Latest news with #NerdNite
Metropolis Japan
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Metropolis Japan
Nerd Nite Tokyo #70: Art and Action
Curious minds, this one's for you. Nerd Nite Tokyo #70: Art and Action invites you to an evening where creativity meets real-world impact. This edition features two fascinating talks: one by a neuroscientist exploring how art affects the brain (Nicholas Schwier) and another by a nonprofit leader tackling child poverty in Japan—and how we can help (Katie Gray, LinkedIn). Held in a cozy lounge with drinks and food available, Nerd Nite offers more than just lectures. It's a social gathering where ideas flow as freely as the craft beer. Whether you're a science enthusiast, art lover, or just nerdy at heart, this is your chance to learn something new, meet like-minded people and be part of a curious community. Kids are also welcome at Nerd Nite. No need to be an expert— just bring your curiosity and a willingness to think differently. Come for the talks, stay for the conversations. The event will be livestreamed, but livestream tickets are required. A donation of ¥1,000 is suggested, but a free option is also available. To help prevent the spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, Nerd Nite recommend mask use at their events and encourages you to stay up to date on all vaccinations.
CBC
02-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
Q&A: Edmonton death educator breaks taboos on end-of-life planning
An Edmonton woman has made her career out of talking about death. Gina Vliet, an Edmonton-based death educator and certified executor advisor, is dedicated to demystifying end-of-life topics. She offers education on funeral practices, memorialization, wills and estates, probate, and executorship. During a Nerd Nite event in Edmonton last Thursday, Vliet did a presentation, titled "How to Dispose of a Body in Alberta: the Intersection of Organ, Tissue and Body Donation". It addressed the importance of early planning to alleviate stress during grieving, as well as practical steps to ensure one's wishes are known and honoured. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. You call yourself a death educator. So what is that exactly? It's the title I made up for myself. I wanted to take all of the things that I really enjoyed learning about and, basically, educate people on all aspects of mortality — whether that's funeral practices, memorialization, wills and estates, probate and executorship. Why do you feel it's so important for people to be educated about death? I really believe that people need to be informed, so that they can make good decisions about their end-of-life planning. What I realized early on in my consulting in the death field was that most people aren't ready to have those discussions, because they don't know what they don't know. So backing up a little bit and giving them the education they need to make good decisions and know where the risks are and what they need to do. The one universal thing we all share is that we're going to die. So our shared mortality, and acknowledging our mortality, actually allows us to have a better quality of life. What sort of businesses do you run as a death educator? I run an executor school. I teach estate owners and executors how to collaborate and work together and be proactive, so that the transition when someone dies is a lot smoother. It's important to have time and information to think about these things and plan for these things, instead of worrying about talking about it and making decisions when you have to and when you're grieving. If we do it earlier, it becomes a lot easier. Executors also have rights and they need to know what the risks are of taking on that role. People will do [the job] without having any idea what they're getting themselves into. How do you approach these darker topics in a lighthearted and fun way? I use a lot of humour. I'm a bit reverent as to how I approach the world. It's really important when you're starting to talk about your mortality, if it's something that you fear or if you've got a bit of a death phobia, that we start with the theoretical instead of just focusing on our own death. Someone can approach this subject with their loved ones by talking about a celebrity death, and that allows people time to come to the understanding that we're all mortal. What were some things that really surprised you when you first got into this area? I assumed that people were ready to have these conversations. What I learned very early on, in my one-on-one consults, was that people were not ready. And there was nowhere out there for people to learn about the basics of the funeral industry so that they can make good decisions, or what really happens with a will, or with probate. There's a lot of misinformation out there. We take a lot of our cues from American social media and television, and of course our systems are very different. So, demystifying and making it accessible to people, especially because grief doesn't get our brains working the way it should.
