The students may be leaving, but our summer schedule is here! You’ve asked us for more on climate change, human health, and technology, and we are delivering. Join us for a cool drink and plenty of science talk on the second Wednesdays in June, July, and August. First up will be Deborah Lawrence, professor of Environmental Sciences, discussing tropical forests and climate change. In July, come ask questions about vaccines and microbes when we host Ian Glomski, professor of Microbiology. In August, we welcome Lisa Friedersdorf of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, joining us all the way from her current home base in Arlington, VA. Read more details and get dates and times on our Schedule page.
May Science Straight Up Preview: Jerry Stenger on WTJU
Listen to U.Va. scientist Jerry Stenger on WTJU’s Soundboard with Robert and Grace as he discusses extreme weather, noteworthy weather from Virginia’s history, and how he uses math to torture data into giving up its secrets.
Talk About the Weather
Derechos, April snows, droughts…we experience some wild weather here in Virginia. Learn why that is at our next Science Straight Up on May 8 when Jerry Stenger from the University of Virginia Climatology Office discusses some aspects of the severe weather we experience here. Virginia is situated in the right part of the country to receive a wide variety of severe, unpredictable, and often deadly weather. Moreover, in this area, the nearby mountains add their own complications to the story.
Spooky action at a distance
Listen to today’s Science Straight Up segment on WTJU’s Soundboard, when Professor Stu Wolf discusses “spooky action at a distance”. Want more? Come out Wednesday night for Science Straight Up, 7:30 pm, Black Market Moto Saloon.
When Einstein Was Wrong
Next up in our science cafe series: When Einstein Was Wrong.
Talk with Stu Wolf, professor of Physics and Materials Science and Engineering about quantum information, the counter-intuitive aspects of quantum mechanics, and what all this means for the future of technology.
Wednesday, April 10, at the Black Market Moto Saloon, 1304 E. Market Street, Charlottesville, VA. Please note that there is additional parking behind the building; the front lot fills up quickly!
Bob Hirosky on WTJU’s Soundboard
Following in our new tradition, this month’s Science Straight Up guest scientist, Bob Hirosky, went on WTJU’s Soundboard to talk about the Higgs boson and how reading science fiction led him to a career in science. Listen to the segment, and get pumped to come out Thursday night, 7:30, to meet him in person.
What the heck is a Higgs boson anyway?
Science Magazine called its discovery “the scientific breakthrough of the year,” but just what is a Higgs boson? Join U.Va. physics professor Bob Hirosky to learn about this mysterious elementary particle, why it’s such a big deal, and what it means for our understanding of how the universe works. Thursday, March 14 at the Black Market Moto Saloon, 1304 E. Market Street, Charlottesville, VA. Please note that there is a lot of additional parking behind the building; the front lot fills up quickly!
Science Straight Up featured on WTJU Soundboard
Listen to radio interview segments with Michelle Prysby, Director of Science Education and Public Outreach in the U.Va. College of Arts and Sciences, and Bob Cox, biology professor and our guest scientist for the first Science Straight Up event on February 13! Thank you to hosts Robert Packard and Grace Boyle for having us join them on Soundboard, and thank you to WTJU for sharing these clips.
Science Straight Up Feb 11th segment 1
Science Straight Up Officially Kicks Off February 13
Science Straight Up starts Wednesday, February 13! Celebrate Darwin’s birthday and Valentine’s Day with a conversation on Darwin’s theory of sexual selection through the modern lens of sexual conflict theory.
Our scientist guest will be Bob Cox, assistant professor in the U.Va. Department of Biology
Sit down with a scientist at Science Straight Up
Introducing a new opportunity to talk about science with your friends and neighbors, ask questions of a science expert, and learn about current science topics, all while enjoying a drink or a meal in a relaxed setting! All this and more will be a part of Science Straight Up, a new “science cafe” series brought to you by the University of Virginia.