Events of Interest—March 2009

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Note: Some events may require advance reservation, admission fees and/or a minimum age (for example, for events where alcohol is served).

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Featured Events in March

NSWA Presents: "We are not alone..."

Monday, March 16, 7:30 p.m.:
Renowned astronomer Alan Boss discusses The Crowded Universe. As NASA launches its Kepler mission to hunt for other habitable planets, Boss has a message for his fellow Earthlings: We are definitely not alone. One of the world's leading authorities on the formation of stars and planets, Boss argues that life is not only possible elsewhere in the universe, it is common. He contends that America must stay in the space race or risk being left out of one of the most profoundly important discoveries of all time: the first confirmed detection of alien life. Sponsored by Town Hall Seattle and University Book Store. Tickets are $5 and are available at
http://www.brownpapertickets.com, (800) 838-3006 and at the door beginning at 6:30 p.m. Town Hall members receive priority seating. Venue: Town Hall Seattle.
Information: http://www.townhallseattle.org

Join Boss after his talk for an intimate NSWA gathering at a local watering hole. Space is limited. RSVP and get venue details from Michael Bradbury, mikeb@seanet.com.

NSWA Presents: "AAAS Recap"

Tuesday, March 31, 6:30 p.m.:
For those of us who missed the largest annual gathering of scientists, it¹s not too late to hear what happened at American Association for the Advancement of Science in Chicago. Freelance writer Bryn Nelson, COMPASS assistant director of ocean science outreach Liz Neeley and Conservation magazine news editor Justin Matlick will get us up to speed on all the science they saw and heard. From climate change and energy issues to marine conservation, this year¹s science confab had a lot of science that has sailed below the radar. Join us at SBRI in the Discovery Meeting Room.
Please RSVP to Michael Bradbury, mikeb@seanet.com.

NSWA Board Meeting

Contact Michael Bradbury at mikeb@seanet.com to RSVP for the time and venue of the next NSWA Board meeting.

NSWA Freelance Friday Happy Hour

Contact Lisa Farino at LisaFarino@gmail.com about the next freelance happy hour. You don’t need to be a freelancer to attend. Everyone is welcome.

Join NSWA

As an NSWA member, you get discounts on some of our events, inside information on job openings and other opportunities, and the satisfaction of knowing you’re supporting the Pacific Northwest’s community of science communicators. Annual dues are just $20.

For information or to join, visit our Join page.

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Tuesday, March 3, 7:30 p.m.:
Julie Overbaugh gives a talk titled "Challenges in Understanding and Preventing HIV Transmission." Overbaugh, a Ph.D. at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, discusses her research on HIV transmission in lay terms. The talk is part of the UW¹s Global Health Sciences lecture series. Venue: UW Kane Hall 220.
Information:http://depts.washington.edu/molmed/seminars/index

Tuesday, March 3, 7:30 p.m.:
Adam Frank from the University of Rochester gives a talk titled "End of the Beginning: Before the Big Bang in Cosmology, Mythology and the Science vs. Religion Debate" as part of Science on Tap. Venue: T.S. McHugh¹s.
Information: http://www.scienceontap.org. (Also see March 6 for another event featuring Frank.)

Thursday, March 5, 8 a.m.:
Scott Ramsey, UW professor of medicine and full member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, gives a talk titled "Your Money or Your Life: The Reality of Cancer Care in the United States." The talk is part of the UW Department of Medicine¹s Grand Rounds lecture series. Venue: UW Health Sciences Bulding T-625.
Information:http://depts.washington.edu/medweb/conferences/index.html

Thursday, March 5, 4 p.m.:
Jim Berkson, unit leader of the National Marine Fisheries Service RTR Unit and associate professor at Virginia Tech, gives a talk titled "Assessing and Addressing the Nation's Shortage of Stock Assessment Scientists." The talk is part of the UW School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences seminar series. Venue: UW Fishery Sciences 102.
Information: http://fish.washington.edu/seminars

Thursday, March 5, 7 p.m.:
Aaron Wirsing, UW professor, gives a talk titled "Sustaining Our Northwest World: Carnivore Conservation in the Pacific Northwest." What would our forests look like without big predators such as mountain lions and wolves? Wirsing explores this question and the broader issue of large carnivore conservation in the Pacific Northwest. A reception including dessert and coffee will follow. Venue: UW Kane Hall 225.
Information: https://go.washington.edu/uwaa/events/2009cfr_lecture_plants_carnivore/details.tcl

Thursday, March 5, 7:30 p.m.:
What is an ordinary American's obligation to the world¹s poor? Peter Singer, Princeton University bioethics professor, argues that for the first time in history, we¹re in a position to end extreme poverty throughout the world. Hear Singer discuss his new book, The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty. Presented by the Town Hall Center for Civic Life, with University Book Store. Tickets are $5 at http://www.brownpapertickets.com or (800) 838-3006, and at the door beginning at 6:30 p.m. Town Hall members receive priority seating. Venue: Town Hall Seattle.
Information: http://www.townhallseattle.org

Friday, March 6, 7 p.m.:
Adam Frank discusses The Constant Fire: Beyond the Science vs. Religion Debate. Frank, an astrophysicist, addresses the relationship between science and religion in The Constant Fire, a book arguing that the impulse driving scientific inquiry is also the impulse driving the spiritual quest. Venue: University Book Store.
Information: http://www.bookstore.washington.edu

Friday, March 6, 7 p.m.:
Join the UW¹s Population Health Forum for a free screening of "Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?" The documentary draws attention to the root causes of health and illness, and shows us that economic, racial and social injustice and inequality are not just abstract concepts, but have real health consequences. A facilitated discussion will follow the film. Sponsored by the Wallingford Neighbors for Peace and Justice. Venue: Keystone Congregational United Church of Christ, 5019 Keystone Place N., Seattle.
Information: http://depts.washington.edu/eqhlth/pages/about.html

Saturday, March 7, 10 a.m.:
The Northwest Chapter of the American Medical Writers Association hosts a discussion titled "Introducing Substantive Editing: Why Medical Writers Need it and How to Begin." Alexandra Howson, a Ph.D. with a background as a trauma nurse and medical sociologist, gives a presentation for any medical writer or editor who ever had to deal with a tricky, noncompliant manuscript. She'll provide a whirlwind tour through some techniques for approaching manuscripts, discuss how to spot obstacles to reading and consider how to propose effective solutions. Through Thistle Editorial, Howson provides research, writing and editing support for medical, health and human service organizations. Venue: Green Lake Library Branch of The Seattle Public Library, 7364 E. Green Lake Dr. N., Seattle.
Information: http://www.amwanw.org/id22.html

Saturday, March 7, 2 p.m.:
Kick off Women¹s History Month with a talk by Air Force Maj. Nicole Malachowski, the first female pilot on any U.S. jet demonstration team. Malachowski flew with the Air Force¹s Thunderbird Demonstration Team as No. 3 / Right Wing. While on the team, she performed in 140 air shows across the United States and in seven foreign countries. Venue: Museum of Flight, William M. Allen Theater.
Information: http://www.museumofflight.org/calendar

Tuesday, March 10, 2:30 p.m.:
Casey Rice from the NOAA Mukilteo Field Facility of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center gives a talk titled "The Forsaken Fjord: Science, Society and Biological Decline in Puget Sound." Venue: UW Fishery Sciences 108.
Information: Visit http://www.fish.washington.edu/news/fishline/OHH_winter09.pdf or e-mail Micaela Parker, micaela@u.washington.edu

Tuesday, March 10, 7 p.m.:
Join the College of Ocean & Fishery Sciences and the UW Alumni Association for a two-part lecture series examining how technology is transforming the way we see our planet and how people will be impacted by the changes of the 21st century. The series is titled "Dynamic Depths: Measuring Our Oceans from Above and Below." Venue: UW Kane Hall 120.
Information:https://go.washington.edu/uwaa/events/2009cofs_lectures/details.tcl

Wednesday, March 11, 3:30 p.m.:
Alex Cahana, chief of the UW¹s Division of Pain Medicine, gives a talk titled "Is There a Role for Laboratory Testing in Pain Medicine? or How to Objectify the Subjective?" The talk is part of the Grand Rounds lecture series. Venue: UW Health Sciences Building Room D209.
Information: http://depts.washington.edu/labweb

Thursday, March 12, 4 p.m.:
Daniel Magoulick from the Arkansas Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit gives a talk titled "Effects of Stream Drying on Fish Refuge Use and Species Persistence: Forecasting Effects of Global Climate Change." The talk is sponsored by the UW Department of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences. Venue: UW Fishery Sciences 102.
Information: http://fish.washington.edu/seminars

Friday, March 13, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.:
The Museum of Flight presents "WomenFly!" - an annual event for young women interested in aviation and aerospace careers. Girls are invited to participate in a day of motivational and career-oriented activities that will allow them to meet and learn from professional women working in a variety of flight-related careers. The day¹s program also includes a special luncheon, discussions and multiple networking opportunities. Cost is only $5 per participant, payable at the event. Venue: Museum of Flight.
Information: http://www.museumofflight.org/womenfly

Saturday, March 14, 11:45 a.m.:
The Pacific Science Center presents an all-ages family workshop at Mercer Slough in Bellevue. A ranger tour will follow the workshop. Venue: Mercer Slough, 1625 118th Ave. S.E., Bellevue.
Information: http://www.pacsci.org/events

Saturday, March 14, 2 p.m.:
Join the Museum of Flight for a panel discussion titled "Pushing the Envelope - Pioneers in Aerospace." Participants will include Women Air Force Service Pilot Dawn Seymour and Kimberly Scott, who flies for both Alaska Airlines and the United States Air Force. A woman who was part of an all-woman team that "drove" the Spirit rover on Mars has been invited. Venue: Museum of Flight.
Information: http://www.museumofflight.org/calendar

Monday, March 16, 5 p.m.:
All NSWA members are invited to a freelance science writing networking night. Freelancers, want-to-be science writers, those interested in being freelance, other independent writers, or anyone who writes about scientific and technical topics for a living may attend. Friends and family are welcome too. Enjoy collegiality, talk about what we're doing, get ideas and inspiration, and discuss all those issues freelancers have that people don't run into until they're out on their own - what are reasonable terms, how much to charge, what kind of behaviors suggest you're being led on or won't get paid, how to figure out where there is work, etc. It's a great opportunity to eat good food, indulge in good drinks, and share stories, advice and useful information with fellow science writers. RSVP to Andy Cutler, (425) 557-8299 or AndyCutler@aol.com, or just show up. Venue: St. Andrew's Pub and Grill, 7406 Aurora Ave N, Seattle. St. Andrews does open at 4 p.m. for those who get off work early and wish to beat traffic.
Information: E-mail Cutler at AndyCutler@aol.com

Monday, March 16, 7:30 p.m.:
Renowned astronomer Alan Boss discusses The Crowded Universe. Sponsored by Town Hall Seattle and University Book Store. Tickets are $5 and are available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com, (800) 838-3006 and at the door beginning at 6:30 p.m. Town Hall members receive priority seating. Venue: Town Hall Seattle. Information: http://www.townhallseattle.org. (For details about this event and the exclusive meetup for NSWA members, see the listing above for featured events.)

Tuesday, March 17, 9:30 a.m.:
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory¹s atmospheric sciences division presents a talk by Stanford University¹s Ken Caldeira on ways to deal with climate change, including geoengineering.
Caldeira was named a "Hero Scientist of 2008" by New Scientist magazine. Venue: PNNL EMSL Auditorium, 3335 Q Ave., Richland.
Information: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-02/dnnl-csk022309.php

Tuesday, March 17, 1:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.:
The UW hosts a National Academy of Engineering Regional Meeting devoted to "Contemporary Topics in the Energy Field." Hear experts from UW, PNNL and Boeing discuss CO2 energy storage, smarter energy grids, organic photovoltaics, biofuels and much more. Registration is appreciated but not required. Venue: UW Walker-Ames Room 225 in Kane Hall.
Information and registration: http://lazowska.cs.washington.edu/nae2009

Tuesday, March 17, 6 p.m.:
Karina Allen gives a talk titled "Identifying Future Skills for Technical Communicators: An Action Plan." Allen worked on a team of Boeing technical communicators that identified future skills required in an information-based economy. She will explains the process they used, the tools they produced, their findings after sharing the tools with their work group and their recommendations to other technical communication groups. This team's experience may be helpful to other professionals also faced with preparing for changes within the information economy. $10 for STC members; $15 for non-members; $5 for students. Venue: Aquent, 1109 North 36th St., Suite A, Seattle.
Information: Diana Phelps-Soysal stc@soysals.com

Wednesday, March 18, 3:30 p.m.:
Kimberly Allison from the UW Department of Pathology gives a talk titled "Molecular Testing in Breast Cancer: Will it Become Standard Practice?" The talk is part of the Grand Rounds lecture series. Venue: UW Health Sciences Building Room D209.
Information: http://depts.washington.edu/labweb

Wednesday, March 18, 6 p.m.:
The Seattle Chapter of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) presents a talk by Lydia G. Olson titled "Patents 101 for Biotechnology and Chemistry." Olson focuses primarily on intellectual property matters in the fields of chemistry, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. She has experience in U.S. and foreign patent procurement, due diligence, licensing and opinion counseling. Venue: UW South Lake Union Building at 815 Mercer St.
Information: http://www.seattleawis.org/events.htm

Saturday, March 21, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.:
Join Lake Washington interns, REI, the Washington Native Plant Society and community volunteers as they work to restore the beautiful Taylor Creek stream by planting native species throughout the park. The interns also will be leading hands-on educational activities throughout the event. Venue: Taylor Creek.
Information: http://www.pacsci.org/events

Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.:
Visit the Soaring Exposition at the Museum of Flight and take a look at some full-size gliders and radio controlled gliders and sailplanes. A number of lectures, movies and presentations will give you some insight into sailplane and radio-controlled gliders development. Representatives of local soaring and radio-controlled glider clubs will explain the local soaring scene and answer questions about the fascinating world of powerless flight. Venue: Museum of Flight.
Information: http://www.museumofflight.org/calendar

Tuesday, March 24, 7:30 p.m.:
One in every three people worldwide is infected with tuberculosis, including increasing numbers of Washingtonians. On Tuesday, March 24, World TB Day, a panel of tuberculosis research and healthcare experts leads an interactive discussion about the worldwide tuberculosis epidemic, the efforts to control its devastating impact and how individuals help with its eradication. The evening includes exhibits, activities and a free reception with refreshments. Presented by the Washington State Tuberculosis Advisory Committee with the Firland Foundation. Free, no tickets required. Venue: Town Hall Seattle.
Information: Call (206) 256-7440 or visit http://www.stoptb.org

Wednesday, March 25, 5:30 p.m.:
Sustainable Path presents "Climate Change and Water." With our varied landscape and abundance of water sources, Washington is likely to feel the effects of climate change even more profoundly than other places. Already we're seeing signs of what the future could hold: too much water at some times, not enough at others. Washington State Climatologist Philip Mote and Steve Malloch of the National Wildlife Federation lead a seminar to address how we can respond to the prospect of more flooding, drought, wildfires and other potential climate-change catastrophes. They will analyze our current situation and propose solutions concerning growth, development, climate and community as well as personal lifestyle changes that can reduce our carbon and water footprints. Presented by Sustainable Path Foundation. Venue: Town Hall Seattle.
Information: http://www.townhallseattle.org

Saturday, March 28, 10 a.m.:
The Pacific Science Center celebrates the opening of "GPS Adventures," its newest exhibit. Meet the founders of Geocaching.com, enjoy hands-on family activities, visit with geocachers from around the region and find out what makes this such a worldwide phenomena. This event is free but does not include access to Pacific Science Center exhibits. A ticket or membership is needed to access "GPS Adventures." Venue: Pacific Science Center.
Information: http://www.pacsci.org/events

Saturday, March 28, 2 p.m.:
Crew members from the first flight of the Boeing 777 more than 14 years ago will discuss the fight and the experiences leading up to it. Venue: Museum of Flight.
Information: http://www.museumofflight.org/calendar

Monday, March 30, 7:30 p.m.:
Steve Malone, retired director of the UW¹s Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, gives a talk titled "Early Warning for the Next Great Cascadia Earthquake" as part of Science on Tap. Venue: Ravenna Third Place Books.
Information: http://www.scienceontap.org

Monday, March 30, 7:30 p.m.:
Andrew Nikiforuk discusses "Tar Sands: Dirty Oil and the Future of a Continent." Canada is the largest single exporter of oil to the United States thanks to its recent development of Northern Alberta's vast stores of bitumen, or "tar sands." Nikiforuk, a well-known Canadian journalist, believes the Alberta tar-sands development may well be one of the worst environmental tragedies the world has never heard of. He describes the environmental degradation and social ills resulting from the pursuit of bitumen and examines the effect of petrodollars on democracy. Sponsored by Town Hall Seattle and University Book Store. Tickets are $5 and are available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com, (800) 838-3006, and at the door beginning at 6:30 p.m. Town Hall Seattle members receive priority seating. Venue: Town Hall Seattle.
Information: http://www.townhallseattle.org

REMINDERS:
Mentors are needed to advise high school students in the winter for their Student Biotech Expo projects. The expo is on Wednesday, May 29, 2009.
http://www.nwabr.org/studentbiotech/advisors/advisor_info.htm

Additions? Corrections? Write calendar@nwscience.org.