Science Circle

Fireside Chat Abyssinia
2021-06-16 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Fireside

Classical Sunday Concerts
2021-06-13 07:00 - 08:00, 2021-05-30 07:00 - 08:00, 2021-05-23 07:00 - 08:00, 2021-05-16 07:00 - 08:00, 2021-05-09 07:00 - 08:00, 2021-05-02 07:00 - 08:00, 2021-04-18 07:00 - 08:00, 2021-04-11 07:00 - 08:00 and 3 more dates | The Lighthouse Café

Abyssinia
2021-06-12 10:00 - 11:00 | Science Circle Opensim Grid
Abyssinia
Abyssinia, which is intended as a living museum & educational resource on the Science Circle’s OpenSim grid, is my reconstruction of ancient archaeological sites in Tigray (northern Ethiopia) & Eritrea that date from at least 1000 BCE through roughly 800 CE. I excavated at several of these sites decades ago (1969-1972), & now am restoring parts of them virtually to their prominence during their heyday. Currently I have constructed two major buildings & other parts of Yeha, capital of the kingdom then known as Di’amat, located in Tigray.

I created a similar project on Second Life more than a decade ago, but technical & financial issues prevented its continuation, so I am grateful to be able to created it again.

Framed within the striking dragon-tooth mountains characteristic of the region, Yeha was the administrative & religious capital of a kingdom that controlled trade along the Red Sea together with its counterpart & related South Arabian kingdom Saba’ in what is now Yemen, The language, culture, religion, & architecture of the two kingdoms bear strong similarities, indicating their close contact.

There are two major buildings in Yeha from that period, the Great Temple, which still remains largely standing, & the administrative palace, whose ruins are known as Grat Be’al Gibri (the field of the tax collector). I participated in the first two seasons of excavation at the latter, during which the front of the building, including a colonnaded portico, were opened.

Subsequent more recent excavations on both buildings by a joint German-Ethiopian team have revealed many additional details about them, which are incorporated in my full-scale recreations of the buildings, which can be fully explored. I also included several other structures which represent other aspects of the city as it must have appeared at that time, including houses, a market, a pavilion for a royal festival, farm fields, & a representative war elephant, which were one of the exports from the kingdom to the Mediterranean & the Middle East. As time & space permit, it is my intention to add other important sites from both Tigray & Eritrea.

This project has gained greater significance for me since the tragic war which has been fought throughout Tigray since November 2020, causing great human suffering & destruction. Many of the sites & artifacts that have been or will be represented are located in Tigray, which now is undergoing the upheaval of disastrous civil war.

Skip dedicates this project to the people of Tigray, as well as those of Ethiopia & Eritrea, with urgent hopes for return to peace & stability.

An Opensim excursion with Archaeologist Skip Dahlgren.

Fireside Chat on Wednesday, June 16 at 4 PM PDT in Second Life

Fireside Chat Titanoboa
2021-06-07 14:00 - 15:00 | Fireside

Concert In honor of the memory of Ebbe Altberg
2021-06-06 07:00 - 08:00 | The Lighthouse Café

Travel to the Time of Titanoboa
2021-06-05 10:00 - 11:30 | Titanoboa exhibition
Travel to the Time of Titanoboa

The Science Behind Titanoboa
Dr. Alex Hastings will lead part of the tour discussing the world of Titanoboa, 60 million years ago. How and why was the snake so big? What else lived in those murky waters? Plus he’ll share what it was like finding Titanoboa fossils in the Cerrejon coal mine.

Linda Kelley’s Ecosystem
Linda will talk a little about what it takes to bring fossils to life and particularly building an ecosystem from what is shown and not shown in the fossil records. For her this entailed doing a lot of literature review and sussing out how all these things could plausibly fit together. In addition to the fauna that shared space with the Titanoboa, and the kinds of flora, this included reading about geologic changes during that period and estimates of Paleocene weather.

Creating an Animated Animesh Titanoboa for Second Life
Dr. Greg Bollella will discuss the process for creating, texturing, rigging, and animating an animesh object for Second Life. Most of the presentation will be an overview of the processes with more detail for a few very interesting techniques and observations. The workflow and tool-chain are important and will be presented. The tools used were, ZBrush, Maya, Photoshop, Substance Painter, and Substance Designer. Of particular interest is that no images were used in creating the textures for Titanoboa, only math!

Note: Wear boots. We are going to venture into murky waters.

Fireside Chat Monday, June 7 at 2 PM PDT

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Fireside Chat Medicinal Psychedelics
2021-06-02 17:00 - 18:00 | Fireside

Panel: Medicinal Psychedelics
2021-05-29 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Panel: Medicinal Psychedelics
In recent years there have been reports of the therapeutic clinical use of psychedelic substances to treat mental health ailments such as PTSD, Bi-Polar Disorder, depression, and end of life palliative care. Please join us in the Science Circle to discuss the potential of psychedelics as medicine with therapeutic applications.

Guests

Robert A. Hendrix, MD

Stephen L. Gasior, Ph.D.

Matthew Burr

Previous panels on film

Fireside Chat Wednesday, June 2 at 5 PM PDT

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Understanding Science: How Computers Work
2021-05-22 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Understanding Science: How Computers Work
The last two presentations in this series explored particle physics, the world of the very small, and our solar system, the much larger space that surrounds our more familiar world. In this episode we will explore one area of how science is applied to create technology by examining how the very small, and relatively simple, world of computer electronics is employed to create the more familiar and complex worlds we represent on devices we can carry around with us.
First, we will briefly look at how transistors, the components that create the ‘1s and 0s’ used to store and transmit everything, are made so small that billions can fit into the chips that form the ‘brains’ and ‘memory’ of every computer.
Then we will step through how transistors and other circuitry work together to create the logic of an electronic calculator.
Finally, we will step through how the processor, the ‘brain’ behind operations, works with memory and peripheral units to process a computer program (commonly called an application or app) that instructs your computer to do all the wondrous things we do with them these days.
Presentation by Dr. Phil Youngblood

Dr. Phil Youngblood

Reference work in the library

Previous lectures on film

Podcast

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SC Briefing
2021-05-15 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
We are sorry this is a private briefing for SC members only.
We hope to see our guests again next week at Phil Youngblood’s “Understanding Science: How Computers Work”

Computer vision
2021-05-08 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Computer vision

Computer vision is impressively prevalent in today’s world, enabling a wide array of advancements like self-driving cars, snapchat filters and automated medical image analysis. This lecture hopes to demystify the techniques used by machines to comprehend the visual world. The basic tasks of feature extraction to perform procedures like object detection or image classification, and the use of powerful AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools like Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) will be introduced. The potential and existing applications of these tools in a vast array of fields, and the increasing availability of computational resources and online material to learn about and utilize them will be discussed.

A presentation by Karthik P., Graduate Student

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Excursion OpenSim: Account support
2021-05-02 09:00 - 10:00, 2021-05-02 06:00 - 07:00 | Auditorium
Preparation Excursion June 12th

On Saturday, June 12th, Skip Dahlgren (AbaBrukh) takes us to his Archaeological sites of Ethiopia & Eritrea on our Opensim grid.
For this, visitors need a different viewer, and an avatar must be created. On Sunday, May 2, we offer you the opportunity to receive assistance from grid manager Agustin Martin at two times.
You can also get started yourself, on this page the tutorial.

Some members already have an avatar on our Opensim grid, we request them to test their avatar and viewer in time.
Note: June 12 is too late to start with this!

Big Data, Machine Intelligence, and the Human Cognition
2021-05-01 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Big Data, Machine Intelligence, and the Human Cognition

There is an interesting convergence of three major technological trends: big data, AI, and virtual humans. Big data are transforming science, scholarship, and virtually every other aspect of the modern society. AI may be the most transformative technology ever, and it can help us discover complex phenomena hidden in the big data, that humans alone cannot grasp. Finally, virtual humans operated by AIs may be the most intuitive and natural ways for the human-AI interactions.
Presentation by Professor George Djorgovski

Professor S. George Djorgovski

Previous lectures on film

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Panel: Robots & Drones
2021-04-24 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
From toys to surveillance to autonomous flight on another planet, robots and drones are becoming a part of life in the 21st century. We are on the threshold of advances in AI and universal surveillance that will bring benefits and risks to society. It is time to discuss the implications of these new elements in our world.

A 16-minute YouTube to get you started: Why do Boston Dynamics Robots dance? And Could Elon Musk be right that superhuman AI is only around five years away?

Guests: Our Audience

Matthew Burr

Previous panels on film

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Understanding Science: Earth and the Solar System
2021-04-17 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Image: ESA – ESA’s missions to the Sun
Understanding Science
Our Home: The Earth and the Solar System
From the bizarre world of the very small, the subatomic particles that make up everything we know, we turn our attention to the macro world, namely our sun and the objects which orbit it. In this case, one of the small particles within this ‘atom,’ just one among a billion other star systems that comprise our galaxy, itself only one of billions of other galaxies in our known universe, is the only home we have, the ‘third rock from the sun’ we call Earth.

I do not think humans really appreciated how special the Earth is until we were able to travel beyond it. I remember during the Apollo 8 mission, the first that time humans left Earth’s gravity, how the contrast of the ‘blue marble’ in space rising over the drab, lifeless moon brought a stark realization to everyone who witnessed it that we live on a fragile, ‘goldilocks’ planet with just the right conditions to make the surface habitable for life as we know it. It was this realization that inspired Earth Day in 1970 and the movements since to preserve what we have here for future generations.

During the 1960’s, space exploration seemed part of the Space Race and Arms Race, a product of the Cold War. After a few missions to the moon, humans have not ventured outside Earth’s orbit. However, robotic spacecraft have not only helped us to better understand our home planet but have also probed deep into space and the worlds beyond ours to try to understand our place in the universe, to answer the questions of how unique our planet is, whether there may be life elsewhere, and to understand how it all began.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in space exploration. In just this last year there have been three missions to Mars, and several more to our Moon, the Sun, and the smaller bodies of the solar system, by a handful of nations, not just the Cold War rivals. There are also several commercial entities planning serious efforts to exploit the resources on the moon and beyond, and cooperative efforts to put a space station around the Moon, with a base on the surface to follow.
NASA Science, Mars 2020 Mission, Perseverance Rover

Join me as we explore how we ventured out beyond our home and the amazing discoveries we have made about our solar system and its inhabitants and the world beyond, some exciting recent and current plans for further exploration, and what all this might mean for our future.
Presentation by Dr. Phil Youngblood

Dr. Phil Youngblood

Reference work in the library

Previous lectures on film

Podcast

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Methamphetamine
2021-04-10 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
The History, Pharmacology & Pathophysiology of Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine was first derived from another stimulant in 1893. Initially unrestricted, it seduced populations of many countries by its stimulant effects and addictive nature.
Aside from a few accepted medical uses as a controlled substance, it has played
– an economic role as a profitable drug,
– a geopolitical role as an agent of enhancement for military personnel and political leaders,
– and with underground manufacture and distribution, in the illegal drug trade in the United States and elsewhere.

This presentation will discuss the pharmacology of N-methamphetamine and its use in medical treatment as well as drug abuse, with emphasis on the mechanisms of action and pathophysiology that arises from addiction and long term use. We will also examine the medical costs and criminal impact on society arising from the existence of this drug.

Robert A. Hendrix, MD

Reference work in the library

Previous lectures on film

Podcast Global Outbreak of Fatty Liver Disease

Podcast Doctor’s Tips for Healthier Mind and Body

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Early Cretaceous Meat-Eating Dinosaurs of Maryland and Virginia
2021-04-03 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Image: Dinosaurus.nl
Early Cretaceous Meat-Eating Dinosaurs of Maryland and Virginia

512 fossils from the Early Cretaceous of Maryland are currently stored at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, USA. Of those most are bones of a large, long necked 4-legged dinosaur called Astrodon, which belongs to the Sauropod group. We also have bones from armored Ankylosaur dinosaurs, ornithopod or bird footed dinosaurs, and two meat eaters, Acrocathosaurus and Deinonychus. Acrocanthosaurus was almost the size of a T. rex, and Deinonychus was a raptor. A group of high school students in Virginia and New York collaborated to analyze teeth from these meat eaters in order to reconstruct the ecology of Maryland and Virginia during the Early Cretaceous.
Dr. William Schmachtenberg will present the results of their research during this meeting. The students work have been submitted to the New York Paleontological Society for publication.

Dr. William Schmachtenberg

Reference work in the library

Previous lectures on film

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Panel: Ministry for the Future
2021-03-27 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
The recent state-wide cold snap that left many Texans without electricity and water seems like a good time to consider Kim Stanley Robinson’s book The Ministry for the Future.

This book is disaster novel wrapped loosely around a series of essays, stories, metaphors, reports and commentaries about economics, politics and social inequality. The story line follows two characters: Frank, the sole survivor of a lethal heat wave, and Mary, the director of the Ministry for the Future, an agency established by the U.N. Their relationship is complicated by an incident that results in Frank’s arrest. The book is not an easy read, dealing as it does with a serious effort to alter human behavior enough to ward off the dire consequences of ignoring our own contributions to climate change. Robinson recognizes both the difficulty of making such changes and the necessity to do so and argues convincingly for some possible solutions.

A not-too-long interview with the author Kim Stanley Robinson that touches on the main ideas of the book, to help you prepare for the discussion.

Guests

Mary Anne Clark

Linda Morris Kelley

Natalie Foster

Matthew Burr

Previous panels on film

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Understanding Science: Particle Physics
2021-03-20 10:00 - 11:00 | Auditorium
Niels Henrik David Bohr 1885 – 1962. Danish physicist who made foundational contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum theory, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922.

Understanding Science
Particle Physics: The Search for the Smallest of Things

Only a century ago, while the concept of an irreducible object known as an atom was long known and there was growing evidence for its existence, most people had little idea that atom were composed of even smaller particles, many of them with exotic characteristics.

Richard Phillips Feynman 1918 – 1988 was an American theoretical physicist
In the next few decades, electrons, protons, and neutrons, the relatively stable particles that make up the atoms that constitute all matter were discovered, followed by particles only found in natural events involving high energy. As more powerful particle accelerators were developed, still more exotic particles were theorized and discovered and a Standard Model of how particles interacted and were related was formed in the 1960’s-1970’s.

What does the Standard Model reveal about the particles that make up everything? How can Feynman diagrams show particle interactions? What is missing from the Standard Model? Join me as we explore the search for the smallest of things – subatomic particles – and what we have learned about them.

Presentation by Dr. Phil Youngblood

Dr. Phil Youngblood

Reference work in the library

Previous lectures on film

Podcast

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