

May 18: Survival of the Quickest: How Climate Change Has Shaped Evolution
Time: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 18th Join us on: Zoom or YouTube Live Speaker: Daniel Richard Evolution acts most strongly during times of change – favouring those species that are best equipped to handle new challenges. In the distant past, climate change has acted as a strong driver of evolutionary change – shaping species and whole ecosystems as they adapt to their new environments. Given … Continue reading May 18: Survival of the Quickest: How Climate Change Has Shaped Evolution

Even Dinosaurs Get Sick: Discovery of the Oldest Lung Infection in a Dinosaur
Evidence of a respiratory infection was discovered in a 150 million year old dinosaur providing further understanding of prehistoric disease acquisition Continue reading Even Dinosaurs Get Sick: Discovery of the Oldest Lung Infection in a Dinosaur

May 4: Turning Back the Clock: The Science of Staying Young
Time: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 6th Join us on: Zoom or YouTube Live Speaker: Alex Plesa Aging is the major risk factor for multiple human disorders such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegeneration, accounting for approximately 90% of deaths in developed nations. With the global population experiencing an unprecedented growth in the proportion of older individuals, aging is becoming an increasingly significant public health concern … Continue reading May 4: Turning Back the Clock: The Science of Staying Young

April 27: In Dust We Trust: Mapping Out Our Galaxy in 3D
Time: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 27th Join us on: Zoom or YouTube Live Speaker: Michael Foley In the past five years, our perspective of our local Milky Way has shifted from 2D to true 3D. This remarkable achievement has been made possible by data from many observatories, especially the Gaia satellite. This data has enabled numerous discoveries about nearby star forming regions, star clusters, supernova … Continue reading April 27: In Dust We Trust: Mapping Out Our Galaxy in 3D

April 20: The first light of the universe – piercing through the gas in between galaxies and lighting everything up
Time: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 20th Join us on: Zoom or YouTube Live Speaker: Xiaohan Wu The universe at present is filled with gas that is hot and transparent to ultraviolet light. But shortly after the Big Bang, the gas was cold and opaque. How did the gas go through such a big transition in its physical state, and how did this transition affect the … Continue reading April 20: The first light of the universe – piercing through the gas in between galaxies and lighting everything up

April 6: From Blue to Red: How Mars Got and Lost Its Water
Time: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 6th Join us on: Zoom or YouTube Live Speaker: Junjie Dong and Matt Brennan In December 2020, Massachusetts published the 2050 Decarbonization Roadmap with the goal of combating climate change by reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. How will we reach these goals? This talk will present three tools that may lead the way: batteries, wind power, and new … Continue reading April 6: From Blue to Red: How Mars Got and Lost Its Water

March 30 – The Promise of Blue Skies: Air Pollution, Health, and Data Science
Time: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 30th Join us on: Zoom or YouTube Live Speaker: Ellen Considine In December 2020, Massachusetts published the 2050 Decarbonization Roadmap with the goal of combating climate change by reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. How will we reach these goals? This talk will present three tools that may lead the way: batteries, wind power, and new strategies for reducing … Continue reading March 30 – The Promise of Blue Skies: Air Pollution, Health, and Data Science

Huge Icefish Nesting Site Shapes the Local Ecosystem
Scientists discover the largest fish breeding colony to date in the Antarctic and explore how the nests affect the surrounding ecosystem. Continue reading Huge Icefish Nesting Site Shapes the Local Ecosystem

A Deadly Mix: Wildfires and Urban Air Pollution Create Toxic Ozone
Wildfires are contributing to increases in urban ozone pollution a potential health risk for those with respiratory conditions. Continue reading A Deadly Mix: Wildfires and Urban Air Pollution Create Toxic Ozone

New Molecule Repairs Spinal Cord Injury, Helping Paralyzed Mice Walk Again
Scientists recently discovered a ‘dancing molecule’ that is able to treat mice with spinal cord injury. Continue reading New Molecule Repairs Spinal Cord Injury, Helping Paralyzed Mice Walk Again