Science Seminar

everyone is welcome!


March 31, 2006

Tim McMannon

The Physics of Baseball

Does a curveball really curve? How do you hit a baseball for maximum distance? Why does a baseball hit down one of the lines curve toward foul territory? Learn the answers to these and other questions in "The Physics of Baseball," which leads off Highline Community College's Science Seminar series for spring quarter.
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Posted on April 4, 2006

April 7, 2006

Cheedy Jaja

What is Pharmacogenetics?

April 7, 2015. You wake feeling terrible and you know its time to see a doctor. In the office, the doctor looks you over, listens to your symptoms, and prescribes a drug. But first, the doctor takes a blood sample to look at your DNA. Welcome to the brave new world of PHARMACOGENETICS or PERSONALIZED MEDICINE where knowing your unique genetic profile could help your doctor prescribe the right medicine in the right amount tailored just for YOU.
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Posted on June 19, 2006

April 14, 2006

Amelia Philips

Nanotechnology – Do You Want Miniature Robots Crawling in Your Head?

That’s what could happen if you listen to all the science fiction hype about molecular sized robots that are so small you can breathe them in and not realize it. Then they travel through your bloodstream to an infected area, repair it and then leave your system. Come see what your tax dollars are doing in this are. The NSF, NASA, DOD, DOE and National Institute of Health are all pumping money into Nanotechnology. Quantum dots may replace lightbulbs, nano gears will do all of our manufacturing, cancer cells can be removed without traditional surgical procedures and more. Imagine creating molecular sized machines that can construct anything from crude oil to diamonds! Come see what the future holds….
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Posted on May 9, 2006

April 21, 2006

Bob Maplestone, T.M. Sell, Michael Campbell, Carla Wittington, Woody Moses

Beyond Oil: A Panel Discussion on Life After Cheap Oil

If you think $3 a gallon for gas is expensive, imagine paying $5 or even $10. Oil producers are having a hard time keeping up with demand from the U.S. and China. Are they running out? New oil fields haven’t been discovered in years. Our economic is heavily dependent on oil and oil products, including diesel, gasoline, home heating oil and everything made with plastic. What will happen when we no longer have cheap oil? Are there alternatives? Can we sustain our lifestyles? Most importantly, what can you do about it?
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Posted on May 11, 2006

April 28, 2006

James Loetterle

Glacial Buzzsaws, Tectonic Aneurysms, and the Relationship between Mountain Building and Erosion

Have you ever wondered why Mt. Rainier is so much higher than the rest of the Cascade Mountains? Have you ever wondered how mountains grow, or rivers and glaciers erode? Have you ever wondered if rivers and glaciers can actually drive mountain building? Others have and they’ve even said, “Savor the irony should mountains owe their muscles to the drumbeat of tiny raindrops.” Even if you haven’t wondered about any of this, come on by and find out what a glacial buzz-saw or a tectonic aneurysm is!
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Posted on May 11, 2006

May 5, 2006

Tracy Brigham

How bad is fast food anyway?

Come hear Tracy discuss the health threats posed by a diet filled with Big Macs®, McNuggets®, Blizzards® and other foods that require a ®.
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Posted on May 11, 2006

May 12, 2006 - Cancelled

Rod Fowers

The Psychology & Science of Gender and Sex

A facilitated discussion led by Rod Fowers. What is sex? Do you have one….or two (or any)? Are you sure? What is gender? Is it the same thing as sex or is it something more……or something less? The terms sex and gender mean different things to different people. Most people think of sex and gender in black and white terms: we are either male or female, we either have sex or we are abstinent. During this discussion we’ll explore the possibility that we have to think beyond polar opposites when considering sex and gender, in terms of biology, psychology, and sociology.

Video - Not Available

May 19, 2006

Igor Glozman & John Pfeffer

Shaky Science in Fun Movies

Could astronauts be propelled into space from a giant cannon? Can we destroy asteroids threatening the Earth? Is artificial gravity as good as the real thing? Sci-fi movies can be entertaining, but how realistic is the science in these movies? Join Igor, John, Woody, and the rest of the gang for a lively, eye-popping discussion of "Shaky Science in Fun Movies".
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Posted on May 26, 2006

May 26, 2006

Sam Shabb

Lost Salmon of the Olympic Mountains – Will They return?

An overview of efforts to restore the majestic Elwha River to its former glory by removal of the Elwha River Dam, Washington.
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Posted on June 2, 2006

June 2, 2006

Richard Bankhead

Soup can races: the science of rolling objects


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Posted on June 9, 2006

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