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A Weapon Or A Source of Energy? The True Potential of Nuclear Power

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By Ryan Lei, C2ST Intern, Neuqua Valley High School

How does a productive, powerful, and zero-emission source of energy sound? Introducing: Nuclear power plants!

In order to understand the awesome power behind these structures, it’s important to understand the force that lets these power plants create energy: nuclear fission. Fission occurs when a nucleus (the center) of an uranium atom splits into two, which produces heat. When this splitting process occurs, each half is then able to split again. This causes a chain reaction responsible for the explosive power of a modern day nuclear weapon. However, when this chain reaction process is executed in a controlled environment, it produces massive amounts of energy that is not only extremely effective, but more importantly, very sustainable and environmentally-friendly. 

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From Lifespan to Healthspan: Mind the Gap

Why do certain groups have stronger protection against aging than others? What are neuroscientists discovering about aging and dementia? What are the clinical implications of aging with HIV infection? Is heart disease inevitable with aging?

Longevity research has transformed in recent years:

  • Our focus has shifted from prolonging lifespan and instead we are looking to extend something called “healthspan”.
  • Scientists have identified genetic variants in certain groups of people that slow their aging process
  • The way we measure age has changed.

With 95 million Americans expected to be 65 or older by 2060 (nearly a quarter of the population), the science of longevity has become more critical to our individual and collective future. Join us to learn about new developments in the study of aging, how people are prolonging their “healthspan,” and much more!

 

Resources to explore:

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The River Wild: Fall Social 2022

A night of wild conservation science while imbibing on Burning Bush Brewery craft brews and nomming on delicious eats in support of C2ST.

Join us for Science, Brews, and Food!

Come check out one of Chicago’s most well-known breweries and mingle with other STEM enthusiasts and professionals! In between beers, snacks and networking hear from Phil Nicodemus, who has been working on Chicago’s Wild Mile.

 

Additionally, C2ST will be hosting this year’s Hidden No More Delegation from WorldChicago,  which features female leaders representing various scientific disciplines from around the world.

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Science in the Parks: Explore the Night Sky at West Pullman Park

Explore the Night Sky is a GO for tonight!

Ready to see the night sky in a whole new light? As we continue our Science in the Parks series, we are excited to journey across the cosmos with the University of Chicago’s Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Chicago Astronomy Crew led by “Astro” Joe Guzman, certified by NASA as a Solar System Ambassador, and–of course–the Chicago Park District to bring astronomy to Link in West Pullman Park!

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