ENTERTAINING SCIENCE - NOV 2009

At 6:00 on the first Sunday of each month, Nobel Laureate (Chemistry) Roald Hoffman convenes an entertaining session of Science Entertainment at the Cornelia Street Cafe.

Here's the info for Nov 2009. Early reservations are recommended. (It usually sells out.) Some people on the wait list are likely to get in also (but mostly end up sitting in the back).

The food and drinks you can have (upstairs before or after, downstairs during the show) are quite good at the Cafe/Restaurant.

6:00PM Nov 1, 2009
ENTERTAINING SCIENCE
Roald Hoffmann

SHAPES AND ENERGIES: LOVE AND HATE AMONG THE ATOMS

"Molecules have shapes, and their geometries determine ultimately their every chemical, physical and biological property. Tiny electrons, scooting around the much bulkier atoms, and governed by the lovely logic of quantum mechanics, actually tell those big guys how to arrange themselves.

An expert on la liaison chimique, Odile Eisenstein of the University of Montpellier, France, takes us by the hand into the world of molecular shapes, from the simple tetrahedron of methane to the less intuitive world of molecules containing metal atoms.

Gerard Parkin, who is rumored to make a living studying such molecules, will do some non-electronic magic.

And making shapes, exploring different forms of holding energy together, sometimes in "nonintuitive" ways, will also be expressed in the music of Todd Capp and his quartet. "

Cover $10

SCIENCE ENTERTAINMENT AT CUNY

The Graduate Center at CUNY (City University Of New York) Science & The Arts Program has several interesting events scheduled in Spring 2008. Here are their descriptions:

BrainWave: The Neuroscience of The Groove > Monday, March 24, 6:30 PM
Why do humans love music and dance? A discussion, plus "Quartet for percussion and brain waves," a live performance/experiment with drummers and electroencephalographs.

Bubbles in Beijing: Architecture, Physics, and The Olympics > Tuesday, April 1, 6:30 PM
The Olympic aquatics pavilion in Beijing resembles a box of bubbles. This extraordinary feat of engineering will be discussed by Denis Weaire, physics professor at Trinity College Dublin, who first observed the efficiency of bubble structures, and a representative from the engineering firm Arup, famous for their design contributions to some of the greatest buildings of our times.

Ferocious Beauty: Dance and Genetics > Monday, April 7, 6:30 PM
Liz Lerman, choreographer, believes in the power of art to enhance civic dialogue. Her new dance/theater piece, Ferocious Beauty: Genomics, investigates the implications of genetic research. Among her collaborators in creating the work was Bonnie Bassler, renowned Princeton University microbiologist, who will join her in a dialogue. The talk will be illustrated with video segments, providing a preview of the dance piece before its first performance in the New York area.

Hollywood Science > Tuesday, April 29, 6:30 PM
Sidney Perkowitz, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Physics at Emory University and author of the new book Hollywood Science, discusses the portrayal of science in films, from science fiction to scientific biographies and documentaries, and screens some examples.

These events at The CUNY Graduate Center are free, unless noted. Pre-registering holds your seat until 15 minutes before curtain, then seating is first come, first served. Pre-register by phone or email: 212-817-8215 or continuinged@gc.cuny.edu.

Science & the Arts The Graduate Center, CUNY 365 Fifth Avenue (at 34th Street)