Lightning Talks

What are they?

Have you ever heard of TED Talks, described as "ideas worth spreading”? Do you have one of these ideas or maybe a passion you want to share with a large audience in a huge room? With performances and the excitement they provoke? You can share something that inspires you in one of our Lightning Presentations. .

Scheduled Talks

The Lightning Talks will be Sunday at 1pm.

Michael Anderson - Quantum Suicide, or How to Win the Lottery
Peter Breton - Orwell: Lesser Known Works
Kate Kanyak - Unturtling Introverts
Catelyn Johnson - Introducing FABRIC
Stever Robbins - Living an Extraordinary Life: Everything You've Been Taught About Planning for the Future Is Wrong
Rachel Silber - Safer Engineering Systems
Sarah Smith - Sorry, Wrong Party: The Shakespeare Authorship
Stephen R. Wilk - The Myth of Phaeton
Tom Wysmuller - The Inconvenient Non-Linkage Between Sea-Level and CO2


How can I participate?

Signups have closed.
Deadlines were Dec 1 for applications and Jan 2 for your final slides.

Guide Lines

  • All presentations are five minutes in length, no matter the subject or presentation style. PowerPoint or Open Office slides are welcomed. Other creative formats are possible -- readings, short videos, dramatic, musical, or dance presentations. It still has to be FIVE minutes no exceptions. Take time at home to practice what you are going to say and don’t speed thru it.
  • If you need use of a device to play your music please include that with your presentation. We should be able to accommodate you.
  • Everyone is a potential audience member, so please keep sex and/or violence to PG-13 or less. If you would not say it to your kids or mother, make sure you don’t say it on stage.
  • This isn't recruiting, although networking with people who're interested by your talk is encouraged. Just share with the audience why (YOUR SUBJECT) is really cool!
  • Your presentation may not be a commercial for your services or product. All entries will be screened ahead of time. If it is for your book or magazine it will be rejected.
  • It's possible that not everyone who signs up will be chosen. We are looking for variety. We are looking for passion. Perhaps we are looking for something we have never heard of.

Nuts and bolts

We’ll post the time slot for the Lightning Presentations by late December early January. If you would like to participate, fill out the form.