Events of Interest—November 2008

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Note: Some events may require advance reservation, admission fees and/or a minimum age (for example, for events where alcohol is served).

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Featured Events in October

Health Care Policy: What to Expect from the New Administration

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m.: Join Michael Von Korff and Diana E. H. Birkett from Group Health Cooperative for a talk titled “Health Care Policy: What to Expect from the New Administration.” This event is presented in association with the Pacific Science Center and KCTS Public Television as part of Science on Tap. Venue: T.S. McHugh’s Irish Pub. Information: http://www.scienceontap.org

The Science of Chocolate

Thursday, Nov. 6, The Science of Chocolate tour at Theo Chocolate in Fremont has reached the maximum number of attendees. If you received a confirmation e-mail from Lisa Farino, you are on the list. Remember to bring a check or cash to pay admission for guests. If you plan to join NSWA at the door, remember that membership costs $20 and stays good for all of
2009. (No credit cards, please.) For information on Theo Chocolate, visit http://www.theochocolate.com. Send questions about the tour to Farino at Lisa.Farino@gmail.com.

NSWA Board Meeting

NSWA monthly board meeting. Contact Michael Bradbury at mikeb@seanet.com to RSVP and get date, time and venue information.

NSWA Freelance Friday Happy Hour

Contact Lisa Farino (LisaFarino@gmail.com) about the next freelance happy hour. You don’t need to be a freelancer to attend. Everyone is welcome.

Join NSWA

As an NSWA member, you get discounts on some of our events, inside information on job openings and other opportunities, and the satisfaction of knowing you’re supporting the Pacific Northwest’s community of science communicators. Annual dues are just $20.

For information or to join, visit our Join page.

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Wednesday, Nov. 5, 6 p.m.:
Rose Calderon, clinical director of the eating disorders program at Seattle Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, gives a free talk titled “Is Your Teenager Hiding an Eating Disorder?” Calderon shares information about symptoms, warning signs, prevention and treatment of eating disorders. The program is presented by The Seattle Public Library and the UW School of Medicine. Venue: West Seattle Branch.
Information: http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=branch_open&branchID=29

Wednesday, Nov.5, 7:30 p.m.:
Join Michael Von Korff and Diana E. H. Birkett from Group Health Cooperative for a talk titled “Health Care Policy: What to Expect from the New Administration.” This event is presented in association with the Pacific Science Center and KCTS Public Television as part of Science on Tap. Venue: T.S. McHugh’s Irish Pub.
Information: http://www.scienceontap.org

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m.:
Robert Park discusses his new book Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science. From uttering a prayer before boarding a plane to exploring past lives through hypnosis, has superstition become pervasive in contemporary culture? In Superstition, Park asks why people persist in superstitious convictions long after science has shown them to be ill-founded. He examines recent controversies and concludes that science is the only way we have of understanding the world. This lecture is a part of the Seattle Science Lecture Series. Note: $5 general admission. Free to Pacific Science Center members and students with ID. Venue: Pacific Science Center, Eames Theater.
Information: http://www.pacsci.org/visitorinfo

Thursday, Nov. 6, 11 a.m.:
Sandie O’Neill from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife presents a lecture titled “Toxics in the Puget Sound Food Web: Understanding the Problem in Order to Move Towards Improvement.” The lecture is the Northwest Fisheries Science Center’s (NWFSC) “Monster Jam.” Venue: NWFSC auditorium, 2725 Montlake Blvd. East.
Information: Contact Blake Feist, blake.feist@noaa.gov or (206) 860-3408.

Thursday, Nov. 6, 5 p.m.:
Mark Zachry, UW professor of technical communication, gives a free talk titled “Activity in Virtual Workspaces: Web 2.0 Technologies and Beyond.” Venue: UW Loew 105.
Information: http://uwtc.washington.edu/nav_courses/all_courses/251

Thursday, Nov. 6, 7 p.m.:
Mike Davis will talk about his new book, Who Will Build the Ark? The Architectural Imagination in an Age of Catastophic Convergence. The talk is the UW’s Solomon Katz Distinguished Lectures in the Humanities. Davis is the award-winning author of 18 books. He is currently working on a book about climate change in the urban Southwest. Venue: UW Kane Hall, Room 120.
Information: http://www.bookstore.washington.edu

Thursday, Nov. 6, 7 p.m.:
Join UW and WSU for “Teaming Up for Global Health: Frontiers of Research on Infectious Diseases.” This joint presentation is free to the public and will confront strategies to treat and prevent emerging infectious diseases. Doctors Guy Palmer of WSU and Sam Miller of the UW will show examples of how innovative technology can help us understand the complexities of infectious disease. They’ll also discuss how many diseases, such as mad cow disease and avian flu, arise from our friends in the animal kingdom. The event is part of “Life Sciences Research Week” presented by the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research and the Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Association. Venue: UW Kane Hall, Room 130.
Information and registration: http://washbio.org/cde.cfm?event=232008

Friday, Nov. 7 to Sunday, Nov. 9:
Explore how virtual snow can help burn patients, discover how a “simulated man” is helping doctors cure disease, and take a trip into a human brain during Life Sciences Research Weekend. The Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association and the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research have teamed up with Pacific Science Center to create three days of demonstrations, interactive exhibits and talks for school children, families and citizen scientists interested in learning more about the crucial role of life science research and its benefits. Guests will have a rare opportunity to meet leading edge researchers and some of the nation’s top research scientists from companies and research institutions across the state. Venue: Pacific Science Center.
Information: http://www.pacsci.org/lifesciences

Saturday, Nov. 8, 2 p.m.:
Pilot Addison Pemberton talks about the recovery and restoration of a Boeing Model 40C, the world’s oldest flying Boeing aircraft, and discusses his adventures on the “2008 Transcontinental Air Mail Re-enactment Flight.” The flight, Sept. 10 to Sept. 15, consisted of three historical aircraft: a 1928 Boeing 40C flown by Addison Pemberton, a 1927 Stearman C3B flown by Larry Tobin, and a 1930 Stearman 4E flown by Ben Scott. The flight commemorated the 90th year of air mail service in the U.S. and included official mail for post offices between New York and San Francisco. Program is free with museum admission. Venue: Museum of Flight, William M. Allen Theater.
Information: http://www.museumofflight.org

Saturday, Nov. 8, 2:30 p.m.:
Susan Ying presents a lecture titled “To Boldly Go…Leading Beyond the Horizon.” In the 21st century, women leaders have achieved positions of great influence in politics, business, arts, the sciences, and engineering. What’s the secret behind this successful leadership journey? Ying shares some unique personal lessons and stories from others in the aerospace field. Program is free with museum admission. Venue: Museum of Flight, View Lounge.
Information: Contact Leslie Barstow, lesliebarstow@earthlink.net or (206) 290-4869.

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m.:
Van Jones discusses his new book, The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems. Could a shift to a greener economy be the answer to our financial woes? Yes, says activist and political advisor Jones. If we move away from the diminishing resources of oil, coal, and natural gas, a stronger, healthier economy will follow as new jobs are created in the green energy industry, and other employers are able to find new ways to power their own businesses. Venue: University Book Store.
Information: http://www.bookstore.washington.edu

Thursday, Nov.13, 3:30 p.m.:
Joseph Felsenstein, UW professor of genome sciences and biology, gives a talk titled “Evolutionary Trees, Coalescents, and Gene Trees: Can Mathematicians Find the Woods?” The event is part of the UW’s MathAcrossCampus Colloquium Series, which is intended for a general audience. Venue: UW Kane Hall Room 210.
Information: http://www.math.washington.edu/mac/talks.html

Thursday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.:
Katherine Taylor presents “Looking Through Time: How Modern Methods Are Shedding New Light on Old Bones.” The lecture is part of the “Lucy Talks” series presented by the Burke Museum and the Pacific Science Center. Venue: Pacific Science Center, Eames Auditorium. Information: Visit http://www.pacificsciencecenter.org and select “Lucy’s Legacy.”
Thursday, Nov. 13, 5:30 p.m.: Van Jones gives a talk titled “Green Pathways Out of Poverty” as part of the Transformational Lecture Series. The talk is sponsored by BetterBricks, Cascadia Region, Green Building Council and the City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development. Venue: Benaroya Hall.
Information and registration: http://www.tlsvanjoneswa.eventbrite.com

Thursday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.:
David Knibb discusses his new book, Grizzly Wars: The Public Fight Over the Great Bear. Grizzly bears are a symbol of the wild, untamable part of the North American continent. We work to manage and save the species, but at the same time, we must recognize the danger it poses to human beings. Knibb explores the issues surrounding Ursus arctos horribilis. Venue: University Book Store.
Information: http://www.bookstore.washington.edu

Monday, Nov. 17, 3 p.m.:
Daniyal Zuberi, assistant professor of sociology at the University of British Columbia, gives a free talk titled “Outsourced: Hospital Cleaners and Support Workers in Vancouver.” Venue: UW Parrington Hall Commons, Room 308.
Information: Visit http://www.washington.edu, select ‘Events” and find the date.

Tuesday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m.:
Paul Bannick discusses his new book, The Owl and the Woodpecker: Encounters with North America’s Most Iconic Birds. Every wild place and urban area in North America hosts an owl or a woodpecker species, while healthy natural places often boast representatives of both. The diversity of these two families of birds and the ways in which they define and enrich the ecosystems they inhabit, are the subject of this new book by Bannick, a photographer and naturalist. Venue: Tacoma Public Library.
Information: http://www.bookstore.washington.edu

Tuesday, Nov. 18, 7:30 p.m.:
Cherie Calborn discusses her new book, Juicing, Fasting and Detoxing for Life. Known as “The Juice Lady,” clinical nutritionist Calbom’s latest book describes how juicing vegetables provides concentrated nutrition found in virtually no other source including vitamins, minerals, enzymes, phytochemicals and antioxidants. Presented as part of the Future of Health Lectures with Bastyr University and Puget Consumer Coop. Tickets are $5 and are available at www.brownpapertickets.com, (800) 838-3006 and at the door beginning at 6:30 p.m.. Town Hall members receive priority seating. Venue: Town Hall Seattle.
Information: http://www.townhallseattle.org

Wednesday, Nov. 19, 7 p.m.:
Babak Parviz, UW associate professor of electrical engineering, gives a talk titled “Back to Nature for the Next Technology Revolution” as part of the UW College of Engineering’s Fall Lecture Series. Technology evolved slowly over the first 50,000 years of “modern” human culture, then progressed at warp speed following the Industrial Revolution. Now we are on the cusp of an even more profound revolution in manufacturing. Nature builds the most complex and sophisticated systems, so engineering researchers such as Parviz are turning to nature for solutions. Imagine using DNA as a template to “grow” electronic devices, or custom-designing molecules to build transistors. Come learn about the amazing new, yet ancient, world of “self-assembly” on the nanoscale. Venue: UW Kane Hall Room
110.
Information and registration: http://www.engr.washington.edu/alumcomm/lectures.html

Wednesday, Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m.:
Nobel-laureate Robert Laughlin discusses his new book The Crime of Reason. Laughlin argues that we are on the verge of a new dark age, as scientific and technical knowledge become the province of experts and the broader populace becomes more ignorant. He paints a troubling picture of a society in which the concepts of intellectual property are being applied to things as diverse as gene sequences and sales techniques. He describes the danger of allowing ideas to be legally elevated to the status of land and other physical assets so that their unauthorized acquisition can be prosecuted as theft. Presented as part of The Seattle Science Lectures, with University Book Store. Tickets are $5 and are available at www.brownpapertickets.com, 800/838-3006 and at the door beginning at 6:30 p.m.. Town Hall members receive priority seating. Venue: Town Hall Seattle.
Information: http://www.townhallseattle.org

Friday, Nov. 21, 7:30 a.m.:
M. Grant Norton of the WSU School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering will discuss new energy technologies, especially in nanotechnology, as part of the Spokane Science, Technology & Business Discovery Series. The series is designed for business and community leaders who want to stay on top of important advancements being made in our state, nationally and internationally. Venue: Spokane Club.
Information and registration: http://www.technology-alliance.com/strt/spokane.html

Saturday, Nov. 22, 6 p.m.:
Ken Dial, director of the Univesity of Montana Flight Laboratory, presents a lecture titled “The Locomotion of Dinosaurs, Birds and Airplanes.” The lecture is the Seattle Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society’s seventh annual Joe Sutton Dinner. Understanding the origin and evolution of avian flight has been Dial’s passion for the past decade. Dial studies animals with different wing shapes and body sizes using wind tunnels to better understand the relationship between form and function among the 10,000 species of living birds. Individual tickets are US$120. Venue: Museum of Flight, Great Gallery.
Information: Visit http://www.museumofflight.org or contact Yvonne at raes-sbsecretary@comcast.net

Friday, Nov. 28, Saturday, Nov. 29 and Sunday, Nov. 30, 2 p.m.:
The Museum of Flight presents screenings of “The Immortal Beaver: A Documentary Film.” As Canada reaches its centennial in aviation history, celebrate the aircraft named one of the “Top 10 Greatest Engineering Achievements of the past 100 years.” This film follows the resurrection of the de Havilland Beaver, “Olivia,” a weather-beaten shell of an airplane that has been resting quietly for decades in the Arizona desert. The documentary features interviews with those from Olivia’s time and modern-day enthusiasts including actor Harrison Ford. Film is free with museum admission. Venue: Museum of Flight, William M. Allen Theater.
Information: http://www.museumofflight.org

Monday, Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m.:
Milliman, a group of healthcare and actuarial consultants, presents a forum titled “Healthcare Reform and Electronic Health Records.” Electronic health records are at the center of discussions about quality, accountability and consistent healthcare decision-making. While they allow for the use of evidence-based medicine at the point of care and promote active engagement between providers and patients, there are persistent questions about cost, privacy and how this new pool of information will be used. Panelists include senior representatives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Electronic Data Systems, Google, Group Health, Microsoft, Milliman, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as King County Executive Ron Sims and Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler. Free, no tickets required. Venue: Town Hall Seattle.
Information: Visit http://www.townhallseattle.com or townhall@milliman.com or call (206) 504-5547.

Wednesday, Dec. 3:
The University of Oregon’s (UO) School of Journalism presents a half-day seminar for journalists titled “Climate Change Science, Economics and Policy.” The seminar offers journalists an opportunity to learn the latest climate science and economics. Participants will also learn about likely legislative proposals through presentations by practitioners, policy experts, as well as journalists who regularly cover the issue. The seminar is presented in cooperation with UO’s Climate Leadership Initiative and co-sponsored by the Society for Environmental Journalists and the Yale Forum on Climate Change and the Media. Venue: UO Turnbull Center, Portland, Oregon.
Information and registration: Contact Yvonne Lewis, (503) 412-3662 or sojcpdx@uoregon.edu.

Now through Friday, Dec. 12:
UW Libraries present a “Science Debate 2008 Topic Table.” Senator John McCain and President-elect Barack Obama answer 14 questions about science in the United States. Books on display are available to check out. Venue: The table is located inside the glass doors of the Natural Sciences Reference Area on the ground floor of Allen Library South.
Information: http://www.lib.washington.edu/natsci/topics

REMINDERS:
Mentors are needed to advise high school students in the winter for their Student Biotech Expo projects. The expo is on Wednesday, May 29, 2009.
For more information, visit http://www.nwabr.org/studentbiotech/advisors/advisor_info.htm

Additions? Corrections? Write calendar@nwscience.org.