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You're invited! Join us online and in-person.

Cal Poly Science Cafe at Kennedy Library is on Facebook, where we keep an up-to-date event calendar. You can find us here.

Kennedy Library's Facebook page is here.

More info about our Science Cafe, including archives of past events, is here.

Kennedy Library offers many public programs and exhibitions. For more, please go here.

The Science and Art of Taking a Risk

Join us for the next Cal Poly Science Café, Wednesday, April 28 at 4:30 p.m.
Featuring Dr. Eduardo Zambrano, Professor of Economics, Orfalea School of Business.

The economic problems of recent years came about, in part, because we didn’t understand the risks we, as a society, were collectively taking. This presentation and discussion will explore what it means to take individual and societal risks, how to measure those risks, and how economics, engineering and psychology envision risk differently. Come prepared to be engaged in this lively discussion, and to take some risks (if you dare!).

Kennedy Library 2nd Floor lounge, Free! Refreshments will be served

Jurassic Beer: Brewing a 45 million year old Beer!

Join us for Cal Poly Science Café at the Kennedy Library!
When: Wednesday, February 10 from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.

Our speaker is Dr. Raul Cano, Professor Emeritus Biological Sciences and Founding Scientist of Ambergene. Dr. Cano will tell the story of his accidental discovery of ancient yeast and his subsequent foray into Beer-making with Fossil Fuels Brewing Company. He will also tell of his future plans for the Environmental Biotechnology Institute, of which he is founder and director. Refreshments will be served.

NanoCafe Pictures

Check out the great photos Kathy Chen's students took of the NanoCafe!
http://picasaweb.google.com/dr.kathchen/NanoCafe?authkey=Gv1sRgCO63tLKZroq0NQ&feat=directlink

Thank you Cal Poly!

Our last event of the year was fantastic. NanoCafe was a huge success with 78 participants, a carbon balloon nanotube, 6 tables of interactive nano examples, and more.

Thank you to all the speakers, moderators and students, plus a special thanks to all the library staff, students and faculty, that have made this inaugural year of the Science Cafe an amazing experience!!!

More to come Fall 2009! Stay tuned...

NanoCafe

Please join us next Wednesday!

WHAT: Just how small is "nano" anyhow, and why should you care? Is nanotechnology here yet? Could you be using nano products right now without even knowing it?

WHO: Cal Poly faculty Kathy Chen (Materials Engineering) and Jane Lehr (Women's & Gender Studies and Ethnic Studies) and special guest Frank Kusiak. Kusiak is an informal science educator and nanotech outreach specialist at Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science. His background is in instructional design and education via computer gaming and robotics.

WHEN: April 8, 3:30-4:30 pm

WHERE: Kennedy Library Second Floor Cafe Lounge. The Science Cafe is free and open to the public.

HANDS ON! As part of the Café event, on Wednesday morning, Kathy Chen and students in materials engineering will create a hanging, giant model nanotube made out of balloons in the Library, and guide participants in simple demos of nanotechnology during the cafe.

Are you ready?

Well this weeks even with Brian Wansink was a huge success with more than 60 participants. Are you ready for next week?

Science Cafe - How mindless eating works in government

Join us tomorrow for the Science Cafe at 3:30pm on the 2nd floor of library. Brian Wansink's discussion is titled "How mindless eating works in government." There will be a Healthy Foods and Used Sporting Equipment Drive in the Pac Plaza after his presentation.

Spring Quarter Science Cafe's

We have a couple of great Science Cafés lined up to launch the spring quarter.
******************************
APRIL 2: CORNELL TO WASHINGTON: HOW MINDLESS EATING WORKS IN GOVERNMENT

On Thursday, April 2, we will be hosting national bestselling author
Brian Wansink from 3:30-4:30pm, for an informal talk about his recent
stint in the US Department of Agriculture in relation to his work as
expert in nutritional science, behavior and food psychology

For more information, see: http://www.mindlesseating.org/
*****************************
APRIL 8: NANOCAFE: IS SMALL THE NEW BIG?

Wednesday, April 8, 3:30 - 4:30pm we will be hosting a Science Café on nanotechnology, featuring Frank Kusiak from the Berkeley Lawrence Hall of Science and the NISE Network (Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network).

Sponsored by the Department of Materials Engineering and the National
Science Foundation's "Nanodays" program, Kusiak will give a talk on
"Nano 101." Cal Poly professors Kathy Chen (Materials Engineering) and
Jane Lehr (Women's and Gender Studies, Ethnic Studies) will facilitate
hands-on demos of nanotechnology and a discussion of how
nanotechnology affects our lives.

For more on Nanodays or on Frank Kusiak, see:
http://www.nisenet.org/nanodays
http://www.nisenet.org/users/fkusiak

Please join us!

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If you want to be notified about the Science Cafe please sign up for our listserv

This list is for announcements of news and events related to the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Science Café at the Kennedy Library.

Type is everywhere >> March 11th

Join top graphic experts at Cal Poly's Kennedy Library for “The Science of Type: Original Typeface Designs in the Digital Age,” the latest in the Science Café series.

The event is free, open to the public and set for Wednesday, March 11, 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the library’s second floor Café Lounge. The speaker is Christopher Slye of Adobe Systems.

• Date: Wednesday March 11th
• Time: 4:30pm — 5:30pm
• Speaker: Christopher Slye, Adobe Systems
• Moderator: Lorraine Donegan, Graphic Communication
• Location: Kennedy Library, 2nd floor Café Lounge

Image credit:
University Archives, Kennedy Library
Cal Poly Printing Press, c. 1960s

The Galapagos: not as Darwin saw them

Thursday, February 12
3-4pm
Library Cafe Lounge (2nd floor next to Julians)

"Darwin 200" will feature conversation with Christy Strand, Cal Poly Biological Science Assistant Professor, "The Galapagos: not as Darwin saw them."

Plus, you won't want to miss meeting a very special guest...

Cake, coffee, and tea will be served!
The event is free and open to all.

High Tea for Darwin's 200th Birthday

Darwin would have turned 200 years old February 12th. Join us for conversation and birthday cake to celebrate the work of this influential naturalist.

The program will feature a 10-minute talk by a Cal Poly faculty member and subsequent audience conversation and questions.

WHEN:
February 12th, 3:00p-4:00pm

WHERE:
Kennedy Library, 2nd Floor Cafe Lounge

WHO:
Moderator
Francis X. Villablanca, Cal Poly Biological Science Associate Professor

Speaker
Christy Strand, Cal Poly Biological Science Assistant Professor
"The Galapagos: not as Darwin saw them"


What is the future of research on the Galapagos?
--> Bring Your Unique Perspective on the Future

What might Darwin say about society today?
--> Stretch and Get Creative

How have Darwin's ideas shaped society?
--> Think About Them

Va-va-voom!: Improbable Vehicles Drive Home a Point at Kennedy Library

INAUGURAL PROGRAM: "Improbable Vehicles" will introduce work produced at and around Cal Poly on unusual vehicles of all kinds.

The program will feature four 10-minute talks by Cal Poly faculty, staff, and students, alternating with audience conversation and questions. Moderated by JOHN DUNNING, Cal Poly Research Scholar.

WHEN:
JANUARY 28th, 4:30p-6:00pm

WHERE:
KENNEDY LIBRARY, 2ND FLOOR CAFÉ LOUNGE

WHO:
ART MACCARLEY
"My Methanol Motorcycle"

ELECTRIC VEHICLE ENGINEERING CLUB
"RX7 Race Car Speeds Forward"

CAL POLY ROSE FLOAT
"Seaside Amusement"

HUMAN POWERED VEHICLE
"Athena Pedals to First Place"

ABOUT:
:: Thematically, without the oil crisis (resource substitution) the methanol motorcycle is improbable;

:: without batteries (technical push), the electric car is improbable;

:: without fiber composite materials (technical push), the human powered vehicle is improbable;

:: and without the Rose Parade (social demand), the float is improbable.

What are Driving Forces and Creativity behind these Vehicles?
--> Think About Them.

What will be Future Driving Forces and Creativity?
--> Bring Your Unique Perspective on the Future

What are Future Improbable Vehicles?
--> Stretch and Get Creative

Science Cafe Launch

Cal Poly's Science Cafe Launches with "Improbable Vehicles"

Wednesday, 28 January 2009

4:30pm-6:00pm

Library Café Lounge

(2nd floor of Kennedy Library next to Julian’s)

Join campus scholars and students for snacks and conversations about methanol motorcycles, electric race cars, human powered vehicles, and Cal Poly’s rose float.