Readings/Lectures/Showings February 2006

NSWA Events Calendar

Please E-mail NSWA with suggested announcements.

Some events may require advance registration or admission fee. Check with the sponsoring organizations for further details. Please send additions or corrections to alan.boyle@msnbc.com—and feel free to submit events for future calendars.

Friday, February 3, 7:00 p.m.:
Science fiction author Greg Bear imagines the second decade of the War on Terror in his newest thriller, “Quantico.” Three young FBI agents emerge from their graduation into a dangerous world—filled with extremists of all sorts. And one that teeters on what may be Armageddon. Can the world be saved? University Book Store. Free. http://www.bookstore.washington.edu

Saturday, February 4, 4 and 7 p.m.:
The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame and the Seattle International Film Festival present the first annual Science Fiction Short Film Festival. Twenty original short films will be showcased in competition to win a development pitch with the Sci-Fi Channel. Seattle Cinerama Theatre, two screenings of ten films each at 4 and 7 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony. Advance tickets are available through the SFM Box Office by calling 206-770-2707. Day-of-show tickets may be purchased at the Cinerama. Cost: $7 for one screening, $10 for both. http://www.sfhomeworld.org/

Monday, February 6, 3:30 p.m.:
Jeffrey V. Ravetch, professor at Rockefeller University, presents “Antibodies and Their Receptors: Mechanisms for Coupling Innate and Adaptive Immunity.“ Department of Immunology Seminar Series. University of Washington. T-639 HSC. http://depts.washington.edu/immunweb/

Wednesday, February 8, 7-9 a.m.:
The Washington Technology Center’s Microfabrication Laboratory presents a forum and workshop titled “AccessIQ: A Forum for Innovation in Micro and Nano Process Development” from 7 to 9 a.m. at the University of Washington Club. The gathering is the first in a new seminar series for research engineers. Cost is $35, which includes breakfast and materials. Agenda details and registration are available at http://www.watechcenter.org or by calling
206 616-4187.

Friday, February 10, 7 p.m.:
David W. Goldman, Jay Lake, Eric James Stone, Ken Scholes and Steven Stanley present “Writers of the Future, Volume XXI.” Join them for an evening of creatively told stories from some of the best new talent in science fiction, fantasy and horror writing, as chosen by top writers and illustrators in these fields. University Book Store. Free. http://www.bookstore.washington.edu/

Monday, February 13, 3:30 p.m.:
Stephen Galli, professor and chair of the Department of Pathology at Stanford University, presents “The contributions of mast cells to health and disease: Beyond IgE.” Department of Immunology Seminar Series. University of Washington. T-639 HSC. http://depts.washington.edu/immunweb/

Wednesday, February 15, 7 p.m.:
Frederick vom Saal, professor of biological sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia, presents research on the health effects of low-dose exposures to the endocrine-disrupting chemicals in some plastics. Presented by the Institute for Children's Environmental Health and the Seattle Biotech Legacy Foundation as part of the 2006 Environmental Health Lecture Series. Town Hall Seattle. Tickets are $14/$15 at the door or can be obtained in advance. Discounts available for students and limited income. CME Category 2 credits will be offered. For tickets and more information visit www.iceh.org, call 360/331-7904, or e-mail iceh@iceh.org.

Thursday, February 16, 3:30 p.m.:
Mark Reider, research assistant professor in the Department of Genome Sciences, talks about "Translating Basic Science Genetics for Clinical Applications." Part of the Science Colloquium Series, presented by UW’s Office of Research and the Forum on Science Ethics and Policy, University of Washington. Physics and Astronomy Bldg, A-102. http://www.fosep.org

Thursday, February 16, noon.:
The 2005-06 Science in Medicine Lecture features a lecture by Robert Waterston, chair of UW's Department of Genome Sciences, on the topic of “Automated Gene Expression Analysis at Single-Cell Resolution in the Nematode C. elegans.” This lecture will be simultaneously televised at Harborview Medical Center, Research and Training Building, Auditorium and VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Building 1, Room 518. This lecture is open to all faculty, staff and students. Lecture location TBA. http://www.uwmedicine.org/research

Thursday, February 16, 4:00 p.m.:
The speaker for the Pathobiology Seminar series is Michael Gale, of theUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, discussing “Viral Triggering and Control of the Host Response to Hepatitis C Virus.” University of Washington. T-747 HSC. http://uwcalendar.net/

Saturday and Sunday, February 18 and 19:
The 2006 Group Health Seattle International Bicycle Expo will be held at Warren G. Magnuson Park, Hangar 27, Seattle. University Book Store will be there with a wide selection of bicycling books and to host signings with noted authors such as David Herlihy of “Bicycle: The Book” and Joel Friel of “The Cyclist's Training Bible.” This is a Cascade Bicycle Club event presented by NewsRadio 710 KIRO and sponsored by Group Health Cooperative, Clif, Nextel, Ballard Camera, and University Book Store. Tickets are $7 at the door, ages 15 and under are free. Visit http://www.cascade.org for more information.

Tuesday, February 21, 6:30 p.m.:
David Mumford, professor of applied mathematics at Brown University, speaks about “The Lure of the Abstract: Case Studies in Math and Art.” This Walker-Ames Lecture is sponsored by UW Graduate School and the following departments: Mathematics, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering. University of Washington. Kane Hall, Room 120. Free, no ticket required. http://uwcalendar.net/

Tuesday, February 21, 2:30 p.m.:
Kenneth M. Murphy, Howard Hughes Institute researcher at Washington University, discusses his research on the receptors and signaling pathways that control the development and activation of lymphocytes. Department of Immunology Seminar Series. University of Washington. University of Washington. T-739 HSC. http://depts.washington.edu/immunweb/

Thursday, Feb 23, 2006 6:00 p.m.:
The Puget Sound Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (SIGCHI) extends an invitation to a behind-the-scenes look at the user interface (UI) design process for the recently released Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 UI design efforts and results will be discussed by Paolo Malabuyo and Ryan Gunn. Malabuyo leads interaction and interface design of Xbox 360 and Xbox Live; Gunn played a key role designing the Xbox 360 media features.
No registration is required for this free meeting. Social Hour with food provided starts at 6:00 p.m.; business meeting is 7:00 to 8:30. Adobe, 801 N. 34th St., Seattle, WA 98103.
For directions and details, see http://www.acm.org/chapters/pssigchi/html/meetings/2_23_2006.html
SIGCHI is a non-profit, local SIG chapter of the Association of Computing Machinery serving the Puget Sound region's interface design, usability, and research communities. http://www.pssigchi.org

Monday, February 27, 3:30 p.m.:
Owen N. Witte, professor in the HHMI Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of California at Los Angeles presents a talk on “Visualizing the Cellular Immune Response by Positron Emission Tomography.” Department of Immunology Seminar Series. University of Washington. T-639 HSC. http://depts.washington.edu/immunweb/

Monday, February 27, 7 p.m.:
Science on Tap features Diana Gordon and Steve Gordon of Oregon Health Sciences University to facilitate a discussion of “Science, Pseudoscience, and Medical Quackery.” Ravenna Books. http://www.scienceontap.org

Tuesday, February 28, 7:00 p.m.:
The Danz Lecture Series presents Cornell University astronomer Stephen Squyres, principal investigator for NASA's Mars rover missions and author of the book “Roving Mars.” Sponsored by the University of Washington. A free ticket is required for the lecture and will be available starting February 14 at University Book Store. Limit of four tickets per person. University of Washington. Kane Hall, Room 130. http://www.bookstore.washington.edu

Tuesday, February 28, 7:30 p.m.:
Daniel Dennett, director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University, discusses his new book, “Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon,” in which he calls for a scientific, rational examination of religion that will lead to an understanding of the purpose that religion serves in our culture. Town Hall Seattle. Tickets are $5 and available beginning February 11. Call 206/624-6600 or visit Elliott Bay Book Company for tickets and information. http://www.townhallseattle.org or http://www.elliottbaybook.com/events/

Tuesday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m.:
Brian Atwater, a geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey and an affiliate professor at UW, discusses the potential for tsunamis and earthquakes in the Pacific Rim region, a subject explored in his book “The Orphan Tsunami of 1700: Japanese Clues to a Parent Earthquake in North America.” Elliott Bay Book Storetonight with the results of their inquiry, http://www.elliottbaybook.com/events/

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