# Event Details - **Event Name**: I Don't See It That Way: The Science of Decision Making | Binge Thinking - **Event Start and End Date**: Wed, 22 Jul, 2026 at 07:00 pm – Wed, 22 Jul, 2026 at 09:00 pm - **Event Description**: Join us and grab a drink as a neuroscientist explores how brains and bodies shape perception & decision-making using fruit flies...About this EventWelcome to Binge Thinking. We invite professors and experts to give lectures in bars!In a world of AI slop, doomscrolling and brainrot, Binge Thinking brings real experts into real places for nights of learning, conversation, and community.Think Responsibly.Topic: I Don’t See It That Way: How Internal and External Environment Influence Perception and Decision MakingSpeaker: Dr. Sara Wasserman (Wellesley College)Every decision we make — from what we notice to how we act — depends on a constant negotiation between our internal state and the external world. But how does the brain decide what matters in a world full of competing signals?Dr. Sara Wasserman’s research explores how brains and bodies communicate to produce flexible, context-dependent decision-making. At Wellesley College, her lab studies how organisms determine what to pay attention to, how they assign value to sensory information (attractive, aversive, or neutral), and how those valuations ultimately drive behavior.A key insight from her work is that neither attention nor value is fixed — both shift depending on internal states like hunger, thirst, and sleep, as well as external environments that change how information is perceived and processed.Using fruit flies from different ecological backgrounds (forest vs. desert) and manipulating internal states like dehydration and sleep deprivation, her lab investigates how neural circuits adapt to support survival-relevant decisions. To do this, they combine genetic tools with virtual reality flight simulators that allow researchers to observe and quantify the flies’ behavioral “decisions” in controlled environments.Topics include:How the brain and body communicate to guide decision-makingHow organisms determine what to pay attention to in complex environmentsHow internal states like hunger, thirst, and sleep reshape perception and behaviorHow value (attractive, aversive, neutral) is assigned to sensory stimuliHow context changes what is considered “salient” informationHow fruit flies help model flexible, survival-based decision-makingHow genetic tools and virtual reality systems reveal neural circuit functionThis talk brings together neuroscience, behavior, genetics, and ecology to explore how brains dynamically adapt decision-making to a constantly changing world.About the SpeakerDr. Sara Wasserman is a Kresa Family Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at Wellesley College and principal investigator of the Wasserman Lab. She earned her B.A. in Neuroscience and Theatre Studies from Wellesley College, her M.A. in Education from Pepperdine University, and her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from Brandeis University, followed by postdoctoral training as an HHMI Fellow at UCLA. Her research has been recognized with awards including the International Society for Neuroethology Young Investigator Award and NIH and NSF-supported fellowships, and her lab uses fruit flies and virtual reality flight simulators to study how internal state and external environment shape decision-making and behavior.Agenda7:00 PM — Doors Open & Drinks7:30 PM — Lecture Begins8:10 PM — Audience Q&A8:30 PM — Drinks & Conversation9:00 PM — Event Ends - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/somerville/i-dont-see-it-that-way-the-science-of-decision-making-binge-thinking/100001992290144453 - **Event Categories**: science-fair, workshops, art, theatre - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 - **Event Highlights**: - Duration: 2 hours - Location: Aeronaut Brewing Company - Languages: English ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 32.95, max: 32.95, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Somerville - **state**: MA - **country**: United States - **location**: Aeronaut Brewing Company - **lat**: 42.38197820000001 - **long**: -71.10625480000002 - **full address**: Aeronaut Brewing Company, 14 Tyler Street, Somerville, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: I Don't See It That Way: The Science of Decision Making | Binge Thinking - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events1/banners/37a7a5a88a14341b05899382f36a597c25f6c1c9ee40f03af67bc300be4a4702-rimg-w1200-h600-dcfee185-gmir.jpg?v=1782835805 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is I Don't See It That Way: The Science of Decision Making | Binge Thinking being held? - **A:** I Don't See It That Way: The Science of Decision Making | Binge Thinking takes place on Wed, 22 Jul, 2026 at 07:00 pm to Wed, 22 Jul, 2026 at 09:00 pm at Aeronaut Brewing Company, 14 Tyler Street, Somerville, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing I Don't See It That Way: The Science of Decision Making | Binge Thinking? - **A:** I Don't See It That Way: The Science of Decision Making | Binge Thinking is organized by Binge Thinking. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** I Don't See It That Way: The Science of Decision Making | Binge Thinking is ideal for curious learners, students, and skill-builders looking to gain hands-on knowledge and practical expertise in a focused, interactive setting. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Somerville, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If I Don't See It That Way: The Science of Decision Making | Binge Thinking sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "I Don't See It That Way: The Science of Decision Making | Binge Thinking", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events1/banners/37a7a5a88a14341b05899382f36a597c25f6c1c9ee40f03af67bc300be4a4702-rimg-w1200-h600-dcfee185-gmir.jpg?v=1782835805", "startDate": "2026-07-22", "endDate": "2026-07-22", "url": "https://allevents.in/somerville/i-dont-see-it-that-way-the-science-of-decision-making-binge-thinking/100001992290144453", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "Aeronaut Brewing Company", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "14 Tyler Street", "postalCode": "02143", "addressLocality": "Somerville", "addressRegion": "MA", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "42.38197820000001", "longitude": "-71.10625480000002" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "Join us and grab a drink as a neuroscientist explores how brains and bodies shape perception & decision-making using fruit flies...", "offers": [ { "@type": "AggregateOffer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-09-05", "availabilityEnds": "2026-07-22", "validFrom": "2026-09-05", "lowPrice": "32.95", "highPrice": "32.95", "price": "32.95", "url": "https://allevents.in/somerville/i-dont-see-it-that-way-the-science-of-decision-making-binge-thinking/100001992290144453" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/SoldOut", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-09-05", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-09-05", "url": "https://allevents.in/somerville/i-dont-see-it-that-way-the-science-of-decision-making-binge-thinking/100001992290144453", "price": "32.95", "name": "General Admission" } ], "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Binge Thinking", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/binge-thinking/27463712", "description": "Binge Thinking hosts pop-up lecture nights in bars for people who miss learning, curiosity, and conversations with substance.We bring university professors, researchers, and thoughtful experts out of lecture halls and into relaxed, social spaces for short, engaging talks on ideas you didn’t know you needed to hear—followed by drinks, discussion, and real human connection.Binge Thinking exists as an antidote to doomscrolling and algorithmic boredom. Our events are for people who want a night out that actually energizes them: fewer screens, better ideas, and conversations worth having.Think TED Talk meets cocktail night—no small talk required." } ] } ] ```