let's do fun things
last call lectures: from dowries to algorithms: a singles lecture on the evolution of modern love
part lecture, part singles mixer, you’re not going to miss this one!
historically, romance grew out of a small circle of family-vetted matches and dowries. now, love arrives through a curated bio, a quick swipe, and competing for attention against eleven other matches in your inbox. somewhere between arranged marriages and infinite matches, the rules of connection have fundamentally shifted. as a result, we are operating off instincts built for a world that does not exist anymore.
in this lecture, we are digging into how we got here. do soul mates really exist? why does having more dating options make it harder to choose, not easier? and how much of our modern heartbreak comes down to standards nobody can actually meet?
leading the night is dr. johanna strokoff, a licensed clinical psychologist who has spent over a decade leading talks on love, relationships, and the psychology behind why we want what we want.
here is how the night runs: dr. strokoff opens with a 45 minute lecture, followed by 15 minutes of live q&a. then we break into small, intentionally mixed groups for 45 minutes of guided discussion with fellow singles, closing with a 15 minute debrief to bring it all back together. and stick around after for mingling with your fellow curious (and single 😉) minds!
usually a mid-20s to mid-30s crowd.
this event has ended
here's what's coming up that you might like.
last call lectures: finder's keepers? museums, looted art, and debating their return
The Scout Waterhouse + Kitchen
1419 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60610, USA
there is just one easy question to answer tonight: who owns history? join dr. caroline malloy to explore the controversies behind some of the most famous objects from some of the world's most famous museums. from the parthenon marbles to the benin bronzes, from native american spiritual objects to nazi-looted art, she'll challenge you to weigh whether artifacts should be repatriated and why. taking you through the histories of collecting in the 19th and 20th centuries, she'll ask you to consider what happens to museums if their collections disappear, and whether replication technology can offer a solution. dr. caroline malloy is a chicago-based historian and nonfiction book editor. after over a decade in academia, she traded the university classroom for the public stage and travels the world as a resident historian with viking ocean cruises. she teaches casually at newberry library. she works at the intersection of heritage, preservation, and national identity. here is how the night runs: dr. malloy opens with a 45 minute lecture, followed by 15 minutes of live q&a. then we break into small groups for 45 minutes of guided discussion, closing with a 15 minute debrief to bring it all back together. stick around after for mingling, this crowd always has more to say.
last call lectures: risk, reward, repeat: the neuroscience behind why we gamble
The Scout Waterhouse + Kitchen
1419 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60610, USA
our brains are there to keep us from making bad decisions, but when you light up its reward circuit, all it wants is to achieve that high again. good decision or not. and when your brain starts convince you the next pull is the one that pays off, it's hard to get it to stop. modern gambling is built around this principle, and this lecture is going to dive into the neuroscience that created the $70 billion annual industry. this week's presenter dr. viral mistry, a neuroscience educator at dominican university, has spent years studying how nervous systems learn, and is a passionate advocate of making neuroscience findings approachable to the public. why do near misses feel like almost-wins? why are some brains built to chase the risk while others walk away? and what, if anything, can we as the broader public do about it? dr. mistry will answer these questions and more on tuesday, september 29. here is how the night runs: our lecturer opens with a 45-minute talk, followed by 15-minutes of live q&a. then we break into small groups for 45-minutes of guided discussion with fellow readers, closing with a short debrief to bring it all back together. stick around after for mingling and connecting with others who are just as curious as you are.
1 mile radius: river north happy hour
Hubbard Inn
110 W Hubbard St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA
do you live in river north? no? you're not invited. we're bringing this series everywhere shortly, but we want you to make friends with people who live near by for the sitcom winter you deserve. for this one, you're all getting a free drink with your ticket :) also, we're going to be matching you all into groups of people around your age, gender balanced, and who are in similar stages of life as you. we'll have group games and challenges that'll help you all get to know each other and have some fun.