MARCH 10 SCIENCE PUB AND PLEASE USE this NEW DOMAIN
www.sciencepubmadison.org
Want to be a physicist? Yes, you too can be one. Find out how March 10 @2pm @Brocach  Hrabovsky's Book Cover from Amazon[/caption] Exciting news. George Hrabovsky, co-author of The Theoretical Minimum will be our March Science Pub Speaker! He'll talk about his book that introduces the very real idea of DIY physics. He's demystified the process for himself and now shares with readers the same accessible material. This is really NOT to be missed. George Hrabovsky is founder and president of an organization called Mad Science Tech and has a lot of incredible passions including mathematics, physics, meteorology, storm chasing and more. Please join us! It's free. It's fun and informative. We'll also see about having copies of his book on hand for signing.;
Our Next Speaker is Lined Up! Natalie Hagen on January 13, 2013, 2PM
Here's the teaser! Did you know that stem cell transplant recipients need physical therapy? Learn about his fascinating topic from Natalie Hagen. RSVP to Karen if you plan to come! It's free and fun.
Our Next Speaker is Lined Up!
Josh Pultorak of UW Madison - November 11, 2PM
Here's the teaser! Ultrasonic Song During Courtship in the Monogamous California Mouse: Does a Cheater Sound Different? Harold Tobin of UW Madison GeoScience. Sunday October 14 at 4PM (NOTE TIME CHANGE) Does it seem like destructive tsunamis and earthquakes are somehow more common in recent years?You're not imagining things; the Earth has been especially tectonically active since the 2004 .jpg) Indian Ocean tsunami. Harold Tobin, professor of Geoscience at UW-Madison, studies the fault zones deep beneath the ocean floor that cause these earthquakes, with the goal of trying to understand how they work, why some cause tsunamis and others do not, and more. He will discuss his research and the challenges and rewards of research at sea.
Clear your calendar this Sunday, Pub is on.
Swine Flu, Bird Flu, People Flu, Oh My!
Sunday, September 9 @2PM Brocach on Main
(Please note the Wisconsin Ironman is the same time. Leave your house early to allow plenty of time for parking. It will be a madhouse downtown)
September 4, 2012
 I've had so many helpful Science Pub faithful direct me as I put this Sunday together. Ingrid, Richard, Leslie and Julie. So far, I've managed to get just about every detail slightly wrong, including which Sunday, what time and who to contact. But, rest assured, with their help, I'm on my way to pulling this off this Sunday at 2pm at Brocach (if the gods allow. Yes I'm being ironic).
It HAS to work out because we have a seriously fun speaker this month - Paul Radspinner, who is the president of FluGen. When good friend and colleague, K-to-the-Dett, suggested he'd be a good fit, I asked and he obliged. To give you an idea of his wit, I offer the September Science Pub theme, in his own words:
"Mixing species and the universal influenza vaccine or “What the hell are they doing with their pigs at the Indiana State Fair????” A former Hoosier waxes eloquent on the dangers of getting too close to Wilbur, the possible solutions and the impact on Charlotte’s (and everyone else’s) web."
This will be an informal discussion and your questions are welcomed and encouraged. I don't want to "set" Paul up too much here, but I've never been around him without laughing pretty hard. It's refreshing to find a wicked smart, subject-matter expert, corporate el presidente who delivers a great punchline.
Please join us and SPREAD THE WORD!!!!!
Karen Hitchcock
Please Note the Correct Time
August 19, 2012
Thanks to the faithful (and of course, you know I mean Science Pub and Skeptic "Faithful"), I've been informed that the actual regular meeting time for Science Pub is 2PM! Thanks to Julie, Richard Russell and Joe Nyland for calling my attention to this.
A small committee is forming to set the themes for future science pubs. If you're interested in joining us, please email me.
In the meantime, I'm still working on lining up a speaker for September, have a few leads but no confirmation yet, so let me know if you're interested.
 Look forward to meeting the regulars. Thanks. Also, a shout out to Dane101 for featuring the Skip notice for their members. Wow, what a nice link to provide.
Science Pub Continues, even as
We Say Farewell to the Great Skip Evans
August 13, 2012
About Skip.
  For those of you who have not already heard, I am sorry to let you know that Skip Evans, Science Pub Organizer, passed away July 26th. His death was untimely and unexpected and has left family, friends and coworkers quite shocked.
A couple weeks ago, we held an informal memorial service at his favorite Science Pub place, Brocach downtown. More than 30 people showed up, including his brother and nephew. I'd like to give a thank you to them, his roommate Alex, friends Ingrid, Heather, David and Henry, to Brocach, Bluephies and Food Fight, and to his coworkers at SoLoMo, who all helped to make life a little easier after his passing.
To understand how far and wide Skip's presence was felt, just check out a Facebook page that I set up to memorialize him. He had the respect of so many - his reach was far and wide. Look at the comments and the photos. They'll delight you. And of course, please feel free to post. The page will stay up.
About Science Pub
Many have asked "What will happen to Science Pub of Madison?" Lots of people have stepped forward to volunteer to help. Although I was only recently introduced to Science Pub, I thoroughly enjoyed it and so am happy to organize the next few months and maybe longer. If someone has a burning desire to take over, don't hesitate to contact me. In the meantime, consider Science Pub an active endeavor.
Skip had recently chosen the 2nd Sunday of the month as the regular appointment time. Let's keep that schedule for now. This means we'll meet at Brocach at 3pm on Sunday September 9. The Speaker is still TBD. If you want to speak, or know someone who does, please let me know.
Schedule (all times are 2pm unless otherwise noted or unless a Packer event forces us to switch the time )
September 9
October 14
November 11
December 9
Thanks so much for your support of Skip.
Karen Hitchcock
email me
Previous News, June 24
The next Madison Science Pub will be June 24, 2PM at Brocach Irish Pub on the square in downtown Madison.
Our guest speaker will be Emily Miller, a teacher in the Madison Metropolitan School District for 13 years, and a member of the district's science leadership team. She has facilitated staff development with Inquiry for the 21st Century, a partnership with area school districts and the University of Wisconsin.
Miller will discuss the collaborative effort to develop the Next Generation Science Standards, in which she participates on the writing committee. The standards aim to be rich in content and practice across disciplines and grades to provide all students an internationally benchmarked science education. Partners in this effort include the National Science Teachers Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
If you are concerned about science education in America, and the regular battles in states over science standards, efforts to weaken science education, and state to state disparity, you'll want to come hear about this groundbreaking and important effort.
May 27, Science Pub
2PM, Brocach Irish Pub
7 W Main Street, Madison, WI
Join us for a presentation of brand new research just published in Nature magazine by Dr. Shanan Peters, geologist at UW Madison. Dr. Peters and co-author Dr. Robert Gaines propose a model for the formation of hard body parts during the Cambrian period that involves the mineralization of the oceans during a period of erosion. Come on out and hear about this exciting new research!
April 29 Science Pub
2PM, Brocach Irish Pub
7 W Main Street, Madison, WI
Join us for a panel discussion on the pros and cons of nuclear energy with three UW grad students. This will be a fascinating topic on a subject of vital importance to our economy and future. Bring your questions, comments and get ready to learn some science!
March 25 Science Pub
2PM, Brocach Irish Pub
7 W Main Street, Madison, WI
Our March event will feature Dr. Clark Johnson, Principle Investigator at the Wisconsin Astrobiology Research Consortium. Dr. Johnson will discuss the origin of life, and the evolution of life on earh. How do we go about such a challenge? What do we look for? What do we know so far? How does our knowledge of the evolution of life on Earth help, or hurt, our search for life on other planets such as Mars? These are some of the questions that astrobiology research is engaged in.
 February 26 Science Pub
Our February Science Pub featured David Perlman, a grad student working with Richie Davidson doing brain imaging research on meditation. David spoke about issues relating to scientific research, peer review and how consensus is built upon research results. He also touched upon many issues related to the research in the Davidson lab. More details and photos coming soon.
January 29 Science Pub
 Science Pub 2012 kicked off with a great event, Dr. Mark Krasberg from the Ice Cube South Pole Neutrino Detector project. The detectors find neutrinos from black holes, exploding stars and other violent phenomena from across the universe. Ice Cube is the world's largest neutrino detector, covering a cubic kilometer of ice at the South Pole. (Click any pic for a larger view) Science Pub took November and December of last year off because of the holidays, so it's been a while since the old regulars came together with a usual bunch of first-timers. But word really got out for this one and we had one of the biggest crowds yet for a Science Pub. About 65 to 70 people packed the upstairs room at Brocach Irish Pub, and even more squeezed in around the bar and top of the stairs.  Why is the detector located at the South Pole? Let's let the project web site explain: "First, the ice is very clear. IceCube is buried very deep in the ice, about 2000 meters or 1.5 miles. At that depth, pressure has pushed all the bubbles out, which means it is easy for the DOMs to record neutrino interactions. Second, it is very dark in the ice. This is important because when a neutrino interacts with an atom of ice, a particle called a muon is produced. The muon radiates blue light that is detected by the DOMs. The direction and intensity of the light allows us to determine where the neutrino was coming from in the Universe. Finally, the last great thing about the ice at the South Pole is that there is a lot of it! The IceCube neutrino detector is enormous. It uses a cubic kilometer of ice and is the largest neutrino detector in the world."  Mark's a really good speaker, very personable and down to earth, with a pretty deadpan sense of humor. The pictures were terrific, covering both the equipment and operation of the project itself, and the area around the location. Yes... there were penguins. Although not at the pole itself, but at the nearby port location equipment and people come through. It was a great way to start a new season of Science Pub. Mark Krasberg's web site and photographs. Thanks to Heidi Johnson for the shots above, and Eric Allin for video. (Coming soon, Eric?)
Want to speak at Science Pub?
Read our guidelines and email us from
the Contacts block to the right.
Big thanks to our host! | Would your organization like to be a Science Pub co-sponsor?
Any group that is interested in promoting scientific literacy among the general public is invited and encouraged to become a co-sponsor of Science Pub.
Contact Skip or Leslie in the Contacts block above and tell us about your group.
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