The 2008 Science-on-Saturday lecture series kicks off on Saturday, January 12 at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in Plainsboro. This year’s nine talks include computation in astrophysics, wound healing, the collective motion in animal groups, and the science and art of population-based health care.##M:[more]##
The talks, on Saturdays, January through March, at 9:30 a.m., are geared toward high school students, but open to everyone. Students, teachers, parents, and community members are welcome to attend any or all of the free lectures. This year’s talks are being co-organized by PPPL’s Ronald Hatcher and James Morgan. Admission is free.
This year’s program will be a collaboration with Liberty Science Center, which will offer four of the talks broadcast live from its interactive theater in the Jennifer A. Chalsty Center for Science Learning and Teaching. LSC audience members will view the speaker and slides in real time can even participate in the question-and-answer session at the end. The joint talks will be on Saturdays, January 12, February 2, and 9, and March 1. The Science-on-Saturday schedule follows:
“Is the Universe Infinite,” Janna Levin, professor physics and astronomy, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, Saturday, January 12.
“From Accreting Black Holes to Merging Galaxies: Computation in Astrophysics,” Jim Stone, associate chair in the Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Saturday, January 19.
“Scrapes, Scabs, and Scars: A Wound Healing Saga,” Jean Schwarzbauer, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Saturday, January 26.
“Symmetry: From Human Perception to The Laws of Nature,” Mario Livio, senior astrophysicist, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Saturday, February 2.
“Collective Motion and Decision-making in Animal Groups,” Iain D. Couzin, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Saturday, February 9.
“From Satellite Remote Sensing of the Earth to Non-Invasive Diagnostics of Skin Cancer,” Knut Stamnes, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, Saturday, February 16.
“Getting Behavior Out of Fossils,” Alan Walker, professor of anthropology and biology, Penn State University, Saturday, March 1.
“Spreading Rumors on Facebook,” Bernard Brooks, School of Mathematical Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, March 15.
“The Science and Art of Population-Based Healthcare,” Joan T. Beckwith, fellow, American College of Physicians, Temple University Hospital and School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Saturday, March 15.
All talks will be in the auditorium on the Plainsboro campus. Registration is on-site prior to each session. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. PPPL is a federal facility and all adult visitors must show a passport or a driver’s license. Vehicles, briefcases, satchels, book bags, and purses may be searched. Visit www.pppl.gov for information.
Science on Saturday, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Forrestal Campus, Route 1 North, Plainsboro, 609-243-2121. www.pppl.gov. Register on site. Photo ID required. Free. Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.
