Dartmouth WBI 3.0
What's the Big Idea?
A Platform for Cross-Campus Idea Sharing

Funded by the Neukom Institute for Computational Science and the Rockefeller Center

Colleagues

For the past three years we have been running an informal talk series, "What's the Big Idea?" (WBI), two times per term. The aim has been to introduce faculty across campus to each other as well to some of the ideas that are being tackled across campus. Those who participate seem to enjoy the learning experiences as well as the opportunity to meet colleagues in an informal setting (with some good refreshments!).

This year, we're going to leave in place the same format: a relaxed environment of drinks, snacks, and conversation that is broken up at around 5:45 for an interlude of some "big ideas" that are currently on the minds of some of us - or at least one of us. No slides, no props, just a few minutes of ideas for a broad audience and then a few questions. We're going to try to be a little tougher about keeping these to 10 minutes each (including questions). Good luck to us...;-) As before, please get in touch with one of us if you'd like to share some thoughts with the friendly group.

We'd like to put forward an additional idea: last year we had a few conversations with colleagues who reacted positively to the idea of suggesting a book to read over the course of a term, in part as a way to find a common substrate for a broad faculty-wide conversation. It's sort of a book club idea, but (unless people request it) without hosting any kind of formal event explicitly to discuss the book. As a first suggestion, some of us thought the new book Excellent Sheep might provide some good fodder. So, if the book interests you, know that a few of us are reading it.

Once again, our goal is to create a mechanism to help speed up the process of random interaction that often plays an important part in the generation of new ideas. We hope you will join us.

With warm regards,

Dan Rockmore
Mark McPeek
Andrew Samwick
Susan Ackerman
George O'Toole
Miles Blencowe
Deb Hogan
Klaus Mladek

WBI 3.0 Dates

In the Hayward Room at the Hanover Inn, 5-7pm
All Tuesdays except Monday, 11/17.

Subscribe to our program for a reminder.

Fall 2014

September 23

November 17

Winter 2015

January 13

February 24

Spring 2015

March 31

May 11