VIRTUAL PAPERLESS MEDIA, WEEK 1: HUMANITY MATTERS

There has been much discussion about the impact of humanity, both in a societal sense and on the environment. To kick off this series, we would like to discuss what makes us human, and the impacts of humanity across imagination, invention, sensitivity, and craft.

Please follow @svanglofille and @AAASmeetings to start at 1pm ET, and post using #AAASmtg so everyone can contribute to the discussion simultaneously.

Chose content from the list provided below and post about with what interests you the most on Twitter with hashtag #AAASmtg.

On Tuesday, March 24th, 1-3 PM ET: Historical Context and Contemporary Interpretations

Here are a few short videos to begin this line of thought:

• “The Uniqueness of Humans” by Stanford Biology professor Robert Sapolsky situates human behavior among the animal kingdom. (37 minutes, 26 seconds)
• “How Language Shapes the Way We Think” by University of California, San Diego Cognitive Science professor Lera Boroditsky describes the human capacity for language and how it contributes to the depth of human connection. (14 minutes, 3 seconds)
• “A Visual History of Human Knowledge” by Google UX Designer Manuel Lima describes how humans make sense of the world through mapping in some surprising ways. (47 minutes, 44 seconds)

During this time, people may be reconsidering how they relate to one another, and a lot can be learned from looking at the present moment in light of scientific and technological history. This is why we have invited the Distillations team from the Science History Institute and the 500 Women Scientists to join us as facilitators and provide a sense of context.

Here are a few podcast recordings to consider as well:

• Distillations: Making the Deserts Bloom (36 minutes, 27 seconds), Fighting Smog in Los Angeles (39 minutes, 46 seconds), How Philadelphia’s Water Pollution Problems Shaped the City (47 minutes, 44 seconds)
• Babes of Science: Susan La Flesche Picotte (13 minutes, 29 seconds)
• Female Farmer Project: The Land of Milk and Money – Women in Dairy (35 minutes)

On Thursday, March 26th, 1-3 PM ET: Exploring the Human Experience

Thursday’s discussion will highlight a few documentaries initially programmed for the District of Columbia’s Environmental Film Festival, as well as films about a community of young Canadians and the life of Itzhak Perlman.

DC Environmental Film Festival picks:

• Wine Calling (95 minutes)
• Street Surfers (9 minutes)
• Women on a Mission (5 minutes)

Social Science-related picks:

• Itzhak , Greenwich Entertainment (88 minutes)