Grand Opening of Marvels and Ciphers at the Chemical Heritage Foundation 3/5 5-8pm
Posted on | February 19, 2010 | No Comments
| March 5, 2010 | ||
| 5:00 pm | to | 8:00 pm |
A place like the Chemical Heritage Foundation needs to think outside the norm to come up with creative events that will spur popular interest in chemistry — but they have been able to deliver, so far, with their fun First Friday events and an engaging, albeit small museum — so I’m really looking forward to their next big exhibit, Marvels and Ciphers.
Marvels and Ciphers opens the door to reactions—both chemical and personal.
For centuries, with means ranging from alchemy to quantum-enabled technologies, scientists have struggled to understand the material world—with varying degrees of success. Public responses to scientific debate and discovery are even more varied. A single breakthrough can elicit fascination and hope as well as anxiety and fear.
With paintings, photographs, books, and cartoons, Marvels and Ciphers explores the inevitable social complexity of scientific pursuits.
The exhibit opens on March 1st, but there is an opening celebration on the 5th as part of First Friday in Old City. CHF is on 315 Chestnut Street in the heart of the historic district.
Tags: Chemical Heritage Foundation > History
Life-Size Operation Game at the Franklin Institute 1/30 10:30 am
Posted on | January 21, 2010 | No Comments
| January 30, 2010 | ||
| 10:30 am |
In what is possibly the weirdest conceivable (yet still tasteful, an important caveat) tie-in to Body Worlds 2, the Franklin Institute is creating a life-size Ben Franklin version of the Operation Game. Also note that The Franklin is teaming with MakePhilly and Hive76, which is a brilliant combination.
Early registration for the tournament is highly encouraged. Check-in on competition day begins at 10:30 and the tournament introduction will start at 11am sharp. WMGK-FM on-air personality Andre Gardner will guide contestants through each round leading up to the final event. There will be related make-n-takes and activities for young visitors. The event takes place in Franklin Hall at The Franklin Institute. For more information, log on to www.fi.edu .
Now THIS is a Science on Tap topic: “The Origin and Evolution of Beer” 1/11 6pm
Posted on | January 10, 2010 | No Comments
| January 11, 2010 | ||
| 6:00 pm |
Oh nuts, it’s almost the second Monday of the month and I haven’t posted a thing about tomorrow’s Science on Tap:
Science on Tap: “The Origin and Evolution of Beer”
Speaker: Dr. Ernie Schuyler: Curator Emeritus of Botany, The Academy of
Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
Location: National Mechanics, 22 South 3rd St., Philadelphia
About 10,000 years ago, humans became farmers who cultivated a new kind of barley and brewed beer from it. Some think that the desire for beer was the driving force for cultivating grains and therefore thevfoundation of civilization. Natural selection favored consumers of beer for health reasons. It was safer to drink than contaminated water and it had nutritional value. Over eight millennia after the invention of beer, a major evolutionary change occurred when hops began to be used in brewing for its bitterness, flavor, aroma, and preservative properties. Eventually the role of yeast in fermentation became known and techniques were devised to control the quality of the final product. Today beer continues to evolve thanks to the efforts of creative brewers, including many in and around Philadelphia.
Tags: anthropology > beer > botany > science cafe > science on tap
Peter Dodson at Science on Tap tonight! 6pm National Mechanics
Posted on | December 14, 2009 | No Comments
| December 14, 2009 | ||
| 8:00 pm |
Ack! Science on Tap is tonight. The host, triceratops-enthusiast extraordinaire, Pete Dodson, is one of my favorite people on the planet, but my daughter’s gymnastics lesson is tonight and I’m duty-bound to take her. Please, please go on my behalf. Tonight at National Mechanics.
22 South Third St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-701-4883
http://www.nationalmechanics.com
Peter Dodson , Professor of Anatomy and Paleontology, University of Pennsylvania
“Dinosaur Studies in China”
Dr. Dodson will be speaking about “Dinosaur Studies in China,” which is also the subject of his next book. As the number one country in the world for dinosaur diversity, China is where Dr. Dodson has conducted research for the past 10 years. He will reveal how paleontology is done there today and tell the stories behind the numerous species he has personally uncovered.
Fun Fact: Peter Dodson’s name appears in a background dinosaur poster in the book “Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones.”
Sustainability Conference at the Academy, 12/15 8:30am-12:30pm
Posted on | December 14, 2009 | No Comments
| December 15, 2009 | ||
| 8:30 am | to | 12:30 pm |
This just in (my inbox…from a few days ago)…
In order to promote this cooperation, the Philadelphia Global
Sustainability Association of Business Students, the City of
Philadelphia, the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, and the
Academy of Natural Sciences will host the Philadelphia International
Sustainability Conference, “Leading Change: Sustainability and the
Future of Business, Technology, Policy, and the Environment in China and
the U.S.” The conference will be held Tuesday, Dec. 15, from 8:30 a.m.
to 12:30 p.m., at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Admission is free and
open to the public. Registration is required. To register, visit:
http://www.ansp.org/environmental/2009/12/philadelphia-international-sustainability-conference/.
Online auction for the Franklin Institute
Posted on | November 25, 2009 | No Comments
If you are in the mood to pick up some nifty gifts and support a worthy place, try bidding on these online auction items. Bidding starts Friday.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I’d really like the telescope and lessons from Derrick Pitts.
“Flock Of Dodos” filmmaker visits Swarthmore to promote “Sizzle: A Global Warming Comedy” 12/1, 8PM
Posted on | November 17, 2009 | 1 Comment
| December 1, 2009 | ||
| 8:00 pm |
Recent Science on Tap talker Colin Purrington blogs on a visit to Swarthmore from Randy Olson, producer of the must-be-seen Flock of Dodos, to promote his latest probably-must-be-seen film, Sizzle: A Global Warming Comedy.
If Sizzle is anything like Flock of Dodos, it will be very much worth seeing. In Dodos, Olson had a way of highlighting the absurd in controversy — from both sides, in fact — that really helps put the controversy itself into focus. I hope that he applies the same technique in the new flick…and keeps the pro-science stance.
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