The Bay Area Science Festival hits full stride this week, and Stanford faculty members will play key roles in several events.
Up first, on Oct. 27, Stanford chemistry Professor RICHARD ZARE and author HAROLD MCGEE (On Food & Cooking: The Science & Lore of the Kitchen) will make a case that understanding the science of cooking intensifies the joy of cooking. From boiling water to baking a soufflé, they say, scientific insights can inform and enhance most every kitchen experience. The free talk will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Braun Auditorium in the Mudd Chemistry Building.
Marine scientist Stephen Palumbi will be among five researchers featured as Science Superheroes at the Bay Area Science Festival.
Next, on Oct. 30, Stanford math Professor BRIAN CONRAD will describe how the mathematics of symmetry provides answers to natural questions that arise in topics as diverse as the Rubik’s Cube, the art of M.C. ESCHER, and the security of financial transactions on the Internet. Mathematical ideas will be developed from scratch, and illustrated with pictures and numerical examples. The free talk will take place at 7:30 pm in Cubberley Auditorium.
Finally, on Nov. 2, Stanford Professor STEPHEN PALUMBI will be part of the TED-style event, “Science Superheroes,” that will showcase five local scientists who are changing the way we understand the world. Palumbi researches evolution and marine biology at Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station, and has lectured extensively on human-induced evolutionary change, has used genetic detective work to identify whales for sale in retail markets, and is working on new methods to help design marine parks for conservation. Palumbi’s other passion is microdocumentaries. His Short Attention Span Science Theater site received a million hits last year. And his band Sustainable Soul has several songs out, including “Crab Love” and “The Last Fish Left.”
The panel is full of scientists who use skills worthy of superheroes. The other speakers include JOSEPH DERISI, an associate professor of biochemistry and biophysics at UC San Francisco; ALISON GOPNIK, a professor of psychology and affiliate professor of philosophy at the University of California at Berkeley; JJ MIRANDA, who studies genetics, virology and immunology at the Gladstone Institute; and CHRISTOPHER P. MCKAY, a planetary scientist with the Space Science Division of NASA Ames Research Center. The talk will take place at the Tech Museum in San Jose and costs $10.
— BY BJORN CAREY
