striking things in the air - like dust particle or moisture. Guess what! We were in a hermetically sealed hotel located in the middle of the desert!

There's also the little detail that a higher powered beam means eye damage for folks who see the beam.

For the record I do have high power lasers. The safety keys and switches make them somewhat impractical.

I would also like to see more people selling their stuff through the book table: Embroidery, t-shirts, whatever. If people aren't selling stuff, but merely have a skeptical website to promote, do it via the Forum Table.

Indeed. Books and DVDs are great, but the table needs more stuff! JREF terms for selling at their table are quite reasonable and I think I saw Claus personally throttle a shoplifter, so your stuff is safe at the table.