Calendar
Science Pub Portland: The Death of the Universe
We Need to Talk About the Death of the Universe
With Paul M. Sutter, PhD, Professor of Astrophysics at Ohio State University
May 30, 2019 | Doors Open @ 5PM
Please note: this Science Pub is on a Thursday and is in addition to the regular May event.
$5 advance purchase for guaranteed seats; $5 suggested donation at the door. Tickets will be available online or at the OMSI front desk until 2pm the day of the event; see below for details.
We live in a changing universe. That seems simple to say, but it hides a hideous truth: our cosmos has a finite age, and it will eventually die. We need to talk about dark matter. We need to talk about dark energy. We need to talk about the big bang. We need to talk about expansion. We need to talk about star formation. We need to talk about the inevitable heat death of our universe. We need to talk.
An astrophysicist, author, speaker, producer, and on-air host everywhere from podcasts to TV, Paul strives to bring science to new audiences. By breaking down formidable concepts, emphasizing the human and artistic aspects of the scientific process, and making science accessible with his characteristic conversational, humorous approach, Paul is the one and only Agent to the Stars! An established scientist, Paul has authored over 60 academic papers on topics ranging from the earliest moments of the Big Bang, to the emptiest places in the universe, to novel methods for detecting the first stars. He received his PhD in Physics in 2011 as a Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellow, and prior to his current position he held research fellowships in Paris and Italy. He has given over 100 seminars, colloquia, and conference talks at institutions around the world.
OMSI Science Pub at the Empirical Theater is a ticketed event. To guarantee a seat at this event, please buy tickets online or at the OMSI front desk. Advanced tickets will be available for purchase until 2:00pm the day of the event. Please show your ticket at the theater entrance upon arrival.
If the event sells out, we will update the website and Facebook listings accordingly. If the event does not sell out in advance, attendance will be first-come, first-served at the door and at-the-door admission will remain a suggested donation.
Science Pub OMSI is a monthly event that is open to anyone and everyone – no scientific background required. Just bring your curiosity, sense of humor, and appetite for food, drinks and knowledge! For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, email: sciencepub@omsi.edu.
Pizza and salads will be available in our restaurant, Theory, and sandwichs and snacks from the Empirical Café. Guests can check-in at the theater entrance and find a seat before grabbing dinner and drinks. Food and drink are welcome in the theater. Parking is free for the event. Doors open at 5pm.
For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, email: sciencepub@omsi.edu.
Fermentation and your Microbiome
11am-1pm
Fermentation is one of the oldest and simplest means of preserving foods. It is also the best way to manage your gut microbiome, the ~100 trillion bacteria that live in your gut and change your health in a myriad of ways. In this class you will create a personalized batch of sauerkraut to take home, as well as learn the basics of making your own kombucha and what a SCOBY is. You will also get an introduction to your microbiome, and snack on some fermented foods while you learn about new scientific discoveries on the depth and breadth of how our microbiome influences our health.
One adult participant per ticket, children under 12 are welcome to share a ticket with an adult. General Admission is not included in the price of the ticket.
Questions? email Rebecca at rreilly@omsi.edu
Science Pub Corvallis: Water Conflicts
Water Conflicts and Cooperation: From the Columbia to the Nile
With Hassan Latif, Egyptian tour guide and Aaron Wolf, PhD, Professor at OSU’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science
June 3, 2019 | 6-8PM; Doors open @ 5PM | FREE, RSVP Required - Please note this event takes place at the Whiteside Theatre.
More details to come!
Moderated by Kate Sanders, the director for alumnae programs and includes a special introduction by OSU President Ed Ray.
Hassan Latif grew up in Cairo with a great passion for Egyptology. He has spent nearly 30 years guiding visitors, lecturing and tutoring. Holder of a bachelor’s degree as well as a High Diploma of Archaeology, he spent a year working with the excavation of a Pre-Dynastic site south of Cairo and two years as a curator at the Egyptian Museum. The museum is home to one of the world’s largest collections of ancient Egyptian artifacts. Latif specializes in leading tour groups from American universities, including recent groups traveling with the OSU Alumni Association. He also is a private tutor in the ancient Egyptian language and its hieroglyphic writing system. Hassan and his wife have three children and he enjoys spending his free time fishing on the banks of the Nile River and in the Red Sea.
Aaron Wolf trained as a groundwater hydrologist and he would often meet with groups of people angry about the fate of their local river or lake, so he used his science background to try to convince them that a solution was at hand. It usually didn’t work. So he began to shift his career to engage in conflict resolution and quickly discovered that neither science nor the Western model of resolving conflicts were enough to engage many people around the world. He eventually began looking at how people of faith addressed conflict to see if there were lessons he could translate into the world of water rights. He was surprised to find there were. After 12 years of traveling and research, the Oregon State University professor has written a book called The Spirit of Dialogue: Lessons from Faith Traditions in Transforming Conflict.
The Science Pub presentation is free and open to the public.
RSVP for the Next Science Pub
Due to the continuing popularity of Science Pub, we are implementing a ticketing/RSVP process. Please read the specifics below.
- Limit of two free tickets per person.
- Registration opens three weeks prior to each Science Pub and is limited to the first 100 tickets.
- Available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the link above or by calling 541-737-4717.
- Advanced registration recommended to guarantee a ticket/seat.
- Only register if you plan on attending please.
- If plans change, please cancel your reservation via your initial confirmation email or by calling 541-737-4717.
- Walk-ins welcome, but seating will not be guaranteed and is based on availability.
- Register for the Science Pub listserv by emailing events@oregonstate.edu or 541-737-4717.
Sponsors of Science Pub include Terra magazine at OSU, the Downtown Corvallis Association and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, email: sciencepub@omsi.edu.
You can also listen to their podcasts at http://communications.oregonstate.edu/podcast.
Science Pub Portland: Butterflies
The Last Butterflies: A Scientist’s Quest to Save a Rare and Vanishing Creature
With Nick Haddad, PhD, Professor and Senior Terrestrial Ecologist in the Department of Integrative Biology and the W. K. Kellogg Biological Station at Michigan State University
June 6, 2019 | Doors Open @ 5PM
Please note: This presentation is on a Thursday and is in addition to the regular Thursday event. OMSI is now host to two Science Pub events per month, on the first Thursday and the third Tuesday.
$5 advance purchase for guaranteed seats; $5 suggested donation at the door. Tickets will be available online or at the OMSI front desk until 2pm the day of the event; see below for details.
An army artillery range is forbidding for people and for nature. Or so it would seem. As it turns out, artillery does not devastate nature. Rather, it can ignite fires that unintentionally restore areas better than people do. This is true for many plants and animals, especially butterflies. The Taylor’s Checkerspot butterfly in the Pacific Northwest and the St. Francis’ Satyr butterfly in North Carolina would be extinct today if not for artillery. Unnatural disturbances like these pop up again and again in the conservation of rare butterflies.
In this talk, conservation biologist Nick Haddad will recount his search for the rarest butterfly in the world. He describes his distress while watching the rarest butterflies, numbering in the hundreds or thousands, as they declined toward possible extinction. As Dr. Haddad tracked these butterflies, he was surprised to learn that some of his conservation efforts were actually harming their populations. Even more surprising: he found that you have to kill some butterflies in order to bring them back from the brink of extinction.
Nick Haddad is an ecologist at the Kellogg Biological Station of Michigan State University. He has worked with butterflies, including very rare butterflies, for three decades. He specializes in large experiments that bring scientific principles to conservation actions, including restoration for rare butterflies. He has lived and worked in rare butterfly hotspots that include south Florida, North Carolina, Michigan, and the Bay Area of California. He has broad interest in conservation, and for three decades has studied the role of landscape corridors in connecting and sustaining ecological systems. He and his family love wilderness camping and canoeing. He lives in a house built in 1840, and somehow became an amateur electrician and plumber to keep the place functional.
Photo Credit: Bay Checkerspot Butterfly © Stu Weiss
OMSI Science Pub at the Empirical Theater is a ticketed event. To guarantee a seat at this event, please buy tickets online or at the OMSI front desk. Advanced tickets will be available for purchase until 2:00pm the day of the event. Please show your ticket at the theater entrance upon arrival.
If the event sells out, we will update the website and Facebook listings accordingly. If the event does not sell out in advance, attendance will be first-come, first-served at the door and at-the-door admission will remain a suggested donation.
Science Pub OMSI is a monthly event that is open to anyone and everyone – no scientific background required. Just bring your curiosity, sense of humor, and appetite for food, drinks and knowledge! For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, email: sciencepub@omsi.edu.
Pizza and salads will be available in our restaurant, Theory, and sandwichs and snacks from the Empirical Café. Guests can check-in at the theater entrance and find a seat before grabbing dinner and drinks. Food and drink are welcome in the theater. Parking is free for the event. Doors open at 5pm.
For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, email: sciencepub@omsi.edu.
Bitters Making Workshop
Bitters demystified! Learn how to make and use bitters in this hands-on workshop. This class will cover the history and science of bitters as well as basic formulas, tools, and processes to make bitter tinctures at home. Participants will have the opportunity to do tastings of various commercial bitters brands, as well as 36+ individual tinctures, and will blend two batches of bitters to take home.
One participant per ticket. Ages 21 and up, General Admission is not included in the price of the ticket.
Time: 10AM-12PM & 2PM-4PM
Meet A Scientist: June
Included in General Admission | Current science gets up close and personal at Meet a Scientist. This program, held on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, features local scientists who share their research and knowledge with you through hands-on activities and conversation. Meet a Scientist exclusively features professionals who are OMSI Science Communication Fellows.
June 8 Topics
- TBA
June 22 Topics
- Learn the fascinating and unique structure of the inner ear with George, and discover how it tells different sounds apart.
- More TBA!
Science Pub Eugene: Architecture
Simulating the Experience of Daylight in Buildings
With Siobhan Rockcastle, PhD, Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Oregon, Director of the Baker Lighting Lab, and co-founder of OCULIGHT dynamics
June 13, 2019 | 6:30-8:30PM; Doors open @ 5PM | $5 Suggested Donation
Daylight can have a range of positive and negative effects on our health, comfort, and experience in buildings. It provides the electromagnetic energy we need to see, enhances our perception of space with light and shadow, and drives the production of hormones responsible for entraining our circadian system. Daylight can also cause discomfort in the form of glare and overheating. In this talk, Siobhan Rockcastle will present her research on the effects of daylight on human well-being – from the development of simulation tools for modelling the impacts of light in buildings to her work with virtual reality, which allows users to experience daylit spaces in an immersive way and make informed design decisions before a building is constructed. A sample of these virtual environments will be shared using Oculus Rift and webVR through google cardboard.
Siobhan Rockcastle is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Oregon, Director of the Baker Lighting Lab, and co-founder of OCULIGHT dynamics, a company offering specialized daylight design support to promote healthy indoor occupation. She explores topics at the intersection of architectural design, environmental dynamics, human perception, and daylight performance. Siobhan’s research uses simulation and virtual reality to model and design experiential lighting environments. She has a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell, a Master of Science in Architectural Studies from MIT, and a PhD in Architecture and Science of the City from the EPFL. Both her Master and PhD theses received recognition, with a ‘Top Thesis Award’ and ‘Special Distinction,’ respectively.
Before the start of her position at the University of Oregon, Siobhan worked for Snøhetta NY, MSR design, Epiphyte lab, and Gensler and taught classes at Cornell, Northeastern, and EPFL. She consults on lighting design integration and environmental performance for a number of architectural and urban-scale projects in Switzerland and the USA. As a continuation of her work at MIT, Siobhan’s PhD research proposed new metrics that predict the impacts of daylight and spatial composition on perception and emotion in architecture. She has co-authored journal papers in Building & Environment and Lighting Research & Technology and presented her research at IBPSA International, SimAUD, Velux Daylight Symposium, LUX EUROPA, LIGHTFAIR International, and Transsolar Research Days.
Science Pub Eugene is a monthly event that is open to anyone and everyone. No RSVP or scientific background required. Just bring your curiosity, sense of humor, and appetite for food, drinks, and knowledge! For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, email: sciencepub@omsi.edu.
Science Pub Portland: Plankton
Plankton: The Importance of Small Things
With Paul North, Polar Expedition Diver & Director of Meet the Ocean
June 18, 2019 | Doors Open @ 5PM
$5 advance purchase for guaranteed seats; $5 suggested donation at the door. Tickets will be available online or at the OMSI front desk until 2pm the day of the event; see below for details.
The genesis of the marine food web begins at the microscopic level. In this talk, Paul North, director of the educational nonprofit Meet the Ocean will example the variety of minute creatures that exist in the ocean water column and describe the vital role they play in sustaining the life cycles of our planet. Though small and often outside of common consideration, plankton are the engineers of life as we know it. From the food we consume to the air that we breathe, their importance is undeniable.
Paul North is the director of Meet the Ocean - an educational nonprofit devoted to educating the public on the importance of our planet’s saltwater ecosystems. He has logged over 200 dives in the Southern Ocean working as Undersea Specialist with Lindblad Expeditions & National Geographic. His collaboration with scientist Skye Moret - Antarctica: A Chromatic Paradox won the National Science Foundation’s Visualization Challenge and was published in Popular Science magazine in April 2016. Combining storytelling and science, Meet the Ocean releases a monthly podcast, hosted by North, in hopes to mix education with entertainment to awaken audiences to the realities facing our planet.
OMSI Science Pub at the Empirical Theater is a ticketed event. To guarantee a seat at this event, please buy tickets online or at the OMSI front desk. Advanced tickets will be available for purchase until 2:00pm the day of the event. Please show your ticket at the theater entrance upon arrival.
If the event sells out, we will update the website and Facebook listings accordingly. If the event does not sell out in advance, attendance will be first-come, first-served at the door and at-the-door admission will remain a suggested donation.
Science Pub OMSI is a monthly event that is open to anyone and everyone – no scientific background required. Just bring your curiosity, sense of humor, and appetite for food, drinks and knowledge! For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, email: sciencepub@omsi.edu.
Pizza and salads will be available in our restaurant, Theory, and sandwichs and snacks from the Empirical Café. Guests can check-in at the theater entrance and find a seat before grabbing dinner and drinks. Food and drink are welcome in the theater. Parking is free for the event. Doors open at 5pm.
For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, email: sciencepub@omsi.edu.
Star Party: Summer Solstice Celebration
On Saturday, June 22, OMSI and Rose City Astronomers will celebrate the beginning of summer with a free Star Party! Join us at Rooster Rock State Park and L.L. Stub Stewart State Park starting at sunset weather permitting. From beginners to experts of all ages, here's your opportunity to view the stars and other celestial objects up close and personal through telescope and binoculars. Viewing highlights include Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and much more.
Join us as we gaze at the pre-summer night sky at Rooster Rock State Park, located 22 miles east of Portland on I-84 just east of Sandy River at exit 25. To reach L.L. "Stub" Stewart State Park, take US-26 west of Portland and turn right on OR-47. The event starts at sunset and is free with $5 parking per vehicle. Warm clothing and a flashlight with red light are recommended. Personal telescopes and binoculars are welcome.
On the scheduled day of each OMSI Star Parties, it is suggested that interested visitors check back here for possible weather-related cancellations.
LOCATION INFORMATION
Rooster Rock State Park | Take I-84 east of the Sandy River at exit 25. The park is located 22 miles east of Portland.
L.L. "Stub" Stewart State Park | Take US-26 west of Portland and turn right on OR-47. The park is located 34 miles west of Portland.
Science Pub Eugene: Social Psychology
Topic: Social Psychology
With Rob Chavez, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Oregon
July 11, 2019 | 6:30-8:30PM; Doors open @ 5PM | $5 Suggested Donation
Details coming soon!
Science Pub Eugene is a monthly event that is open to anyone and everyone. No RSVP or scientific background required. Just bring your curiosity, sense of humor, and appetite for food, drinks, and knowledge! For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, email: sciencepub@omsi.edu.
Meet A Scientist: July
Included in General Admission | Current science gets up close and personal at Meet a Scientist. This program, held on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, features local scientists who share their research and knowledge with you through hands-on activities and conversation. Meet a Scientist exclusively features professionals who are OMSI Science Communication Fellows.
July 13 Topics
- Space Themed "Meet A Scientist" as part of OMSI's moon month!
- Play the part of a sea ice scientist and use clues from incomplete data to map the Arctic Ocean with Daniel!
July 27 Topics
- TBA!
Science Pub Portland: Earthquakes
What Past Earthquakes Tell Us About Future Earthquake Hazard: Facts & Fake Facts
With Susan Hough, PhD, Research Geophysicist at the US Geological Survey in Pasadena, California
July 16, 2019 | Doors Open @ 5PM
$5 advance purchase for guaranteed seats; $5 suggested donation at the door. Tickets will be available online or at the OMSI front desk until 2pm the day of the event; see below for details.
Seismologists spend their lives working to understand earthquakes, including earthquakes caused by human activities, so that we can understand and mitigate the hazard they pose. Fortunately for us all, large earthquakes do not strike frequently in any one place. Many of the most important past earthquakes occurred before the invention of modern seismometers. To understand these events, scientists draw on sleuthing skills to explore all available sources of data. In this talk, I describe some of the ingenious work that has been done to understand past earthquakes, and the lessons they can teach us about present-day earthquake hazard. I also discuss evidence that, while earthquakes induced by wastewater injection appeared to be a new phenomenon, there is evidence that humans caused earthquakes in a number of places, including Oklahoma and Texas, as far back as the early 20th century.
Susan Hough graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in geophysics in 1982 and received a PhD in Earth sciences from the University of California, San Diego in 1988. Since 1992 she has worked as a research geophysicist at the US Geological Survey in Pasadena. Her research interests include earthquake ground motions, induced earthquakes, historical earthquakes, and seismic hazard. She led deployments of portable seismometers following a number of damaging earthquakes, including the 1989 Loma Prieta, California, and 2010 Haiti earthquakes. She has co-authored over 120 articles, and was elected Fellow of the American Geophysical Union in 2009. She is now serving as President-Elect of the Seismological Society of America. In addition to technical articles, she has a long-standing interest in science communication, having authored five books on earthquake science for a nonspecialist audience as well as numerous popular articles. She has further led USAIDsupported capacity development projects in a number of countries including Nepal, Haiti, and Myanmar.
This lecture is presented by The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (https://www.iris.edu) and the Seismological Society of America (https://www.seismosoc.org).
OMSI Science Pub at the Empirical Theater is a ticketed event. To guarantee a seat at this event, please buy tickets online or at the OMSI front desk. Advanced tickets will be available for purchase until 2:00pm the day of the event. Please show your ticket at the theater entrance upon arrival.
If the event sells out, we will update the website and Facebook listings accordingly. If the event does not sell out in advance, attendance will be first-come, first-served at the door and at-the-door admission will remain a suggested donation.
Science Pub OMSI is a monthly event that is open to anyone and everyone – no scientific background required. Just bring your curiosity, sense of humor, and appetite for food, drinks and knowledge! For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, email: sciencepub@omsi.edu.
Pizza and salads will be available in our restaurant, Theory, and sandwichs and snacks from the Empirical Café. Guests can check-in at the theater entrance and find a seat before grabbing dinner and drinks. Food and drink are welcome in the theater. Parking is free for the event. Doors open at 5pm.
For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, email: sciencepub@omsi.edu.