Science Circle

Space Conference
2023-05-13 21:00 - 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Auditorium
Space Conference
In March this year, I had the pleasure of attending the International Space Convention (ISC), which featured discussions involving over 160 esteemed speakers in the space industry on some of the biggest topics in the field. During the discussions I picked up valuable insights on developments such as edge computing, space training, and orbital habitats. In the spirit that drives the science circle’s moon-base endeavour I hope to share some of these insights and tell you why the future of the space industry excites me.

Is this the first time you will attend a presentation with us?
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Modes of Thinking
2023-05-13 10:00 - 11:00 | The Lighthouse Café
Famed Autistic Temple Grandin has a new book out in which she describes how she thinks in images rather than words. Recently, it has become known that some people have a running internal linguistic monologue in their head and others do not. Synesthesia is the experience “seeing” a color associated with hearing a sound. How do deaf people think? Join us in an exploration of how thinking works, how it is subjectively experienced, and what that experience might mean.
Come prepared to share your own experiences in a wide ranging casual conversation.

Mathematics Club
2023-05-10 17:00 - 18:00, 2023-05-03 17:00 - 18:00, 2023-04-26 17:00 - 18:00, 2023-04-19 17:00 - 18:00, 2023-04-12 17:00 - 18:00, 2023-04-05 17:00 - 18:00, 2023-03-29 17:00 - 18:00 | Maths Club

Classical Concert
2023-05-07 07:00 - 08:00, 2023-04-30 07:00 - 08:00, 2023-04-23 07:00 - 08:00, 2023-04-16 07:00 - 08:00, 2023-04-09 07:00 - 08:00, 2023-04-02 07:00 - 08:00, 2023-03-26 07:00 - 08:00 | The Lighthouse Café

Immigration
2023-05-06 21:00 - 22:00 | SC East Meeting Spot
Immigration
Sensitive subject for some, fascinating for others, today we discuss Immigration, the pros, cons, share out opinions, tell your own stories if you are an Immigrant yourself, or tell stories about an Immigrant you may know!

Is this the first time you will attend a presentation with us?
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The Sociology of Working Together
2023-05-06 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
The Sociology of Working Together
By: Phil Youngblood, PhD

This year we are celebrating the 15th anniversary of The Science Circle by working together online on a large, complex, project to demonstrate the multiple strengths of our group.
Working well with others can be challenging. In this presentation I will examine three factors that affect the outcome of teamwork – managing projects, developing teams, and individual characteristics. I will also consider whether working together in the same physical space or working online makes a difference.

Project Management
—How did theories of modern project management come about and how did they evolve?
—How does the end goal of different types of projects affect the process of managing?
—What activities are conducted during different phases of the project lifecycle?
—How does our Science Circle Project Moon Base differ from traditional projects?
Team Development
—How did team development theories develop as an instance of studying group dynamics?
—What can team members generally expect to observe as their teams develop?
—What is the role of community in team development?
—How can team members help to move a team towards working well together?
Individual Characteristics
—Perceptions of supervisor-worker relationships.
—Matching leadership and followership styles.
—How might demographics influence communication?
Working Together Online
—What are the differences between school, an internship, and a work environment.
—What lessons did employers learn about remote work during the pandemic?
—How is work conducted in a mediated communications environment?

For those interested in the theories behind the presentation:
Project Management: I will integrate project management models empirically developed over the last 75 years or so from analyzing successes and failures.
Team Development: I will primarily refer to Tuckman’s stages of team development devised in 1965 and continually refined since then.
Individual Characteristics: I will summarize conclusions from my own research of virtual internships, combined with Hofstede’s study of cultural dimensions in the late 1960s.
Working Online: I will use conclusions from my own work, from studies during the pandemic, and testimony from experts I know.

Come join us, both to learn as well as to share your experiences and thoughts about the topic!

Water
2023-04-29 21:00 - 22:00 | SC East Meeting Spot
Water
Water is one of our most precious resources, often taken advantage of and forgotten about. Today we discuss better ways in which to be more mindful about how we use it, and ways your country/city/town/state has addressed it, if at all.

Is this the first time you will attend a presentation with us?
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Living on Earth and Living on the Moon
2023-04-29 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Living on Earth and Living on the Moon

Buildings are designed for the safety and health of people.
Learn about what is different and what is the same in designing
for living on Earth and designing for living on the Moon.

I’ll cover topics that everyone should know about their own
homes, as well as the special conditions astronauts will face during
the exploration of the Moon (and Mars).

Tab Scott in SL is architect Terry Beaubois in RL.

Friendship Online
2023-04-22 21:00 - 22:00 | SC East Meeting Spot
Friendship Online
The internet brings the world closer than it ever has been before! Throughout the years, you’re bound to run into a few people you might consider friends, please share with us your stories on them, how did you meet? How have you stayed in contact? Have you met them in real life? Do you plan to?

Is this the first time you will attend a presentation with us?
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Second Life Scripting
2023-04-22 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
“We will discuss the event orientation of LSL and the use of blocks of code. An overview of practical LSL scripts will be shown.
Your presenter is known as Scire Gaea in Second Life. In Real Life, he is Robert Lawson Brown, Ph.D., a physicist who has worked 47 years in industrial semiconductor processing in various roles, from staff scientist to product engineer and even information technologist.
As physicists tend to do, he has picked up computer programming as an ancillary skill, starting with FORTRAN back in 1969 C.E. and continuing with a variety of languages: Basic, Forth, Prolog, Pascal, Java, Javascript, Python, Swift, and … LSL”
A presentation by Robert L. Brown, Ph.D.

ChatGPT and AI
2023-04-15 21:00 - 22:00 | SC East Meeting Spot
ChatGPT and AI
Join us for a frank discussion on AI like Chat GPT and AI art, share your opinions, concerns, fears, or excitement on this budding subject!

Is this the first time you will attend a presentation with us?
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Recap of the 2023 VWBPE conference on Second Life
2023-04-15 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Presenters: Dr. William Schmachtenberg (Dae Miami SL) and Linda Morris Kelley, BA (Delia Lake SL)
From March 23 to 25, 2023, The VWBPE (Virtual Worlds Best Practice in Education) conference on Second Life was held. This is the largest online free conference for educators ever held. I have been going to these conferences for many years, but come to my talk to find out why Dae thought this was the best VWBPE conference ever held! The metaverse was the dominant theme of the conference, and our own Delia Lake gave a tour of wetlands during the conference. The networking with technicians as well as educators was very useful in planning a science project involving a virtual field trip to the Jurassic simulation that I am doing with the staff on Dinosaur Ridge in Colorado.

Health
2023-04-08 21:00 - 22:00 | SC East Meeting Spot
Health
A follow up to our previous subject “Combating negative thinking” physical health is just as important as mental health! You are invited to come and share your hints and tips on maintaining good health. But also to share your opinions on current societal trends regarding physical health.

Is this the first time you will attend a presentation with us?
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BB: The Metaverse
2023-04-08 10:00 - 11:00 | The Lighthouse Café
Interest in the metaverse is high, especially after the VWBPE conference that recently concluded in Second Life. It is of particular interest to SL residents who believe we live in a prototype of the metaverse. There are various embodiments that can express the metaverse, such as virtual world platforms, virtual reality, augmented reality and so forth. Powerful Tech and business interests are involved in creating the metaverse, including Mark Zuckerberg, crypto ideologues, universities, and financial institutions.
Join us at the Science Circle to explore the promise, the perils, the technology, the obstacles, and the implications of the metaverse.

Moon Base Panel
2023-04-01 21:00 - 22:00 | Auditorium
Moon Base Panel
Let’s bring the life on the moon to Second Life! You heard about the origin of Project Moon Base on Feb 18 – now it’s time to hear the plan and join in making it real. Team Lead Tab Scott (Terry Beaubois) and eight other Science Circle members will present initial ideas in the areas of science, education, ethics, and organizational psychology along with needs in scripting, construction, outreach and ‘inreach.’ Tap into your imagination, find your enthusiasm, join one of these teams or suggest another one, and take part in the pursuit of what promises to be a mind-expanding and rewarding activity.

Is this the first time you will attend a presentation with us?
Follow this link first.

COVID-19 Pandemic Post-Mortem
2023-04-01 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
“COVID-19 Pandemic Post-Mortem”
By: Phil Youngblood

It has been three years now since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic.
The pandemic is not over, but it more infrequently makes headlines. It is time to revisit this global phenomenon so we can learn from it and are better able to prepare for the next one.

In this presentation, I will examine what has happened over the last three years in terms of:
Diseases and How They Spread
—What is a pathogen?
—How do we get infected?
—How does a disease run its course from the standpoint of the individual and society?

Past Pandemics
—What makes a disease endemic, epidemic, or pandemic?
—What pandemics have humans suffered through?
—How does this pandemic compare to others in the past?
—How does a pandemic end?

COVID-19 Pandemic Timeline
—How has this pandemic played out over the last three years?
—What did the pandemic look like in different countries, regions, and worldwide?
—How will this pandemic end?

SARS-Co-V-2 Variants
—What were the different strains of the COVID-19 coronavirus?
—How did theses mutations affect the way the pandemic has played out?

Pandemic Behavior
—What kinds of strategies have nations and individuals tried to combat the disease and its spread?
—How have the social components of this pandemic affected its course and outcome?
—What is the purpose of vaccination and how have vaccinations affected the course of the pandemic?

Come join us for this presentation, both to learn and to share your experiences and thoughts about it.

Earth Hour
2023-03-25 21:00 - 22:00 | SC East Meeting Spot
Earth Hour
A yearly SC East event, where we discuss Earth Hour, it’s concept, spread awareness, and talk about ways that we can make a difference beyond the hour.

Is this the first time you will attend a presentation with us?
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What can we Learn from Going Back to the Moon?
2023-03-25 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
“What can we Learn from Going Back to the Moon?”
By: Phil Youngblood

—This is part of an ongoing celebration of The Science Circle’s 15th Anniversary.

There were more missions to the Moon last year than there were in the last decade and a half. Plus, there are at least 12 countries with funded Moon missions under development and more that are proposed. Of these, 4 countries are planning crewed missions and 2 have plans to build a Moon base within a decade. In addition, there are non-governmental entities involved in more than just providing parts.

Why the renewed interest in the Moon?
What missions are planned and why?
—Join us to learn and talk about the exciting new projects that have a potential to directly impact your lives and the lives of the next generations.

CALLING ALL EDUCATORS!
What can we learn from going back to the Moon?
Why are space agencies so interested in education?
What types of pedagogies, andragogies, and learning styles can the SC Moon Base Project support?
—Join us to discuss how we can use this project as a source for many diverse presentations and to create engaging activities for SC members and beyond.
