For Saturday

Masquerade for Education

Kick off the weekend with a little Halloween spirit at the Alliance for Education's 11th annual Black and Orange Masquerade.

The event will include a dinner and live auction to raise money for the local nonprofit, which has served Seattle Public Schools since 1995 independently of SPS, raising money for programming, tech, and even helping draft goals, and shape the teachers' contract.

The masquerade is a black tie event—but don't forget to add a touch of orange.

Black and Orange Masquerade, Sat, October 26, 6pm, Fairmont Olympic Hotel, 411 University St, Seattle, $250.

For Friday

Race Exhibit

What is race?

This Pacific Science Center exhibit explores the history surrounding the social construct of race by using science and personal stories to challenge traditional notions about racial identity.

This exhibit, developed by the Science Museum of Minnesota in collaboration with the American Anthropological Association, has been touring the country since 2007, deconstructing fixed ideas about race along the way.

It runs through January 5 of next year.

Race: Are We So Different?, through January 5, Pacific Science Center.

For Thursday

Take Back Your Time

John De Graff is the Executive Director of Take Back Your Time, an organization dedicated to fighting the "I'm busy" culture, which De Graff has denounced on TV shows such as the PBS special "Running Out of Time." 

De Graff will speak in Seattle this evening in celebration of "Take Back Your Time Day" about the connections between time balance, happiness, and even ecological sustainability.

He will also explain the world development model based on Gross National Happiness he helped develop for Bhutan (you know, that nation that measures its success with a happiness index).

Lit Crawl

Calling all literary lovers! Tonight is the Seattle Lit Crawl, where over 60 authors will read samples of their work at 19 different Seattle venues. (And might I mention, our very own Josh Feit will host the 6pm reading at Von Trapp's.)

After the literature is said and done, the fun will move to the Victor Hugo House at 9pm for an afterparty.

Seattle Lit Crawl, Thu, October 24, 6pm–midnight, select locations around Seattle, free.

Pandora’s Promise

In the wake of the Fukushima disaster (not to mention the menacing history of nuclear weaponry), the new documentary Pandora’s Promise explores the past, present, and future of nuclear technology. 

The question, the provocative film poses, is not if nuclear power will be our future, but how we can both use it to our advantage and avoid catastrophe.

The filmmaker Robert Stone and environmentalist Michael Shellenberger will be available after the screening for Q&A. RSVP if you’d like to attend.