A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
Science Cafes bring together local university and college professors and townspeople in a relaxed, informal setting, such as coffeehouses and pubs. The speaker makes a short presentation about a topic in his or her field, and then opens up the floor to discussion.
All Canton Science Cafes will take place Tuesdays at 7:15 p.m. in the Park View Common Room, above the Blackbird Café, 107 Main St. in Canton, N.Y.
All Potsdam Science Cafes will take place Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m. in the St. Lawrence Valley Roasters & Jernabi Coffeehouse, 11 Maple St. in Potsdam, N.Y.
Here’s a rundown of this spring’s topics and speakers:
Smart Grid and Electric Vehicles
Feb. 16: Canton
Feb. 17: Potsdam
What if electric cars and meters could talk to each other? Meter: “How was your day?” Car: “Great! I charged at the station at Clarkson, then drove to Watertown,” to the more intimate. Meter: “Do you trust me?” Car: “Sure! I see that you’ve installed a patch for the latest virus going around.” Join Clarkson University Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Melike Erol-Kantarci as she explains why we might soon witness this type of communications and how it would improve our daily lives.
Adolescent Sexuality: Ignorance or Bliss?
March 8: Canton
March 9: Potsdam
We know with certainty that abstinence-based sexuality education doesn’t work, yet little is being done to offer young people the information and skills they need to become sexually healthy adults. Recent research is creating a new paradigm for understanding youthful sexual behaviors, whereby the healthy, normative aspects of sexual development are being recognized and embraced. Join Clarkson University Adjunct Instructor Gary Kelly for a discussion of new, fresh perspectives on this timeless, important topic.
Making an Origami Crane Fly in 3-D, from a Single Photograph
March 22: Canton
March 23: Potsdam
Photo-editing software such as Photoshop has expanded creativity by allowing users to edit their photographs. However, such software is fundamentally limited to the 2-D plane of the image. Join Clarkson University Assistant Professor of Computer Science Natasha Banerjee as she discusses her research on 3-D photo-manipulations, including rearranging furniture, flipping taxicabs, reorienting World War II planes, and making an origami crane come to life, all from a single photograph.
Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Chemical Overdoses
April 5: Canton
April 6: Potsdam
Patient overdoses on therapeutics given by physicians or taken by prescription, as well as unwise use of illicit drugs, is widespread and results in many thousands of deaths each year. Some of these problems can be successfully treated with microemulsions, or highly specialized nanoparticles. Join Clarkson University Senior University Professor of Chemistry Richard Partch for a discussion of the state-of-the-art and ongoing research on functionalized nanoparticles as antidotes for common chemical afflictions of human internal and external tissues.
Metal Pair Catalysts for Solar Fuels
April 19: Canton
April 20: Potsdam
Plants transform light, carbon dioxide and water in oxygen and sugar fuels through the elegant process of photosynthesis. Imagine the boon to the environment if we could only replicate that process. Join St. Lawrence University Assistant Professor of Chemistry Adam Hill to hear about the state-of-the-art in artificial photosynthesis and the use of “heterobimetallic” materials -- specially designed combinations of paired metals -- in the effort to produce green energy.
Find out more about Clarkson’s Science Cafe at http://www.clarkson.edu/sciencecafe .
Email Daniel ben-Avraham at [email protected] with any comments, questions or suggestions for future Science Cafe topics.
Find out more about Science Cafes in general at http://www.sciencecafes.org .
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