 |
||||||||
|
Science Pub Portland
Topics for 2010:
Dangerous Liaisons: Sexual Selection and Sexual Conflict Monday, September 13 at the Bagdad Theater (one week later than usual)
Reproduction is an essential part of all life, yet the existence of males and females leads to a real-life battle of the sexes that shapes the biology of most organisms. We will undertake an entertaining and sometimes tongue-in-cheek survey of causes and consequences of sexual competition in plants and animals, including explanations for why males and females often look so different from one another and tales of intrigue and conflict between the sexes.
Patrick Phillips, PhD, is a professor of biology and the head of the Biology Department at the University of Oregon. He is an expert on the genetics of complex traits, such as aging, behavior, development, and reproduction.
It's Not the End of the World: What the Ancient Maya Actually Tell Us About 2012 Tuesday, September 21 at the Mission Theater Don’t cash in your retirement plans just yet. At least not on the basis of Maya prophecy. The ancient Maya were consummate astronomers and mathematicians, and their complex calendar and cosmology connected time, astronomy, creation cycles, and gods, with colors, species of plants and animals, as well as organs of the human body. Some also say that their calendar predicts the end of the world in December 2012 but does it? This entertaining talk will examine what we know—and don’t know—about ancient Maya conceptions of space, time, and their calendar. Dr. Van Stone will introduce the actual scientific/archaeological evidence about Maya creation and destruction myths, including translations from the surprising hieroglyphic inscriptions of these mysterious people. What they tell us is fascinating indeed, far more so than just another end-of-the-world prediction. Come with your questions! Professor Mark Van Stone has spent his entire life studying the art and history of written forms including Celtic manuscripts, Roman and Greek inscriptions, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Japanese netsuke carving and calligraphy. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physics and worked at the Gamma-Ray Astronomy laboratory at the University of New Hampshire’s Space Science Center, and he received his PhD in Maya hieroglyphs in 2005. His background uniquely qualifies him to discuss both Maya astronomy and their hieroglyphs. Dr. Van Stone combines a rare general understanding and reading of ancient scripts with an even rarer ability to “write” them, which led to his first book, Reading the Maya Glyphs. Responding to the upsurge in interest in Maya prophecies about the “end of the calendar,” Professor Van Stone spent the last several years researching and writing his new book, 2012—Science and Prophecy of the Ancient Maya. He also contributed substantially to the two-hour documentary film Breaking the Maya Code. He presently holds the post of professor of Art History at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, California. Cataclysms on the Columbia: The Great Missoula Floods Monday, October 11 at the Bagdad Theater (one week later than usual) One of the greatest sets of geological events to ever have occurred in North America was the Missoula Floods. Occurring as many as 40 times during the last ice age, the floods were caused by waters released from ancient Lake Missoula that scoured the Columbia River basin, carved out the Columbia River Gorge, and swept across at least 16,000 square miles of the Pacific Northwest. This Science Pub will focus on the incredible story of discovery and development of the idea of the floods by J Harlen Bretz and will discuss the effect of the floods on the landscape of the Willamette Valley and the area around us. Scott Burns, PhD, is a professor of geology and past Chair of the Department of Geology at Portland State University where he has been for nearly 20 years. Scott specializes in environmental and engineering geology, geomorphology, soils, and Quaternary geology. In Oregon, he has projects involving landslides and land use, environmental cleanup of service stations, slope stability, earthquake hazard mapping, the Missoula Floods, paleosols, loess soil stratigraphy, radon generation from soils, and the distribution of heavy metals and trace elements in Oregon soils and alpine soil development. He has won many awards for outstanding teaching including the Distinguished Faculty Award from the Portland State Alumni Association in 2001 and the George Hoffmann Award from PSU in 2007. He has authored over 90 publications and has had over 25 research grants. He actively helps local TV and radio stations and newspapers bring important geological news to the public and, for the past 40 years, he has been studying wine and terroir—the relationship between wine, soils, geology, and climate. A Date with Physics Tuesday, October 19 at the Mission Theater Physics with all its laws, theories, and complicated equations is a science dreaded by many. We have all heard of E=mc2; it sounds smart, but what does it actually mean? How does it relate to me? Do I really need to know? A young physicist in love is convinced his date wants to know all about physics and will be impressed with his knowledge of the laws of mechanics, thermodynamics, optics, and electromagnetism. What girl has not dreamed of a date where the bottle of wine is a physics experiment and the romantic candlelight is a crucial piece to a physics lab? Find out if he is successful in his pursuit of science and love, or if she runs away screaming. Of course we believe YOU will love the science. Ralf Widenhorn, PhD, is a professor in the physics department at Portland State University. What Technology Wants Monday, November 1 at the Bagdad Theater A founding editor of Wired provides a refreshing view of technology as a living force in the world. Most of us have a love/hate relationship with new inventions—take the “crackberry,” for example. In What Technology Wants, Kevin Kelly declares this conflict as inherent to all technology. But he also argues that technology is an extension of life—and an acceleration of the mind. Technology is not anti-nature, but rather the “seventh kingdom” of life: it now shares with life certain biases, urges, needs, and tendencies. The system of technology, which Kelly dubs the “technium,” “wants” in an unconscious way to head in certain directions, just as do life and evolution. The technium functions as a living, natural system. Just as evolution has tendencies, urges, trajectories, established forms, and a direction, so too does the technium. So what is technology’s agenda? Where is it headed? What is the true nature of its increasing presence in our society? And how do the goals of the technological agenda relate to humanity’s goals? These are the questions Kelly examines as he uncovers three practical lessons. 1) By listening to what technology wants we can better prepare ourselves and our children for the inevitable technologies to come. 2) By adopting the principles of pro-action and engagement, we can steer technologies into their best roles. 3) By aligning ourselves with the long-term imperatives of this near-living system, we can capture its full gifts. Kevin Kelly is one of the true visionaries of our time. He was editor and publisher of Whole Earth Review, helped launch Wired magazine and was its editor for nearly six years, and has been involved in such cultural innovations as The Hacker’s Conference, the early online community The Well, and the All Species Inventory. His last book, New Rules for the New Economy, sold over 100,000 copies in hardcover and paperback and hit the New York Times Business, Wall Street Journal, and Business Week bestseller lists. Kelly writes for publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Time, Harpers, Science, GQ, and Esquire and he is currently editor and publisher of the popular Cool Tools, True Films, and Street Use websites. This Science Pub is presented in partnership with Powell’s Books. Powell’s will have Kevin's books available for purchase at the Science Pub and Kevin will sign them after the talk. I Dig Bones: Adventures in Forensic Anthropology Tuesday, November 16 at the Mission Theater Dr. Veronica “Nici” Vance, state forensic anthropologist at the Oregon State Police Portland Metro Forensic Lab There are no Science Pubs in December 2010, see you in January 2011! |
||||||||
