Carnegie Science Center's Podcast

Illah Reza Nourbakhsh This is the Q&A portion of Dr. Nourbakhsh's presentation on 'Robot Futures'. The ambition of modern robotics goes beyond copying humans, beyond the effort to make walking, talking androids that are indistinguishable from people. Future robots will have superhuman abilities in both the physical and digital realms. They will be embedded in our physical spaces, with the ability to go where we cannot, and will have minds of their own, thanks to artificial intelligence. They will be fully connected to the digital world, far better at carrying out online tasks than we are. In his new book Robot Futures, the Illah Reza Nourbakhsh considers how we will share our world with these creatures, and how our society could change as it incorporates a race of stronger, smarter beings. Nourbakhsh imagines a future that includes adbots offering interactive custom messaging; robotic flying toys that operate by means of "gaze tracking"; robot-enabled multimodal, multicontinental telepresence; and eve

Georgena Terry Founder, Terry Precision Bicycles for Women CEO, Heart of Steel Bicycles Have you ever ridden on a bike that just felt right – or that just felt wrong? At its heart, a bicycle frame is an exercise in trigonometry. As with dominoes, changing one element often has effects on the other elements. The body of the rider also has to fit into the equation. There's no better way to understand these relationships than by designing a bicycle frame. Georgena Terry will help you understand this very simple, yet very sophisticated machine, based on her background in mechanical engineering and her experience in designing bicycles. The next time you look at your bike, you'll see it through different eyes. Learn why women's bodies often call for different bike design than men's, and why some bikes might wear you out more than others. And if you're in the market for a new bicycle, you'll be prepared to understand the meaning behind all the numbers. Recorded at Carnegie Science Center on Monday, July 8, 2013.

This is the Q&A portion of Georgena Terry's talk, "Bikes and Bodies" Have you ever ridden on a bike that just felt right – or that just felt wrong? At its heart, a bicycle frame is an exercise in trigonometry. As with dominoes, changing one element often has effects on the other elements. The body of the rider also has to fit into the equation. There's no better way to understand these relationships than by designing a bicycle frame. Georgena Terry will help you understand this very simple, yet very sophisticated machine, based on her background in mechanical engineering and her experience in designing bicycles. The next time you look at your bike, you'll see it through different eyes. Learn why women's bodies often call for different bike design than men's, and why some bikes might wear you out more than others. And if you're in the market for a new bicycle, you'll be prepared to understand the meaning behind all the numbers. Recorded at Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA on July 8, 2013.

"The Living Dead Brain: What human brains teach us about zombie minds" The realities of modern neuroscience once only existed in the imaginations of science fiction authors. Brain signals can control robotic arms or make music, viruses are being used to reprogram neurons to fire when exposed to light, and giant magnets are capable of visualizing our thoughts in action. Join Dr. Timothy Verstynen (Assistant Professor in Psychology & Neuroscience at Carnegie Mellon University) as he turn the tables and shows how real science can be used to explain science fiction. Using forensic neuroscience, Dr. Verstynen will demonstrate how the behavior of horror movie zombies (e.g., the way they move, their inability to talk or experience pain) can be understood as a surreal convergence of neurological impairments. This educational talk is designed to highlight how popular culture can be leveraged as a useful teaching tool for science education at all ages. Recorded on Monday, June 3, 2013 at Carnegie Science Cente

This is the Q&A portion of Dr. Timothy Verstynen's talk, "The Living Dead Brain: What human brains teach us about zombie minds" The realities of modern neuroscience once only existed in the imaginations of science fiction authors. Brain signals can control robotic arms or make music, viruses are being used to reprogram neurons to fire when exposed to light, and giant magnets are capable of visualizing our thoughts in action. Join Dr. Timothy Verstynen (Assistant Professor in Psychology & Neuroscience at Carnegie Mellon University) as he turn the tables and shows how real science can be used to explain science fiction. Using forensic neuroscience, Dr. Verstynen will demonstrate how the behavior of horror movie zombies (e.g., the way they move, their inability to talk or experience pain) can be understood as a surreal convergence of neurological impairments. This educational talk is designed to highlight how popular culture can be leveraged as a useful teaching tool for science education at all ages.

This is the Question and Answer portion of our evening with Dr. Nathan Morehouse following his lecture "Flying Colors: Innovation and Evolution in Butterfly Coloration." Dr. Morehouse has been chasing colorful insects since the age of 3, but he began his formal training as a biologist at Cornell University, graduating with Distinction in Research in 2000. After graduation, he worked as a commercial salmon fisherman off of the coast of Kodiak Island, a farmhand on Vancouver Island, and the general manager and sommelier of a French restaurant in New York, before returning to biology as a doctoral student at Arizona State University. He received his Ph.D. in 2009 studying sexual selection, coloration and resource dynamics in the Cabbage White butterfly under the direction of Dr. Ron Rutowski. He then joined the lab of Dr. Jerome Casas at the Université de Tours, France as a European Union Marie Curie Fellow, where he studied the evolution and development of seasonal wing coloration in the European Map Butterfl

*Note: Due to a microphone malfunction, the first few minutes of the lecture were lost. We apologize for the inconveniance and less than ideal quality of what was able to be recorded.   Butterfly colors have fascinated biologists and amateurs alike for thousands of years, but it’s only been in the past several decades that researchers have begun to understand many aspects of the function and evolution of these eye-catching traits. Drawing from his own research, Dr. Morehouse will talk about new developments in our understanding of how butterflies produce their colors, what they use them for and why some butterflies are colorful and others are not.   Dr. Morehouse has been chasing colorful insects since the age of 3, but he began his formal training as a biologist at Cornell University, graduating with Distinction in Research in 2000. After graduation, he worked as a commercial salmon fisherman off of the coast of Kodiak Island, a farmhand on Vancouver Island, and the general manager and sommelier

View the corresponding slide show here! Abstract: Improvements to the existing electric power grid infrastructure, whose design dates back nearly a century, have been identified as a key aspect of the current U.S. strategy to improve energy efficiency, grid reliability, and power security. In order to effectively and economically implement the necessary improvements and expansions of the power grid infrastructure to meet the emerging needs of smart grid implementation, renewable energy integration, and energy storage applications, increased development and applications of advanced power electronics based technologies, such as High Voltage and Medium Voltage DC Systems (HVDC and MVDC) and Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS), must take place. An overview of current HVDC, MVDC, and FACTS technologies will be provided, along with a discussion of new developments and emerging needs for future transmission and distribution system applications. In addition, an interesting historical perspective will be provid

Misha Angrist, PhD Assistant Professor of the Practice Duke University Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy Here is a Human Being: At the Dawn of Personal Genomics Misha Angrist knows the field of personal genomics well. In April 2007, he became the fourth subject in Harvard geneticist George Church's Personal Genome Project. In 2009, he was among the first few people to have his entire genome sequenced. Dr. Angrist will share his experience as chronicled in is book, Here is a Human Being: At the Dawn of Personal Genomics, and present the pros, cons, and potential impact of personal genomics on human health and society. Misha Angrist holds a PhD degree in Genetics from Case Western Reserve University, and was formerly a board-eligible genetic counselor. He received his MFA in Writing and Literature from the Bennington Writing Seminars, is a past winner of the Brenda L. Smart Fiction Prize, and was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Dr. Angrist was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. Don't miss this mon

What Are Lichens and What Do They Say About Air Quality in Our Region? Join Matthew R. Opdyke, PhD, for a discussion of his recent research on the lichen community in southwestern Pennsylvania, which included surveys of Frick, Schenley, Mingo Creek parks, and Forbes State Forest. Opdyke's research explores lichens as air pollution indicators, as well their characteristics in rural and urban environments. Lichen, a combination of algae and fungus, come in a variety of shapes and sizes with colorful names like candleflame, fluffy dust, and rough speckled shield. See photographs of lichens taken in southwestern Pennsylvania, learn how to identify lichens, and hear about conservation efforts in the region. Opdyke provides a closer look at lichens and reveals their importance to our regional ecosystem. Recorded at Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

Please download the corresponding PowerPoint Presentation here: https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B72jWNjNLuDcNDg1YmJiZWItNjgwZi00MzFmLTllMDQtNTRkZTVhOTMxOWRj&hl=en The Marcellus Shale represents one of the largest reservoirs of unconventional natural gas in the world. It holds the potential to provide a source of energy and jobs. Its extraction, however, is non-trivial and if done without proper safeguards can result in the degradation of water and air quality, and loss of land use. John Stolz, Professor of Environmental Microbiology at Duquesne University, will lead a discussion, providing an overview of the industry, the processes involved in extraction, and the environmental impacts of drilling into the Marcellus Shale. Hear the answers to questions like: What chemicals are used in the fracking process? What are the environmental concerns about extracting gas from the Marcellus Shale? Can earthquakes be caused by fracking? These questions and more are covered, including a Q&A session at the en

John Radzilowicz Director of Science & Education Carnegie Science Center Dan Malerbo Planetarium Education Coordinator Carnegie Science Center Historic Open Forum on the Future of Space Exploration at NASA At the invitation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Carnegie Science Center is holding this town hall meeting to gather feedback for NASA's consideration in its strategic planning for the next decade of planetary and space science. This is the first time that NASA has asked its volunteer network and affiliates to hold an open forum on such an important topic. Carnegie Science Center is one of a few select locations across the nation employed by NASA to hold this public dialogue. How will it work? Two Science Center staff with extensive expertise in astronomy – John Radzilowicz, and Dan Malerbo – will share the results of the 2013 Planetary Science Decadal Survey, released by the National Research Council (NRC), then solicit and record your feedback on the survey's findings

John Radzilowicz Director of Science & Education Carnegie Science Center Dan Malerbo Planetarium Education Coordinator Carnegie Science Center Historic Open Forum on the Future of Space Exploration at NASA At the invitation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Carnegie Science Center is holding this town hall meeting to gather feedback for NASA's consideration in its strategic planning for the next decade of planetary and space science. This is the first time that NASA has asked its volunteer network and affiliates to hold an open forum on such an important topic. Carnegie Science Center is one of a few select locations across the nation employed by NASA to hold this public dialogue. How will it work? Two Science Center staff with extensive expertise in astronomy – John Radzilowicz, and Dan Malerbo – will share the results of the 2013 Planetary Science Decadal Survey, released by the National Research Council (NRC), then solicit and record your feedback on the survey's findings