Scientists weigh in on the Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopus debate tonight! 5-9pm
Posted on | July 22, 2010 | No Comments
| July 22, 2010 | ||
| 5:00 pm | to | 7:00 pm |
How could I have missed this?
The folks at the Academy of Natural Sciences are assessing the scientific merits of Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopus.
I love these sorts of scientists-take-on-pop-culture events. Unfortunately, the movie is nearly unwatchable…despite the great acting chops of Debbie Gibson and Lorenzo Lamas
It isn’t free, but it is likely worth it. To register online: anspmegashark.eventbrite.com
Thursday, July 22, 2010, 5–9 pm
Join with the Penn State Alumni Association’s Philadelphia Chapter to watch the “awesomely awful” MegaShark vs Giant Octopus. The Academy’s own Paul Calloman and Jason Poole will provide running commentary on the film’s scientific veracity and many cinematic qualities—think Mystery Science Theater!5:00 pm: Enjoy hors d’oeuvre and drinks. Explore the Creatures of the Abyss exhibit and see a real giant of the seas—the Colossal Squid.
7:00 pm: Showtime!
To Register:This is an Adults only event (18 years old and over, visitors to the bar will be carded).
$30 for Academy members.
$40 for non-members.
Register online at anspmegashark.eventbrite.com/,
or call 215-299-1060.
This event is supported in part by Philadelphia Brewing Co.
There’ll Be Murder Afoot in National Mechanics: Science on Tap (7/12, 6PM)
Posted on | July 8, 2010 | No Comments
| July 12, 2010 | ||
| 6:00 pm |
How could you possibly resist a lecture at a bar that has “Sixteen Good Reasons Not to Drink Whiskey with Strangers” as a subtitle?
The wheel of hosts falls to the Mutter Museum for this month’s Science on Tap, and they’ve picked Stockton College history prof Lisa Rosner as their speaker, appropriately enough. Her new book is “The Anatomy Murders: Being the True and Spectacular History of Edinburgh’s Notorious Burke and Hare and of the Man of Science Who Abetted Them in the Commission of Their Most Heinous Crimes,” which has earned some raves at Amazon.
Science on Tap provided a helpful background link to the Burke and Hare murders, if you have some time to kill.
As always, Science on Tap is held 6PM the first Monday of the month* at National Mechanics on third street in Old City Philly.
*Well, usually, when there isn’t a national holiday.
Test the limits of human survival with Mary Roach at the Free Library (August 3)
Posted on | June 23, 2010 | No Comments
| August 3, 2010 | ||
| 7:30 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
“Spook” author,Mary Roach, will be at the Free Library of Philadelphia in August to discuss her forthcoming book “Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void.”
The book hasn’t been released yet, but I feel certain it will cover what happens to bodies exposed to the vacuum of space. You know you want to know.
Mary Roach | Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void (A)
Tuesday, August 3, 2010 at 7:30PM
Central Library
1901 Vine Street, 19103
215-686-5322
Cost: FREE
No tickets required. For Info: 215-567-4341.“One of those rare writers who can tackle the most obscure unpleasantness and distill the data into a hilarious and informative package,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times bestsellingscience writer Mary Roach has explored what happens to our bodies after we die (Stiff), what may happen to our souls after we die (Spook), and what happens physiologically behind closed bedroom doors (Bonk). With wit and unflagging curiosity, Packing for Mars examines the science of space travel and the oddities of life in such an inhospitable environment.
Thanks for the tip, Lene!
Science Fair First Friday at the Chemical Heritage Foundation (July 2)
Posted on | June 21, 2010 | No Comments
| July 2, 2010 | ||
| 1:00 pm | to | 8:00 pm |
I hope this will start your Fourth of July weekend off with a bang…figuratively, if all goes correctly:
First Friday at CHF – Science Fair
Date: 2 July 2010
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location: Chemical Heritage Foundation
315 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106Free and open to the public.
Sponsors: This event has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through the Heritage Philadelphia Program.
You should take the kids just for the Gummi Bear sacrifice.
More info here.
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
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