Viruses, Stars, Brains, & Shapes
Viruses: Ancestors or Aliens? – Lauren Popov, Stanford
Biologists can’t agree if viruses are truly “living” entities. So if viruses aren’t alive, then how did they evolve and where did they come from? Together we will explore the mainstream hypotheses about the origins of viruses and marvel at the diversity of the ever-expanding viral family tree.
Star Formation Through Radio Eyes – Chat Hull, UC Berkeley
How do stars form? And how do magnetic fields affect the star formation process? I focus on both of those questions in my research, which involves using radio telescopes to observe the dense blobs of dust and gas where stars like our sun are just beginning to form.
How to Grow a Primate Brain, and Why You Should – Drew Halley, UC Berkeley
Primate brains (including yours) have some remarkable differences from those of other mammalian species. This talk will look at what’s different about primate brains, how development produces these differences, and why evolution selected them.
What Is The Best Shape? – Otis Chodosh, Stanford
… The best shape?! A question for the ages! What do geometers and physicists mean by “best”? And which shape is the winner?
Presented by [su_button url=”/science-envoy”]Wonderfest Science Envoys[/su_button]
- TITLE: New Science Smorgasbord: Viruses, Stars, Brains, & Shapes
- SCIENCE ENVOYS: Lauren Popov, Chat Hull, Drew Halley & Otis Chodosh
- WHEN: Wednesday, Dec 11, 2013, 7 pm – 9 pm
- HOW: This dialogue is presented as a public service by Wonderfest & Ask a Scientist
- WHY: Because we’re curious creatures
Questions? Contact: tucker@wonderfest.org
From ancient conjurers to quick-handed con artists to big ticket Las Vegas illusionists, magicians throughout the ages have been expertly manipulating human attention and perception to dazzle and delight us (or scare us, or steal our watches). Of course you know that the phenomena of 
Dan Werthhimer is principal investigator of SETI@home and several radio and optical SETI programs at the University of California, Berkeley. Werthimer also directs the Center for Astronomy Signal Processing and Electronics Research (CASPER), and is associate director of the Berkeley Wireless Research Center (BWRC). Werthimer was associate professor in the engineering and physics departments of San Francisco State University and a visiting professor at Beijing Normal University, the University of St. Charles in Marseille, and Eotvos University in Budapest. He has taught at universities in Peru, Egypt, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Kenya. Werthimer is co-author of “SETI 2020”, editor of “BioAstronomy: Molecules, Microbes and Extraterrestrial Life” and “Astronomical and Biochemical Origins and the Search for Life in the Universe”.
From ancient conjurers to quick-handed con artists to big ticket Las Vegas illusionists, magicians throughout the ages have been expertly manipulating human attention and perception to dazzle and delight us (or scare us, or steal our watches). Of course you know that the phenomena of 
We humans often do battle with creepy invaders of our living spaces. Come and learn the latest research on the biology, detection, and control of three particularly villainous house guests. You might be surprised to find which room in your home is their favorite target. We will have a lot of fun, and there will be props a-plenty to go around.
Roger Ebert wrote of this terrific little film:
“There’s no shame in being a parasite. We join a venerable guild that has been on this planet since its infancy and has become the most successful form of life on the planet. But we [humans] are clumsy in the parasitic way of life. … [Other parasites] are expert at causing only harm that’s necessary, because evolution has taught them that pointless harm will ultimately harm themselves. If we want to succeed as parasites, we need to learn from the masters.”**
While self-confidence is a prized human attribute, too much confidence can be obnoxious, pernicious, and even deadly. This audience-participation skeptalk will present a simple 10-question quiz to measure an important aspect of individual self-confidence. With analysis and discussion of these measurements, audience members will be better able to calibrate properly their personal levels of self-confidence. The ultimate goal will be a “healthier skepticism” toward one’s own depth of knowledge about the world.