Lost Without Science.

Science events in Austin and the occasional interesting tidbit.

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Wednesday: Nerd Nite

Nerd Nite hits again Wednesday night at the North Door. Here’s this month’s lineup:

“My Shoes Talk to Twitter: Wearable Technology and the Internet,” by Kassandra Perch

Come learn about hobbyist robotics, the buzzphrase that is “Internet of Things”, and the fabulous world of microcontrollers! I’ll talk about where you can get started building your own projects–the barrier to entry is lower than you think and dropping by the day.

Kassandra Perch is a robotics, 3d printing, and development addict living in Austin. She enjoys scotch, movies, and walking around in internet connected, light-up clothes.

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“You’re growing what in there?: A brief overview of noninvasive prenatal testing and fetal DNA analysis,” by Claire Sellers

It may seem like humans have been able to fully diagnose and manage pregnancy for centuries, but a lot of what we take for granted is relatively new technology. Learn about the history of prenatal testing, including the more recent development of non-invasive fetal DNA testing. With our current “more is better” approach to knowledge, these technologies raise the question of how long it will be until the available information overwhelms our ability to interpret it.

Claire Sellers is a resident in Obstetrics and Gynecology with the department of Women’s Health at UT Austin Dell Medical School. She has the extreme privilege of caring for pregnant women on a daily basis, and loves discussing this ever-expanding field.

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“The Modern Freak,” by The Lizardman

What does it mean to be a freak? How have views of freaks changed over time? What role has the sideshow played in shaping these views and how has it been affected by changing attitudes and perceptions?

The Lizardman is a professional freak and entertainer based in Austin who has performed around the world. He also has a degree in philosophy.

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This Week: When Stars Collide & Hummingbirds

Howdy! A few events are happening this week in ATX, including an Astronomy on Tap at a new location:

Tuesday, May 26 at 7:30pm Astronomy on Tap @ The North Door

From the site: 

Three spectacular science talks this month. First up, Director Taft (aka Dr. Taft Armandroff) will share some behind the scenes stories from McDonald Observatory, of which he is currently the Director. We also have Dr. Double Trouble (aka Dr. Natalie Gosnell) with a talk entitled "When Stars Collide!" And finally, The Notorious L.A.E. (aka Dr. Steven Finkelstein) will talk about distant galaxies and how he won (and subsequently lost) the record for the most distant galaxy ever discovered.

Thursday, May 28 at 6pm Travis Audobon Society: Hummingbirds @ Wells Branch Library

From the site:

Shelia Hargis will cover the basics of hummingbird natural history, and will focus on common species expected in our area and how to ID them. Some hummingbirds from other parts of the state that occasionally show up here will be mentioned.  In addition she will talk about how you can make your yard a hotspot for hummers and recommend some places to go to see hummingbirds, especially during migration. 

 Shelia has been birding for 18 years.  She teaches the beginning birding classes for Travis Audubon, surveys birds for the City of Austin and the USGS Breeding Bird Survey as well as private landowners, regularly leads birding field trips, and is Past President of Travis Audubon. She is currently on the Travis Audubon Habitat Conservation Committee, the Travis Audubon Education Committee, and the Texas Ornithological Society Board of Directors.

Friday, May 29 at 7pm Screening of Your Inner Fish @ Art.Science.Gallery

From the site:

ATXScience, the Austin science communicator collective, in cooperation with Art.Science.Gallery. is proud to present a screening series of the award-winning documentary Your Inner Fish by Dr. Neil Shubin. Dr. Joe Hanson of PBS Digital Studios’ It’s Okay To Be Smart will guest host the screening series.

Have you ever wondered why our bodies look the way they do? Famed paleobiologist Neil Shubin sets out in this three-part series to find the answers in a surprising place: the ancient animal ancestors that shaped our anatomy. Episodes will be screened the last Friday of the month starting in April. Following each screening, special guest scientists will lead an engaging group conversation about evolutionary biology and the power of science storytelling.

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Thinkery21: Beer Science

You guys.

The Thinkery is one of the most fun museums I’ve visited. They have all sorts of space to explore the intersection of STEAM, which is STEM + Art. The only problem is, sometimes, I don’t feel super welcome being a lone adult amongst hordes of wandering children. 

Apparently, The Thinkery noticed that there are still adults sans kids who like their museum so much. So they host a monthly event for adults, 21 & up. 

This month, the focus is on beer. For all of you who bought tickets before they sold out, I salute you and wish you a merry time.

Thinkery21: The Pursuit of Hoppyness Thursday, May 21 at 7pm

From the site:

Tap into Austin’s expertise and enthusiasm for beer at the next Thinkery21. Join the Thinkery and the masterminds from some of Austin’s finest local breweries to explore the wonders and science of this delicious libation. We’ll ponder such questions as:  How do different kinds of hops affect the flavor of beer? What does it take to brew beer at home? Is there a bigger way to play beer pong, like with a catapult or trebuchet?

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Millions of baby spiders rain down on Australian town

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Austin Maker Faire This Weekend

I’m sad to be missing Maker Faire in Austin this year :( But at least I’ll be in Las Vegas!

All the same, I highly recommend it - it’s a good way to see some really cool things your fellow townspeople are doing! ATX Hackerspace will be there, and they always have some cool projects to show off. Also, there will be ice cream made with liquid nitrogen. Just saying.

May 16-17

Palmer Event Center

http://austinmakerfaire.com/

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Nerd Nite’s Balance and Science Under the Stars

It’s a good week for science fun! Nerd Nite and Science Under the Stars are hosting events: 

Wednesday, May 13th Nerd Nite: Balance The North Door

From the site:

This month’s talks:

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“Countersteering and the cerebrum: The mechanics of balance on two wheels,” by Zach Vonler

The physics that make it possible to ride inline two-wheelers are surprisingly complex, and the human ability to intuit how to control these machines is equally impressive. Zach will discuss some of the physical and physiological principles that allow us to enjoy bicycles and motorcycles.

Zach is a lover of all kinds of bikes, having ridden and raced bicycles and motorcycles most of his life. He currently works as an instructor with RideSmart, a Texas-based motorcycle trackday school.

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“Tour of Origami,” by Robby Kraft

Sit back for this fantastic tour of origami from it’s rebirth to the most complex pieces coming out today. Then learn all about the tools and software that modern origami artists use to help them pack more circles and achieve more-precise and realistic proportions to their models.

Robby Kraft is an origami engineer, computer scientist, musician, and has been folding one origami model everyday for 2015.

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“Shrinking Heads and Expanding Minds: A Psychiatrist Wonders About Mental Illness,” by Daniel Morehead, MD

Virtually everyone agrees that there are many ‘myths’ about mental illness, but where does myth end and science begin? Dan Morehead (real name) will discuss the surprisingly solid science about mental illness, the myths that surround the science, and the ways that illnesses of the brain compare to traditional medical diseases.

Daniel Morehead has practiced psychiatry for over twenty years. He is a physician who is board certified in General Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, and has interests in brain science, spirituality and psychotherapy.

Thursday, May 14th Science Under the Stars: Kaustubh Thirumalai Talks About Ancient Climate Change Brackenridge Field Laboratory

From the site:

Mankind started measuring temperature and rainfall only a hundred years ago or so, with varying degrees of quality until the satellite era. The Earth has been around for much, much longer than a hundred years! What about climate before that? How do we know about climate change on geological time scales? Why is it important? Can that knowledge tell us anything about future climate? In this talk, I will start by giving an introduction to paleoclimatology. Next, I will talk about my specific research which involves using plankton shells and their chemistry to understand about ocean temperature and salinity in the past. Lastly, I will briefly summarize a recent field expedition where I spent two months on the drillship, JOIDES Resolution with 30 other scientists to investigate the history of Indian Monsoon rainfall.

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Exploding Tentacle Caterpillar

Why these tentacles exist, I cannot say:

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Inflation of the androconial organs in a male moth. Male moths use these to release pheromones and attract females. In this species of insect, the organ consists of inflatable tubes at the tip of the abdomen. (Video)

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EEEK

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Happy Earth Day!

I am a woolly mammoth, according to my Google Doodle quiz. 

How about you?

Tonight, spread some Earth Day love by heading over to Art.Science.Gallery. for their Earth Day ATXScience Extravaganza!

From the site:

On Earth Day (Tuesday April 22, 2015 6-8pm), Art.Science.Gallery. is gathering Austin's science-savvy organizations together for an outdoor activity fair at the gallery’s east Austin arts complex at Canopy (916 Springdale Rd. Austin, TX 78702). This annual event celebrates planet Earth by raising funds for an environmental project, and raises public awareness of the plethora of science and nature related venues, organizations, lecture series and events in central Texas. The event is free and open to the public. The 2015 Earth Day ATX Science Extravaganza benefits the Sustainable Food Center's new Teaching Apiary -- an observation colony of honeybees that will be installed in the SFC Teaching Garden this fall. Visitors will be able to: Meet the people behind Austin's science organizations and participate in fun science activities at each of the organization booths. Enjoy lemonade and meet young entrepreneur and bee enthusiast Mikaila Ulmer of Austin’s BeeSweet Lemonade (who was recently successful on SharkTank) Eat insects and learn about entomophagy with Little Herds. View the The Buzz Stops Here exhibit – an encaustic art exhibit about the science and conservation of bees. The exhibit is a partnership between Art.Science.Gallery. and the International Encaustic Artists, and benefits The Sustainable Food Center’s Teaching Apiary. Enter a raffle drawing for prizes contributed by our participating organizations, benefitting the Sustainable Food Center’s Teaching Apiary. Enjoy food and drinks at Sa-Tén Coffee & Eats Explore the neighboring galleries and artist studios at the Canopy fine arts complex.

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This week: Drought & Lasers

Drought in Knox County <Image credit: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department>

It’s kind of a dry (pun completely intended) week for science, but there are a few things coming up:

Tuesday:  Austin Science Communicators Happy Hour Art.Science.Gallery

It’s a meetup for science-minded people! I’ll be there, but since I’m new to Austin, I may be the awkward person in the corner.

Thursday:  Past, Present, and Future Climate Change Impacts on Texas Water UT Energy Symposium

Water is a big deal in the Lone Star State. And climate scientists are predicting that drought will become a huge problem in the years to come. If you’re curious about Texas water policies, check out this talk at UT. 

PS - there’s also a talk about obesity on Thursday night. Also at UT.

Saturday:  La Jetée Film Screening & Discussion Art.Science.Gallery

From the site:

Photographer Robert Shults, UT Austin physics professor Dr. Todd Ditmire, and research scientist Dr. Gilliss Dyer will screen Chris Marker’s landmark “photo-novel” La Jetée and discuss the film’s influence on the design of “The Superlative Light”. The panelists will also explore the process of creating this innovative blend of science fiction and documentary photography within the unique environment of the Texas Petawatt Laser laboratory and present the highlights of experimental campaigns conducted with the Petawatt. A question and answer session will follow.

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Quahogs can live 400 years

Whoa, quahogs are cray cray. 

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Surprise! Cameras Capture Awesome Photos of Animals

LiveScience.com just posted some amazing pictures of animals that were taken by camera traps. 

The Cutest:

The Most Badass:

This makes me want to set some cameras around my house so I can catch hyenas on the prowl. It’s happening.

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Tuesday Night Showdown:  Nerd Nite Vs. Astronomy on Tap

The Tarantula Nebula <Image credit: TRAPPIST/E. Jehin/ESO>

In the midst of SXSW craziness, Nerd Nite AND Astronomy on Tap will be hosting events March 17th. 

It’s my anniversary, so I’ll be canoodling with my husband instead of learning about science. BUT... if I had to choose, I’d go to Nerd Nite. Free drinks, free snacks, plus an early Skype session with Neil deGrasse Tyson? Sounds like a good time.

One of the speakers for Astronomy on Tap will be at Art.Science.Gallery on Wednesday, so you’ll have a chance to see her if you miss Tuesday’s astro talk. 

Tuesday: South by Supercluster Nerd Nite

Here’s what’s happening at Nerd Nite:

This is no normal Nerd Nite. Featuring Nerd Nite royalty, triumphant alums, a local Youtube celebrity and free food / drink / swag celebrating NatGeo's upcoming programs StarTalk With Neil deGrasse Tyson, America Genius and The Big Picture! The talks: +++++++++++++ "Illuminating the Cosmic Battlefield," by Dr. Joel D. Green The formation of galaxies, stars and planets can be understood as a battle between random motions and gravity. Joel returns to the Nerd Nite stage to break down the stellar images now arriving from the most sophisticated array of telescopes ever placed in orbit. Formerly a UT astronomer, Joel Green is now a Project Scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute, the science operations center for the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes. +++++++++++++ "Thomas Jefferson vs Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon," by Joe Hanson When the United States was a young nation, it wasn't held in very high esteem by most Europeans. Especially not the French. It fell to Thomas Jefferson, then a diplomat in France, to prove that Presidents and Counts were once among our most prominent scientific minds. He decided to start by mailing the French a moose. Forget Ben Franklin, this was America's first scientific showdown. Called "everyone's favorite Feynman of the Tumblr era,"Joe Hanson, PhD is publisher of the popular blog and YouTube show about science, It's OK To Be Smart. His mission in life is to tell the world about the awesomeness of ALL THE SCIENCE. +++++++++++++ "How to Become a Digital Nomad," by Lillian Pierson More and more 'digital nomads' are leveraging telecommunications technology to travel internationally and move abroad while continuing to work for employers in the west. Learn the technologies, tricks, and tips central to this data-centric lifestyle, whether you live in Austin, Texas or Ubud, Bali. Lillian Pierson, P.E. is the founder of Data-Mania, a business that focuses on data science training and growth engineering services, and is author of the forthcoming book Data Science For Dummies. +++++++++++++ At 5PM, early birds will be able to watch NatGeo's exclusive first-look screening of StarTalk With Neil deGrasse Tyson. Tyson will make a SPECIAL GUEST SKYPE APPEARANCE and Q&A, when he will also announce the show’s premiere date (doors for this pre-party are at 4PM)!

Tuesday: NASA Invades Austin Astronomy on Tap

From the site:

We have some very special guests this month, all the way from NASA! First up, the Astraughnomer (Dr. Amber Straughn), Chair of the Hubble Space Telescope's 25th Anniversary Committee will be talking about the awesomeness of Hubble's 25 years and the future with the James Webb Space Telescope. We will also be joined by Captain SpaceBook (John Yembrick), manager of NASA's 490+ (!!) social media accounts and the face behind NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration, discussing all the ways that you can connect with what's going on up in space from all the way down here on Earth. And, last but not least, we'll have AstroVizGuy (Dr. Robert Hurt) telling us about how he turns infrared light (i.e., heat vision) into pretty (and scientifically interesting) images!

Wednesday: NASA Astrophysicist Amber Straughn Art.Science.Gallery

From the site:

For a quarter century, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has been revealing the unknown cosmos; this single scientific instrument has transformed the way we understand the Universe, helped us find out place among the stars, and paved the way to incredible advancements in science and technology. In addition to the "hard science" done with this amazing machine, Hubble has inspired a huge audience of nonscientists with it's breathtakingly beautiful imagery, which appears across our culture in often unusual places. I will discuss the science and art of Hubble, as well as it's upcoming 100x-more-powerful successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, which is currently being built and will be launched in 2018.

Get your tickets here.

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Video: Hypnotic Corals

Happy Sunday! Here’s a psychedelic video of marine life.

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Poop Bug!

I've really been into insects lately because of this picture:

Image Credit: Gilles San Martin via Wikimedia Commons

This is a baby cereal leaf beetle.

You may be asking yourself, "What are those brown squiggles?" If you guessed flesh-eating worms* or transparent intestines, you'd be wrong.

It's poop. 

Why would any self-respecting insect cover itself in its own crap? It's actually a defensive move, meant to thwart predators like vicious ladybugs. Think about it: Would you want to eat something covered in poop? No, thank you.

Turns out, there's a term for this: fecal shield. Lots of beetles keep poop on their backs—some build hardened dung shells that extend above their heads. Others, like the cereal leaf beetle, mound soft doo-doo all over their backs. The Bug Geek's post has more info on fecal shields if you want to read more. 

*Funny story: That one lighter squiggle near the beetle's head may actually be a parasitic wasp. But most of it's definitely poo.

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March 9-15:  Sex-Changing Fish & Laser Art

Image credit: Art.Science.Gallery

Lots of interesting events coming up this week in Austin! 

Thursday: The Life and Times of a Sex-Changing Fish Science Under The Stars  The animal kingdom is a strange place, with ants that look like pandas and birds that vomit as a defense mechanism. On Thursday, meet the bluebanded goby, the fish that changes sex when the social climate is right.

Friday: Whence Came the Sun? Austin Astronomical Society  Astronomer Terry Phillips explains why the Sun is all alone in the Universe. Spoiler: It's not because all of its friends and family disappeared in the Last Great Time War.

Saturday: Art.Science.Gallery: The Superlative Light   Lasers! And Art! On Saturday, photographer Robert Shults and laser scientist Franki Aymond will talk about art and science behind Art.Science.Gallery's new exhibit about the Petawatt laser at UT. Fun fact from the exhibit description: 

"The Petawatt laser can produce, for a fraction of a second, more power than the entire U.S. electrical grid."

 Sheesh. That's a lot of power.

Friday to Sunday: SXSW Create 2015: Hackers and DIYers Unite  Honestly, SXSW terrifies me. There are so many events! How do you even choose?! SXSW Create is one thing I may check out... partially because it's free with a guest pass. But seriously, who doesn't want to meet people who can build their own houses and make gorgeous bioengineered art?

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Lone Star Move

Once upon a time, there was a girl who loved science. She annoyed charmed her family and friends with facts on animals, astronauts and ammonites. (Ammonites are fossils, by the way.)

The girl grew up and got a job in New York working on television. The job basically involved providing celebrities with snacks. She really, really missed science. So she started a blog about science events in the city to fill the hole in her heart. (That's this blog.)

Then the girl left her TV gig for science writing and kind of forgot about the blog. Oops.

But when she moved to Austin, Texas, the girl started looking for science events in her new town. She decided to resurrect the blog to write about Austin science events. And other stuff that's interesting.

So here we go!