Nerd Nite Tokyo #53: More Than Words

Do you like TED Talks? Do you want to listen to an intellectual discussion with a glass of wine or a pint of beer? Then head to Nerd Nite Tokyo for your monthly dose of wisdom — and fun!

A message from Nerd Nite Tokyo:

Every month, we gather some smart speakers and a curious crowd, add a bar, and create something unique. This month, join two writers in very different fields, both searching for something hidden.

Our first speaker, journalist Nithin Coca, asks us to consider this tragic story in a wider context:

Last year in Tibet, a celebrity, singer Tsewang Norbu, set himself on fire in front of the most popular tourist site in Lhasa, the Potala Palace. The site is visited by millions each year, and his act was likely seen by many. Yet, to this day, not a single video or image of the incident exists.

Then, author Michael Pronko considers how to describe our home:

Tokyo resists description. I want to try to articulate what qualities of the city are uniquely challenging when putting the experience of the city into words. Tokyo’s fluidity, historicity, density, turbidity, and humanity defy description. But that defiance of language is what makes Tokyo so interesting.

Drinks (both alcoholic and non) will be available. Drink, meet, and be square-y! Kids are also welcome at Nerd Nite.

Speakers:

• Nithin Coca — Real Time Censorship and Digital Authoritarianism in Chinese-occupied Tibet
• Michael Pronko — The Impossibility of Writing Tokyo