Category Archives: science events

Week of 8/17: The Ig Nobles and other Boston area events for the scicurious

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Monday

They abandoned the titles – such as “The Many Faces of Chocolate” — but they are still promoting the chemistry of cuisine at the Science and Cooking lectures at Harvard. This week sees a return visit from White House Pastry Chef Bill Yosses.

Wednesday

A busy night with a Science in the News lecture on Genetics, a talk on invasive species at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, and a session on “Crowdsourcing Innovation” at the Microsoft NERD Center in Cambridge.

Thursday

Another jam-packed night, highlighted by the Ig Nobles, the hilarious, quirky annual spoof with skits, music and awards for research like the gas-mask/bra. Sanders Theater at Harvard. Get Iggy and get tickets – if any remain. If not, check out the Quantified Self meet-up at the Asgard Irish Pub & Restaurant 350 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge.

Saturday

Rockin’ with Raptors Festival – Celebrate the tenth anniversary of the George Robert White Environmental Conservation Center. Hike the trails, enjoy lively entertainment provided by Branches Steel Orchestra, visit the petting zoo, see up close and learn about live raptors from Blue Hills Trailside Museum, and check out the exhibits and displays in Boston’s greenest municipal building.

Summer science events this week in Boston

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Monday

The Boston area has Geek Week – comedy – and Nerd Fun – a meet up –and this week, Nerd Night. The lectures – and music – take place at the Middlesex Lounge in Cambridge.  The event is described as “ an informal gathering at which nerds get together for nerdery of all sorts (well, mostly presentations and drinking). Nerds and non-nerds alike gather to meet, drink and learn something new.” Monday topics: immunology and the wonders of silk.

Tuesday

Science camps and children events abound this summer, with too many to list here. But, note that the Mass Audubon’s Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary in Natick is hosting a night nature program that combines ice cream and critters – frog, fireflies and this week, bats. Registration required.

Wednesday

The last of the Midsummer Nights’ Science lectures covers “Harnessing genomics to decipher fundamental differences” with Stacey Gabriel: “Since the days of the Human Genome Project, the Broad’s Genomics Platform has harnessed DNA sequencing and genotyping technologies …. Stacey Gabriel will discuss the implications of using these techniques to compare DNA from cancerous cells to normal cells, from one person to another, and from humans to other animals.” (Nerd Fun will meet up there.)

 Click here for the full Nature Boston calendar.

Science happenings in Boston this week: Physics, hydrothermal vents and the Public Garden

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Tuesday

Harvard professor Peter Girguis describes “the unexpected and unique biodiversity at the hydrothermal vents” which represent “possibly the most extreme area of Earth’s biosphere: extreme heat, pressure, toxicity, darkness.  “ He speaks at the Belmont Media Center as part of the Science for the Public series. The program offer science education for adults and tapes the talks for a website run by WGBH, Boston’s public television station.

Wednesday

In addition to the start of Broad’s Midsummer Nights’ Science Series, Wednesday offers a walk in the Boston Common and Public Gardens for those who want to” learn to distinguish between the upright Ginkgo, the spreading Oak and the vase-shaped Elm.“ Co-sponsored by the Friends of the Public Garden. Registration required by contacting617-542-7696 or info@bostonnatural.org

Friday

Walter Lewin is back with installment six of the eight lectures he’s taping for Japanese TV. The MIT professor known for his entertaining online lectures has come out of retirement to go live. On Friday:”Resonance and the Sounds of Music.” Get there — MIT”s Building 6 — early.

 

 

Science events this week include beer halls and an omics meet

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Monday

Monday is “Nerd Nite” at the Middlesex Lounge in Cambridge “featuring Nerd-appropriate tunes by Claude Money” and a $5 cover charge. The lineup: Talk 1. “The Walking Death, Poison Apples, and Tangled Proteins”
by Joe Mazzulli. Talk 2.  “Inhabiting the Global Anonymous (observations on the evolution of cities with a focus on Tokyo)”
by Ishita Sharma.

Tuesday-Thursday

For a fee, join the Omics Evolution 2012,  from May 29-31 at the Hyatt Harborside. “The Summit will bring together leading pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies, top scientists and government experts to discuss research and developments in drug discovery, new technologies and the evolving landscape of the industry in genomics, proteomics, RNAi, next-generation sequencing, epigenetics and protein kinases.” Continue reading →