Posts Tagged ‘Local science talks’
Science Cafe spreads understanding of bacteria over beers
Friday, November 12, 2010, 5:14 pm 2 Comments | Post a Comment
Sophia Kathariou talks microbes to a crowd at Mitch’s Tavern in Raleigh.| Photo by Tyler Dukes
Note: Story cross-posted from Scientific American.
Sophia Kathariou is the kind of scientist who can turn food-borne bacteria into great dinner conversation.
The associate professor of food science and microbiology at N.C. State University in Raleigh spoke about her work Thursday night at Mitch’s Tavern, a longtime haunt for professors and students alike. The talk was one of Sigma Xi’s Science Cafés, which aim to promote science among the public.
Over local craft brews, Greek salads and gumbo, Kathariou was quick to mention the softer side of bacteria. Whether we hear about them “attacking our immune system” or “weakening our defenses,” she said the militaristic tone of communication about microbes has to change.
“Society has been trained to think about microbes and bacteria as enemies. This could not be further from the truth,” she said. “They are part of who we are and what we do.” Read more…
Rebecca Skloot visits RTP area
Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 9:11 pm No Comments | Post a Comment
Rebecca Skloot
When I found out Rebecca Skloot, author of “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” would be back in the Research Triangle area to promote her book, I grabbed the opportunity to talk to her. The result of the conversation was published Monday in the Science & Technology pages of the News & Observer.
Skloot is spending three days in the RTP area. She visited Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh on Monday and N.C. Central University in Durham on Tuesday. She will speak at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy in Durham.
Her previous visits here included ScienceOnline 2009, where she was the keynote speaker, and ScienceOnline 2010, where she was one of the panelists.
Lovin’ the Numbers
Thursday, November 5, 2009, 8:56 am No Comments | Post a CommentAfter a few minutes of listening to Amory B. Lovins you see that, at heart, he’s a numbers guy. He even counts the fruit yield from tropical trees growing inside his energy efficient greenhouse-warmth-capturing home in Colorado, and he fondly refers to the current batch as “banana crop number 32.”
Lovins is not your run-of-the-mill environmentalist. Far from it. He is a physicist who harbors a vision for lowering global greenhouse gas emissions by 3 to 4 percent annually — without government subsidies or policies — and he has a lengthy performance record of creating profits from sustainable business solutions that eviscerate conventional wisdom.
