Hey there!

Here we are again approaching the end of another month, and this one we’re having our bi-monthly meeting for BkkSci Social.

If you weren’t there last time, BkkSci Social is just what it sounds like – a chance for members and friends to gather and enjoy an evening of food, drink and stimulating conversation. Have an idea you want to discuss or a question you want to bounce around? Raise it during dinner! A presentation you’d like to make? Bring a few props to help you along! From astronomy to archaeology, there’s nothing that’s off the table, as long as it’s science-y. At the very least, it’s an opportunity to meet some new people, have some good food, and relax.

Stop by our meetup page and let us know if you can make it, and we’ll hopefully see you there on March 27.

This event is free

All BKKSci events are free of charge. We do however ask that you please consider supporting Cafe Tartine (our venue) by purchasing your choice of food and drink during the event. Cafe Tartine has kindly agreed to host BKKSci free of charge. This is our way of thanking them for their support.

How to get there

Cafe Tartine is located on Soi Ruamrudee at Athenee Residence (65 Wireless Rd., Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330). The cafe is a but a short walk from BTS Ploenchit. Parking is limited but available.

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By now, we’ve pretty much all come to accept the fact that in the war between the robots, humans will not surv…wait…I’ve just been told not everyone thinks The Terminator is a documentary. Nevermind then. Well, at any rate, one thing we can all agree on is that the field of robotics has taken some seriously amazing leaps forward over the past few decades, and those leaps are getting longer all the time.

For this BkkSci event, we are happy to welcome Dr. Thavida Maneewarn from the Institute of Field Robotics, King Mongkut’s University of Technology, Thonburi. If you want to talk advanced robotics, she’s definitely the person to listen to. After getting her master’s and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle, she took her post at KMUT where she soon became Deputy Director of Research. Her specialty is humanoid robots and she works to promote knowledge on robotics and automation to Thailand’s youth.

It’s something they’ll need, because the way things are going, robots are going to be even more ubiquitous in the coming years. The number of robotics researchers is growing, and with access to cheaper and cheaper tech, a few kids in a garage can now build something that would have been a military project only a few decades ago. And it’s not just robots for welding doors on cars or putting your iPhone together – Dr. Thavida’s team has created aerial robots to help with reconnaissance during the floods of 2011, robotic medical devices, and even robots that act as PR agents at museums and fairs.

Dr. Thavida has titled her talk “Robots Rising” and will discuss some of the projects her team is working on, what we can expect to see become commonplace in the coming years, and why we shouldn’t be nervous about the rise of the robots. Well…maybe we should be a little bit nervous – tell me you wouldn’t flip out if you saw one of these running after you.

This event is free

All BKKSci events are free of charge. We do however ask that you please consider supporting Cafe Tartine (our venue) by purchasing your choice of food and drink during the event. Cafe Tartine has kindly agreed to host BKKSci free of charge. This is our way of thanking them for their support.

How to get there

Cafe Tartine is located on Soi Ruamrudee at Athenee Residence (65 Wireless Rd., Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330). The cafe is a but a short walk from BTS Ploenchit. Parking is limited but available.

View Larger Map

As usual, the New Year snuck up on us and here we are half way through January 2013 already! We hope you had a Happy New Year and were able to spend the holidays doing whatever it is that relaxes you most.

Unfortunately, with all the New Year merriment and out-of-town going-ness from various team members and their families, we haven’t yet had time to line up a speaker this month, so we’d like to propose a second installment of BkkSci Social.

If you weren’t there last time, BkkSci Social is just what it sounds like – a chance for members and friends to gather and enjoy an evening of food, drink and stimulating conversation. Have an idea you want to discuss? Raise it during dinner! A presentation you’d like to make? Bring a few props to help you along! From physics to entomology, there’s nothing that’s off the table, as long as it’s science-y. At the very least, it’s an opportunity to meet some new people, have some good food, and relax.

Drop by our Meetup page and let us know if you can make it, and we’ll hopefully see you on Wednesday, January 30.

This event is free

All BKKSci events are free of charge. We do however ask that you please consider supporting Cafe Tartine (our venue) by purchasing your choice of food and drink during the event. Cafe Tartine has kindly agreed to host BKKSci free of charge. This is our way of thanking them for their support.

How to get there

Cafe Tartine is located on Soi Ruamrudee at Athenee Residence (65 Wireless Rd., Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330). The cafe is a but a short walk from BTS Ploenchit. Parking is limited but available.

View Larger Map

BANGKOK IS A GREAT CITY TO LIVE IN, BUT NO ONE WILL EVER SAY THAT IT’S A PEACEFUL ONE. THE CONSTANT STREAM OF CARS AND BUSES, MOTORCYCLES AND TUK-TUKS, BOATS AND TRAINS IS ENOUGH TO KEEP THE MINIMUM LEVEL OF NOISE AT A CONSTANT, DULL ROAR. THAT’S WHY…oh, there we go, I closed the window. Anyway, that’s why we’re very interested to have our latest speaker come to BkkSci to talk to us about her quest to make the powers that be take noise pollution and the danger that it can do to our ears seriously. Dr. Suchitra Prasansuk – a university professor, medical director, ontological adviser, government consultant, director of half a dozen medical organizations and a collector of letters after her name (MD, DLO (Vien.), DLO (Lon.) FICS, FRCS) – is a respected Otolarynologist, an expert on the workings of the inner hear and how it regulates our balance, speech, and hearing functions.

She is a driving force behind the campaign to make Bangkok a quieter city, helping to improve the protection of our ears from unnecessary damage. And lest you think it’s an unnecessary quest, take into account that World Health Organization guidelines list many noise-induced illnesses, some of which are sleep disruption, high blood pressure, memory deficits, cardiovascular diseases, negative social behavior, accidents and aggressiveness.

Dr. Prasansuk will tell us a bit about how the ear works, the part it plays in our everyday life, and the unique challenges that a city like Bangkok poses to a group who sees the risks, and are working hard for the auditory health of everyone who lives here.

This event is free

All BKKSci events are free of charge. We do however ask that you please consider supporting Cafe Tartine (our venue) by purchasing your choice of food and drink during the event. Cafe Tartine has kindly agreed to host BKKSci free of charge. This is our way of thanking them for their support.

How to get there

Cafe Tartine is located on Soi Ruamrudee at Athenee Residence (65 Wireless Rd., Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330). The cafe is a but a short walk from BTS Ploenchit. Parking is limited but available.

View Larger Map

When I was young, my momma used to tell me that “gambling is a tax on stupid people.” Of course, cut to me on my 18th birthday in a casino proving her right. The stock market isn’t traditionally thought of as ‘gambling’, or if it is, it’s envisioned as more of a strategic type of gambling, based on sophisticated relationships between types of…uh…various rates of…derivatives and blue…chip…you know what, I don’t even know. It’s just complicated.

Or is it?

This month’s BkkSci welcomes Andrew Stotz, CFA, an award winning university lecturer and equity analyst who has written extensively on financial strategy – and those are just his hobbies. During the day he’s Managing Director of the International Business Department of Maybank Securities.

Andrew’s topic will be The Stock Market: How it Does and Does Not Work, which is interesting because unless you’re an analyst or trader, most people have only a very minor understanding of exactly what goes on with those little numbers that zoom across the bottom of your television. And lest you be fooled, Andrew is not just a stuffy suit – one thing that he is known for is his on-the-ground analyses, talking to real people doing real jobs and drilling down to find the source of the financial currents that drive local, regional and global stock markets.

It’s a constantly evolving field, and Andrew will cover the latest research and opinions on the stock market; the core principals that drive it; and will touch on the math and statistics that come together to fatten up your portfolio…or drain it of all life.

This event is free

All BKKSci events are free of charge. We do however ask that you please consider supporting Cafe Tartine (our venue) by purchasing your choice of food and drink during the event. Cafe Tartine has kindly agreed to host BKKSci free of charge. This is our way of thanking them for their support.

How to get there

Cafe Tartine is located on Soi Ruamrudee at Athenee Residence (65 Wireless Rd., Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330). The cafe is a but a short walk from BTS Ploenchit. Parking is limited but available.

View Larger Map

Okay, here we are, sorry it’s taken so long. Truth is, we weren’t able to nail down a speaker this month, and one or two of us will be out of town, so we decided that this is a perfect time to try something a bit different. Many of you have asked us about the possibility of organizing a social event, so this is it – BkkSci Social, a smaller event without a speaker but a focus on the group, the conversation, and uh, probably the beer and food.

But we’d like to keep the presentation element alive, so we’re going to try something called Lightning Talks. Anyone can volunteer, and all they have to do is give a quick speech – 1 or 2 minutes – about any topic under the sun (as long as it’s science-y). Then we turn it over to the floor to discuss. Got a question you want to hash out? A topic that’s dear to your heart? A train of thought you want to get some feedback on? Bring it to BkkSci Social and see what comes of it. See you then!

This event is free

All BKKSci events are free of charge. We do however ask that you please consider supporting Cafe Tartine (our venue) by purchasing your choice of food and drink during the event. Cafe Tartine has kindly agreed to host BKKSci free of charge. This is our way of thanking them for their support.

How to get there

Cafe Tartine is located on Soi Ruamrudee at Athenee Residence (65 Wireless Rd., Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330). The cafe is a but a short walk from BTS Ploenchit. Parking is limited but available.

View Larger Map

Luckily, most people that you meet in the world are decent – at the very worst, you’ll probably run into a few jerks. But sometimes people are just…bad. With our complicated societies and explosion of media and mashing of cultures, you often read about a seemingly decent and well-behaved person goes on a shooting rampage or some similar shocking spree of violence. Often, people closes to him are baffled – they ask “How could he have done that?” Most would simply write them off as sick, wicked, or cruel, or just simply say “He just snapped.” With the recent tragedy in Colorado and an sad amount of similar, shocking, violent events around the world, this type of jugement is, unfortunately, never too far away.

When we say this, we’re essentially making a dispositional attribution. That is, something is wrong with the person and he is to blame for his misdeed. However, plenty of research over the years has shown that in many cases, the situation that a person finds themselves in ‘dictates’ to a certain extent the actions that a person carries out. The question then becomes: Can decent, normal people commit atrocities when placed in a hostile or undesirable situation? Socio-psychological experiments done a few decades ago suggested this might be the case. In a famous example known as the Stanford Prison experiment, volunteers assigned as ‘guards’ displayed an unusual willingness to mete out abuse and torture, while volunteers assigned as ‘prisoners’ showed a surprising willingness to accept it. These, and other similar experiments shed light on just how fragile the human condition can be.

Edward Kitlertsirivatana, a a psychology graduate from Australia, will explore the theme “How good people turn evil”. Edward is a member of Toastmasters International who competed in and won first prize in the Toastmasters International Speech Contest in Thailand this year.

* Toastmasters is a learning-by-doing program. Visitors are welcomed at Toastmasters’ weekly meetings at over 20 locations in Thailand. For more information, please visit ThailandToastmasters.org or Facebook: Toastmasters in Thailand.

This event is free

All BKKSci events are free of charge. We do however ask that you please consider supporting Cafe Tartine (our venue) by purchasing your choice of food and drink during the event. Cafe Tartine has kindly agreed to host BKKSci free of charge. This is our way of thanking them for their support.

How to get there

Cafe Tartine is located on Soi Ruamrudee at Athenee Residence (65 Wireless Rd., Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330). The cafe is a but a short walk from BTS Ploenchit. Parking is limited but available.

View Larger Map

This BKKSci event is a unique one in a few ways. First, this is our first speaker who doesn’t live in Asia, and second, it’s a topic that you likely won’t find much call for in Thailand, but is still interesting nonetheless.

Doug Krause is the Snow Safety Director of the 20,000 acre Silverton Mountain Ski Area in Colorado. You may think his job entails merely telling people where and where not to ski – which is part of it – but it’s actually a lot more extensive, detailed and dangerous than that.

He explains: “Avalanches are a major concern for communities, transportation corridors and outdoor enthusiasts in many parts of the world. There are two groups of avalanche professionals that divide the community into theory and practice. The theorists focus on scientific investigation of snowpack metamorphosis, avalanche slab failure, etc. and the practitioners focus on what can be done about avalanche hazard in real-time.”

Doug will talk a bit about what exactly an avalanche is and how it forms, with an emphasis on how environmental variables affect the snowpack and its propensity for producing avalanches. This will lead into the real-world problem of managing avalanche hazards and the principles of risk management.

“Yes, yes,” you say, “this all sounds interesting, but when is Doug ever in danger? Are you lying to me, BKKSci?” Let me tell you, my friend, Doug’s job is much more than sitting at a computer looking at satellite maps. As he explains: “Avalanche hazard reduction ranges from pure forecasting based on knowledge of weather, terrain and snowpack to full scale aerial assault with a helicopters and explosives.” BOOM!

And how was your day in your office?

This event is free

All BKKSci events are free of charge. We do however ask that you please consider supporting Cafe Tartine (our venue) by purchasing your choice of food and drink during the event. Cafe Tartine has kindly agreed to host BKKSci free of charge. This is our way of thanking them for their support.

How to get there

Cafe Tartine is located on Soi Ruamrudee at Athenee Residence (65 Wireless Rd., Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330). The cafe is a but a short walk from BTS Ploenchit. Parking is limited but available.

View Larger Map

Image curtesy: Theis Kofoed Hjorth.

Place: Cafe Tartine (BTS Pleonchit)
Date: Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Time: 19:00-21:00
RSVP: rsvp270612@bkksci.com or BKKSci on Meetup.com

To many foreigners, the Thai language is a confounding mix of sounds and squiggles that tie the tongue and befuddle the brain. Many try mightily to master it, but most become comfortable with enough to get by and leave it at that. However, there are others who have made study of this complex language their careers, and who can impart a great deal of knowledge on its history, development, and the role it plays in the complex linguistic jigsaw of Asia.

Rikker Dockum has been studying Thai for a decade. Fluent in Thai, but always looking to improve, he is interested in drilling down to the very roots of the language to learn how it developed into its current form, and he’s found doing so to be the key to better mastering the language. As a former Fulbright scholar he studied ancient Thai inscriptions, the oldest written records of Thai, and nowadays keeps busy with various projects related to Southeast Asian linguistics.

Rikker will discuss Thai from a linguist’s point of view. He’ll touch on some common questions — Why does Thai have multiple letters for the same sounds? Why so many consonants that appear in just a handful of words? Why on earth hasn’t this all been simplified? And just what is up with Thai transliteration into English? The answers to these questions may surprise you, but they will certainly leave you with a better appreciation for the complicated history of the Thai language as a living legacy of a cultural crossroads.

This event is free

All BKKSci events are free of charge. We do however ask that you please consider supporting Cafe Tartine (our venue) by purchasing your choice of food and drink during the event. Cafe Tartine has kindly agreed to host BKKSci free of charge. This is our way of thanking them for their support.

How to get there

Cafe Tartine is located on Soi Ruamrudee at Athenee Residence (65 Wireless Rd., Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330). The cafe is a but a short walk from BTS Ploenchit. Parking is limited but available.

View Larger Map

Image curtesy: Theis Kofoed Hjorth.

A significant amount of current scientific research at universities globally is now focused on the field of alternative energy; ranging from semiconductor physics for solar photovoltaics, to bioengineering of locust stomach bacteria for cellulosic biofuels.

Each of these technologies could be the subject of an evening’s debate, but an equally interesting question is how the current and expected future technologies can feasibly be combined to displace fossil fuels from the energy mix.

How much wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydropower etc are feasible? The answer will clearly vary by location, and with the ongoing development path of each technology. Principles of how to combine different types of power generation source are common across diverse regions, however.

Each power generation, transportation fuel and energy storage technology is likely to face resource limitations, and a variety will need to be used in combination to significantly displace conventional energy from the grid.

Constraints in grid stability (whether the main grid, or small scale isolated grids) from the intermittent power generation of wind and solar is one central challenge, where newly developing energy storage technologies will play a role.

The talk will outline a range of key technologies and issues, based on Phil Napier-Moore’s experience as an engineer working on a range of these project types, and open the floor to how the power generation mix will look in the future, in Thailand or elsewhere.

Phil Napier-Moore leads Mott MacDonald’s technical consulting work in renewable power generation for South-East Asia. He has managed and directed projects for a range of multilateral agencies, national governments and a large number of private companies, working internationally on low-carbon power projects in 20 countries around the world, in particular within Asia and Europe. He is a Chartered Energy Engineer and obtained his first class Masters of Engineering degree from Oxford University.

This event is free

All BKKSci events are free of charge. We do however ask that you please consider supporting Cafe Tartine (our venue) by purchasing your choice of food and drink during the event. Cafe Tartine has kindly agreed to host BKKSci free of charge. This is our way of thanking them for their support.

How to get there

Cafe Tartine is located on Soi Ruamrudee at Athenee Residence (65 Wireless Rd., Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330). The cafe is a but a short walk from BTS Ploenchit. Parking is limited but available.

View Larger Map

Image curtesy: Thomas Wanhoff