Mathematics Club
2025-10-23 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-10-30 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-06 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-13 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-20 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Maths Club

Writing for Low-Watt Brains
2025-10-25 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Topic: Best Writing Tips for Low-Watt Brains in an AI World

Abstract: Now we know just how huge and hungry artificially powered intelligence will be. The human brain runs on less wattage than it takes to light a refrigerator bulb. We human-sourced communicators must streamline our tactics for simpler yet more powerful writing to stay relevant. This presentation shares many immediate tips to better connect your words to the hearts and
minds of others, as the human touch becomes a scarcer and richer skill.

Bio: Steven R. Van Hook teaches communications and cross-cultural relations for the University of California and elsewhere. He’s been a newspaper columnist, TV news anchor, and bureau chief in Moscow. He has a PhD specializing in transcultural
education, and has published in journals including UNESCO’s Prospects and Sage’s Journal of Research in International Education

Classical Concert
2025-10-26 07:00 - 08:00, 2025-11-02 07:00 - 08:00, 2025-11-09 07:00 - 08:00, 2025-11-23 07:00 - 08:00, 2025-11-30 07:00 - 08:00 | The Lighthouse Café

Moon Base Selene
2025-10-27 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-11-03 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-11-10 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-11-17 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-11-24 10:00 - 11:00 | Moon base Selene
Join Us at Moon Base Selene: Be Part of a Cosmic Adventure!

Dear Science Enthusiasts, Students, and Curious Minds, Every Monday at 10 AM PDT, an extraordinary group gathers in a virtual realm to push the boundaries of imagination and innovation at Moon Base Selene. Led by an inspiring team of experts—Phil Youngblood, Ph.D., William Wall, Ph.D., Natalie Foster, Prof. Emerita, Robert Hendrix, MD, Linda Kelley, Ph.D., and Robert Brown, Ph.D.—we, the Stichting The Science Circle, invite you to join our vibrant community of colleagues, students, and science enthusiasts as we collaboratively design and develop an immersive, interactive virtual Moon base.Imagine stepping onto the lunar surface, exploring cutting-edge scientific concepts, and co-creating a futuristic habitat that blends education, innovation, and exploration.
At Moon Base Selene, you’ll engage in dynamic discussions, contribute to multidisciplinary projects, and connect with like-minded individuals passionate about science, technology, and the future of space exploration. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or simply curious about the cosmos, your ideas and enthusiasm can help shape this groundbreaking virtual experience.Our weekly meetings are a hub of creativity and learning, where diverse perspectives come together to tackle real-world challenges in a lunar context. From designing sustainable habitats to exploring the science of lunar living, every session is an opportunity to learn from world-class experts, share your insights, and be part of a global community dedicated to advancing scientific education.Why Join Us?

Inspiration: Work alongside distinguished scholars and professionals who share your passion for discovery.
Innovation: Contribute to a one-of-a-kind virtual Moon base that merges science, technology, and creativity.
Community: Connect with a global network of science enthusiasts and build lasting collaborations.
Impact: Help shape the future of immersive education and inspire the next generation of explorers.

No prior experience in space science is required—just a curious mind and a desire to learn! Join us every Monday at 10 AM PDT to take your first step into this exciting lunar adventure. Visit https://sciencecircle.org/howtoattend/ for details on how to participate, or contact us at info@sciencecircle.org to learn more.

Let’s build the future together at Moon Base Selene—your journey to the stars starts here!

Virtual Worlds in Education and Museums III: Triassic Dinosaurs
2025-11-01 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
This is the third in a series of annual talks on the use of Virtual Worlds and Virtual Reality in Education and Museums. In 2025 in collaboration with Dinosaur State Park, I created a virtual world model for the Triassic time period in Connecticut and Virginia. This simulation created using the Unreal game engine was demonstrated at the Dinosaur Festival at the Virginia Museum of Natural History in July of 2025. 130 guests at the festival took a prequiz, went through the Triassic Virtual World, and then took a post-quiz. Guests showed a 38% increase in their knowledge of dinosaurs and the Triassic.
By Dr. William Schmachtenberg

The Ancestor’s Tale
2025-11-08 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
The human genome was published in 2004. Richard Dawkins published the first edition of ‘The Ancestor’s Tale’ in the same year, sharing new discoveries about life coming out as a result of unlocking DNA sequences and educating people about evolutionary biology in general. The popular science book continues to be updated and now has over 70 editions in many languages.
While retaining the spirit of the ‘recipe’ that ‘The Ancestor’s Tale’ follows, I have added a few ‘ingredients’ of my own, including placing human evolution in context with geologic history, which constantly shapes and occasionally upends evolution, adding additional information about the history of life, separating the highlights of what we need to take away from how evolution works, and reversing the order of how information is presented in the book in an effort to aid viewers less acquainted with the subjects.
The history of life and how humans came to be is one of the most fascinating stories that our species can share with each other and one that continues to evolve as we learn more, though ironically a story that that may be shared less these days in circles uncomfortable with the concept of change or exploration of our past.
This is a story I am most interested in, but which brings together so many fields of science that I am hoping you will join me at the amphitheater this Saturday to make sure I get it all correct!

Borders and Breakdowns: Exploring Boundary Types and Dysfunctions
2025-11-15 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
“A Political Geographer’s Take on Territorial Boundaries and Their Disruptive Effects, Focusing on Africa”
Submitted by Meryl McBride (aka Merrill Johnson, Ph.D., Professor of Geography [Ret.], Colorado State University)
Boundaries are everywhere and everyone is subject to them, both to their benefit and to their detriment. Boundaries divide people’s spaces at all levels, from their personal-space envelopes to the corporate spaces that we call states. The purpose of this presentation is to examine the meaning of the territorial boundary, its types, its benefits and detriments, and how it is constructed, with emphasis on the disruptive effects of Europe’s superimposed African boundaries.

Classical Concert - cancelled
2025-11-16 07:00 - 08:00 | The Lighthouse Café
Due to personal circumstances, this event is cancelled. Concert resumes next week.

Silicon Chemistry
2025-11-22 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Title: Silicon chemistry, and its consequences for silicon-based life
Abstract: The “Silicon Lifeform” is a common trope in modern science fiction, but can such life really occur naturally? The role of silicon in terrestrial lifeforms is minimal, for reasons that have to do with differences in the behavior of carbon and silicon in ambient settings. The circumstances necessary for silicon to participate in “interesting” chemistry are different from normal physiological conditions. Like carbon, silicon has a vast range of known chemistry which can create complex assemblies of atoms, but it is not clear whether this ability is enough to produce the kind of self-replicating biochemistry observed for carbon-rich life. A consideration of the structure of known silicon compounds, and the conditions necessary for their formation can provide inspiration for the aspiring hard science fiction writer to create worlds where silicon-based life can thrive.
By Dr. Mike Shaw

Mathematics Club - cancelled
2025-11-27 16:00 - 17:00 | Maths Club
No Maths Club for holiday.

Solid Matter
2025-11-29 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
More information soon…

Scientia
2025-12-06 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium

Land of Knots
2025-12-13 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Land of Knots (under development) is an interactive space to explore knots and tangles and their applications to Physics, Biology, Chemistry and even the movements of dancers and robots. Knot theory is also an exciting branch of modern mathematics. As my colleague Greg Buck wrote:

It’s often said that Mathematics is the science of patterns. Of all patterns, knots are among the most robust, the most universal. For this reason their scientific applications are so widespread. In addition, knots find themselves as universal forms of cultural and artistic expression. Knot tying is one of humanity’s oldest technologies. We will follow the common thread tying these subjects to one another, interleaving the cultural and scientific ways of knowing.

Land of Knots will contain interactive demos illustrating the basics of knot theory but also various applications, especially to DNA knotting / tangling, Celtic knotting, knots in dynamical systems (Lorenz attractor). Visitors will be able to download knot models from a web server, create random knots from scratch and to relax and modify this to new forms. Much of the scripting will be using the Lua programming language.

By Rob Scharein, Ph.D.

MadPea Mania: A Thrilling Second Life Adventure!
2025-12-20 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium

Educare: The New Year(s) Ahead
2025-12-27 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
