Encyclopedic Projects: The Rage for Order

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Humankind is marked by the common urge to collect, collate, categorize, and catalogue everything known about a subject. Dedicated scholarship and, more recently, advances in information technology now permit compendiums of monumental scale. Equal parts reference librarians and Renaissance men and women, four information taxonomists discuss their current projects in this panel moderated by Lawrence Weschler.

Martha Roth and John McCarter find similarities in their work on the Oriental Institutes Chicago Assyrian Dictionary and the Field Museums Encyclopedia of Life, respectively. Kelly Overly brings us up to speed on the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas, and all parties express a desire to incorporate Blaise Aguera y Arcass Photosynth—three-dimensional imaging technology—into their attempts to record and preserve human knowledge. Where do they fall in the evolution of historical lexicographers and encyclopedists?

Presented as part of the Karla Scherer Endowed Programs

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Photosynth
• Images
• Catagorization
• Assyria
• Dictionaries
• Encyclopedia
• Biology
• Lawrence Weschler
• Martha Roth
• John McCarter
• the Field Museum
• Encyclopedia of Life
• Kelly Overly
• Allen Mouse Brain Atlas
• Blaise Aguera y Arcas
• lexicography
• Chicago Humanities Festival

[ChicagoHumanities]

November 1st, 2008

4:30 - 6pm

Northwestern University School of Law - Thorne Auditorium

[nathanaelawrence]

What was the exact date that this was recorded? I've looked over your website for a schedule for 2008 but haven't turned up any answers yet.

I know it must have been before Obama was elected and some time after August 20, but beyond that I haven't found any solid leads.

Time of day and venue would also be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Nathanael Lawrence