Program: 6:30pm-6:45pm: Socializing/networking. Anyone in the audience is welcome to describe in 30 seconds what they are working on. 6:45-7:10: Bob Osserman (Stanford Univ) on "the Gateway Arch in St. Louis" The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is completely described by mathematical equations and specifications. The final structure required a number of decisions that had to be based on aesthetic or structural considerations, or some combination. We examine all of those decisions, explore the relative roles of art and mathematics, and in the process, correct a number of false assertions that are widespread in this connection. 7:10-7:35: Helen Mayer Harrison and Newton Harrison on "How can art help create a sustainable world?" Abstract 7:35-7:50: BREAK 7:50-8:15: Darlene Lim (NASA) on "Learning by doing: A Hitchhikers' Guide to the Scientific Training of Moon and Mars Bound Astronauts" Humans are set to return to the Moon. Astronauts will to be chosen from a variety of backgrounds. As we train them for their missions, we also want to put the heart and soul of humanity back in space exploration. We will focus on teaching them how to think and operate as field scientists and not just proxy scientists, by training them in Field Science and Exploration camps, notably at at Pavilion Lake , an artist's paradise. This will give them the chance to learn in a social environment, as humans do best. The experiment at Pavilion Lake will also include an artist in residence program. 8:15-8:45: Laura Granka (Google and Stanford Univ) on "Applying Ethnography to Search" People acquire information from a number of different sources, and online search is only one part of this equation. By conducting ethnographic research in homes and offices, we are better able to capture the number of different tools, techniques, and sources that people use for information discovery. At Google, I have conducted a great deal of research to better understand how all of these elements factor into the information seeking process. I'll share the insights I've learned from this research, as well as discuss how fostering effective collaboration with design and engineering teams has enabled Google to turn user behavior research insights into actionable ideas for product development and design. 8:45: Piero Scaruffi on the next Leonardo Art/Science evening I will simply preview the line-up of speakers for the next Leonardo evening. 8:45pm-9:30pm: Discussions, more socializing You can mingle with the speakers and the audience Bios: Laura Granka is a User Experience Researcher at Google, Inc, and is working towards her PhD at Stanford University. She has spent the past seven years studying how people look for information, specifically in online search environments. Laura has approached information discovery through several research methodologies, including the behavioral (eyetracking), the implicit (clickthrough data), and the qualitiative (ethnography). Laura has applied these key learnings towards improving UI design and result ranking algorithms while at Google. She has authored over 20 publications and presentations on this topic. Helen Mayer Harrison and Newton Harrison are Darlene Lim is a research scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center and is the Principal Investigator of the Pavilion Lake Research Project (www.pavilionlake.com). She has conducted field work from the Arctic to the Antarctic and specializes in limnology (study of freshwater) and geobiology. Bob Osserman is Professor Emeritus of mathematics at Stanford University, where he held the Mellon Chair of Interdisciplinary Studies from 1987-1990, before joining the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, first as Deputy Director, and since 1995 as Special Projects Director. His research has centered on complex function theory and differential geometry, with special emphasis on Riemann surfaces and minimal surfaces. He has also written a book for the general public called "Poetry of the Universe: A Mathematical Exploration of the Cosmos," and has played a role in a number of films and videos, some broadcast on PBS. In recent years he has engaged in a series of public conversations with figures outside the world of mathematics, including Tom Stoppard, Michael Frayn, Alan Alda, Steve Martin, and Philip Glass. Piero Scaruffi is a cognitive scientist who has lectured in three continents and published several books on Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science, the latest one being "The Nature of Consciousness" (2006). He pioneered Internet applications in the early 1980s and the use of the World-Wide Web for cultural purposes in the mid 1990s. His poetry has been awarded several national prizes in Italy and the USA. His latest book of poems and meditations is "Synthesis" (2009). As a music historian, he has published ten books, the latest ones being "A History of Rock and Dance Music" (2009) and "A History of Jazz Music" (2007). He has also written extensively about cinema, literature and the visual arts. An avid traveler, he has visited 121 countries of the world. Directions: See the Campus Map Maraschi room in Fromm Hall University of San Francisco 2130 Fulton Street SF, CA 94117 Confirmed so far: