Science Circle

Science Circle Forum
2024-09-20 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Science Circle Forum
In the weeks leading up to the Science Circle Forums, you will be given a choice of 5 topics for discussion.

Data Privacy in the Digital Age:

– Discuss the importance of data privacy and the challenges of protecting personal information online. How can individuals safeguard their data, and what responsibilities do companies and governments have in this regard?

The Influence of Pop Culture on Society:

– Explore how movies, music, television, and social media influencers shape societal norms, values, and behaviors. What are the positive and negative impacts of pop culture on different age groups?

Healthcare Access and Inequality:

– Debate the issues surrounding access to healthcare, including the disparities based on socioeconomic status, geography, and race. What policies or initiatives could improve healthcare equality?

The Pros and Cons of Cryptocurrency:

– Examine the rise of cryptocurrencies and their potential to revolutionize the financial system. What are the benefits and risks associated with using digital currencies, and how should they be regulated?

The Future of Renewable Energy:

– Discuss the advancements and challenges in the adoption of renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydropower. What role should governments and private sectors play in accelerating the transition to a sustainable energy future?

This poll is no longer accepting votes Your choice of 5 topics for discussionData Privacy in the Digital AgeThe Influence of Pop Culture on SocietyHealthcare Access and InequalityThe Pros and Cons of CryptocurrencyThe Future of Renewable Energy11 votes · 11 answersVote

Triangles: A Tale of Obsession
2024-09-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Triangles: A Tale of Obsession
The secret superpower of Second Life is the many activities related to lifelong learning. One of those is this Science Circle and there are many others, from philosophy to folkdancing. This is a story of how I became obsessed with some of the properties of triangles when I started attending Math Club and what I learned about triangles and about myself.
By Mary Anne Clark, Ph.D.

Classical Concert
2024-09-22 07:00 - 08:00, 2024-09-29 07:00 - 08:00, 2024-10-06 07:00 - 08:00, 2024-10-13 07:00 - 08:00, 2024-10-20 07:00 - 08:00, 2024-10-27 07:00 - 08:00, 2024-11-03 07:00 - 08:00 | The Lighthouse Café

Moon Base meeting
2024-09-23 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-09-30 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-10-07 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-10-14 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-10-21 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-10-28 10:00 - 11:00, 2024-11-04 10:00 - 11:00 | Moon base

Mathematics Club
2024-09-26 16:00 - 17:00, 2024-10-03 16:00 - 17:00, 2024-10-10 16:00 - 17:00, 2024-10-17 16:00 - 17:00, 2024-10-24 16:00 - 17:00, 2024-10-31 16:00 - 17:00, 2024-11-07 16:00 - 17:00 | Maths Club

SC Formal Debate
2024-09-27 11:00 - 12:00 | Science Circle Forum
**Postponed — look for further announcements**

The Art of the Argument
2024-09-28 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
“The Art of the Argument”
by Phil Youngblood, PhD
As we experience life, we each develop a model of how the world works in our heads. This is a critical development because the world must make sense for us to be able to operate within it. However, since we each have a different set of experiences, it is inevitable that the way we view the world will be unique, and different from the way everyone else views it.
Most of the presentations hosted by the Science Circle have been in the fields of the natural sciences, with occasional forays into the social and applied sciences, so talks that wander into logic, philosophy, and rhetoric may be unfamiliar to many of us. However, as illustrated by the Science Circle’s 3D display at the recent Second Life 21st Birthday celebration, the foundation of all science is built on a working knowledge of those areas of thought.
During this one hour together, let’s discuss some of the following questions. The presenter will facilitate the discussion in voice and participants are encouraged to respectfully join in the discussion in chat.
CONCEPTS
—What are the studies of logic, philosophy, and rhetoric? How are they related?
—How do these studies form the foundation of all science?
—What is critical thinking and why is it important to us?
PRACTICE
—There are other people in the world besides us. In what ways do we view others?
—People have different views than we do. In what ways do we treat these different views?
—Why might we need to reconcile the different ways we view the world? If so, how?
NEW SCIENCE CIRCLE EVENTS
—Science Circle Forum – giving voice to and listening to different viewpoints
—Science Circle Debate – persuasive arguments for or against opposing viewpoints
Phil Youngblood

World Space Week
2024-10-05 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
“Space & Climate Change Trivia – Celebrating World Space Week”
by the Science Circle Moon Base Project
The United Nations General Assembly declared that October 4-10 each year shall be known as “World Space Week” to commemorate two key events in space exploration – the launch of Sputnik, the first satellite, on October 4, 1957, and the signing of what became known as The Outer Space Treaty on October 10, 1967.
By tradition, a theme is chosen each year. The theme for 2024 is “Space and Climate Change.” Over 16,000 events hosted by organizations in over 90 countries have been developed to celebrate World Space Week this year, many of which are on this year’s theme.
The Science Circle is joining others around the world in recognizing World Space Week. Our celebration will be in the form of a fun and informal educational event during which participants will be invited to answer questions about space in general and about climate change, particularly as it relates to space exploration and what can be observed from space.
The event will be in the Science Circle amphitheater. At the time of the publication of this abstract, the ‘rules’ for this event are still being discussed, but will be announced at the beginning of the event. They will likely include—
…participants may work individually or in teams
…questions will range from ‘easy’ to ‘hard’ and be assigned points accordingly, the more difficult assigned more points
…questions will be displayed in slides on a screen in front of everyone in the amphitheater, with a variety of answer forms ranging from an open answer, fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, and other options
…participants have a limited time to answer, likely about one minute from the time the question is displayed and read by one of the moderators
…points will be given to the individual or team who writes the correct answer first in chat
There will be prizes of Linden dollars and possibly space-related objects for the individual(s) or team(s) earning the most points at the end of the event. If there is a tie, the tiebreaker will be whomever is able to safely land the Moon lander near the Moon Base Project site in the middle of Science Circle island. 😊

Nobel Prizes in Science 2024 Roundup
2024-10-12 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
This week the Nobel Prizes were announced for Medicine, Chemistry, and Physics. Today we present a summary of the new Laureats and the works recognized for their distinguishing contributions to science.
Nobel Prize website
Presented by Stephen Gasior/Xootfly

Forum: Surprise Topic
2024-10-19 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Mike Shaw (not Phil) will lead a discussion on a surprise topic.

Drug Discovery Meets A.I.: Approaching the Problem of Antibiotic Resistance
2024-10-26 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
The development of antibiotics to treat infectious disease is arguably the greatest medical breakthrough of the 20th century. The discovery of Salvarsan by Paul Ehrlich in 1909 established the Holy Grail: finding a cure for infectious disease. The hunt for drugs inaugurated an ‘Age of Dirt,’ when ever major pharmaceutical company had a team searching through soil for potential antibiotics. The development of drug resistance to antibiotics is now recognized as an existential threat facing humankind on par with climate change and nuclear war, yet pharmaceutical companies rarely invest in new agents. The advent of AI is making the search for new drugs more efficient and may transform the hunt. This talk traces the history and continuing quest for this elusive Holy Grail.

Dr. Natalie Foster, Professor Emerita, Chemistry Department, Lehigh University

Nuclear Medicine (reprise)
2024-11-02 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Since the discovery of radioactivity, our understanding has steadily increased about how nuclear materials can be used to improve health. Individuals who worked with radioactive substances in the early decades of the 20th century were often exposed to dangerous amounts of radioactivity. Nuclear safety improved in the mid-20th century, and the application of nuclear phenomena to medicine was developed in earnest. From improved scanning techniques to tissue-specific therapies, the current state-of-the-art includes an impressive set of technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of a number of diseases.
[A slightly updated version of a talk given 6 years ago]
By Dr. Mike Shaw
