Science Circle

"Evolutionary Theory Before Darwin"
2019-10-12 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Auditorium
This presentation has since taken place, you can view the film recording here and find the PDF in the library.

The easy narrative of how people thought of evolution in Europe before On the Origin of Species was that God created everything. Then Darwin came along and showed how it really is. While Darwin was revolutionary, he did not create his evolutionary theory from whole cloth.
This talk will explore more the concepts in the scientific field that set the foundation for Darwin. Scientists like Buffon, Cuvier, Lamarck, Chambers, Unger, and Darwin (Erasmus) were instrumental in developing theories on the origins of species and how they interrelate. While some concepts like the scala naturae (ladder of being) were wrong, they nevertheless provided a foundation for criticism which helped Darwin conceptualize his objections to current thought. Thoughts on how Darwin’s contributions can be thought of as part of a continuity as compared to a foundation for evolution will be the goal of the talk.

Dr. Stephen L. Gasior
Previous work in the Library
Previous work in the Film Collection
Podcast interview

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

Documentary
2019-10-08 06:00 - 07:00 | Auditorium
This season we start a new weekday activity, in which your input is essential.
Every second Tuesday of the month at 6 AM PDT we broadcast a documentary in the auditorium.
This month: “The Lost World of the Pacific” with Sir David Attenborough
The proposals for future documentaries come from the audience present, creating a wide variety of subjects.
We understand that 6 AM PDT is not feasible for everyone and we hope to expand it once we have found more staff.
Join us and submit your proposals!

Whales, Dolphins, Porpoises and Us
2019-10-06 07:00 - 08:00 | Auditorium
This presentation has since taken place, you can view the film recording here and find the PDF in the library.

A number of years ago, I was boating in Cape Cod Bay (Massachusetts, USA) near Stellwagen Banks and watching for whales. I had been there watching for whales and dolphins other times too. This time was different though. As we waited, a small pod of fin whales passed us by at breakwater speed. Then nothing. Until a young humpback whale surfaced and waved to us. This whale performed a dance of dive and surface for 15 minutes, circling, breaching, submerging. When the whale was done, he or she lay there looking at me as I was looking back, eye to eye, intelligence to intelligence, only meters apart. Who was I? Who was he or she?

For me, the plight of cetaceans is not just ecological and worrisome, it’s poignant and personal as well.
Please join us at The Science Circle on Sunday, October 6 at 7 am SLT to talk about amazing and endangered cetaceans of the world.
Related article Hypothesis “Staring into the Abyss”

Linda Morris Kelley (Delia Lake in SL)
Habitat Curator
Previous tours on film

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

Our Place in the Universe 10 AM PDT
2019-10-05 10:00 - 11:00 | Nikolai’s Planetarium
“Our Place in the Universe!”
A public presentation and continued educational journey.
Facilitated by Phil Youngblood / SL: Vic Michalak
Let us explore science together in Second Life!

Last time we started our journey investigating the nature and practice of science over the years. This time we will celebrate World Space Week (4-10 October 2019) by examining our place in the universe.
In 1957, Kees Boeke wrote an essay entitled “Cosmic View: The Universe in 40 jumps”. In 1977, Charles and Ray Eames produced an award-winning short documentary entitled “Powers of Ten” that investigated the world of the very small (quarks) to the very large (the observable universe). “Cosmic Voyage” in 1996, presented at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and in IMAX theaters worldwide, completed a similar journey.
In Part II of our continuing sequence to “Explore Science in Second Life!” we will jump ahead another 20 years or so and create our own unique version of this concept using examples in Second Life and other sources. It is appropriate that we will be meeting in the Planetarium building on Science Circle island.
———————-
We will continue to explore STE(A)M topics regularly by first visiting sites on Science Circle island and then exploring the various fields of science and applied science in Second Life. As we journey together, we will develop a guide to science in Second Life and other open sources for the purpose of promoting dialogue and education across STEAM disciplines. My aim is to facilitate a journey to create a sustainable forum for learning the science behind the news, our Science Circle presentations, and our daily life encounters.
We welcome novices, experts, and everyone in between! We will meet for one hour each session. You are welcome to attend any sessions you are able. Biweekly sessions will include presentations, field trips, ‘scavenger hunts’, building things, visits by experts, global issues, and finding answers to questions you have.
Information about past and upcoming sessions will be posted on the Science Circle website so you can ‘catch up’ on what you missed and know what is coming next. We are also planning an online discussion area where you can pose or answer questions.

Facilitated by Phil Youngblood / SL: Vic Michalak
Previous work from Phil in the Library
Previous presentations in the Film Collection

Podcast – Guest: Phil Youngblood

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

"Our Place in the Universe!"
2019-10-05 06:00 - 07:00 | Nikolai’s Planetarium

Unanswered Questions
2019-09-28 10:00 - 11:30 | Auditorium
Print: M.C. Escher – Relativity
This presentation has since taken place, you can view the film recording here.
Monthly panel discussion
With this week as subject “What is the biggest/most significant unanswered question in your field right now?”

Panel participants:

Nikolai Mnev, Mathematics
William Wall, will answer Astronomy Questions from the Audience
Rob Knop, Astronomy; Tension in the Hubble constant

Host scientific debates: Matthew Burr
Previously recorded panels

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

The Face of Dementia
2019-09-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
This presentation has since taken place, you can view the film recording here.

THE FACE OF DEMENTIA

by Robert A. Hendrix, MD
DEMENTIA affects approximately 50 million of the human population globally. This presentation will review:
General definition of DEMENTIA
distinctions:
Lewy body dementia vs Alzheimer’s disease dementia
Alcohol-Related Dementia (ARD)
Symptoms and diagnosis
Phases of dementia
Etiologies and associated conditions
– head trauma
– including metabolic disorders including:
diabetes
liver dysfunction
– sleep disorders
– depression
– cigarette smoking, oxidative stress and inflammation
– drug abuse
– commonly used medications associated with dementia,
– nutrition factors
Treatment & prognosis
Artistic depiction by patients with dementia
Risk factors and Prevention

Related PDF Faces of Dementia

Previous presentations of Robert in the Film Collection

Podcast Global Outbreak of Fatty Liver Disease

Podcast Doctor’s Tips for Healthier Mind and Body.

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

Virtual Worlds Teaching Manual
2019-09-19 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual World MOOC Headquarters
Greg Perrier presents and speaks about his “Virtual Wolds Teaching Manual” during the Virtual World MOOC 2019.

Introduction
Experience has shown that Virtual Worlds (VWs) can provide students a unique interactive educational experience that many students see as a fun way to learn. VWs go beyond just offering text to read or a video to watch. In VWs students interact with objects. For example, a student can study the diagram of an ear online or in a textbook; but in a VW the student can walk through the ear, a whole different experience. Studies have shown that students learn more from doing, than from reading or listening to a lecture, and VWs have the potential to provide this hands-on learning experience in a cost-effective manner. Furthermore, teaching students to function in virtual environments provides them with skills that will be beneficial, if not critical, for success in the future job market.
The aim of this manual is to help educators incorporate VWs into their courses in ways that enhance student learning. It will guide one through getting started and show them how to use VWs to make classes more fun and interesting. It will help them avoid the common errors educators make in VWs and allow them to build on the successes of others. The advice presented here comes from work in the VW called Second Life (SL), but much of this advice applies to other VWs, such as Open Simulator and Kitely, as well as to virtual reality (VR).

For teachers who intend to use Second Life in education, there is the following PDF manual by Gregory Perrier
Emeritus Faculty, Biology
Northern Virginia Community College
2018

"Explore Science in Second Life"
2019-09-14 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
This presentation has since taken place, you can view the film recording here.

Photo: Genome Island by Mary Anne Clark
“Explore Science in Second Life!”
A public presentation and consultation of members for a joint educational journey.
Facilitated by Phil Youngblood / SL: Vic Michalak
Where = SC Auditorium
When (Start) = 6 AM and 10 AM PDT (‘Second Life’ Time) Saturday 14 September

Let us explore science together in Second Life!
We will start our journey by reaching a common understanding of the nature of ‘science’ and STE(A)M and by visiting sites on Science Circle island. During subsequent weeks, we will explore the various fields of science and STEAM in general and find examples in Second Life.
As we journey together, let us set a goal to develop a guide to science in Second Life and other open sources for the purpose of promoting dialogue and education across STEAM disciplines.
My aim in facilitating our journey is to create a sustainable forum for learning the science behind the news, our Science Circle presentations, and our daily life encounters. I would like our meetings to be welcoming to novices, inviting to experts, and engaging for everyone.
We will meet for one hour each session. You are welcome to attend any sessions you are able. Weekly sessions may include STEAM topics, field trips, ‘scavenger hunts’, building things, visits by experts, and finding answers to questions you have and to global issues.
Information about past and upcoming sessions will be posted on the Science Circle website so you can ‘catch up’ on what you missed and know what is coming next. We are also planning an online discussion area where you can pose or answer questions.
As we gauge interest in this complement to our presentations, we may create a formal course in which you can register and receive benefits of membership. For those interested, there will be ‘homework’ between sessions consisting of places to visit in Second Life or online that will help reinforce session activities or prepare for the next sessions.

Previous work from Phil in the Library
Previous presentations in the Film Collection

Podcast – Guest: Phil Youngblood

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

"Explore Science in Second Life!"
2019-09-14 06:00 - 07:00 | Auditorium
This presentation has since taken place, you can view the film recording here.

Photo: Abyss Observatory by Hajime Nishimura
“Explore Science in Second Life!”
A public presentation and consultation of members for a joint educational journey.
Facilitated by Phil Youngblood / SL: Vic Michalak
Where = SC Auditorium
When (Start) = 6 AM and 10 AM PDT (‘Second Life’ Time) Saturday 14 September

Let us explore science together in Second Life!
We will start our journey by reaching a common understanding of the nature of ‘science’ and STE(A)M and by visiting sites on Science Circle island. During subsequent weeks, we will explore the various fields of science and STEAM in general and find examples in Second Life.
As we journey together, let us set a goal to develop a guide to science in Second Life and other open sources for the purpose of promoting dialogue and education across STEAM disciplines.
My aim in facilitating our journey is to create a sustainable forum for learning the science behind the news, our Science Circle presentations, and our daily life encounters. I would like our meetings to be welcoming to novices, inviting to experts, and engaging for everyone.
We will meet for one hour each session. You are welcome to attend any sessions you are able. Weekly sessions may include STEAM topics, field trips, ‘scavenger hunts’, building things, visits by experts, and finding answers to questions you have and to global issues.
Information about past and upcoming sessions will be posted on the Science Circle website so you can ‘catch up’ on what you missed and know what is coming next. We are also planning an online discussion area where you can pose or answer questions.
As we gauge interest in this complement to our presentations, we may create a formal course in which you can register and receive benefits of membership. For those interested, there will be ‘homework’ between sessions consisting of places to visit in Second Life or online that will help reinforce session activities or prepare for the next sessions.

Previous work from Phil in the Library
Previous presentations in the Film Collection

Podcast – Guest: Phil Youngblood

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

Documentary
2019-09-10 06:00 - 07:00 | Auditorium
This season we start a new weekday activity, in which your input is essential.
Every second Tuesday of the month at 6 AM PDT we broadcast a documentary in the auditorium.
The proposals for future documentaries come from the audience present, creating a wide variety of subjects.
We understand that 6 AM PDT is not feasible for everyone and we hope to expand it once we have found more staff.
Join us at the kick-off and submit your proposals!

Late Ordovician extinction
2019-09-07 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
This presentation has since taken place, you can view the film recording here.
William Schmachtenberg

Abstract:
There have been at least 5 mass extinctions in the geologic past and some say there was a sixth. Multiple theories from volcanism, plate tectonics, biotic interactions, and changes to ocean chemistry have been proposed for these extinction events. Local field studies in Virginia has shed light on the Late Ordovician extinction when 86% of animals in the ocean perished. These data will be given in the presentation. Studies like this one are important in answering the question will there be another mass extinction in the future?

by Dr. William F. Schmachtenberg (Dae Miami SL)
Previous work in the Film Collection

Related Hypothesis article “The Cracks in Time”

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

SC Benefit Concert
2019-09-01 07:00 - 08:00 | Auditorium
The quarterly Sunday concerts by Earl, Piano & Carle, Cello.
Chopin: Cello Sonata in G minor, Op 65 28:51
Franck: Sonata for Violin (arr for Cello) 27:54
Grieg: Wounded Heart, Op. 34-1 (From Elegiac Melodies) 2:29

Thank you for your interest and participation in our objectives.
The quarterly classical concerts on the first Sunday by Earl and Carle are a social addition to our regular program. At the same time, we want to draw attention to the possibility of also providing financial support so that we can continue to implement our Mission Statement.

There are three options for financial support from our organization, namely;

In Second Life with Linden Dollars, the donation box can be found at the landing point.
With your Linden Dollars we provide our region with all the conveniences and facilities for our events.
Via PayPal, by means of a one-off or recurring payment in your own currency.
And by ABN Amro Bank, the official bank account of The Science Circle.
The income on the last two bank accounts is used to keep our organization running; Second Life Region, website, server, Microsoft license and recruiting staff.

Donation page
In recent years we have developed a variety of activities and your participation has made this a huge success.
We hope that our program for the coming year will once again guarantee your attendance.

Staff meeting and vacancies
2019-08-10 07:00 - 08:00 | Auditorium
Over the past eleven years we have built a loyal international science community together.
Now the number of volunteers is considerable, we want to provide everyone with sufficient information about our organization and plan a meeting in SL to get to know each other. This will hopefully result in new friendships, ideas for the future, a pleasant collaboration and new colleagues.
We are looking for volunteers for the following departments;
– Social media manager Twitter
– Social media manager LinkedIn
– Auditorium Hosts at events
– Documentary host for American evening hours
If you are interested, come by for more information!

Glimpse of September 2019

Sunday 1st – New article Hypothesis
Sunday 1st 7 AM PDT – Benefit Concert Earl & Carla (Opening the new season)
Saturday 7th 10 AM PDT – Late Ordovician extinction by William F. Schmachtenberg

Monday 9th 7AM PDT – Mandatory Board Meeting
Tuesday 10th 6 AM PDT – Documentary
Saturday 14th 6 AM PDT & 10 AM PDT – “Explore Science in Second Life!” by Phil Youngblood
Sunday 15th – New article Hypothesis
Saturday 21st 10 AM PDT – The Face of Dementia by Robert A. Hendrix, MD
Saturday 28th 10 AM PDT – Panel: Unanswered questions in Mathematics, Astrophysics and Astronomy
Monday 30th 7 AM PDT – Casual Board Meeting (all staff invited)

Exploratorium Live from Chile
2019-07-02 13:00 - 14:00 | Auditorium
Join us at the auditorium to share this Live experience with us!
For those who are wondering what time this is in their own time zone, there is Time Zone Converter

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE: LIVE FROM CHILE
JULY 2, 2019
This July 2, the Exploratorium continues its 20-year tradition of bringing live images of eclipses to you—we’re travelling to the National Science Foundation’s Cerro Tololo Observatory in Chile to broadcast a total solar eclipse visible overhead from parts of South America. Experience the wonder wherever you are: enjoy our live broadcast, available in both English and Spanish on our free iOS and Android apps and this website, or come to the museum in San Francisco to enjoy the big-screen broadcasts in person, in addition to a data-driven sonification of live telescope images by composer Wayne Grim and other eclipse programming.
How to Build a Sun Viewer
There are many ways that you can safely enjoy a partial or total solar eclipse using items from around your house! Dr. Paul Doherty will show you a few of the easiest methods for safe solar viewing. Let us make this perfectly clear: Don’t EVER look directly at the sun, even when it’s mostly covered during a solar eclipse. If even 1% of the sun is showing around the moon, it’s enough to damage your eyes! Just as a magnifying glass can focus enough sunlight onto a leaf to start a fire, the lens in your eye can also focus a sliver of light onto your retina to burn it. And because retinas have no pain receptors, you can permanently damage your vision without even feeling it happen.

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

Science Fair 2019
2019-06-29 07:00 - 10:00 | Science Fair
During one of our last events until September, Matthew Burr will guide the visitors past all market stalls where every owner informs us about their past, current and future work in SL and/or SC.
What can you expect:
– Posters of lectures
– URLs towards PDF’s, YouTubes, Podcasts
– Objects created
– Information about classes or lectures they have planned
– Landmarks towards their work in SL
– Free gifts for visitors

First tour at 7 AM to 8 AM PDT
Coffee break 8 AM to 9 AM PDT
Second tour at 9 AM to 10 AM PDT

Participants:
Deepthinker Oh
Fumon Crystal
Greg Perrier
James J. Woods
Linda Morris Kelley
Mike Shaw
Phil Youngblood
Robert Brown
Rob Knop
Stephen Gasior
Steven Van Hook
William Schmachtenberg

The Coast and Waters of the Sub-Arctic
2019-06-23 07:00 - 08:00 | Abyss Observatory
Get up with us! Up to the coast and waters of the Sub-Arctic that is. All at The Abyss Observatory.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but the Arctic has been in the news a lot recently. They’ve had a heatwave with above freezing temperatures on the very northernmost shores of Alaska. Why is this important? It is becoming increasingly apparent that the Arctic is experiencing a colossal breakdown in fundamental climate and ecosystem processes, and what happens weatherwise in the Arctic affects all the rest of the globe as well.
While we don’t pretend that virtual can fully represent the physical world, we have produced a set of environments to give you a taste of what the coastal and marine habitats are like in the Sub-Arctic, Temperate, and Tropical zones.
We’ll be starting our tour in the Sub-Arctic shore and ocean habitats, seeing and talking about some of the animals and plants that live there and the interdependencies of that habitat. We’ll then move south along the shore into a Temperate area, and finally into the Tropics.
If you’d like to swim with us, please do. Whales and seals will swim with you. If you’d rather not get wet, we have a transparent walking tube that circles our Abyss island so swim flippers, bare feet, or walking shoes, it’s your choice.
Please join us for this tour and discussion. We’ll gather at the Abyss Observatory welcome gallery then walk across the bridge and north to the Sub-Arctic.
Cheers,
Linda Morris Kelley (Delia Lake in SL)
Habitat Curator
Previous tour on film

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

A Tour of Chemistry Lab Experiments
2019-06-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Chemistry World
A Tour of Chemistry Lab Experiments in Second Life
We will take a tour of Chemistry World, a landscaped island with space for pre-lab training, a chemistry building with briefing room and, most importantly, lab facilities for students to complete two virtual chemistry experiments. I will explain the ways that the SL environment enables us to improve students’ educational experience and some of the challenges we encountered when developing and implementing the experiments. Attendees can perform the experiments just as actual students did (without turning in a lab report next week).
By Kurt Winkelmann
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Florida Institute of Technology

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

Tour of the Geology Museum
2019-06-15 10:00 - 11:00 | Geology Museum
Title: Tour of the Geology Museum and discussion of Bill Schmachtenberg’s current and past research
ABSTRACT: A few years ago, James Madison University gave Bill Schmachtenberg (Dae Miami SL) permission to create a virtual geology museum on their sim. Unfortunately, the JMU campus on SL shut down. The Science Circle stepped in and has generously permitted Bill to recreate the museum on their region. On June 15 we will tour the maps in the global geology museum and then have a talk about Bill’s past and current research projects concerning palaeography, palaeontology, and extinction events.
by Dr. William F. Schmachtenberg (Dae Miami SL)
Previous work in the Film Collection

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

Mars & Opportunity rover
2019-06-08 07:00 - 08:00 | Explorer Island
“Mars and Opportunity rover”
Tour guide: Hajime Nishimura (JAMSTEC)/ Yan Lauria (Abyss Observatory and Education Portal)
Date/ Time: 8th June (Sat), 2019 at 7 am PDT/ 14:00 GMT/ 23:00 Japan

Location: Start from Mars field of Explorer Island
TP to Mars Victoria Crater
Bonus: Astreroid Ryugu and Hayabusa2, International Spaceflight Museum
(You need to select TP destination at the arrival point of International Spaceflight Museum)

Abstract:
On February 2019, NASA announced the end of 15 years Mars exploration by the Opportunity rover at last.
At first, NASA thought Opportunity’s life is only 3 months due to dust on the solar panels, but it is found Mars Dust Devils blow away the dust on the solar panel.
It is known Mars wind can be more than 120 km/h, so Sci-Fi novels and movies describe astronauts are blown even in recent movie “The Martian” (2015).
But there is a trick that Mars air density is only 0.75% of the Earth. Its thin air annoyed Mars landing.
At Explorer Island, you can ride on Opportunity, Landing air bags and even Dust Devil, and you can feel empathy with Opportunity when he/she entered in the Victoria crater.
As a bonus, I’ll introduce a new exhibit of the spacecraft “Hayabusa2” and sample return mission from asteroid “Ryugu” using markup language Markdown.

Remarks
I’ll use voice in English.
The Mars sky is rather red at noon and rather blue at sunset/ sunrise.
Please change your environment setting by yourself.

Hajime Nishimura / Yan Lauria

Previous work in the Library
Previous work in the Film collection

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

The NEW Interactive brain
2019-05-31 09:00 - 10:00 | Whole Brain Health
How Your Brain Works: This is an interactive experience created by Osangar, an fmri researcher.
The NEW Brodmann’s Brain allows visitors to explore how 52 regions of the brain are correlated with body processes that occur when, for example, meditating, driving a car, having various kinds of thoughts and feelings.
Osangar will demonstrate how this virtual brain works and what you can learn about your own brain from it. She will be in text only and will be assisted in voice by Wisdomseeker and Tooyaa.
This Field Trip is being sponsored by The Science Circle and Nonprofit Commons.
It will start at this landing point on Inspiration Island
OsanGar’s Bio: BA Philosophy Yale, MA Stanford counselling psychology, MD and Neurology Albert Einstein, post doc in fMRI lab

The NEW Interactive brain
Inspiration Island – Whole Brain Health Programs
This year the interactive brain tour has been totally upgraded with brain cortex regions imported from brain MRIs with the technical assistance of Brain Voyager in Maastricht, Netherlands and Ghaelen D’Lareh.

Previous work from Lynne Berrett (Lissena Wisdomseeker)
Library
Film Collection

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

What is the biggest/most significant Unanswered Question in your field right now?
2019-05-25 10:00 - 11:30 | Auditorium
Monthly panel discussion
With this week as subject “What is the biggest/most significant unanswered question in your field right now?”

Panel participants:

Alex Hastings, Palaeontology
Mike Shaw, Chemistry
Stephen Gasior, Biology

Host scientific debates: Matthew Burr

Tchaikovsky, a concert for Jes Stannard
2019-05-19 07:00 - 08:00 | Auditorium
In honor of the birthday of Jes Stannard, a classical concert for members and non-members.
Take a guest with you, or come and enjoy a private hour of beautiful classical music.
Arisia Vita, Piano
Carle, Cello

Playlist
Ravel: Vocalise – Etude (en forme de habanera)
Gluck: (Orfeo ed Euridice) Act 2 Dance of the Blessed Spirits
Chopin: 24 Preludes, Op.28-6 in B minor
Faure’/Maisky: Apres un Reve, op.7-1
Casals: Catalan Folksong
Lully: Gavotte
Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15 ‘Traumerei’
Saint-Saens: Le Carnaval des Animaux ‘The Swan’, R.125
Massenet/Maisky: Les Erinnyes, Elegie (Invocation)
Kreisler/Maisky: Liebesleid
Mendelssohn: Lied ohne Worte, Op.109
Handel/Maisky: Violin Sonata in D major, Op.1-13, III
Schubert/Palaschko: Ave Maria, Ellens Gesang III, Op.52 No.6, D.839
Tchaikovsky: Nocturne in D minor, op. 19-4
Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker-19 Waltz of the Flowers

First Image of a supermassive Black Hole
2019-05-18 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Photo: Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration
“Staring into the abyss: the first image of a supermassive black hole”
On April 10 of this year, the Event Horizon Telescope team released a radio image of the black hole at the core of the galaxy M87. The image is a ring of light, brighter on one side. What does it mean? What does it tell us about the black hole? Why are people so excited about it?
In this talk, I’ll discuss what black holes we know are out there, including supermassive black holes like this one. I’ll talk what it really means to take a picture of something that no light escapes from, and I’ll talk about how the image we see is just as much affected by the gravity of the black hole as it is by the plasma that actually emitted the light we’re looking at.

— Rob Knop
Homepage
Blog
Previous work in the Library
Previous work in the Film Collection
Podcast Interview with Rob

Precambrian-Cambrian boundary Explosion II
2019-05-11 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
ABSTRACT:
Dr. Shuhai Xiao will talk about animal evolution in the Ediacaran Period or on the eve of the Cambrian explosion, from a paleontological perspective. Specifically, he would like to discuss the significance of Ediacaran microfossils and macrofossils, and the geological and environmental context of early animal evolution. This is a follow up to the panel discussion we had months about by Bill Schmachtenberg and Alex Hastings.

Speaker: Dr. Shuhai Xiao is a paleobiologist and geobiologist who studies the interactions between the biosphere and its environments at critical transitions in Earth history, particularly during the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition. He integrates paleobiological, sedimentological, and geochemical data to shed light on important evolutionary events (such as the origin and diversification of eukaryotes, multicellular organisms, and animals), their environmental contexts, and their geobiological consequences.
More information about Dr. Xiao

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

Panel: Science Fiction
2019-04-27 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Monthly panel discussion
With this week as subject “Science Fiction”
Panel participants:

Myron Curtis
Robert Hendrix
William Wall

Host scientific debates: Matthew Burr

"Luna: The Earth's Moon"
2019-04-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
On very short notice
“Luna: The Earth’s Moon”
By Dr. William Wall (Syzygy Asymptote SL)

Dr. William Wall has participated 3 times in Panel Discussions, namely;
– Fermi Paradox
– Science Fiction in Movies & Series
– The sequel to Science Fiction in Movies

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

Top-Ten Science Circle Podcast Takeaways
2019-04-14 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Top-Ten Science Circle Podcast Takeaways
This presentation features background and audio excerpts from premier episodes of the Science Circle Podcast. Recorded guests include Phil Youngblood (SL: Vic Michalak), Stephen Gasior (SL: Stephen Xootfly), Rob Knop (SL: Prospero Frobozz), Greg Perrier (SL: Dodge Threebeards), Michael Shaw (SL: Shawza Tunwarm), Matthew Burr (SL: Beragon Betts), Robert Hendrix (SL: Tagline), and Budd Turner (SL: Josain Zsun).
Their interview topics range from molecular genetics, astrophysics and entropy, education innovations, new tactics in teaching chemistry, protecting your ideas with patent and copyright law, transgalactic relations, doctor’s tips for a healthier life, protecting your digital legacy, and the past/present/future of The Science Circle.

Bio: Steven R. Van Hook (SL: Kip Roffo) is host/producer of The Science Circle Podcast. He has a doctorate specializing in transcultural education and new learning technologies, and has taught communication classes for 20 years at universities in the USA and abroad. Steven spent two decades as a broadcast journalist, radio talk show host and educational webzine publisher, and is also experienced in international economic development and social services.

Previous presentations
Film Collection
Library
Listen to Steven’s journey of discovery into the world of science by podcast

Science of Science: big data, A.I: and the future of science
2019-04-13 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Abstract
Big data and artificial intelligence have become a new mantra in the media and in the government’s agendas.
The talk will address two main topics: on the one hand, it will try to explain why the hype about AI is completely unmotivated (AI is still far to come) while, on the other, it will emphasize some aspects of the revolution which is taking place focusing on the impact that both Big Data and Machine learning methods are already having and even more will have in the near future on the scientific discovery process.

— Giuseppe Longo
Professor of Astrophysics

Accademico Pontaniano
Associate – California Institute of Technology
Associate . INFN and INAF

Previous work in the Film Collection

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

Dickens Project exemplifies virtual collaboration
2019-04-06 10:00 - 10:50 | VWBPE Lecture Area A
Photo: Dickens Festival Deventer, Netherlands

Dickens Project exemplifies virtual collaboration

Distance Connections Presentations

Charles Dickens Constructivism Historical Simulation

SPOTLIGHT
Presenters: Valerie Hill (SL: Valibrarian Gregg), Peninsula College; Breiana Theodore (SL: Jodie Landon); Mary Pat Lynch (SL: Aoife Lorefield)
Description: The Dickens Project, a virtual simulation of A Christmas Carol and the life and times of Charles Dickens built by Seanchai Library, has been held annually in Second Life for six years. The Community Virtual Library partnered with Seanchai Library for the past three years to enhance the educational simulation with research and the Urchins of London game was added in 2018. The collaborative process illustrates best practices for virtual world learning.
Participants will observe successful virtual world collaboration for deep learning across distance.
Participants will interact with librarians, educators, and artists working together.
Accessibility: Voice and SpeakEasy HUD Tool
