Next Week

[Andrew Rettek]

Hey all,

I'm looking to expand the group to more undergrads. To that end, over the coming week I'd like to flyer campus and offer Pizza at the next meetup. The intended topic will be common cognitive biases, I'll be using Eliezer's slides. Also, I want to make sure the building is less locked this time. 

If anyone wants to help out by flyering or by designing the flyer (Nathan did an excellent job last time I asked about this) or to chip in money for pizza, let me know. 

Thanks,

Andrew

[Aleonai]

Hey Andrew,

I don't think this cognitive bias stuff is really my thing. Can you take me off the mailing lists?

Thanks, and good luck with getting the club started.

[Nathan Hwang]

okay flyer. it's plain, but hopefully effective. if there's no
stopping comments, probably should put these up. sorry for the delay

On Sun, Mar 20, 2011 at 9:17 PM, Andrew Rettek <andrew...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Laura Baur]

Better than not flyering, but I don't know who is going to be attracted to that, since it's very unclear why there is a discussion of bias.  Is it a productivity workshop?  Are we hacking our thinking for the scientologists?  Is this a psych group?  It also says nothing about being part of a larger club.  Sounds like a one-time event, and gives too little information about why we would want to attend said event for anything other than pizza.

When I flyered for the Neuroscience Club at columbia, we always had the words "NEUROSCIENCE CLUB" at the top with a picture of a brain.   What we were going to do there was subsidiary to trying to get the attention of people who would consider themselves the kind of person who would go to "Neuroscience Club," since these people would probably go thinking they would meet like-minded people there.  You need to advertise that you are a group with cool people, so people will want to go to socialize.  People aren't going to go to a one-off event unless it's really amazing (unless they are coming solely for the pizza).

[Francelle Wax]

My immediate reaction:

I think it's clever
I think it's beautiful
I think it may look overwhelmingly 'sciency' for something that's supposed to be 'fun' on off time. But I may not be giving columbia undergrads enough credit.

On Thu, Mar 24, 2011 at 12:33 PM, Andrew Rettek <andrew...@gmail.com> wrote:

Sarah offered to make one last night, this is what she come up with.

[Andrew Rettek]

Sarah offered to make one last night, this is what she come up with.

On Thu, Mar 24, 2011 at 12:14 PM, Laura Baur <lab...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Richard Frankel]

I like the flyer except for one thing:  is “The Bayesian Conspiracy” the name of the group?  Sounds more like a murder mystery than a discussion group IMO – not sure it sets the right expectations.

[Andrew Rettek]

My comments to her were that it was that I can't print in Color and Free Pizza needs to be bigger. (If someone knows where I can print in color, let me know).

[Andrew Rettek]

Given the pool of people we're recruiting from, Bayesian Conspiracy works. It'll grab EVERYONE who sees it and is a fan of Eliezer's work (LW and Harry Potter), and Columbia students have a large sense of self importance (usually). The name of the group is in flux right now, but it kinda warms my heart to found a chapter of the Bayesian Conspiracy.

[Laura Baur]

I love it! Even in black and white.  I think 'Bayseian Conspiracy' will appeal to the right crowd, and the sciencey image will grab the right people's attention.  It says, 'This is for Intellectuals who want to talk more about Descartes, determinism, and all that fun stuff...,' which is the kind of crowd we want to draw from the undergrads.  I do think it would be good to use the word 'group' or 'club' on the flyer so people realize it's a recurrent event.  Conspiracy also indicates that the group has a sense of humor.

[Zvi Mowshowitz]

I love it too, even if there are those who would say I'm actually a member of the Competitive Conspiracy.

[Richard Frankel]

Is this still being held in Hamilton 316?  At 1130 Amsterdam Ave?

[Andrew Rettek]

Yes

> group IMO - not sure it sets the right expectations.

[Andrew Rettek]

Hey all,

It looks like sunday afternons don't work well for anyone but me. I'm thinking of changing this to either Monday or Thursday nights. There won't be a meeting this week. Let me know your thoughts.

Andrew

[Nathan Hwang]

sorry, it's just that this week is really bad for me, and I'm trying
to stay afloat. Thursday night may or may not be bad, depending on how
much overlap there is with budding rationalists and people who like to
party.