The 2009 Science-on-Saturday lecture series kicks off on Saturday, January 10, at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in Plainsboro. The series, marking its 25th anniversary, includes eight talks ranging from microplasmas to left-right asymmetry in the universe to microbial keratitis and contact lens care. Featured on several Saturdays from January through March, the talks are geared toward high school students, but open to everyone. They begin at 9:30 a.m. in the auditorium. Students, teachers, parents, and community members are welcome to attend any or all of the free lectures. The event organizers include Ronald Hatcher, Kathleen Lukazik, and James Morgan.##M:[more]##
“Science on Saturday is a way for the lab to introduce the community to various science topics and research in a range of disciplines,” says Morgan, a PPPL Science Education program administrator. “This is the 25th year for the lecture series, and it continues to grow every year in popularity.”
The schedule includes:
January 10, “Learning Differences in a Digital World: A New Vision” presented by Gordon Sherman, executive director, Newgrange School and Education Center, Princeton.
January 17, “Is God a Mathematician?” presented by Mario Livio, a senior astrophysicist, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore.
January 24, “Polysaccharides: From Waste Products to Smart Materials” presented by Caroline Schauer, assistant professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia.
January 31, “Microplasmas” presented by Jose Lopez, Department of Applied Science & Technology, Saint Peter’s College, Jersey City.
February 7, “Left-Right Asymmetry in the Universe” presented by Dilip K. Kondepudi, Department of Chemistry, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
February 14, “Mapping the Universe” presented by Michael Strauss, Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University.
February 21, “Illusion and Reality: At the Boundary of Art and Science” presented by Susana Martinez-Conde, director of the Laboratory of Visual Neuroscience, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona.
March 14, “Outbreak of Contact Lens-Related Fusarium Keratitis in 2006: A Lesson in Microbial Keratitis and Contact Lens Care” presented by David S. Chu, M.D., Institute of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, New Jersey Medical School, UMDNJ, Newark.
All talks will be at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory’s Forrestal Campus off Route 1 in Plainsboro. The lectures begin at 9:30 a.m. and usually last, with questions, about two hours. There is no fee for the program. Registration is on-site prior to each session. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
PPPL is a federal facility. Heightened security measures are presently in effect at the laboratory. All adult visitors must show a government-issued photo I.D. (passport or a driver’s license).
Science on Saturday, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Forrestal Campus, Route 1 North, Plainsboro, 609-243-2121. www.pppl.gov. Register on site. Students, parents, teachers, and community members invited. Photo ID required. Free. Saturdays, January 10 to March 14, 9:30 a.m.
