Join us Wednesday, February 20th, 6:30pm for a Science Cafe talk by Dr. Amar Flood, on Molecular Machines.
Molecular machines were the basis for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016 for “the design and synthesis of molecular motors”. What are molecular machines, how are they made and how are their small molecule-scale movements the same and different from the machines in the world around us?
This Science Cafe will be at The Roost (formerly Finch’s), upstairs, at 514 E Kirkwood Ave
We were all set to hold our next meeting at the Roost on the 30th, when we found out about this lecture: Leading astrophysicist on landmark gravitational wave discovery to speak at IU
So, we’re encouraging Science Cafe aficionados to attend this IU event at 7:30 p.m. in Swain West, Room 119.
We’ll re-schedule Dr Newman’s talk, and will post our February talk soon!
Play is an important way that young children learn. Playing with spatial toys and engaging in spatial activities may prove to be an essential part of the development of spatial thinking. There are a number of studies that have related spatial play with spatial skill and number processing both of which are important for success in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). I will discuss some evidence in support of the spatial play STEM achievement relationship.
Our speaker is Sharlene Newman, PhD
Professor, Psychological and Brain Sciences (cni.lab.indiana.edu)
Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (ovpue.indiana.edu)
Director, IU Program in Neuroscience (neuroscience.indiana.edu)
Stress is implicated in many psychological disorders, and the rate and expression of many stress-related disorders differs in women and men. Prefrontal cortex has been implicated in many stress-influenced psychological disorders. Using animal models, we have shown that stress affects prefrontal cortex differently in males versus females. Given that prefrontal cortex is an important regulator of emotional behavior, understanding the mechanisms underlying these different stress effects is key to developing appropriate treatments for stress-related disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Dr. Cara Wellman, director of the Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior will present this talk.
Huntington’s disease, a fatal neurodegenerative condition that strikes in the prime of life, is caused by a single gene defect. The mutant gene was identified in 1993 but hope for a cure was far from assured as subsequent research revealed an amazingly complex role for this gene in brain function. Now, a positive phase I clinical trial and a $45 million bet from Roche suggests a reason for optimism. And if the therapy works for HD patients could a similar approach work for other neurodegenerative conditions?
Dr. George Rebec will talk about this work and the implications.
(This talk was rescheduled because of a roof leak at Bears in June. Also, to avoid conflict with Halloween, we’re doing it on a Friday instead of Wednesday!)
Antibiotic resistance is a major concern in the medical community, as the well-publicized “superbugs” appear to be staying well ahead of our current antibiotic armamentarium. However, a few new antibacterial drugs have recently been approved by the FDA. Come to hear what we now are able to treat, and what still remains untreatable in the infectious disease arena.
Dr. Karen Bush will talk about this important work.
Huntington’s disease, a fatal neurodegenerative condition that strikes in the prime of life, is caused by a single gene defect. The mutant gene was identified in 1993 but hope for a cure was far from assured as subsequent research revealed an amazingly complex role for this gene in brain function. Now, a positive phase I clinical trial and a $45 million bet from Roche suggests a reason for optimism. And if the therapy works for HD patients could a similar approach work for other neurodegenerative conditions?
Dr. George Rebec will talk about this work and the implications.
Gravitational waves were detected for the first time just a couple of years ago. 
Already the information from the violent events which makes these waves is giving us new insights into physics and astronomy. Michael Snow will explain what a gravitational wave is, describe how they are detected, and report on the latest news: the discovery of where the heavy chemical elements in the universe are made.
We’ll be in the back room of Bears Place (1316 E 3rd St) at 6:30 pm. As always, Bloomington Science Cafe is free and open to anyone (over 21)!
Cannabidiol (aka CBD) is a compound isolated from Cannabis that has found a recent celebrity as a Cannabis-derived therapeutic. What is CBD and is it the “cure-all” that many websites and articles suggest? Come with curiosity and questions and we will work through some of what we know and what we don’t yet know about this interesting cannabinoid.
Join us for this talk by Neurobiochemist Heather Bradshaw, PhD.
We’ll be in the back room of Bears Place (1316 E 3rd St) at 6:30 pm. As always, Bloomington Science Cafe is free and open to anyone (over 21)!
Yeast is a wonder-microbe responsible for making bread and beer delicious, and it has helped scientists score Nobel prizes for years. Join us a Professor Matt Bochman explains how this single-celled organism has yielded scientific breakthroughs for decades and how science and craft beverages have recently joined forces to tickle your taste buds.
We’ll be in the back room of Bears Place (1316 E 3rd St) at 6:30 pm. As always, Bloomington Science Cafe is free and open to anyone (over 21)!
We rely on drugs to solve many of our problems: to treat diseases, to ease our pain, to entertain us. But drugs come with risks, and even a widely used ‘household’ drug such as acetaminophen results in hundreds of fatalities each year in the US.
Join us as Natalia Murataeva, Ph.D. talks about some of the challenges in developing drugs that are both effective and safe.
