2008 May
May Café - Computers as we don't know themHalf a century ago, computers were terribly heavy, noisy, slow, and unreliable. Thanks to an astounding progress in the miniaturization of electronics, your cell phone can now do more calculations per second than early supercomputers. What will computers look like in 20 years? How and where will they be used? Will computers be implanted in your body? Will computers allow you to expand your brain power? This Café will explore the fast and fascinating advancement of computers, illustrate novel computing machines, and muse about the future.
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2008 April
April Café - Nanotechnology: Myth and Reality"Nano" - sized materials are already in common use. Cosmetics, sunscreens, reflective paints, and wear-resistant coatings are "low-tech" examples of nanomaterials applications. Similarly, "hi-tech" applications include hard disk drives and silicon microelectronics. Nanoscience influences the "everyday" lives of average citizens and there there is a lot of hype surrounding this highly "multidisciplinary" field. In this Café, I will address some of the myths of nanoscience, as well as the reality of the scientific research that is being conducted.
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2008 March
March Café - What Sudden Shifts Loom in the Earth's Climate and Ecosystems?The climate system is driven by interactions among the ocean, atmosphere, sea-ice, land ice, geosphere and biosphere. Changes in one component of the system have impact within that component and others in ways that are generally predictable up to a point or threshold. Beyond that threshold, the system could experience abrupt and irreversible changes with global impact. The problem is that we do not know the threshold or "point of no return" within the different system components. Some of the changes might have consequences that are well beyond what is expected from a simple greenhouse-induced global warming. Humans are releasing huge amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere, and this "greenhouse gas" is dramatically warming our planet. How much risk do we want to take concerning crossing these thresholds? For this special Cafe, that will bring together participants from all four towns, a panel of scientists with broad-ranging expertise will discuss the several critical processes that could trigger these thresholds.
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2008 March
Field Testers NeededSES is seeking University instructors to test GIS based investigations of the 1994 Northridge, California earthquake, recent Midwestern tornado outbreaks, tsunami hazards in the Pacific Northwest and Hurricane Katrina. Please contact us if you are interested!
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2008 February
February Café - What if the Sun Stopped Shining?We take for granted that the sun will rise and set each day to warm us and light our world. The sun's shining appears to have been nearly constant during recorded history. The Earth’s weather, its seasons, and the movement of its oceans are dependent on the constant input of energy from the Sun. However, our experience suggests that nothing remains unchanging forever. Presumably there was a time when the Sun didn't exist, and there will be a time when it will stop shining. But how do we know anything about the sun? Come to a lively Café that will explore the many fascinating aspects of our own star.
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2008 January
January Café - HIV VaccineHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is responsible for one of the largest epidemics of modern history. Today 40 million people are infected worldwide and more than 3 million die every year. We urgently need a HIV vaccine. Why don't we have a vaccine after 25 years of research? This Café will explore why this has proved such a challenge.
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2007
Now Available! ArcGIS CurriculumThese modules include new data sets and updates! Each module in the GIS Investigations series complements any introductory course in geology, meteorology, oceanography, physical geography, natural hazards, Earth sciences, atmospheric science, and Earth systems science. They provide active investigation of real problems by students in both distance learning and regular courses, as lab activities and as homework. They are designed for faculty and students with no prior experience using a GIS, yet allow the learner to perform sophisticated analysis of a wide range of problems with multiple data sets. By focusing on teaching with GIS rather than teaching about it, you can incorporate GIS easily into homework, discussions, or lab sessions. This flexible teaching resource motivates and enables your students to "learn by doing" as they use a full complement of GIS capabilities.
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