What: Nanotechnology: Small is Beautiful
When: Thursday, February 23, 2012
5:00pm Reception & Registration
6:00pm Presentation
Where: Northwestern University Chicago Campus
Hughes Auditorium
303 East Superior
Non member fees: $10 Advance Reg / $15 Door / $5 Student
Abstract:
Nanoscale materials have a great potential for positive societal impact. For example synthesized nanoscale materials and systems can be used to create innovative applications and technologies that solve problems in the biological, medical sciences. This program will highlight the essentials of nanoscale science, engineering, and technology including its history, societal importance and future implications and will discuss the interplay between nanoscale structures, properties and functions.
Speakers:
Mark A. Ratner, PhD., Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry and CoDirector, Initiative for Sustainability and Energy, Northwestern University;
Milan Mrksich, PhD., Henry Wade Rogers Professor, Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University
Discounted parking will be made available at the 222 E. Huron St. garage: Parking Map
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What: About Time: Cosmology and Culture at the Twilight of the Big Bang
When: Friday, March 16, 2012
11:30AM Registration & Box Lunch
12:30PM Presentation
Where: Northwestern University Chicago Campus
Hughes Auditorium
303 East Superior
Fees: $20 members / $30 non-members / $10 students
Abstract:
Times change, literally, for human culture and the Cosmos as a whole.
According to astrophysicist Adam Frank, specific human conceptions of time don’t last forever and our “modern” version is already in the midst of a radical change. In his new book, About Time, Dr. Frank argues that new ideas in cosmology are pushing the revolution in time to its final stage.
Just as a “clockwork universe” followed the invention of the clock 500 years ago, scientists are now moving beyond the Big Bang to talk about universes built from information pushing time into mind-boggling new territory. Imagine: An eternal “multi-verse” made of infinite, parallel universes with infinite versions of you, lots of little bangs but no big bang beginning, a string theory universe in 10 dimensions of ever-repeating cycles, or a universe where time doesn’t exist at all. It’s impossible to say which of these new ideas will become the foundation for a new time because the science is still in flux. We do know we’re living at the twilight of the Big Bang. It’s the end of time as we know it now and as we live it now.
Speaker:
University of Rochester Professor & Author Adam Frank
Topic Resources
Kirkus Book Review
npr.org Blogs: Adam Frank
What: China’s Clean Energy: Current Research, Development & Cooperation
When: Thursday, March 29, 2012
5:00pm Reception & Registration
6:00pm Presentation
Where: Northwestern University Chicago Campus
Hughes Auditorium
303 East Superior
Non member Fees: $10 Advance Reg / $15 Door / $5 Student
Abstract:
Diplomats of the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago will discuss China’s current research and development program to produce energy in an environmentally benign fashion. The discussion will cover Chinese activities in the alternative energy arena including hydro, nuclear, wind, solar, clean coal and other green energy production endeavors. The program will also highlight China’s objectives and efforts to reduce CO2 emissions by 2020 as well as China – US intergovernmental cooperation in clean energy production, particular attention paid to collaborative activities in the Greater Chicago area.
Speakers: Mr. Jianye Cao (Consul and Director of Science & Technology Office) and Mr. Qingqing Zhao (Consul) , Chinese Consulate General in Chicago
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Saturday, February 11, 2012
Gene Siskel Film Center
164 North State Street Chicago, IL
11:00am Registration
12:00pm Screening
$15.00 non-members / $5.00 Students
RSVP REQUIRED
137 Films in association with The Chicago council on Science and Technology Present “a-work-in-progress’ screening of The Believers.
The Believers tells the strange story of Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons, chronologically documenting the summer of 1989 as well as new developments today. The tale includes mystery, scandal, personal tragedy, and scientific wonder.
Understanding of events shifts depending on who is telling the story. A mixture of interviews, vérité footage, archival media, scientific animation, and reenactments will compliment interviews with scientists, journalists, politicians, and officials. Woven together, they paint a vivid, often contradicting account of what happened.
For more information on 137 Films click here
Watch the 4:00 minute trailer
Parking and transportation information: Parking Map
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What: Sustainable Energy: Fact or Fiction
When: Tuesday, January 31st 2012
5:00pm Reception & Registration
6:00pm Presentation
Where: Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT)
McCormick Tribune Campus Center
McCloska Auditorium
3201 South State Street
Fees: $10 Advance Reg / $15 Door / $5 Student
Parking is available for free at Lot A3 (31st and Wabash) with parking permit displayed on the dashboard of the vehicle. Click here for parking permit
C2ST Presents live streaming video of Sustainable Energy: Fact or Fiction
Click on the link below between 5:45pm-6:00pm on January 31st and enter the username and password for access to the live stream
Media IIT Online
username: webcast
password: c2stevent
Abstract:
The dependence on oil and other fossil fuels for over 80% of our energy and the continued emission of carbon dioxide threatening stable climate are captured in a single term: sustainability. Although we generally agree that sustainability is valuable, there is less agreement on how much sustainability is necessary or desirable. In this talk, three criteria describing increasingly strict features of sustainability will be presented and applied to evaluate the alternatives to oil and carbon dioxide emission, such as tapping unused energy flows in sunlight and wind, producing electricity without carbon emissions from clean coal and high efficiency nuclear power plants, and replacing oil with biofuel or electricity. The implementation of these more sustainable alternatives will require new cost effective nanoscale materials. The successful development of such materials will have a marked impact on the production of energy in a sustainable and environmentally benign fashion.
Speaker: George W. Crabtree, PhD., Senior Scientist and Distinguished Fellow in the Materials Science Division at Argonne National Laboratory and Distinguished Professor of Physics, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering at University of Illinois at Chicago.
He has won numerous awards for his research, most recently the Kammerlingh Onnes Prize in 2003 for his work on the physics of vortices in high temperature superconductors. This prestigious prize is awarded once every three years; Dr. Crabtree is its second recipient. He has won the University of Chicago Award for Distinguished Performance at Argonne twice, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Award for Outstanding Scientific Accomplishment in Solid State Physics four times, a notable accomplishment. He has an R&D 100 Award for his pioneering development of Magnetic Flux Imaging Systems. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, a charter member of ISI’s Highly Cited Researchers in Physics, a Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the American Association of Arts and Sciences.
Dr. Crabtree has many credentials in science and energy. He has published more than 400 papers in leading scientific journals, has collected over 15,000 career citations, and has given over 100 invited talks at national and international scientific conferences. His research interests include materials science, sustainable energy, nanoscale superconductors and magnets, vortex matter in superconductors, and highly correlated electrons in metals. He has led workshops for the Department of Energy on hydrogen, solar energy, superconductivity, materials under extreme environments, basic science for energy technology, and computational materials and chemistry for economic competitiveness. He co-chaired the Undersecretary of Energy’s assessment of DOE’s Applied Energy Programs. He has testified before the U.S. Congress on the hydrogen economy and on meeting sustainable energy challenges.
Topic Resources:
Energy = Future
Controlling the Functionality of Materials for Sustainable Energy
What: FRACKING – the quest for energy independence
When: Thursday January 19th, 2012
11:30am Registration & Box Lunch
12:30 Presentation
Where: Northwestern University
Hughes Auditorium
303 E. Superior
Fees: $20 members / $30 non-members / $10 students
Abstract:
Fracking is a step in the production of gas and oil by the high pressure fragmentation of shale using water, sand and chemicals. Using fracking to produce shale oil and shale gas has the potential to make the United States largely independent of foreign sources of natural gas and significantly less dependent on foreign sources of oil. The major exploitation of shale oil and gas will depend on dealing with environmental concerns surrounding potential ground water contamination and water depletion that result from the fracking process.
Speakers:
Gerald D. Holder, PhD., US Steel Dean of Engineering and Professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh;
Trevor Smith, Program Manager, Unconventional Gas Sustainability, Gas Technology Institute;
Jordan Ciezobka, Completions/Project Engineer, Gas Technology Institute; and
John Anderson, PhD., President, Illinois Institute of Technology (moderator)
Topic Resources:
Future of fracking holds promise for U.S. energy outlook
The Fracturing of Pennsylvania
Millions Spent in Albany Fight to Drill for Gas
Natural Gas
How America Can Escape the Energy Trap
Drilling Down
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
KERSTEN PHYSICS TEACHING CENTER
5720 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL
Lecture repeated at 11:00am and 2:00pm (Registration required at www.c2st.org)
Ask a Scientist from 12:15pm-12:45pm
Open House from 12:00noon-4:00pm
PHYSICS WITH A BANG!
Students, families, teachers and especially the curious are invited to attend our annual Holiday Lecture and Open House. See fast, loud, surprising and beautiful physics demos performed by Profs. Heinrich Jaeger and Sidney Nagel. Talk to scientists about their latest discoveries. Participate in hands-on activities related to their research.
Check out Professors Nagel and Jaeger caught in the act with physics fun!
ASK A SCIENTIST!
Ask current researchers in astronomy, physics and chemistry your burning questions about science, technology, and the physical world! Take a guided tour of Gordon Center for Integrative Sciences to have hands-on experiments.
Click here for more information about the scientist that will be there to answer your questions.
Pre-registration is required and seating is limited to 125 online registrants for the Physics Lectures! 75 seats are also available for walk-ins on a first come first serve basis. Please arrive early as free space will fill up quickly. Registration begins Wednesday, November 9, 2011.
Doors for the Lectures open 30 minutes before each show. Admission to this event is free, but donations are welcome. Souvenirs/gifts available for purchase. In case of overflow, shows will be streamed to an alternate venue.
For those needing special assistance, please call (773) 834-9916, or send email to ecs@uchicago.edu.
Event sponsored by the,
Department of Physics, and
Materials Research Science &
Engineering Center (MRSEC).
The Chicago Council on Science and Technology and the Center for Human Potential and Public Policy present:
THE POLICY OF OBESITY
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Hughes Auditorium, Northwestern University
303 E. Superior St, Chicago
Part II. Registration and Reception 5:00pm
Program 6:00pm-7:30pm
Fees apply: Non-members $15, Students $5
Experts say that the major contributing factors to the obesity epidemic are complex and multiple, but lack of access to healthy, affordable food (“food deserts”), and uptake even when it is accessible, and insufficient physical activity are believed to be the most significant. These contributing factors are also influenced by particular regional, social, cultural, racial, economic, and environmental features. The health and socioeconomic consequences are staggering and far reaching. Research has shown that obesity is related to more than 20 major chronic diseases and conditions. Among other diseases, obesity increases the risks for heart disease, cancer and stroke as well as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and osteoarthritis. The poor overall health of Americans can lead to a less-productive workplace and the associated health problems have a significant economic impact on the U.S. health care system.
What can the government, community initiatives and individuals do in the face of the growing epidemic of obesity? What are the examples of model programs and interventions? What policies and programs exist to address the obesity epidemic in the Chicago region and what is lacking? How do local, national, and international food systems and industry impact this epidemic? And how can we improve our children’s eating and physical activity habits?
Part 2 of the program features keynote speaker Bechara Choucair, M.D., Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, who will highlight the obesity problem and present his vision for a healthier Chicago. A panel of experts will discuss the latest research informing obesity interventions, as well as challenges and the potential roles played by government, community organizations, private industries and individuals to prevent and combat obesity and the long-term implications of this epidemic.
Speakers:
• Adam Becker, PH.D, M.P.H, Executive Director, CLOCC (Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children)
• Lisa Powell, PH.D, Senior Research Scientist, Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Mike Simmons, Policy Director, Mayor’s Office
Topic Resources:
Illinois fattest it’s ever been
Chicago food desert shrinks 40 percent
Discounted parking will be made available at the 222 E. Huron St. garage: Parking Map
Registration is valid for both programs!
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The Chicago Council on Science and Technology and the Center for Human Potential and Public Policy present:
THE SCIENCE OF OBESITY
Thursday, December 1 2001
Hughes Auditorium, Northwestern University
303 E. Superior St, Chicago
Part I. Registration and Reception 3:00pm
Program 3:30pm-5:00pm
Fees apply: Non-members $15, Students $5
Experts say that the major contributing factors to the obesity epidemic are complex and multiple, but lack of access to healthy, affordable food (“food deserts”), and uptake even when it is accessible, and insufficient physical activity are believed to be the most significant. These contributing factors are also influenced by particular regional, social, cultural, racial, economic, and environmental features. The health and socioeconomic consequences are staggering and far reaching. Research has shown that obesity is related to more than 20 major chronic diseases and conditions. Among other diseases, obesity increases the risks for heart disease, cancer and stroke as well as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and osteoarthritis. The poor overall health of Americans can lead to a less-productive workplace and the associated health problems have a significant economic impact on the U.S. health care system.
What are the health effects of being obese? What have scientists learned about the relationship between obesity and chronic conditions and diseases? How can we make healthier food choices? And how can we improve our children’s eating and physical activity habits? Chicago-based scientists will present the current science of obesity, describing the various ways obesity harms the body, how our food choices can impact our health and the different health-determinant patterns locally and nationally.
Speakers:
• Moderator: Mary J.C. Hendrix, Ph.D., President and Scientific Director, Children’s Memorial Research Center
• Kristen Knutson, PhD., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago
• Britt Burton-Freeman, PhD., Director of Nutrition and Assistant Professor Research in Biology, Clinical Nutrition Research Center, Illinois Institute of Technology
• Arlene L. Hankinson MD., MS., Instructor, Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Topic Resources:
Teen Heart Disease
Lessen weight gain going into middle age
Regular Exercise While Young May Slow Middle-Age Spread
Physical Activity and Weight Gain Over 20 Years
Tomatoes combat killer diseases – and are even more potent when cooked
Sleep and the epidemic of obesity in children and adults
Discounted parking will be made available at the 222 E. Huron St. garage: Parking Map
Registration is valid for both programs!
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Thursday, November 10, 2011
Registration & Reception – 5:00pm
Program – 5:30pm
Northwestern University, Chicago Campus
Hughes Auditorium
303 East Superior
Fees apply: Non-members $15, Students $10
Speakers:
- Philip Iannaccone, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Deputy Director for Research-Basic Sciences, Children’s Memorial Research Center, Northwestern University;
- Rena Conti, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Health Economics and Policy, Department of Pediatrics and Medicine, University of Chicago;
- Robert J. Kriss, Joseph A. Mahoney, and James Ferguson, Partners, Mayer Brown LLP, Chicago;
- Kevin E. Noonan, Ph.D, Partner, McDonnell, Boehnen, Hulbert & Berghoff, LLP, Chicago
Abstract:
A patent case entitled The Association for Molecular Pathology, et al. v. Myriad Genetics, Inc. was recently decided by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the appellate court responsible for hearing all patent appeals. The case involves the issue of whether the two human genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer, known as BRCA 1 and 2, are the proper subject of patent protection. While many doctors, researchers and patients claim that human genes are “products of nature” and should not be patented, the defendant contends that gene patenting is critical to the development of biotechnology and is in the best interest of patients.
Are human gene patents in the best interest of the public? Do they facilitate or impair scientific discovery and commercialization of medical tests and treatments? What are the bio, ethical, legal and scientific implications of this decision? The controversy may be heading to the Supreme Court or may become the subject of Congressional hearings that could lead to changing the patent laws.
This special program presents the science behind gene isolation and a panel of experts representing different viewpoints on this issue at the forefront of the public concern. A special addition to this program is a mock legal argument conducted by experienced patent trial lawyers introducing the key legal concepts involved in determining whether human genes should be patented.
Topic Resources:
Gene-uinely unclear
Discounted parking will be made available to the first 50 attendees at the 222 E. Huron St. garage: Parking Map
