Mensa AG 2018

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Sessions (317)

Tour: Start Your Engines (Room Event Center Entrance (1st Floor Conference Center))

02 Jul 18
1:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Tracks: Tours

Please be at the Event Center entrance (1st floor conference center) 30 minutes before start time (i.e., bus leaving time) to check in. More...

Tour: Opalescent Glass (Room Event Center Entrance (1st Floor Conference Center))

03 Jul 18
8:15 AM - 3:00 PM

Tracks: Tours

Please be at the Event Center entrance (1st floor conference center) 30 minutes before start time (i.e., bus leaving time) to check in. More...

Colloquium 2018 (JW Grand Ballroom 5)

03 Jul 18
8:30 AM - 4:15 PM

Tracks: Foundation

Speaker(s): Gardner Carrick ; Michael Davis ; Ramses Martinez ; Scott Paul
A 1-day symposium preceding the AG, the 2018 Mensa Foundation Colloquium will explore the evolution & revolution of manufacturing in the 21st c... More...

Tour: A Howling Good Time (Room Event Center Entrance (1st Floor Conference Center))

03 Jul 18
8:30 AM - 2:00 PM

Tracks: Tours

Please be at the Event Center entrance (1st floor conference center) 30 minutes before start time (i.e., bus leaving time) to check in. More...

Registration (Room 3rd Floor)

03 Jul 18
5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Tracks: Registration

Preregistered badge pick up only. More...

Tour: Lions and Tigers and More OH MY! (Room Event Center Entrance (1st Floor Conference Center))

04 Jul 18
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Tracks: Tours

Please be at the Event Center entrance (1st floor conference center) 30 minutes before start time (i.e., bus leaving time) to check in. More...

Tour: Wine...and All That Jazz (Room Event Center Entrance (1st Floor Conference Center))

04 Jul 18
10:30 AM - 2:15 PM

Tracks: Tours

Please be at the Event Center entrance (1st floor conference center) 30 minutes before start time (i.e., bus leaving time) to check in. More...

Registration (Room 3rd Floor)

04 Jul 18
12:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Tracks: Registration

More...

Behavior Based Interviewing: Why Did They Ask Me That? (JW Grand Ballroom 8)

04 Jul 18
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Lora Mitchell
In a follow-up to her Louisville AG presentation on resume writing, HR professional Lora Mitchell will talk about the interview itself, what employ... More...

Closing the Confidence Gap (JW Grand Ballroom 3/4)

04 Jul 18
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Hope Zoeller Ed.D
Evidence shows that women are less confident than men and that to succeed, confidence matters as much as competence. The natural result of low conf... More...

Critical Thinking for Millennials: Using Humor to Goose the Market (JW Grand Ballroom 1)

04 Jul 18
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Jim Lyttle
Jim Lyttle shows how humor can be used to encourage critical thinking. Bringing years of experience in the classroom to his presentations, he warns... More...

Crunchy Meet-and-Greet (Room 201/202)

04 Jul 18
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Tracks: Meet and Greet

Speaker(s): Griffin Smith ; Melody Smith
What does it mean to be crunchy? Examples include growing your own food, recycling, walking barefoot, baby-wearing, eating vegetarian, home birth, ... More...

Debate Room: The Future of Money (Room 205)

04 Jul 18
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Tracks: Debate

Will we ever give up bills and coins? Why not just use plastic, a cellphone app, or maybe something predicated on retinal scans and some money acco... More...

Learn to Play Qwirkle (Room 203/204)

04 Jul 18
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Tracks: Tournament

Speaker(s): Tiffany Everett
Learn to play Qwirkle ahead of the upcoming tournament. More...

Newsflash: No Such Thing as Fake News! (JW Grand Ballroom 2)

04 Jul 18
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Elaine Monaghan
Real journalism bears no relation to “fake news,” a misappropriation of the concept of “news.” Elaine Monaghan, a Scot, linguist, and former Reuter... More...

Qwirkle Tournament (Room 203/204)

04 Jul 18
2:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Tracks: Tournament

Speaker(s): Tiffany Everett
Qwirkle is a shape- and color-matching game that players of all ages and abilities can participate. Match all six shapes in the same color, or one ... More...

A Sea of Danger: 'The Green Book' and African-American travel, circa 1936-1966 (JW Grand Ballroom 3/4)

04 Jul 18
3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Peter Larsen
The Green Book (formally known as The Negro Motorist Green Book) was a yearly travel directory, published from 1936-1966, by Victor H. Green. Initi... More...

Debate Room: How Can Mensa be Improved? (Room 205)

04 Jul 18
3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Tracks: Debate

Despite rumors to the contrary, Mensa’s leadership doesn’t think the national organization is the best it can be. As creative as Mensans are, surel... More...

Ernie Pyle: Stories From the War Front (JW Grand Ballroom 7)

04 Jul 18
3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Ron May
When World War II broke out in Western Europe in 1940, Ernie Pyle, a native Hoosier, became a war correspondent and traveled to England, North Afri... More...

GenX Meet-and-Greet (JW Grand Ballroom 8)

04 Jul 18
3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Tracks: Meet and Greet, SIG

Speaker(s): Tracey Guice
Come mingle with your fellow GenXers while we play obligatory get-to-know-you games and give you a preview of all the exciting things the GenX SIG ... More...

One Deadly Disease to Treat Another? Malaria Therapy for Neurosyphilis (JW Grand Ballroom 1)

04 Jul 18
3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Sarah Halter
Soon after Salvarsan 606 was discovered in 1909, it became clear that this “miracle cure” for syphilis was completely ineffective for tertiary form... More...

Redhead Mensans: 2 Percent of the 2 Percent (Room 201/202)

04 Jul 18
3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Tracks: Meet and Greet

Speaker(s): Robert Salkin
Come meet fellow redheaded and ginger-loving geniuses! This event is for those who have, had, or appreciate orange, auburn, strawberry blond, or an... More...

Touring Washington, D.C. (JW Grand Ballroom 2)

04 Jul 18
3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Alan Schmidt
Gain Washington, D.C., tourist site knowledge, highlights, insights, and priorities from my touring the superb Smithsonian Museums and more over th... More...

What Is Your Creative IQ? (JW Grand Ballroom 9)

04 Jul 18
3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Barbara Shoup
This presentation will address the creative process and its relationship to our traditional ideas of intelligence. Where do ideas come from? How do... More...

Registration for the American Mensa Admission Test (Room 313)

04 Jul 18
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Tracks: Mensa

Proctors will register candidates for the American Mensa Admissions Test. The special AG test fee is $30. Test candidates must be at least 14 years... More...

Creating Better Goals: Calibrating Measures of Success with CORE Metrics (JW Grand Ballroom 3/4)

04 Jul 18
4:30 PM - 5:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Joe DeSensi
While having dinner with some friends, we stumbled on the topic of misaligned measures of success. A VP said she was having a hard time working ins... More...

Cryptograms Tournament (Room 203/204)

04 Jul 18
4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Tracks: Tournament

Speaker(s): Stan Ward
Cryptograms are simple-substitution ciphers where every letter of the alphabet has been switched. Your task is to use pattern recognition and your ... More...

Debate Room: Space Exploration's Best Target: the Moon or Mars? (Room 205)

04 Jul 18
4:30 PM - 5:45 PM

Tracks: Debate

Elon Musk wants to build a Mars colony. China seems to be concentrating on the Moon. NASA’s official objective is lunar exploration, but there’s al... More...

Friends of Bill W (Room 314)

04 Jul 18
4:30 PM - 5:45 PM

Tracks: Meet and Greet

For Mensans and guests who are actively practicing any 12-step program. This is a non-hosted, informal program, not for observers or the curious, p... More...

GenY Meet-and-Greet (JW Grand Ballroom 1)

04 Jul 18
4:30 PM - 5:45 PM

Tracks: Meet and Greet, SIG

Speaker(s): Henri Buccine-Schraeder
The GenY SIG is for Mensa members born on or between 1976 and 1996. Come to this session to meet the other “don’t-call-us-millennials&r... More...

Journey of a Military Caregiver: The Battle Back Home (JW Grand Ballroom 2)

04 Jul 18
4:30 PM - 5:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Jennifer Mackinday
In this session, Jennifer will share her personal story that led her to become a military caregiver, the struggles she faced, and how she found her... More...

Making Relationship: Boundaries and Balances (JW Grand Ballroom 7)

04 Jul 18
4:30 PM - 5:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Ruth Parvin J.D., PhD
Be it friendship or marriage or something in between, the two skills I will introduce are important for getting what you want and avoiding what you... More...

Mensa Admission Test (Room 313)

04 Jul 18
4:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Tracks: Mensa

Proctors will register candidates for the American Mensa Admission Test. The special AG fee is $30. Test candidates must be at least 14 years of ag... More...

Protecting Your Home Computer Network (JW Grand Ballroom 8)

04 Jul 18
4:30 PM - 5:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Scott Smith
Adware and malware. Viruses. Information breaches. Missing network security controls. Nosey neighbors. These are some of the risks home networks fa... More...

The Invention of Rope and the Roots of Modern Civilization (JW Grand Ballroom 9)

04 Jul 18
4:30 PM - 5:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Christopher Kilgore
In this presentation, Christopher Kilgore will demonstrate horsehair rope making, a nearly extinct craft he learned from retired cowhand and author... More...

ADDers: Step Up Into Your Personal Power (JW Grand Ballroom 9)

04 Jul 18
6:00 PM - 7:15 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Kit Cassingham
Stepping up into your personal power comes from a three-step process that Kit will share. From her experience in working with entrepreneurs with AD... More...

Debate Room: Could Psychometrics Actually be a Good Thing? (Room 205)

04 Jul 18
6:00 PM - 7:15 PM

Tracks: Debate

Cambridge Analytica has been lambasted for using big-data psychology to gauge voter sentiment. Isn’t gauging voter sentiment exactly what elections... More...

Firehouse Meet-and-Greet (JW Grand Ballroom 1)

04 Jul 18
6:00 PM - 7:15 PM

Tracks: Meet and Greet

Seventh American Mensa Firehouse Bash (AMFB). To flame, or be flamed? That is the question! Whether you’re right or left, American or non, yo... More...

Mark Twain and the Idea of American Identity (JW Grand Ballroom 2)

04 Jul 18
6:00 PM - 7:15 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Andrew Levy
For more than a century, Mark Twain has been regarded as a “quintessentially American” figure, and that image has guided interpretation... More...

State of the Universe Address (JW Grand Ballroom 3/4)

04 Jul 18
6:00 PM - 7:15 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Harry Ringermacher
Everyone knows the Big Bang Theory. I will review and extend these ideas to describe the current state of knowledge about our universe. There are t... More...

Teen Game Night (Room 300)

04 Jul 18
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Tracks: Teen

Join us for minute-to-win-it games, challenges, and fun. Prizes will be given and memories will be made! More...

The Dirty Dossier: Clinton, Trump, Russian Spies, and the 2016 Election (JW Grand Ballroom 7)

04 Jul 18
6:00 PM - 7:15 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Steven Allen
Is Donald Trump a spy? Is he a “Manchurian candidate” installed in the White House by America’s enemies? Or was the “Dirty ... More...

Book/Author Quiz (Room 203/204)

04 Jul 18
7:00 PM - 8:45 PM

Tracks: Tournament

Speaker(s): De Freshwater
Test your knowledge of writers and their creations and maybe learn a few things. More...

Amateur Comedy Night at the AG (JW Grand Ballroom 3/4)

04 Jul 18
7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Tracks: Entertainment

Speaker(s): George Haynes
(This is an adults-only program.) A stand-up comedy and joke-telling, open-mic event. Bring original material to do a short set of stand-up comedy,... More...

An Electrifying Piano Concert and Talk Presenting the Lesser-known Music of Original Nintendo Games and Pushing the Limits of Piano Playing (JW Grand Ballroom 7)

04 Jul 18
7:30 PM - 8:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Rob Kovacs
Pianist and Mensan Rob Kovacs, a.k.a. 88bit, masterfully performs on piano and talks about the early computer music found in the original Nintendo ... More...

Artificial Intelligence and Intelligence Augmentation (JW Grand Ballroom 2)

04 Jul 18
7:30 PM - 8:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Melanie Swan
This talk discusses how some of the latest scientific advances are affecting human and machine intelligence and what the future might hold for mutu... More...

CANCELLED: Eat Like a Genius — Advanced Experiential Techniques for the Foodie in All of Us (JW Grand Ballroom 9)

04 Jul 18
7:30 PM - 8:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Srikant Mantravadi
We are all foodies. We want to enjoy the full experience of the taste, smell, and feel of food. We want to pair it with just the right drink, desse... More...

CANCELLED: Inside the Mind of Dyslexia: Patterns and Impacts (JW Grand Ballroom 8)

04 Jul 18
7:30 PM - 8:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Catrina Hays
Children who struggle to read and spell are an enigma. How can students who have trouble remembering how to spell they explicitly retell all the de... More...

College Essay and Personal Statement Workshop (JW Grand Ballroom 1)

04 Jul 18
7:30 PM - 8:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Lessa Scherrer
Writing admissions essays is often the most difficult part of applying to college. This workshop will provide brainstorming activities to help stud... More...

Debate Room: What Should We Do About Social Security? (Room 205)

04 Jul 18
7:30 PM - 8:45 PM

Tracks: Debate

The baby boomers now flooding into Social Security could turn the pyramid upside down. Under some actuarial assumptions, the whole system may see n... More...

KnitSIG Meet-and-Greet (Room 201/202)

04 Jul 18
7:30 PM - 8:45 PM

Tracks: Meet and Greet, SIG

Speaker(s): Zarya Steele
Home of wayward knitters and other yarn crafters. More...

The Werewolves of the Indianapolis AG (Room 2nd Floor Prefunction (Adjacent to 206))

04 Jul 18
7:30 PM - 11:30 PM

Tracks: Games

Speaker(s): Ed You
By night, werewolves kill off villagers. By day, enraged villagers kill off suspected werewolves. But sometimes they mistakenly kill off innocent v... More...

Debate Room: Gun Control or Gun Rights? (Room 205)

04 Jul 18
9:00 PM - 10:15 PM

Tracks: Debate

Would restricting guns reduce gun violence, as it did in Australia? Or are restrictions in America impossible, as Sam Harris maintains? Should ever... More...

HELL's M's Prequel (JW Grand Ballroom 1)

04 Jul 18
9:00 PM - 10:15 PM

Tracks: Meet and Greet, SIG

Speaker(s): Beth Weiss
Let's get the party started with the party SIG! It's a great time to greet friends, make new friends, get your HELL's M's sticker, and renew your m... More...

Learn to Play Can't Stop (Room 203/204)

04 Jul 18
9:00 PM - 9:30 PM

Tracks: Tournament

Speaker(s): Steve Yates
Learn to play Can't Stop ahead of the upcoming tournament. More...

Can't Stop Tournament (Room 203/204)

04 Jul 18
9:30 PM - 11:45 PM

Tracks: Tournament

Speaker(s): Steve Yates
Can't Stop is a classic Sid Saxon press-your-luck dice game. Pace yourself well to advance your pawns up the columns before your opponents. The gam... More...

Breakfast in Hospitality (Room Griffin Hall)

05 Jul 18
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM

Tracks: Meal

Daily offerings include whole fruit, cereal, yogurt, oatmeal, toast, and eggs. More...

Morning Wake Up and Warm Up (Room 206)

05 Jul 18
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM

Tracks: Fitness

Speaker(s): Alison Brown
Start the day with a short program of stretching, limbering, and a bit of weight lifting (the weight being your own limbs). Most exercises are perf... More...

Registration (Room 3rd Floor)

05 Jul 18
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Tracks: Registration

More...

A Walk Through the Cemetery (JW Grand Ballroom 1)

05 Jul 18
9:00 AM - 10:15 AM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Jeannie Regan-Dinius
Cemeteries tell us much about who came before us. The size, shape, and documentation vary from religious groups, time period, and location. But, al... More...

American Mensa Committee Meeting (JW Grand Ballroom 10)

05 Jul 18
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Tracks: Mensa

See your American Mensa Committee in action! Be the first to know about policies that affect all American Mensans. All members are welcome to atten... More...

CANCELLED: A Mensa Think Tank (JW Grand Ballroom 2)

05 Jul 18
9:00 AM - 10:15 AM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Ashley Zanca
Sometimes to solve an issue we need to be removed from the topic. This session is for those interested in partaking in a Mensa think tank! Relying ... More...

CANCELLED: Estate Plan and Trusts Imploded by 2018 Tax and Legal Changes? Duck the Pitfalls, Capture Some Profits, and Get Back on Your Best Track (JW Grand Ballroom 8)

05 Jul 18
9:00 AM - 10:15 AM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): John Farrell
Estates, wills, and trusts: All are disrupted by new tax laws and structuring rules. Learn how to ensure the best possible succession while taking ... More...

Debate Room: Energy From Thorium: Promise or Pipe Dream? (Room 205)

05 Jul 18
9:00 AM - 10:15 AM

Tracks: Debate

Is the science all there? What are the engineering hurdles? What countries (and private companies) are working the problem, and what have they achi... More...

Evangelical Christianity Meet-and-Greet (Room 201/202)

05 Jul 18
9:00 AM - 10:15 AM

Tracks: Meet and Greet, SIG

Speaker(s): Larry Paarmann
This is a time for current members of the SIG to meet and greet and get acquainted, and for prospective members to see what we are about. Everyone ... More...

Political Polarization and Social Media (JW Grand Ballroom 3/4)

05 Jul 18
9:00 AM - 10:15 AM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Jeff Rasley
Rasley's talk and PowerPoint will describe, using statistical survey results and expert testimony, the increasing polarization in U.S. politics... More...

The Only Constant Is Change: Sports Rule Changes Through the Years (JW Grand Ballroom 9)

05 Jul 18
9:00 AM - 10:15 AM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Nick Elam Ph. D.
Our favorite sports have evolved in many ways over the years. For example, a century or so ago, baseball still required its pitchers to throw under... More...

Theatre in America: How It Is Made and How It Is Played (JW Grand Ballroom 7)

05 Jul 18
9:00 AM - 10:15 AM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Dale McFadden
An historical and anecdotal journey through the world of theatre training, theatre critics, and theatre artists and producers on Broadway and elsew... More...

TIME CHANGE: Explore Your Roots and Learn More About Genealogy (JW Grand Ballroom 8)

05 Jul 18
9:00 AM - 10:15 AM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): H. Stanley Jones
Your ancestors have some stories to tell. I will help you to learn where to go and how to explore your roots – don't be surprised if you ... More...

Tour: Indianapolis Motor Speedway—Behind the Scenes (Room Event Center Entrance (1st Floor Conference Center))

05 Jul 18
9:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Tracks: Tours

Please be at the Event Center entrance (1st floor conference center) 30 minutes before start time (i.e., bus leaving time) to check in. More...

Blood Drive (Room Event Center Entrance (1st Floor Conference Center))

05 Jul 18
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Tracks: Other

Speaker(s): Griffin Smith
Come save up to three lives by donating blood! Research suggests that blood donation may improve insulin sensitivity, relieve iron overload, and ha... More...

Mexican Train Dominoes Tournament (Room 203/204)

05 Jul 18
10:00 AM - 12:15 PM

Tracks: Tournament

Speaker(s): Sandy Johnson
Points are earned by counting the number of pips (dots) on each domino that a player has remaining at the end of each round. The goal is to have as... More...

Caves and Karst Features of Indiana (JW Grand Ballroom 1)

05 Jul 18
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Samuel Frushour
Three regions of southern Indiana demonstrate cave and karst feature development. Researchers have studied the subsurface hydrology of limestone aq... More...

Clergy SIG Meet-and-Greet (Room 201/202)

05 Jul 18
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Tracks: Meet and Greet, SIG

Speaker(s): Tony Belarmino
Are you clergy or family of clergy and have heard about our SIG and didn’t know if it was for you? This is a good chance to meet other clergy of va... More...

Debate Room: Is the U.S. Constitution Prescriptive or Proscriptive? (Room 205)

05 Jul 18
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Tracks: Debate

Should the Constitution be read as granting the federal government all powers except what's banned by the Bill of Rights and other limitations, or ... More...

How Crooks Conceal Their Past and Change Their Identity (JW Grand Ballroom 7)

05 Jul 18
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Greg Wright
Is your chief financial officer a convicted embezzler who adopted a new identity following prison? Did a child molester circumvent your school&rsqu... More...

Looking Back, Thinking Forward: The Living Legacy of America's Hoosier President (JW Grand Ballroom 2)

05 Jul 18
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Charles Hyde
Renowned historian James Madison recently asserted that “Harrison's administration is considered to be among the most activist and reform... More...

Ray Bradbury in the 21st Century: The Legacy of a Cultural Icon (JW Grand Ballroom 3/4)

05 Jul 18
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Jonathan Eller
Space-Age visionary author Ray Bradbury (1920–2012) remains one of the best-known writers of our time. This lecture draws on the extensive ar... More...

Reflections on Afghanistan: Wars and Nation-Building in the West vs. the “Rest” (JW Grand Ballroom 9)

05 Jul 18
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): M. Nazif Shahrani
Wars, generally considered to have played a constructive role in nation building and social and economic development in the history of Western indu... More...

Triple Nine Society Meet-and-Greet (Room 313)

05 Jul 18
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Tracks: Meet and Greet

Speaker(s): Bryan Lundgren
Triple Nine Society is like Mensa on steroids. It's for people scoring at or above the 99.9th percentile on selected intelligence tests. Founde... More...

Why People Spy: American Traitors and Foreign Spies I've Personally Known (JW Grand Ballroom 8)

05 Jul 18
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Gene Coyle
Mr. Coyle spent 30 years with the CIA as an undercover field operations officer, trying to find foreign diplomats and officials who for one reason ... More...

Lunch in Hospitality (Room Griffin Hall)

05 Jul 18
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Tracks: Meal

Daily offerings may include soup, salad, side dishes, dessert, and hamburgers, hot dogs, or pizza. More...

Debate Room: U.S. Midterm Elections: Will Control Swing? (Room 205)

05 Jul 18
12:00 PM - 1:15 PM

Tracks: Debate

Democrats are convinced that they could gain control of both the House and Senate this fall. However, they have 24 Senate seats up against only nin... More...

EPGSIG Meet-and-Greet (Room 201/202)

05 Jul 18
12:00 PM - 1:15 PM

Tracks: Meet and Greet, SIG

Speaker(s): Josh Heinzl
Hang out with other Especially and Profoundly Gifted individuals: IQs 160+ and 180+. One in 52 humans qualify for Mensa – top 2 percent. One in 31,... More...

Codenames Tournament (Room 203/204)

05 Jul 18
12:30 PM - 2:15 PM

Tracks: Tournament

Speaker(s): Jordan Weiss
Spymasters and analysts assemble! The time has come for the 2018 Codenames tournament, through cryptic hints and word play we will determine the cl... More...

CANCELLED: Innovations in 21st Century Board Gaming (JW Grand Ballroom 7)

05 Jul 18
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Marco Arnaudo
This talk analyzes the recent renaissance of board gaming and identifies its reasons, not just in changes in society (such as digital fatigue) but ... More...

Debate Room: Immigration and the U.S. Economy (Room 205)

05 Jul 18
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Tracks: Debate

Silicon Valley and agribusiness claim we need even more immigrants. The current administration wants fewer. What are the practical limits and risks... More...

Delightful Deceptions: Stage Magic and Puzzle Design (JW Grand Ballroom 8)

05 Jul 18
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Andrew Rhoda
Mechanical puzzles draw concepts from two different sources. The first source is recreational mathematics, and the second is stage magic, at times ... More...

Friends of Bill W (Room 314)

05 Jul 18
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Tracks: Meet and Greet

For Mensans and guests who are actively practicing any 12-step program. This is a non-hosted, informal program, not for observers or the curious, p... More...

Intro to DNA — Types of Tests and Their Various Applications in Genealogical Research (JW Grand Ballroom 2)

05 Jul 18
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Susan Woodill
Use of DNA tests has grown exponentially in popularity over the last few years. Understanding the basics of DNA, the different types of testing, an... More...

M-Available Meet-and-Greet (Room 201/202)

05 Jul 18
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Tracks: Meet and Greet, SIG

Speaker(s): Greg Holcombe
This will be a semi-structured meet-and-greet. A brief introduction, including information about the M-Available SIG, will be followed by unstructu... More...

The Joy of Names (JW Grand Ballroom 3/4)

05 Jul 18
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Richard Lederer Ph.D.
Richard Lederer, senior columnist for the Mensa Bulletin, will unveil his brand new book, The Joy of Names. He'll tell you all you need to know... More...

The Public Image: Photography and Civic Spectatorship (JW Grand Ballroom 9)

05 Jul 18
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): John Lucaites
We live today amid a deluge of images saturating politics and private life. Discussions of visual media, however, often generate more anxiety than ... More...

TIME CHANGE: Academic Acceleration K-8: Tips and Tools for Families of Gifted Youth (JW Grand Ballroom 7)

05 Jul 18
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Keri Guilbault
Acceleration is one of the most effective research-based interventions for highly gifted learners. In this session, myths about acceleration will b... More...

Waltzing Matilda (JW Grand Ballroom 5)

05 Jul 18
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Tracks: Entertainment

Speaker(s): Don Jacobs
What's that weird dancing guy up to now? This year we're leaving the continent to go to Vienna and learn a really classy kind of waltz. Ama... More...

Women, Murder, and Money in 19th Century America (JW Grand Ballroom 1)

05 Jul 18
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Wendy Gamber
This session considers the strange and fascinating story of Nancy Clem, a seemingly ordinary Indianapolis housewife who may have committed a terrib... More...

Learn to Play Alien Artifacts (Room 203/204)

05 Jul 18
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Tracks: Tournament

Speaker(s): Robert Goldsmith Ph.D.
Learn to play Alien Artifacts ahead of the upcoming tournament. More...

Alien Artifacts Tournament (Room 203/204)

05 Jul 18
3:00 PM - 5:45 PM

Tracks: Tournament

Speaker(s): Robert Goldsmith Ph.D.
In this game each player represents a human faction trying to establish its own interstellar empire. This is done by acquiring a variety of cards a... More...

Debate Room: North Korea (Room 205)

05 Jul 18
3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Tracks: Debate

What does North Korea really want? What do the Chinese really care about here? Would bringing U.S. forces home help or hurt U.S. interests? How muc... More...

Espionage and Deception (JW Grand Ballroom 8)

05 Jul 18
3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Tracks: Speaker

Speaker(s): Carol Choksy
Espionage is the only area of study where deception and lies are not only studied but encouraged. For all countries’ intelligence communities... More...
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