Science Cafe

Local university professors and other professionals facilitate informal and lively public discussions of important science-related topics as part of the Science Café series.  Join the conversation and relax with a cup of coffee or tea as topics from how to combat headaches effectively and why it is so hard to predict the weather and body language and its importance in everyday communication are covered. 

Spring 2012 Schedule

Math in the Movies
February 1,  7:15 p.m.

The movie "A Beautiful Mind," which won four Oscars in 2001, tells the romanticized
story of John Nash, a brilliant mathematician whose work in economic game theory
won him the Nobel prize in 1994.  Join Sam Vandervelde, Math faculty member at
St. Lawrence University, for a lively discussion, as he conducts a game play simulation
to illustrate Nash equilibria and explains why it pays to bluff in poker, among other things.

The Iroquois Confederacy: America's First Democracy?
February 15, 7:15 p.m.

In the western tradition ancient Greece is famed as the birthplace of democracy. 
But several sources, not to mention the Iroquois themselves, point to their Confederacy
and its Great Law as a "home grown" democracy.  And Ben Franklin agreed with them. 

Join Susan Stebbins, SUNY Potsdam Professor of Anthropology, as she discusses archaeological and ethnographic information about the Iroquois in the area, Ontario, and Quebec, their cultural traditions, and the impact of the Confederacy on the relations between the Iroquois and the establishment of the United States.

The Puzzle of Left-Handedness: Separating Fact from Fiction
February 29th,  7:15 p.m.

For centuries, myths about left-handedness have abounded.  Left-handers have often been viewed with suspicion, faced prejudice and discrimination -- the very word "left" in English derives from the Anglo-Saxon "lyft", meaning "broken" or "weak". 

Join St. Lawrence University Psychology Professor, Alan Searleman, an experienced researcher in the field, for demonstrations and a lively discussion of handedness, including sighting eye dominance, and how hand and eye preferences can have a major impact on our ability to play various sports.

Teeth - They are a Blast!
March 28, 7:15 p.m.

Did you know that the ameloblast is a cell important to the growth of enamel, odontoblast
is crucial for the development of dentin, and fibroblasts help in teeth healing?
Come learn about the secret life of teeth - we all have them and we'd like to keep them -
and they are a blast!

Dr. Elaine Kuracina, DMD, a general dentist in Potsdam, for children and adults, will lead
this entertaining and informative discussion.

Biosensors in Everyday Life
April 18, 7:15 p.m.

The glucose meter used to monitor sugar in your blood is a well known example of biosensor
technology, used in everyday life.  Biosensors, in general, integrate bioactive materials
with an electronic component, to detect various substances, and they are important in a host
of practical applications.

Clarkson University Chemistry Professor Silvana Andreescu will survey the exciting, modern
technology of biosensors and their design, and will discuss examples of their application
in health care, food, and environmental monitoring.