If you're thirsty and have always wanted to know about looking for space microbes on Europa, what medieval people really thought about dragons, how to make energy from alternative sources, or what a philosopher has to say about what the heck is actually going on, come to Public Works! It's a free event in the style of Nerd Night but designed just for Ithaca. We're bringing a variety of intellectually-stimulating presentations right to you for your entertainment and educational pleasure at The Downstairs, the bar below The Watershed. Come hear talks given by Cornell and IC graduate students, professors, community experts, and everything in between! Each session will feature one to three accessible talks, followed by a Q&A session where audience participation is highly encouraged but not required!
Bring a friend, make a friend, ask an expert, and drink a beer!
The September 3rd Public Works event will feature 2 talks:
an environmentalist talk:
"When Climate Solutions Become Problems: The Search for elusive 'win-wins'"
by Manasi Anand
PhD Candidate in Natural Resources and the Environment at Cornell
When do environmental problems generate solutions? When do solutions generate new problems? Can we ever achieve true “win-win” outcomes?Climate change is reshaping everything we know about how the world works. Carbon markets once promised to save the planet through the magic of market mechanisms- but like most magic tricks, the closer you look, the more complicated it gets. Too often, these schemes come at the expense of people, biodiversity, and cultural land management practices.But here’s where it gets interesting: while top-down carbon programs frequently stumble over their own contradictions, something different is happening at the grassroots. What emerges when local communities chart their own pathways? Drawing on field research and real-world examples, this talk explores when environmental challenges spark genuine innovation, when well-intentioned solutions create new dilemmas, and whether those elusive “win-win-win” scenarios are possible- or if we must learn to navigate more complex trade-offs.Join researcher Manasi Anand as she traces her journey through the world of forest policy and institutions—the good (yes, there is some!), the bad (plenty), and the downright ugly (buckle up).
and a music history talk:
"Whose World?: Western Musical Globalism and the 1967 BBC Live Broadcast “Our World”"
by Sara Haefeli
Associate Professor of Composition and Music Studies at Ithaca College
The 1967 BBC program "Our World" was the first live global television broadcast, connecting viewers around the world in real time. Audiences witnessed glimpses of daily life, athletic feats, moments of scientific innovation, and cultural performances—including a recording session with the Beatles. This presentation explores how the musical choices and everyday sounds in the broadcast shaped a message of modern progress, yet foregrounded elite Western perspectives. We’ll look at striking moments from the broadcast, from mariachi in Mexico to ambient computer "beats" in Australia, and reflect on what these sounds reveal about whose voices, music, and cultures made up "our world." Join me to rethink how the soundtrack of "Our World" imagined the future—and whose future it was.
Time and Location
First Wednesday of every month, 7 PM.
The Downstairs
121 W. State Street
Ithaca, NY
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We want to hear from you! Come talk to us at a Public Works event or send us a message at ithacapublicworks@gmail.com. Are you an academic? Feel free to list your Public Works talk as an outreach event on your CV! Are you not an academic? We still want to hear from you!
