A riveting investigation of inflammation—the hidden force at the heart of modern disease—and how we can prevent, treat, or even reverse it.

Inflammation is the body’s ancestral response to injury and foreign pathogens. But as the threats we face have evolved, new science is uncovering how inflammation may also turn against us, simmering underneath the surface of leading killers from heart disease and cancer to depression, aging, and mysterious autoimmune conditions.

In A Silent Fire, gastroenterologist Shilpa Ravella investigates hidden inflammation’s emerging role as a common root of modern disease — and how we can control it. With fascinating case studies, Ravella reveals how we can reform our relationships with food and our microbiomes to benefit our own health and the planet’s.

Shilpa Ravella is a transplant gastroenterologist with expertise in nutrition and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, New York Magazine, Slate, among others.

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Crows are everywhere: they are found on nearly every continent and thrive in human dominated environments. They have influenced art and literature throughout history, and whether they inspire love or hate, they have certainly impacted the hearts and minds of the humans who share their space. Because crows are so common, it may be easy to overlook the fact that they are very intelligent and have complex behaviors and social structures.

In this sequel to her two of her extremely popular talks on corvid behavior, Dr. Kaeli Swift will continue her exploration of the corvid brain behavior to include areas of research on how crows have co-evolved with people and how this is reflected in their behavior and ours. She’ll touch on mythology, commonly asked questions about crow human interactions/conflicts, and new research. 

Kaeli Swift, PhD, is an avian behavioral ecologist who has spent the past decade working with corvids including American crows and Canada jays. She will introduce and explain to us the world of these fascinating birds and why they make such an impact on our lives. You can find Dr. Swift on Twitter and Instagram @corvidresearch where she talks about crows, corvids, and other wildlife and plays a weekly game called #CrowOrNo to help people learn how to correctly ID and distinguish different kinds of corvids.

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What is causing the collapse of the insect world?  Why does this alarming decline pose such a threat to us? And what can be done to stem the loss of the miniature empires that hold aloft life as we know it?

From ants scurrying under leaf litter to bees able to fly higher than Mount Kilimanjaro, insects are everywhere. Three out of every four of our planet’s known animal species are insects. In The Insect Crisis, acclaimed journalist Oliver Milman dives into the torrent of recent evidence that suggests this kaleidoscopic group of creatures is suffering the greatest existential crisis in its remarkable 400-million-year history.

At this Science on Tap, Milman explores this hidden emergency, arguing that its consequences could even rival climate change. He joins the scientists tracking the decline of insect populations across the globe, including the soaring mountains of Mexico that host an epic, yet dwindling, migration of monarch butterflies; the verdant countryside of England that has been emptied of insect life; the gargantuan fields of U.S. agriculture that have proved a killing ground for bees; and an offbeat experiment in Denmark that shows there aren’t that many bugs splattering into your car windshield these days. Part warning, part celebration of the incredible variety of insects, The Insect Crisis is a wake-up call for us all.

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Oliver Milman is a British journalist and the environment correspondent at the Guardian.

Florence Williams explores the fascinating, cutting-edge science of heartbreak while seeking creative ways to mend her own.

When her twenty-five-year marriage unexpectedly falls apart, journalist Florence Williams expects the loss to hurt. What she doesn’t expect is that she’ll end up in the hospital, examining close-up the way our cells listen to loneliness. She travels to the frontiers of the science of “social pain” to learn why heartbreak hurts so much and why so much of the conventional wisdom about it is wrong.

Searching for insight as well as personal strategies to game her way back to health, Williams tests her blood for genetic markers of grief, undergoes electrical shocks in a laboratory while looking at pictures of her ex, and ventures to the wilderness in search of awe as an antidote to loneliness. Her newest book, Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey, is a remarkable merging of science and self-discovery that will change the way we think about loneliness, health, and what it means to fall in and out of love.

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Florence Williams is the author of Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative. A contributing editor at Outside Magazine, her writing has appeared in the New York Times, National Geographic, and many other outlets.

Listen to our podcast episode of Florence’s talk about her book The Nature Fix recorded in March 2018!

If you have a sense of humor, Mary Roach is either already your favorite science author or she’s about to be. In this revived live show, chat along in Zoom as we present Mary Roach from our show in 2017 when her book Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War had come out. The onstage interview includes:

• how she gets inspiration for her books
• mixing up cup holders for rifle holders
• shark repellent for astronauts
• tips for asking someone in special forces if he’s ever had diarrhea while on a secret mission
• why she picks taboo topics and gets personally involved in the research

Presenting never-before-seen footage of the 2017 show (except for those who were actually there)! This revived show will be introduced live, followed by the prerecorded, rerendered show from the theater, but attendees can chat live as they watch!

What would happen to dogs if humans simply disappeared? Would dogs be able to survive on their own without us? What might they become without direct human intervention into breeding, arranged playdates at the dog park, regular feedings, and veterinary care?

At this event we will be joined by Jessica Pierce and Marc Bekoff, authors of A Dog’s World. Drawing on biology, ecology, and the latest findings on the lives and behavior of dogs and their wild relatives, they imagine a posthuman future for dogs and reveal how dogs would survive—and possibly even thrive. They will talk about how dogs are quick learners who are highly adaptable and opportunistic, and they offer compelling evidence that dogs already do survive on their own—and could do so in a world without us. Join us to learn how this new and revolutionary perspective can guide how we interact with dogs now.

Jessica Pierce is a faculty affiliate at the Center for Bioethics and Humanities at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School. Her books include Run, Spot, Run: The Ethics of Keeping Pets.

Marc Bekoff is professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado Boulder. His books include Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What They Do. Twitter @MarcBekoff

Get a ~15% discount when you order A Dog’s World: Imagining the Lives of Dogs in a World Without Humans from Broadway Books through December 1, 2021! Use code: STDOGSWORLD15

What’s to be done about a jaywalking moose? A bear caught breaking and entering? A murderous tree? Three hundred years ago, animals that broke the law would be assigned legal representation and put on trial. These days the answers are best found not in jurisprudence but in science: the curious science of human-wildlife conflict, a discipline at the crossroads of human behavior and wildlife biology. 

At this very special event we will be joined by New York Times  best-selling author Mary Roach for an entertaining conversation about her new book Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law. We can ask about her about the time she tagged along with animal-attack forensics investigators, when she traveled to St. Peter’s Square in the early hours before the pope arrived for Easter Mass to watch how they handle floral display-destroying gulls, what it’s like to taste-tests rat bait, and how to install a vulture effigy.

Combining little-known forensic science and conservation genetics with a motley cast of laser scarecrows, langur impersonators, and trespassing squirrels, Roach reveals as much about humanity as about nature’s lawbreakers. When it comes to “problem” wildlife, she finds, humans are more often the problem—and the solution. Fascinating, witty, and humane, Fuzz offers hope for compassionate coexistence in our ever-expanding human habitat.

Get a ~15% discount when you order Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law from Broadway Books through November 5, 2021! Use code: STFuzz15

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Mary Roach joined us in 2017 to talk about her book Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War and you can hear a recording of that event on our podcast, A Scientist Walks Into A Bar. You can also find this recording on YouTube or by searching for A Scientist Walks Into A Bar in your favorite podcast app and going to Episode 14.

To paraphrase the old saying, the best time to learn about trees was 20 years ago. The second best time to learn about trees is now.

At this Science on Tap we will be joined by Joan Maloof, scientist and author of Treepedia, a new book that is a celebration of all things arboreal. The book is a collection of nearly 100 entries on topics ranging from tree ecology and conservation to the role of trees in religion, literature, art, and movies. During her talk she will describe some of the most exceptional trees, some of the most exceptional forests, and some of the most exceptional tree advocates on the planet. This will be fun and educational look at both the forests and the trees that inspire anyone who has ever enjoyed a walk in the woods.

Joan Maloof the founder and director of the Old-Growth Forest Network, a national organization that works to save threatened forests. She is professor emerita of biological sciences at Salisbury University and her earlier books include Nature’s Temples and Teaching the Trees. Find her on Twitter @OldGrowthFN.

Get a 15% discount when you pre-order Treepedia from Broadway Books through September 15, 2021! Use code: STTreepedia15

Recent high profile deaths of unarmed people of color have gained widespread national attention, though negative encounters between police and the community are not a new trend. In addition to the acute impacts felt after the more extreme examples of lethal force, how does policing affect the long-term mental, physical, social and structural health and wellbeing of a community as a whole? Recent research aims to define the broader and more nuanced adverse effects that policing can have on population health. 

At this Science on Tap we will be joined by three experts for a panel discussion where we will examine questions such as: why does it matter if we define police interaction as a public health issue? Do the characteristics of a community affect how it is policed, or does the policing affect the community’s characteristics? (Or both?) What can be done to prevent negative outcomes related to policing? 

Dr. Maayan Simckes is an epidemiologist at the Washington State Department of Health. She completed her Masters in Public Health at the Saint Louis College for Public Health and Social Justice and her PhD at the University of Washington in Seattle. Maayan’s doctoral research examined the complex relationship between policing and population health. She is passionate about moving the field of public health toward more equitable and inclusive practices that promote social justice across policies, programs, and systems.

Dr. Sirry Alang is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Health, Medicine and Society at Lehigh University. Her most recent research examines how police brutality shapes health outcomes among communities disproportionately exposed to racialized policing. She frequently contributes to public dialogue on violent and racialized policing with some of her opinions published in media outlets such as the Salon, USA Today, and Union for Concerned Scientists.  

Dr. Hedwig Lee is a Professor of Sociology and Co-Director of the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity at Washington University in St. Louis. She is broadly interested in the social determinants and consequences of population health and health disparities, with a particular focus on the role of structural racism in health inequality.

In this sequel to her extremely popular talk on Corvid Behavior, Play, and Funerals, Dr. Kaeli Swift will continue her exploration of the corvid brain to include areas of research on intelligence, culture, and communication. Come learn how crows think, how they relate to each other, and how they solve complex problems in their environments and within their own family groups. 

Crows are everywhere: they are found on nearly every continent and thrive in human dominated environments. They have influenced art and literature throughout history, and whether they inspire love or hate, they have certainly impacted the hearts and minds of the humans who share their space. Because crows are so common, it may be easy to overlook the fact that they are very intelligent and have complex behaviors and social structures, including play, tool use, communal roosting, and being able to recognize specific humans.

Kaeli Swift, PhD, studies crows and other corvids (ravens, jays, and magpies), and will introduce and explain to us the world of these fascinating birds, including, of course, crow funerals. You can find Dr. Swift on Twitter and Instagram @corvidresearch where she talks about crows, corvids, and other wildlife and plays a weekly game called #CrowOrNo to help people learn how to correctly ID and distinguish different kinds of corvids.

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The only place you can watch this event live is through registering on Zoom! (It will not be broadcast on Facebook or YouTube.)
Join us on Patreon and get exclusive access to a recording of this event.

The only thing predictable about menopause is its unpredictability. Factor in widespread misinformation, a lack of research, and the culture of shame around women’s bodies, and it’s no wonder women are unsure what to expect during the menopause transition and beyond.

Menopause is not a disease–it’s a planned change, like puberty. And just like puberty, we should be educated on what’s to come years in advance, rather than the current practice of leaving people on their own with bothersome symptoms and too much conflicting information. Knowing what is happening, why, and what to do about it is both empowering and reassuring.

At this Science on Tap we are pleased to welcome back Dr. Jen Gunter, this time to talk about her upcoming book The Menopause Manifesto. Dr. Jen Gunter is an internationally bestselling author and OB/GYN with more than three decades of experience as a vulvar and vaginal diseases expert. Her TED talk was one of 2020’s Top Ten, and The Guardian calls her “the world’s most famous—and outspoken—gynecologist.” The recipient of the 2020 NAMS Media Award from the North American Menopause Society, she is a columnist for The New York Times and star of the CBC/Amazon Prime series Jensplaining, which humorously debunks medical myths and misinformation. For more on Dr. Gunter, follow @DrJenGunter or visit DrJenGunter.com.

Join us as Dr. Jen debunks misogynistic attitudes and challenges the over-mystification of menopause.

Get a ~15% discount when you order The Menopause Manifesto from Broadway Books through June 10, 2021! Use code: STGUNTER15

Watch a recording Dr. Jen’s Science on Tap event on her book The Vagina Bible from July 2020.

From one of today’s leading experts on the emerging science of the microbiome comes a ground-breaking evidence that the gut-microbiome plays a pivotal role in the health crises of the twenty-first century.

At this special Science on Tap we will be joined by gastroenterologist, UCLA professor, and researcher Dr. Emeran Mayer. In his acclaimed book, The Mind-Gut Connection, Dr. Mayer offered evidence of the critical role of the microbiome in neurological and cognitive health, proving once and for all the power and legitimacy of the “mind-body connection.” In his new book The Gut-Immune Connection, he proposes an even more radical paradigm shift: that the gut microbiome is at the center of virtually every disease that defines our 21st-century public health crisis. 

Join us as Dr. Mayer discusses evidence that the “conversation” that takes place between these microbes and our various organs and bodily systems is critical to human health. When that conversation goes awry, we suffer, often becoming seriously ill. Combining clinical experience with up-to-the-minute science, he will discuss the link between alterations to the gut microbiome and cognitive and mental health, as well as the development chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, as well as susceptibility to infectious diseases like Covid-19.

Get a ~15% discount when you pre-order The Gut-Immune Connection from Broadway Books between now and May 4, 2021! Use code: STMAYER15
(List price $27.99, discounted price $24. Publish date is June 8, 2021.)

This event is being held in collaboration with the annual conference of the Society for Neuroscience Oregon/SW Washington Chapter.

History is filled with examples of humans exploiting nature for our benefit, but the industrialization and globalization in the 19th century caused devastation on an unprecedented scale. As we came to realize that many animal species were being pushed to extinction, a movement to protect and conserve animals was born. Early conservation battles included saving charismatic species such as the American bison and bald eagle, and they continue today with current efforts to protect species such as the whooping crane and the black rhinoceros. Organizations such as the Audubon Society and the World Wildlife Fund were founded, and scientists and activists such as Rachel Carson and Aldo Leopold played a vital role in conservation efforts. 

At this Science on Tap we’ll hear about the vibrant history of the modern conservation movement from acclaimed science journalist Michelle Nijhuis. Her new book Beloved Beasts traces the origins and continuation of today’s global effort to defend life on a larger scale. She will discuss some of the heroes and wins, as well as confronting the darker side of conservation that has been long shadowed by racism and colonialism. Join us for a talk that will chart the ways conservation is becoming a movement for the protection of all species—including our own.

Get a ~15% discount when you pre-order Beloved Beasts from Broadway Books between now and May 6, 2021! Use code: STBeasts15

Ever notice that you can tune out background conversation until you hear someone say your name? How the sound of your cats running around at 2am doesn’t bother your sleep, but a strange noise will wake you? Your ears are constantly bombarded by environmental sounds; some are highly relevant, most are probably not. How does our brain know when to ignore certain sounds and when to take notice?  At what point does hearing become listening?  

The brain contains specialized neuronal circuitry in the form of feedback loops used to refine signals so that we can perceive the world and act accordingly. Of the senses, the auditory system is special because it is always ‘on’. To filter out the noise, the auditory brain can manipulate the incoming signal using circuits that enable fine tuning of gain control. 

Join us to explore how brains process sound with Dr. Kirupa Suthakar, postdoctoral research fellow at the National Institutes of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)/National Institutes of Health (NIH). Kirupa’s work focuses on auditory neuroscience and on the relation between changes in brain circuitry and different forms of hearing loss. In this special ode to noise we’ll take a moment to appreciate the hidden complexity of sound in the world both around and within us. 

This event is held in collaboration with the national conference of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology.

Special note: ASL Interpretation on screen will be provided!

This event was originally scheduled for March 10, 2021.

Please note: the Zoom link for this event is different than the one for the postponed March event. The link for the March event will NOT work. You will need to register on Zoom for this new event even if you had already registered before. (You can also watch Facebook or YouTube without pre-registering.)

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ON ZOOM FOR JULY EVENT

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Birds around the world have an extraordinary range of mating systems. Some species, such as the wattled jacana, rely on males to do all the childcare, while others, such as cuckoos and honeyguides, dump their eggs in the nests of others to raise. For some birds, reciprocal promiscuity pays off: both male and female dunnocks will rear the most chicks by mating with as many partners as possible. For others, long-term monogamy is the only way to ensure their offspring survive. Many male birds employ elaborate tactics to show how sexy they are; they dance, pose, or parade to sell their suitability as a mate. Other birds attract a partner with their building skills: female bowerbirds rate brains above beauty, so males construct elaborate bowers with twig avenues and cleared courtyards to impress them. There is a wide variety of ways birds make sure they find a mate in the first place, and even more ways birds raise and care for their families.

At this Science on Tap we’ll hear from biologist, author, and environmental advocate Dr. Wenfei Tong as she explores all the stages of bird family life, from courtship and nest-building to protecting eggs and raising chicks. She will go through some of the stories included in her book Bird Love and will share some of her stunning photography. Join us for a celebration of the global diversity of avian reproductive strategies.

Watch a video of Dr. Tong’s presentation on her other book Understanding Bird Behavior: A Guide to What Birds Do & Why at Science on Tap in September, 2020.

Buy Bird Love or Understanding Bird Behavior (or both!) directly from Princeton Press and get 30% off!
Use Coupon Code: WTONG
Offer good until August 31, 2021

TICKETS $10 and proceeds will go to support both Science on Tap and Portland Chamber Orchestra.

Falling in love is a wonderful experience that has inspired poets, philosophers, and songwriters, and it also means that there’s a lot more action between your ears. Your brain becomes awash in hormones such as dopamine and oxytocin, and those neurochemical changes can have major effects on your behavior. What can neuroscience tell us about what drives infatuation with a new lover? How does the brain sort out pleasure and discomfort? What science drives our decisions to stay with one person for life or go from one lover to another? 

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this special Science on Tap is a musical collaboration and fundraiser for the Portland Chamber Orchestra. This multi-media performance is the brainchild of Grammy nominated vocalist Valerie Day and was inspired by a National Geographic article about love and the chemicals in the brain. Featuring archival footage of the sold-out Brain Chemistry for Lovers performance held during the 2009 season of the OHSU Brain Institute’s Brain Awareness Lecture Series, this event will also feature a live Q&A with Dr. Larry Sherman, neuroscientist at OHSU. Join us for a celebration of love with both song and science to learn more about how we love, what we love, and who we love.

Mental illness is very common: at least one in five Americans live with conditions such as depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, while many medications and behavioral therapies are available, treatment resistance is common, and side effects can be problematic, resulting in chronic suffering for millions of individuals.

Recent advances in neuroscience are changing the way scientists understand mental illness, and offer new hope for the development of safe and effective treatments. For example, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive, non-painful, outpatient treatment that uses magnetic pulses to therapeutically stimulate specific brain circuits. Results from recent studies indicate that TMS may arguably be the safest and most effective treatment for depression, even in highly treatment-resistant individuals.

At this Science on Tap we’ll be joined by Stanford interventional psychiatrist and neuroscience expert Octavio Choi, MD, PhD, who will describe some of these emerging treatments for mental illness. He’ll look at some of the structures in the brain associated with conditions such as depression and explain how new therapies such as TMS can be used to treat them effectively. Join us to learn about these new scientific discoveries that can improve the quality of life for millions of people who live with mental illness.

It was reported in 2019 that for the first time the majority of American medical students were women, but in the 1840s there were zero. Then came Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell who, in quick succession, became the first and third women, respectively, to earn medical degrees in the U.S. The Blackwells’ ambitions extended far beyond themselves and in 1857 they founded the very first hospital staffed by women. They went on to care for patients, to interact with some of the most notable figures of their era, and to lead the way for generations of doctors who came after them. And as Emily once reminded Elizabeth, the point was “to be not the first female M.D.s, but the first of legions.”

But it was not easy for them. Attempts by both sisters to get into medical colleges were either denied or met with toothless acceptance—the faculty at Geneva Medical College left the ultimate decision of whether to accept Elizabeth up to the students, who only agreed as a sort of fraternity prank. Elizabeth’s entry into this previously all-male profession was called “a farce.” They made national and international news when they earned their degrees and began practicing, and were consistently trailed by whispers and curious looks. They were written up in the New York Times; mocked in Punch, the London satirical paper; and they and their work were profiled in leading medical and women’s journals. And yet, they persisted. 

At this Science on Tap, historian and author Janice P. Nimura will talk about her new book The Doctors Blackwell that celebrates two complicated pioneers who exploded the limits of possibility. As Elizabeth predicted, “a hundred years hence, women will not be what they are now.”

Buy The Doctors Blackwell at Broadway Books and get a 15% discount through February 10, 2021!
Use code: STBlackwell15

Only one hundred years ago, in even the world’s wealthiest nations, children died in great numbers―of diarrhea, diphtheria, and measles, of scarlet fever and tuberculosis. Not even the powerful and the wealthy could escape, and for children of the poor, immigrants, enslaved people and their descendants, the chances of dying were far worse.

The steady beating back of infant and child mortality is one of our greatest human achievements. At this Science on Tap, Perri Klass, MD, will talk about her new book A Good Time To Be Born: How Science and Public Health Gave Children a Future and the fight against child mortality that transformed the way we live. She will be joined by David Oshinsky, PhD, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning book Polio: An American Story and Professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She will discuss the science and history of some of these medical breakthroughs that have saved countless children’s lives, and will pay tribute to scientists, public health advocates, and groundbreaking women doctors who brought new scientific ideas about sanitation and vaccination to families.

Join us to learn about how these scientists, healers, reformers, and parents who rewrote the human experience so that―for the first time in human memory―early death is now the exception rather than the rule.

(Note: this event is on a WEDNESDAY night.)

COVID-19 is largely known for causing respiratory distress, though people have also experienced a number of unusual symptoms such as heart arrhythmias, loss of smell, and discolored lesions on toes. There is still so much unknown about this disease and many scientists and labs are moving quickly to understand how COVID-19 impacts the body and causes such an unusual constellation of symptoms.

You may have seen in your social media feeds in the past few weeks that a recent paper has proposed a new hypothesis and may provide some insight. Using the world’s second-fastest computer located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, more than 40,000 genes from 17,000 genetic samples were analyzed and a new picture is beginning to form: COVID-19 may cause a disruption in the bradykinin system in the body which may then lead to blood and fluid leaking throughout organs and tissues. It’s still a hypothesis, but if it is accurate, this paper suggests that there may be at least 10 potential FDA-approved treatments that could be used to treat numerous COVID-19 symptoms.

At this Science on Tap we will be joined by Dr. Daniel Jacobson, lead researcher and chief scientist for computational systems biology at ORNL. He will explain the bradykinin hypothesis in simple terms and describe how it could be used in future COVID-19 treatment. 

Not only is this an exciting new development for dealing with this pandemic, but it’s an exciting opportunity to learn how science works in real-time.

Here’s another chance to ask more COVID-19 questions and get answers from experts in public health and emergency medicine! This is a follow-up to our event held on August 27 and will once again be dedicated entirely to Q&A. The audience will be invited to ask questions about the current Coronavirus pandemic and get answers in real time.

Joining us for a second time, our experts are:

Maayan Simckes, PhD, MPH is an epidemiologist at Washington State Department of Health. She has been in COVID-19 Incident Management Team since January in a range of roles related to case and contact investigations. She also oversees training for all case and contact investigators working with Department of Health.

Guy Shochat, MD is a Professor and emergency care physician at the University of California San Francisco. His areas of special interest include managing emergency conditions that affect the airways and his research includes gathering data on emergency intubation. He also manages the electronic health record for the UCSF emergency department.

Questions can be submitted in advance by emailing info@scienceontaporwa.org — please use the subject “COVID Question.” Questions can also be submitted live during the event through text chat in Zoom and on Facebook, and the Q&A will be moderated by our host.

Statements during the event by Dr. Simckes and Dr. Shochat are based on their own views and experiences. Their comments do not represent the views of their respective agencies.

Note: This event is now free — no tickets required!
Note 2: Start time is 7:00pm PACIFIC

Just in time for the election!

Why do some people live lawful lives, while others gravitate toward repeated criminal behavior? Do people choose to be moral or immoral, or is morality simply a genetically inherited function of the brain? Research suggests that psychopathy as a biological condition explained by defective neural circuits that mediate empathy, but what does that mean when neuroscience is used as evidence in criminal court? How can understanding neuroscience give us an insight into the actions and behaviors of our political leaders?

Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Octavio Choi will explore how emerging neuroscience challenges long-held assumptions underlying the basis—and punishment—of criminal behavior.

Vaccines are a documented success story, one of the most successful public health interventions in history. Yet there is a vocal anti-vaccination movement, featuring celebrity activists and the propagation of anti-vax claims through books, documentaries, and social media.  Join us for a discussion of the book Anti-vaxxers: How to Challenge a Misinformed Movement, where author Jonathan Berman explores the phenomenon of the anti-vaccination movement, recounting its history from its nineteenth-century antecedents to today’s activism, examining its claims, and suggesting a strategy for countering them.

Anti-vaxxers have changed their minds, but rarely because someone has given them a list of facts. Berman argues that anti-vaccination activism is tied closely to how people see themselves as parents and community members. Effective pro-vaccination efforts should emphasize these cultural aspects rather than battling social media posts. “Building trust and acting with kindness are important tools in the fight for public health.”

Given the need for a new vaccine to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever that we work to ensure that politicians who understand the value of science are elected, that clinicians have enough tools to convince patients of the best course of action for their own and their children’s health, and that appealing lies never gain victory over hard-fought truths.

Jonathan M. Berman is Assistant Professor in the Department of Basic Sciences at NYITCOM–Arkansas. An active science communicator, he served as national co-chair of the 2017 March for Science.

For billions of years, night on this planet was lit only by the moon and stars, and life evolved under regular cycles of bright days and dark nights. All that has changed in the last 130 years, and night on Earth is now liberally colonized with artificial light. The overabundance of light at night has dire ecological consequences for plants, birds, fish, amphibians and other wildlife, as well as for human health, safety and culture.

At this Science on Tap we will delve into the importance of darkness for nocturnal wildlife as well as for the billions of migrating birds that use starry night skies to navigate. We will explore some of the night’s wondrous mysteries, the world class dark skies that we have in southeastern Oregon, and the local and international effort to preserve dark skies in both cities and wild places.

Mary Coolidge is Portland Audubon’s BirdSafe Campaign Coordinator, working with architects, planners, designers and residents to reduce hazards for birds in the urban environment while meeting other design, building performance and climate change objectives. Mary is dedicated to improving efforts to make urban environments more hospitable to wildlife and helping
connect people to nature and place. Mary splits her time between Portland Audubon and the California Condor breeding program.

Join us for this special panel discussion on the COVID-19 incident. In an event dedicated entirely to Q&A, the audience will be invited to ask questions about the current Coronavirus pandemic and get answers from experts in public health and emergency medicine. Our experts:

Maayan Simckes, PhD, MPH is an epidemiologist at Washington State Department of Health. She has been in COVID-19 Incident Management Team since January in a range of roles related to case and contact investigations. She also oversees training for all case and contact investigators working with Department of Health.

Guy Shochat, MD is a Professor and emergency care physician at the University of California San Francisco. His areas of special interest include managing emergency conditions that affect the airways and his research includes gathering data on emergency intubation. He also manages the electronic health record for the UCSF emergency department.

Questions can be submitted in advance by emailing info@scienceontaporwa.org — please use the subject “COVID Question.” Questions can also be submitted live during the event through text chat in Zoom and on Facebook, and the Q&A will be moderated by our host.

Statements during the event by Dr. Simckes and Dr. Shochat are based on their own views and experiences. Their comments do not represent the views of their respective agencies.

Birds are intelligent, sociable creatures that exhibit a wide array of behaviors—from mobbing and mimicking to mating and joint nesting. They have creative foraging techniques, including tool usage and thievery. Their courtship rituals to woo and win mates can be elaborate, and while they can show cooperation, there can also be familial conflicts that crop up among parents, offspring, and siblings. 

In this special avian Science on Tap, biologist and author Dr. Wenfei Tong will describe scientific research and fascinating vignettes about the private lives of birds, from finding food and family life, to coping with climate and other threats. Drawing from her two books Understanding Bird Behavior: An Illustrated Guide to What Birds Do and Why and Bird Love: The Family Life of Birds, she will share detailed images of all kinds of bird behavior. Also, learn how you as a citizen scientist can help add to what we know about birds in your part of the world.

Buy the book directly from Princeton Press and get 40% off!
Use Coupon Code: SCITAP
Offer good until October 1, 2020.

UPDATE JULY 9: This event scheduled for Saturday, August 8 will NOT be happening in person at the Aladdin Theater, but we WILL be hosting the event live on Zoom!

New event info:
Same Date & Time: Saturday, August 8 at 7:00pm Pacific
Tickets: $10 per Zoom registration, sign up here! (Tickets processed through Zoom and PayPal.)
Tickets for the Aladdin event will NOT transfer to the online event and you MUST register through Zoom. See FAQ below for details.

Event Description: Crows are everywhere: they are found on nearly every continent and thrive in human dominated environments. They have influenced art and literature throughout history, and whether they inspire love or hate, they have certainly impacted the hearts and minds of the humans who share their space. Because crows are so common, it may be easy to overlook the fact that they are very intelligent and have complex behaviors and social structures, including play, tool use, communal roosting, and being able to recognize specific humans.

Kaeli Swift, PhD, studies crows and other corvids (ravens, jays, and magpies), and will introduce and explain to us the world of these fascinating birds, including, of course, crow funerals. You can find Dr. Swift on Twitter and Instagram @corvidresearch where she talks about crows, corvids, and other wildlife and plays a weekly game called #CrowOrNo to help people learn how to correctly ID and distinguish different kinds of corvids.

FAQ

Q: What if I already have tickets to the event at the Aladdin? Will those tickets transfer to the new Zoom event?
A: Unfortunately, NO. Due to challenges with Eventbrite ticket processing we will NOT be able to transfer already purchased tickets to the new Zoom event. (Trust us, we tried to figure out a way.) The theater will be sending out an email to all current ticket holders with instructions for how to get a refund, or feel free to contact the Aladdin Theater directly. You will then need to go to the Zoom link and re-purchase a new registration for the online event. It’s a clunky process, but it’s the best we have.

Q: Can I buy tickets to the Zoom event if I did NOT have tickets before?
A: YES! This live Zoom event is open to anyone with a Zoom account and an internet connection worldwide.

Q: Can I watch this live event on Facebook Live or YouTube Live?
A: NO. The live event will ONLY be viewable through Zoom.

Q: Can I watch a recording of this event afterward?
A: YES! However the recording will ONLY be available to our Patreon supporters (minimum $5).

Q: Can I ask questions during the live event?
A: YES! All questions asked in the Zoom chat and Q&A will be forwarded through to our moderator and she’ll ask as many as possible as time permits.

Q: Will this event sell out?
A: We have no idea! We can set the Zoom webinar capacity up to 1,000 registrations, but there are 600 people who had tickets to this in-person event on August 8 who may want to watch on Zoom. Granted, many of them will only need one registration for a household instead of two or more individual tickets. However, we’ve sold this event out five times already and there is still a HUGE demand for tickets, and this is now available to anyone worldwide. TL;DR register for the Zoom event NOW.

Q: Your other events are free. Why are you charging for this one?
A: Because our other events are free and we want to keep them that way. People have been VERY generous with donations but those donations have slowed down, and we can’t continue without revenue. Also, we want to pay our speaker! We hope that $10 will be affordable enough for most people, though write to us at info@ScienceOnTapORWA.org if that’s still a hardship for you.

Q: I bought a ticket to the Aladdin event from someone else. Can I still get a refund?
A: Unfortunately not from us. Refunds are only available through Eventbrite and they are only issued to the original purchaser.

See a recording of this event on our Facebook video page or YouTube channel.

Dr. Jen Gunter has a vagenda: for everyone to be empowered with accurate information about the vagina and vulva. We are well into the twenty-first century and have access to more information than ever before, yet many people don’t know that a vagina is self-cleaning, condoms should be used with a lubricant, eating sugar doesn’t cause a yeast infection, and sex shouldn’t be painful. 

At this very special Science on Tap we’ll be joined Canadian OB/GYN, women’s health advocate and New York Times columnist Dr. Jen Gunter to talk about her book The Vagina Bible. The book offers a repository of accurate information based on science, and delivered with wit and wisdom. This is the fact-based, inclusive, and empowering guide you deserve to advocate for your own body.

We encourage purchasing a copy of The Vagina Bible through small book sellers! Here are two suggestions:

Busboys and Poets
Book Passage

See a recording of this event on our Facebook video page or YouTube channel.

If you had the choice, would you rather live with the full array of emotions you have now – the good, the bad, and the ugly – or get rid of your emotions entirely? Western culture has long had a love-hate relationship with emotion. Why do we have emotions? Do they serve a purpose beyond (sometimes) making us do stupid, irrational things? How can we manage emotions in a healthy way, so they enrich our lives rather than controlling us?

Michelle “Lani” Shiota, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University, and an expert in affective science. Join us to hear about research on the important functions emotions serve in our lives, and how we can regulate emotions in healthy ways. 

See a recording of this event on our Facebook video page or YouTube channel.

Racism is a system in which people are treated a particular way based on their race. Racism exists because of racial prejudice, where we make judgements about people based entirely on their race and our own unconscious bias, and not on actual experience. Our brains react to people who are different from us within milliseconds. At this Science on Tap, Dr. Larry Sherman, a Professor of Neuroscience, will explore how our brains engage in prejudice, the consequences of prejudice and racism for both racists and people who experience racism in their daily lives, and how understanding these processes suggest ways that we can overcome prejudice and racism in our society.

This is an updated version of similar talks given by Dr. Sherman at Science on Tap events in 2019, 2018, and 2016. It is our hope that by continuing to have these conversations about racism that we can help people understand their own implicit bias from a neuroscience perspective and offer ideas for how to combat racism within ourselves and in our society.

Larry Sherman is a Professor in the Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology and in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the Oregon Health & Science University. He is also the President of the Oregon and Southwest Washington Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience. He has over 90 publications related to brain development and neurological diseases. He serves on numerous US and international scientific review panels and he has made numerous television appearances, discussing various topics related to neuroscience. He has also given hugely popular talks and performances (including playing the piano) around the globe on topics that include music and the brain, the neuroscience of pleasure and love, and the neuroscience of racism. The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and Portland Monthly Magazine recognized Dr. Sherman as one of the “People who are changing our world”. He was also the 2012 Teacher of the Year at the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS! Please make a donation (minimum $1.00).

After surviving a crash-course in comedy, a cohort of local scientists* will perform their late-night comedy talks live for a celebrity guest, and broadcast to all of you at home. It will be a brainy evening of laughter, learning, and libations from the comfort of your pandemic pajamas. This cohort combines recent participants from Portland, Oregon and Colorado Springs, Colorado!

We’ve adapted our popular live showcase events for online audiences. In the style of the best of late-night television, our participants will be calling in from home, potentially their bathrooms, and almost certainly won’t be wearing pants. This event is intended for adult audiences only.

Join our livestreaming event and see the results of Science Riot’s unique science communication training! You can recieve a ticket for a donation of any amount, with all proceeds going towards our outreach training and programming that now takes place with our museums and partners still under lockdown. Science needs a voice now more than ever, and what better way than through humor?

Joining us will be our celebrity guest for the evening. She is an international working comedian and credits include Comedy Central Asia and winner of the Liz Carpenter Political Humor Award (previously awarded to Samantha Bee, Wanda Sykes). She also hosted a nerdy game show on PBS which won an Emmy! – Dhaya Lakshminarayanan.

We have an incredible line up of real-life scientists and board-certified doctors who will all attempt to be both interesting and funny on purpose!

A link to our private Youtube Live Event will be sent out with a final reminder on the day. To ensure you receive the correct link, please don’t use a spam email account (you will also need a YouTube Account). There you can join the live chat with our hyperventilating scientists leading up to 7PT/8MT premier. This event will only be streamed live, so don’t miss it!

*The Portland scientists were supposed to perform at two Science Riot shows in March, but those had to be canceled. Join us on July 11 to support our local Portland crew! (And hey, the scientists from Colorado Springs will be awesome too!)

This event is sponsored by: