Minds in Motion: David Sussillo

Join us for an evening centered around a live talk from David Sussillo, along with an opportunity to interact with new HCI technology being developed at Tacit.

The Talk: Emergence and the Making of a Person

This talk explores how a self emerges from unstable beginnings. Through stories of childhood, group homes, video games, mentors, and science, David reflects on the long path by which a kid shaped by chaos became a researcher in neuroscience and AI. It’s a talk about becoming: how identity is forged through systems, relationships, healing, and chance. He’ll also touch on how that journey brought him into science and technology, and the work he’s been fortunate to do there.

About David Sussillo

David Sussillo spent five years in the Albuquerque Christian Children’s Home and four years at the Milton Hershey School as a child. After graduating high school, he ultimately received a Ph.D. from Columbia University in Computational Neuroscience. Now David is an adjunct professor at Stanford University and has been a scientist at the Google Brain group (recently featured in the book Genius Makers) and Meta Reality Labs.

In his professional pursuits, David researches brain-machine interfaces to develop the next generation of computers. David was the recipient of a Fulbright research grant and is an internationally recognized neuroscientist with over 40 publications. He works to understand the ghost in the machine — how cells in our brain collectively give rise to the computations that determine behavior. David has been happily married these last 20 years to his wife, Robin.

Hosted by Tacit

We’re a stealth startup working at the intersection of neuroscience, next-generation hardware, and the future of how humans interact with information.

This evening offers a rare opportunity to experience experimental human-computer interaction technology before it reaches the public.

As part of the event, guests will participate in a brief 20-minute session with our in-house prototypes — helping shape the future of how humans interface with information and intelligent systems.

Do that, and the rest of the night is on us.

How the Evening Works

Arrive, sign your NDA, and spend 20 minutes with our devices. Once your session is complete, your seat for the lecture is secured. From there, settle in, grab a drink, and enjoy the rest of the evening.

Agenda

3:45 PM – 5:45 PM - Drop in for your 20-minute HCI session (last session begins at 5:45 PM)

6:00 PM – 6:45 PM - Live talk with David Sussillo

6:45 PM – 7:00 PM - Q&A and open conversation

Following the talk – David will be doing a book signing. Copies of his book, Emergence: A Memoir of Boyhood, Computation, and the Mysteries of Mind, will be available for purchase at the event.

We’ll also be raffling off a signed copy to one guest attending the evening.

Policies

Attendance & Participation

• You must complete your 20-minute HCI session before attending the lecture. No exceptions.

• NDA required. All attendees must sign a non-disclosure agreement upon arrival.

• This event is for adults only. Attendees must be 18+ to attend and 21+ to drink.

Privacy & Confidentiality

• No photography, video recording, or content capture of any kind is permitted during the event. We are a stealth startup, and protecting the work being shown is essential.

Drinks

• Drinks are on us — responsibly. Alcohol will be served throughout the evening. Valid ID required for alcohol service.

Accessibility

• The venue is fully accessible. If you have any accessibility needs, please reach out ahead of time so we can make appropriate arrangements.

Participation Requirements

• English fluency is required. As this includes a data collection session, fluency in English is necessary to participate.

Conduct

By registering for and attending this event, you agree to treat all guests and staff with respect and comply with all event rules and instructions.

Harassment, disruptive behavior, or excessive intoxication will not be tolerated. To ensure the safety and comfort of all attendees, we reserve the right to refuse entry or remove any attendee at any time if behavior is deemed unsafe, disruptive, or disrespectful.