The Early Universe: From the Big Bang to Stars & Galaxies (Dr. Aparna Venkatesan, University of San Francisco, Dept. of Physics/Astronomy & Dr. Todd Duncan, PSU - Aparna had a family emergency so Todd will be delivering her talk at the scheduled time on Saturday ) (October 25, 10 am, Hoffman Hall, PSU)

[Featured in The Oregonian on 2009-01-13 ]

Richard Taylor sees a pattern. The University of Oregon professor of physics is leading the way with internationally recognized research into fractals—curious patterns found in nature that repeat themselves. Taylor's startling discoveries show that these patterns-within-patterns may significantly reduce stress and have interesting implications for psychology, medicine, and even the semiconductor industry. Taylor has applied his studies to art, showing how fractal patterns in the work of abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock can distinguish a real Pollock from a fake. Come hear about this amazing intersection of art and science.

Richard Taylor, PhD, is an associate professor in physics, psychology, and art at the University of Oregon. Transforming lives by erasing academic boundaries might be why Taylor was named Outstanding Teacher in Higher Education for 2005 by the Oregon Academy of Science.

The science of complexity moves beyond reductionism to something new: a unified culture where we see God in the creativity of the universe, biosphere, and humanity – changing the way we all think about the evolution of humanity, the universe, faith, and reason.

Complexity Theory Emergence Self Organizing Systems

I would like to begin a discussion about the first glimmerings of a new scientific world view — beyond reductionism to emergence and radical creativity in the biosphere and human world. This emerging view finds a natural scientific place for value and ethics, and places us as co-creators of the enormous web of emerging complexity that is the evolving biosphere and human economics and culture. In this scientific world view, we can ask: Is it more astonishing that a God created all that exists in six days, or that the natural processes of the creative universe have yielded galaxies, chemistry, life, agency, meaning, value, consciousness, culture without a Creator. In my mind and heart, the overwhelming answer is that the truth as best we know it, that all arose with no Creator agent, all on its wondrous own, is so awesome and stunning that it is God enough for me and I hope much of humankind.

The 2009 Solar & Sustainability Science Fair is presented by PHC Northwest, host to the largest single-roof solar array in the Pacific Northwest. This FREE event challenges the minds of tomorrow and celebrates the people working towards a cleaner, more sustainable world today. It features “green” projects created by local students alongside exhibits from more than 35 solar and renewable energy organizations showcasing their latest programs and technologies. For more info visit http://www.phcnw.com/solar.

In the aftermath of damaging hacked emails between climate scientists, and as global leaders and community activists converge in Copenhagen, we take a step away from the politics to look at the science behind studying climate change. While global warming has risen in the past decades from being viewed as a crazy idea from the environmental left to a global concern unifying the nations of the world, skeptics still claim that "bad science" is being used to support this effort.

We hear from Andrew Rice, a professor of physics at Portland State University, to learn exactly what concepts and techniques scientists have used to produce data that supports the evidence that climate change is occurring in direction that will negatively impact the planet.

The Apprenticeships in Science & Engineering (ASE) Program is currently accepting applicants! High school freshman, sophomores & juniors interested in science and engineering can apply for summer internships through January 15, 2010 [UPDATE: deadline extended to January 25th]. Check the SA website/ASE.

High school students interested in science and engineering now have until the 25th to apply for this amazing program. Spend your summer working in a real lab or local business and get to know your inner scientist or engineer. Visit Saturday Academy's website for more information.

Treat yourself to childfree, brain-building science fun at OMSI After Dark! Check out live demos, a planetarium show, Science On a Sphere, SAMSON the T. rex, new featured exhibits, and old favorites. Sample tasty snacks and sweets along with beer, wine, and craft soda, and talk to regional food and beverage artisans about the science behind them. The OMSI Market Cafe will be open with a special dinner menu and cash bars will also be available for those who want more than just a taste! It's geeks gone wild! (21-and-over only.)

Visionary game designer Jane McGonigal reveals how we can harness the power of games to solve real-world problems and boost global happiness.

More than 174 million Americans are gamers, and the average young person in the United States will spend 10,000 hours gaming by the age of 21. According to world-renowned game designer Jane McGonigal, the reason for this mass exodus to virtual worlds is that videogames are increasingly fulfilling genuine human needs. In this groundbreaking exploration of the power and future of gaming, McGonigal reveals how we can use the lessons of game design to fix what is wrong with the real world.

Drawing on positive psychology, cognitive science, and sociology, Reality Is Broken uncovers how game designers have hit on core truths about what makes us happy and used these discoveries to astonishing effect in virtual environments. Videogames consistently provide the exhilarating rewards, stimulating challenges, and epic victories that are so often lacking in the real world. But why, McGonigal asks, should we use the power of games for escapist entertainment alone? Her research suggests that gamers are expert problem solvers and collaborators, since they cooperate with other players to overcome daunting virtual challenges, and she helped pioneer a fast-growing genre of games that aims to turn gameplay to socially positive ends.

In Reality Is Broken, she reveals how these new Alternate Reality Games are already improving the quality of our daily lives, fighting social problems like depression and obesity, and addressing vital twenty-first century challenges—and she forecasts the thrilling possibilities that lie ahead. She introduces us to games like World Without Oil, a simulation designed to brainstorm—and therefore avert—the challenges of a worldwide oil shortage, and Evoke, a game commissioned by the World Bank Institute that sends players on missions to address issues from poverty to climate change.

Jane McGonigal, PhD, is the director of Game Research and Development at the Institute for the Future. Her work has been featured in The Economist, Wired, and The New York Times and on MTV, CNN, and NPR. In 2009, BusinessWeek called her one of the 10 most important innovators to watch. She has given keynote addresses at TED, South by Southwest Interactive, and the Game Developers Conference and was a featured speaker at The New Yorker Conference.

This Science Pub is presented in partnership with Powell’s Books. Powell’s will have Jane’s books available for purchase at the Science Pub and Jane will sign them after the talk.

ApacheCon NA 2013 will be host to its own unconference! Running the day before the traditional Apache Hackathon and the conference, BarCampApache is a dynamic get together open to the public. Like other unconferences, the schedule will be determined by the participants.

Inspired by Hermann Hesse's novel "The Glass Bead Game", the Glass Plate Game, is essentially a conversation in the trappings of a board game. The idea is to spark creative and interesting dialog as the players explore connections between ideas against a dynamic mosaic map. There are no winners or losers. There is no order of play. Conversation flows throughout, and the end result is an artifact of the conversation, which can, itself, become a subject of further discussion. The topic of the game begins as The Math and Science in Sci-Fi

(the meta-game). We will begin with an introduction to the Game then launch right into playing. If you can't make it on time or stay the whole time, come anyway! It's better to see you briefly than not at all. The Game can last as long as we want it to, and go in any direction. After playing, there will be time for interested parties to talk further.

A 4-hour lecture and visual slideshow on how electricity shapes and powers the physical universe.

Lecturer James Sorensen is an engineer and science buff with a lifelong interest in myths & legends, religions, and scientific theories. James believes all these knowledge systems must be integrated to gain a deeper understanding of living phenomena, and this is the inspiration for his lectures.

While working in the semiconductor industry, James noticed curious similarities between his observations of plasma etching (micro) and the forms of planetary nebulae and cosmic plasma phenomena (macro). This inspired five years of intensive study into Electric Universe theory.

Join us for an overview of how recent discoveries in electricity, when linked to historical events, challenge conventional wisdom across the sciences -- from astronomy, biology, geology, and archaeology, to health sciences, mythology, meteorology, and beyond.

Price: $30 Adults / $10 Young Adult / Children free, and should be able to sit quietly for 3-4 hours. Limit of 25 guests, reserve your space now.

To register, contact Cherie Mensching 206-459-6626.

Nerd Nite is a monthly event that strives for an inebriated, salacious, yet deeply academic vibe. Featuring short talks by several scientists, artists, experts of all types, and ordinary people with extraordinary skills, we aim to entertain, educate, elucidate, enlighten, and other things that start with "e." Come drink along with us!

When: Tuesday, July 30, 2013, doors at 6:00pm, event at 7:00pm Where: Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan, Portland Cost: $8.00 suggested cover at the door Check out the Facebook event page

This Nerd Nite will feature two awesome talks:

• Genital Plugs, Projectile Penises, and Gay Butterflies: A Naturalist Explains the Birds & the Bees with Becky Jaffe, photographer, naturalist, and educator

• Bugs, Bites, and Bodies: Insects and Death with Eric Tonsfeldt, Medicolegal Death Investigator, Clackamas County Medical Examiner’s Office

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Genital Plugs, Projectile Penises, and Gay Butterflies: A Naturalist Explains the Birds & the Bees

Birds do it, bees do it–even educated fleas do it. Let’s do it, let’s fall in lust as photographer and insect fetishist Becky Jaffe takes us on a romp through Mother Nature’s freaky side. Biophilia? This talk may well bring on a biorgasm!

A photographer, naturalist, and educator living in Oakland, Becky Jaffe teaches high school biology and leads environmental science tours at UC Berkeley’s Botanical Garden.

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Bugs, Bites, and Bodies: Insects and Death

To an insect, a decomposing human body left to rot in the woods can be the feast of a lifetime. To a forensic entomologist, those insects can give clues to how the person died, how long they’ve been dead, and even who that person was in life. Eric Tonsfeldt, Medicolegal Death Investigator at the Clackamas County Medical Examiner’s Office, will explain the ways that bugs can be used to help forensic investigation. Prepare to be creeped out (but in a good way!).

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*A note on the suggested cover: Nerd Nite is completely supported by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering education to adults who want to learn, so if $8 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

Nerd Nite #8 – You Say You Want Some Evolution: Gibbons and Spiders Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Nerd Nite is a monthly event that strives for an inebriated, salacious, yet deeply academic vibe. We aim to entertain, educate, elucidate, enlighten, and other things that start with “e.” Be there and be square!

When: Tuesday, October 8, 2013, doors at 6:00pm, event at 7:00pm Where: Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan, Portland Cost: $8.00* suggested cover at the door

This Nerd Nite will feature the following two talks:

Swinging Between Genomics, Evolution, and Conservation The small apes (or gibbons) are amazing primates living in South East Asia and currently threatened by extinction. They have many distinctive traits separating them from their cousins, the great apes (orang, gorilla and chimp), including the ability to move just using their arms (i.e. brachiation), monogamy, and vocalization to defend their territory. Lucia Carbone, PhD, Assistant Professor at OHSU studying genomics and epigenetics, has been studying the gibbon genome to learn more about these species and primate evolution in general. Her talk will go over her latest findings and highlight a fascinating connection between processes in evolution and human disease.

Spider Venoms: The Evolution of an Arsenal Spiders (all 44,000 species) play key roles in our ecosystems as predators of insects. Without spiders there would be many more insects and fewer plants. Evolution over the last 400 million years has created enormous diversity among spiders in predatory tactics, including web and venom use, which has resulted in a phenomenal diversity of silk and venom chemistry. Greta Binford, PhD, Associate Professor of Biology at Lewis & Clark College, studies diversity and evolution of spiders and their venoms, including the toxic brown recluse and its relatives. She will highlight some of the beautiful biological diversity of spiders’ feeding biology, silks, and venoms, and discuss how evolution has generated a "pharmacopeia" of unique toxins that are rich in potential for human applications.

*A note on the suggested cover: Nerd Nite is completely supported by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering education opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $8 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

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Check out Nerd Nite on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nerdniteportland

On Meetup http://www.meetup.com/Nerd-Nite-Portland/

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Nerd Nite is a monthly event that strives for an inebriated, salacious, yet deeply academic vibe. We aim to entertain, educate, elucidate, enlighten, and other things that start with “e.” Be there and be square.

When: Tuesday, November 12, 2013, doors at 6:00pm, event at 7:00pm Where: Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan, Portland Cost: $8.00 suggested cover at the door, or available online

This Nerd Nite will feature just one speaker, the unforgettable Scott Burns!

One of the greatest sets of geological events to ever have occurred in North America was the Missoula Floods. Occurring as many as 40 times during the last ice age, the floods were caused by waters released from ancient Lake Missoula that scoured the Columbia River basin, carved out the Columbia River Gorge, and swept across at least 16,000 square miles of the Pacific Northwest. At this Nerd Nite, Scott Burns, PhD, http://geology.pdx.edu/node/67, professor of geology and past chair of the Department of Geology at PSU, will focus on the incredible story of discovery and development of the idea of the floods by J Harlen Bretz and will discuss the effect of the floods on the landscape of the Willamette Valley and the area around us.

*A note on the suggested cover: Nerd Nite is completely supported by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering education opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $8 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

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Check out Nerd Nite on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nerdniteportland and Meetup http://www.meetup.com/Nerd-Nite-Portland/.

The zoo after hours is a lively place! Get a backstage tour of the Oregon Zoo in Portland on the evening of Saturday, November 16, 2013. This adults-only event will allow you to explore the exhibits, interact with animals, and get a peek at what happens at the zoo after dark.

Detailed information at Nerd Nite Portland https://www.facebook.com/NerdNitePortland/events

When: Saturday November 16, 2013 - Saturday at 4:45pm: Arrive at Gate E in the Oregon Zoo parking lot - Event ends at 10:00 pm Cost: $40 Online registration and payments accepted through WePay. NOTE: You MUST register through WePay (or contact the Organizers) and pay before your RSVP is complete.

What you get: - Access to the Oregon Zoo after hours - Hospital behind-the-scenes tour - Animal kitchen tour - Predators of the Serengeti Exhibit Design tour - Big cats tour and/or elephant tour (there were just lions born so the big cats area may be off limits, but the baby elephant is old enough to have that area back on the schedule) - Bats activity - Contact experience with reptiles

General Info: - Adults only, ages 21 and over please. - EAT DINNER BEFORE YOU ARRIVE! There will be a small snack with hot cocoa partway through the evening, but there will be no dinner served. - There is no smoking or alcohol allowed anywhere on the Oregon Zoo property. - There is limited availability for this trip with a maximum of 75 people. - Transportation to or from the Oregon Zoo is not included.

It's like CSI meets Mystery Science Theater 3000!

Crime scene TV shows like CSI and Bones have helped spawn a fascination for all things forensic, but the science those shows depict is sometimes shockingly inaccurate. Find out what it's REALLY like to be a forensic scientist, and watch and learn as they pick apart some clips from those shows and debunk some of the "science" they portray.

We'll be joined by: - Dan Alessio, Forensic Scientist, Firearms, Oregon State Police Crime Lab - Gretchen Anderson, Forensic Scientist, Latent Prints, Oregon State Police Crime Lab - Eric Tonsfeldt, Medicolegal Death Investigator, Clackamas County Medical Examiner’s Office - Dr. Nici Vance, State Forensic Anthropologist, State Medical Examiner’s Office

$8.00 suggested cover at the door, online tickets will be available soon.

Nerd Nite is a monthly event that strives for an inebriated, salacious, yet deeply academic vibe. We aim to entertain, educate, elucidate, enlighten, and other things that start with “e.” Be there and be square.

When: Tuesday, February 4, 2014, doors at 6:00pm, event at 7:00pm Where: Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan, Portland Cost: $8.00* suggested cover at the door

This Nerd Nite will feature two excellent talks:

The Willamette River: A History of Sediment and Change

The Willamette River is one of the most important geological features of this area. With no river, no port. And with no port, no Portland. The river has undergone huge changes since the arrival of settlers and cities. Yet throughout the taming the river by building sea walls, the dredging and channeling to facilitate shipping, and the 100+ years of dumping toxins and waste, the Willamette is still a living river with birds and fish and people who dependent on it. Keith Johnson, Manager of the DEQ Northwest Region Cleanup Program, and Kevin Parrett, NWR Cleanup Section Manager at the DEQ, will give us a visual history of the Willamette and how the river and the city have changed each other.

The Subsurface History of Portland

People have been moving the earth around in the Portland Metro area to suit our needs since the earliest days of urban habitation, and this history of cutting and filling impacts many aspects of living and working in the city. Engineer Stuart Albright from Apex Companies will present historic maps and photos of Portland that he uses to evaluate the location and extent of the earthwork and landfilling that has shaped this area. He will also share the history of the locations of some of the largest historic fills, such as Asylum Creek, Guilds Lake, Tanner Creek, and Marquam Gulch, and how those landscapes affect us today.

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*A note on the suggested cover: Nerd Nite is completely supported by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering education opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $8 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

We have a new location in Vancouver, WA! Our first event is:

Nerd Nite Vancouver #1 – Lust, Chocolate and Prairie Voles: The Neuroscience of Pleasure and Love

Nerd Nite is a monthly event that strives for an inebriated, salacious, yet deeply academic vibe. We aim to entertain, educate, elucidate, enlighten, and other things that start with “e.” Be there and be square!

When: Wednesday, February 12, 2014, doors at 6:00pm, event at 7:00pm

Where: Kiggins Theater, 1011 Main Street, Vancouver, WA

Cost: $8.00 suggested cover at the door

Come early if you want to order food and drinks and get a good seat!

Is the brain chemistry behind our love for chocolate equivalent to that which drives infatuation with a new lover, the love of a particular song, or addiction? How does the brain sort out pleasure and discomfort? What drives our decisions to stay with one person for life or go from one lover to another, never settling down? This Nerd Nite will focus on these and other questions that reveal much about how neurochemical changes can have major effects on our behaviors—how we love, what we love, and who we love.

Dr. Larry Sherman is a Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology and Neuroscience at OHSU. He was identified as someone who is "Changing our World" by Portland Monthly Magazine and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and he was awarded OHSU Teacher of the Year in 2012.

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*A note on the suggested cover: Nerd Nite is completely supported by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering education opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $8 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

Nerd Nite Portland #13 – The Mystique of Terroir: Geology, Soils, Climate and Wines in the Northern Willamette Valley

Nerd Nite is a monthly event that strives for an inebriated, salacious, yet deeply academic vibe. We aim to entertain, educate, elucidate, enlighten, and other things that start with “e.” Be there and be square.

ter·roir/tɛrˈwɑr noun Definition: the environmental conditions, especially soil and climate, in which grapes are grown and that give a wine its unique flavor and aroma.

The Willamette Valley has a certain je ne sais quoi, no? What special quality of the region’s terroir yields such exceptional wines? How do the soil, climate, and conditions lend themselves to lovely Pinot Noirs, but not Cabernets or Merlots? How does the region’s geologic past affect where and how to grow grapes? How does Oregon compare to other wine-growing regions in the United States and other countries around the world? Join us as Dr. Scott Burns, professor of geology and past chair of the Department of Geology at PSU, and wine enthusiast, tells us about all this and more about what makes a vineyard successful.

*A note on the suggested cover: Nerd Nite is completely supported by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering education opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $8 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

Nerd Nite is a monthly event that strives for an inebriated, salacious, yet soundly academic vibe. We aim to entertain, educate, elucidate, enlighten, and other things that start with “e.” Be there and be square.

When: Wednesday, March 12, 2014, doors at 6:00pm, event at 7:00pm

Cost: $8.00* suggested cover at the door

This Nerd Nite will feature two talks:

Owls and Other Night Birds Owls are the first type of birds that come to mind when we think of feathered night fliers, but many other species of birds are also active after dark. Jonathan Plissner, PhD, is a senior scientist with ABR, Inc. Environmental Research and Services and has been studying bird populations and behaviors for 30 years. His presentation will focus on nocturnal activities and adaptations of various groups of birds, as well as the risks these birds face in navigating landscapes altered by human beings.

The Biology, Behavior & Benefits of Bats Bats are essential to the health of our natural world. They help control pests and are vital pollinators and seed-dispersers for countless plants. Yet these wonderfully diverse and beneficial creatures are among the least studied and most misunderstood of animals. Cris Hein, PhD, is a biologist with Bat Conservation International and has been studying bat behavior and ecology for 14 years. Cris will discuss the amazing adaptations of these nocturnal animals and their importance to humans and the environment.

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*A note on the suggested cover: Nerd Nite is completely supported by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering education opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $8 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

Play Matters!

Elbowfish: A Portland Games Studio Invites You To Our Launch Party

Saturday, March 15, 7:00pm - 10:00pm+ Guardian Games, 345 SE Taylor St, Portland Open to the public • All ages • Children welcome

CELEBRATE the retail release of Antimatter Matters: A Quantum Physics Board Game (Really!)

PLAY the game critics call “The perfect recipe for a fun-filled, nerdy evening" PLAYTEST our new games in development ENJOY Music, Dancing, Food and Fun

MEET our talented designers & artists: Game Designer: Leana Galiel Game Artists: Thomas Conrad Rigby, Noah Patrick Pfarr & Liz Lundblade Producer: David Galiel • And Scott Isler, creator of Antimatter Matters

MUSIC by: Olivia & René
Parzival - Special Guest from Seattle
And, closing out the night: DJ Mr. Moo!

Special Thanks to Angel May & the wonderful folks at Guardian Games

Got questions? We've got answers! What is Playtesting? Playing a prototype of a new game, to help the designers improve it. Is this really all ages? Can I really bring my 8 year old? Yes, really! We encourage attendees to bring their children! What if I'm not a geek or into science? Will I still have fun? Antimatter Matters is an easy game to learn, thecombines elements of chance and strategy, it can be played in competitive, team-based or cooperative modes, and it requires exactly zero prior knowledge of quantum physics.

For more info contact: [email protected]

Nerd Nite is a monthly event that strives for an inebriated, salacious, yet deeply academic vibe. We aim to entertain, educate, elucidate, enlighten, and other things that start with “e.” Be there and be square.

Cost: $8.00* suggested cover at the door

Food and beer available in the theater.

This Nerd Nite will feature one talk:

A forensic anthropologist is on the front lines of speaking for those who can no longer speak for themselves. At this event, Dr. Veronica "Nici" Vance from the Oregon State Police Forensic Laboratory will talk about how skeletal remains are found, how bones are analyzed, and how victims can be identified. Discover how the differences and similarities in our bodies are reflected in our bones and tissues, and how they can tell a story of how someone lived…and died. Hear about new technologies being used to solve cold cases and identify missing persons throughout the nation, and what you can do to help.

Facebook Event Page

Meetup Event Page

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*A note on the suggested cover: Nerd Nite is completely supported by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering education opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $8 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

The zoo after hours is a lively place! Get a backstage tour of the Oregon Zoo in Portland on the evening of Saturday, April 19, 2014. This adults-only event will allow you to explore the exhibits, interact with animals, and get a peek at what happens at the zoo after dark.

When: Saturday, April 19, 2014 - Saturday at 4:45pm: Arrive at Gate E in the Oregon Zoo parking lot - Event ends at 10:00 pm

Cost: $40 - Register online

What you get: - Access to the Oregon Zoo after hours - Hospital behind-the-scenes tour - Animal kitchen tour - Predators of the Serengeti Exhibit Design tour - Big cats tour and/or elephant tour (there were just lions born so the big cats area may be off limits, but the baby elephant is old enough to have that area back on the schedule) - Bats activity - Contact experience with reptiles

General Info: - Adults only, ages 21 and over please. - EAT DINNER BEFORE YOU ARRIVE! There will be a small snack with hot cocoa partway through the evening, but there will be no dinner served. - There is no smoking or alcohol allowed anywhere on the Oregon Zoo property. - There is limited availability for this trip with a maximum of 75 people. - Transportation to or from the Oregon Zoo is not included.

Payment Information: Payment of $40 per person is due upon registration, first come, first served. Registration and payment can be made online through Constant Contact, or in person by cash, check, or credit card. Contact us for details.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 1:00pm on Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Cancelation/Refund information: - Participants who have to cancel are highly encouraged to find a replacement - The $40 per person payment is fully refundable if canceled at least 30 calendar days in advance - If canceled between 15-30 calendar days in advance, 50% of the payment will be refunded - If canceled 1-15 calendar days in advance, no payment will be refunded - No amount will be refunded on account of weather and/or circumstances outside of the organizer's control

To Bring: - Warm and/or waterproof clothes for walking around outside at night

Nerd Nite is a monthly event that strives for an inebriated, salacious, yet soundly academic vibe. We aim to entertain, educate, elucidate, enlighten, and other things that start with “e.” Be there and be square.

When: Tuesday, May 6, 2014, doors at 6:00pm, event at 7:00pm

Cost: $8.00* suggested cover at the door

This Nerd Nite will feature several speakers on one topic.

Oregon has one of the highest rates in the country for illicit use of prescription opiates. Overdose deaths rose 400 percent from 2000 to 2011. But since last July, naloxone – a drug long used by emergency medical personnel to reverse an opiate overdose – has been made available to trained lay people and more than 600 people have been trained in how to use the drug. Meet the men and women from the Multnomah County Health Department and Outside In as they discuss what naloxone is, what it does, and how it has already saved more than 200 lives.

Facebook Event Page

Meetup Event Page

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*A note on the suggested cover: Nerd Nite is completely supported by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering education opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $8 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

Mozilla Science Lab Global Sprint July 22-23

Overview

The goals of this global two-day sprint on July 22-23 are to write and build useful things, and to strengthen ties within the open science community by giving people a chance to work together. Work will begin on the morning of Tuesday, July 22 in New Zealand and Australia. As they are starting to wind up for the day, their colleagues in Europe will come online as Tuesday arrives there. They will hand off to people in North and South America a few hours later, and around we'll go again. Sites will keep normal hours -- no all-nighters, please -- and each site will keep wrap up at the end of regular business hours on Wednesday, July 23, local time.

What We'll Be Doing

Anything related to teaching and doing open science is welcome to join the sprint -- the only requirements are that there be something concrete to start with (because experience shows that starting with a blank screen is a good way to spend two days going in circles), and that someone volunteer to coordinate the work.

If you'd like to propose a project, please add it to the list, and mail us ([email protected]) so that we can help advertise it. Also, be sure to create a project page for it (here's our template: https://etherpad.mozilla.org/sciencelab-2014summersprint-template) . If you have any problems, let us know.

Stuck on an idea? Don't worry - we'll have folks at each site that can help you find your way.

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

Date: Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Time: Doors at 6 p.m. event at 7 p.m.

Location: Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton Street, Portland, Ore.

Cost: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door

Food & Drink: Beer, wine, popcorn, and snacks available. You’re welcome to bring food into the theater with you.

Event Description

The entire Pacific Northwest is sitting on a geologic time bomb known as the Cascadia Subduction Zone. When this fault line slips we could experience earthquakes and devastation as bad as Japan suffered in 2011, and coastal communities could have as few as 20 minutes before a tsunami rushes ashore. Yes, that’s WHEN it goes, not IF.

Yet it’s not all doom and gloom. Scientists and engineers are working to prepare our communities and infrastructure to withstand such devastation. Yumei Wang, geotechnical engineer, Geohazards Team Leader from the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI), will talk about what is in store for the Pacific Northwest and how cities are preparing. We’ll also be joined by a disaster preparedness expert from the Red Cross who will give practical ideas for how to prepare yourself and your family.

Event website

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*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is mostly supported by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge! Date: Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Time: Doors at 6 p.m. event at 7 p.m.

Location: Kiggins Theatre, 1011 Main Street, Vancouver, Wash.

Cost: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door

Food & Drink: Beer, wine, pizza slices, popcorn and snacks available.

Event Description

Just in time for Halloween! This Science on Tap will feature two speakers:

Arachnophilia: Fun Facts About Spiders and Their Kin Myths abound about spiders and their relatives (known as arachnids), and fears persist about their perceived danger to people. But these animals should inspire fascination, not fear! Dr. Susan Masta, an Associate Professor in the Biology Department at Portland State University, is studying the diversification of arachnids. She will discuss and answer questions on the biology of several common arachnids in the Pacific Northwest, and will help dispel some of the myths that exist surrounding spiders and their kin. Join us and get hooked on these amazing creatures!

Debunking Bats’ Bad Rap What animal is blind, gets tangled in your hair, and hangs out in belfries? Whatever it is, it’s not bat! Many people still believe these myths about bats even though there has been an increased effort by conservationists, researchers and animal lovers to educate the public about these fascinating and ecologically important creatures. Dr. Christine Portfors, a Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at Washington State University Vancouver, is studying the brains of bats. She will discuss and answer questions on the biology and neuroscience of bats, and will help dispel some of the myths about bats. Join us and learn about these fascinating animals.

Event Website

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Science on Tap at the Kiggins is produced in partnership withWashington State University Vancouver.

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*A note on the suggested cover: Science on Tap is supported, in part, by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

Special Science on Tap at the Alberta Rose Theatre!

Featuring author and mad chemist, Theodore Gray

Date: Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Time: Doors at 6 p.m. event at 7 p.m.

Location: Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta Street, Portland, Ore.

Cost: $12 advance tickets - OR - $40 for one ticket and a signed copy of the book Molecules: The Elements and the Architecture of Everything

· $15 tickets on the day of the event

· Books will also be available for purchase at the event for $30

Food & Drink: Beer, wine, popcorn, Pacific Pie Company’s hand pies, and an assortment of snacks available.

Everything physical is made up of the elements and the infinite variety of molecules they form when they combine with each other. The new book Molecules: The Elements and the Architecture of Everything explores hundreds of the most interesting, unusual, and surprising chemical bonds, from rocks to ropes, and painkillers to pigments. At this special Science on Tap, Theodore Gray, author, and co-founder of Wolfram Research, Inc.., will tell fascinating stories, show stunning photography, and have live on-stage demonstrations in this exploration of some of the most interesting, essential, useful, and beautiful chemical structures that make up every material in the world.

Molecules is the long-awaited sequel to Theodore Gray’s bestselling book The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe. Theodore is also the author of Gray Matter, a long-running Popular Science column, where he chronicled lots experiments, including several where he set himself and other things on fire.

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Science on Tap is produced by Via Productions, LLC.

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

DATE: Tuesday, November 4, 2014

TIME: Doors at 6 p.m. event at 7 p.m.

LOCATION: Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton Street, Portland, Ore.

COST: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door

FOOD & DRINK: Beer, wine, popcorn, and snacks available. You’re welcome to bring food into the theater with you. DESCRIPTION: We’re told that digital is better than analog, but have you ever wondered why your cell phone sometimes drops calls? Mathematician Greg Landweber studies applications of error correcting codes, that is, ways of encoding digital information so that garbled signals can still be decoded. He will introduce several examples of error detection and correction, as well as discuss the limits of these codes.

Not a math person? Never fear! Using logic, hands-on activities, and a geometrical decoding machine of his own design, Landweber will explain how and why digital communication works.

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*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is mostly supported by money collected at the door. It is committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

We’re told that digital is better than analog, but have you ever wondered why your cell phone sometimes drops calls? Mathematician Greg Landweber studies applications of error correcting codes, that is, ways of encoding digital information so that garbled signals can still be decoded. He will introduce several examples of error detection and correction, as well as discuss the limits of these codes. Not a math person? Never fear! Using logic, hands-on activities, and a geometrical decoding machine of his own design, Landweber will explain how and why digital communication works.

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Time: Doors at 6 p.m. event at 7 p.m.

Location: Kiggins Theatre, 1011 Main Street, Vancouver, Wash.

Cost: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door

Food & Drink: Beer, wine, pizza slices, popcorn and snacks available.

Event Description

Hearing is one of our basic senses – it helps us communicate and to perceive the world around us — but we shouldn’t take it for granted. Approximately 15 percent of Americans between the ages of 20 and 69 (about 26 million Americans) have some kind of noise-induced hearing loss, and much of that loss could have been prevented with a few simple precautions. At this Science on Tap, Dr. Allison Coffin, assistant professor in the neuroscience department at Washington State University Vancouver, will be joined on stage with live musicians and will talk about the mechanical and neurological process of how we hear and how we can protect our ears. Come ready to listen and learn…and maybe dance!

Event Website

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Science on Tap at the Kiggins is produced in partnership with Washington State University Vancouver.

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*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is supported, in part, by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

COST: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door

FOOD & DRINK: Beer, wine, popcorn, and snacks available. You’re welcome to bring food into the theater with you.

DESCRIPTION:

From flying machines to computers to lasers to lidar, technology has revolutionized the study of earth science. That’s good news for Oregon, where scientists at the Department of Geology and Mineral Industries are using lidar to learn more than ever before about the widespread geologic hazard of landslides.

Engineering Geologist Bill Burns will talk about the destructive power of landslides, risks for Oregon’s people, places, property – even our beer – and how lidar is making a difference.

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*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is mostly supported by money collected at the door. It is committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

COST: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door

FOOD & DRINK: Beer, wine, pizza slices, popcorn and snacks available.

DESCRIPTION:

This event will feature two speakers:

Doug McCarty, Professor of Astronomy with the Science Integration Institute and past Planetarium Director and Astronomy Instructor, at Mount Hood Community College,

Pat Hanrahan, current Planetarium Director and Astronomy Instructor at Mount Hood Community College.

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Science on Tap at the Kiggins is produced in partnership with Washington State University Vancouver.

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*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is supported, in part, by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

COST: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door

FOOD & DRINK: Beer, wine, popcorn, and snacks available. You’re welcome to bring food into the theater with you.

DESCRIPTION:

Parasites constitute a global health problem of unimaginable magnitude. Two out of three people worldwide are afflicted with a parasitic disease, and most people who harbor parasites actually are afflicted with a multiplicity of diseases. The organisms that are considered traditional parasites are either protozoa, worms, or insects, although viruses, bacteria, and fungi also meet the classic definition of a parasite.

At this Science on Tap, Dr. Buddy Ullman, parasitologist at OHSU, will take a somewhat irreverent tour of the major time-honored parasites and describe where they live, how they reproduce, and what effect they have on humans. Warning: this talk will be both gross and fascinating!

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*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is mostly supported by money collected at the door. It is committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2015 Time: Doors at 6 p.m. event at 7 p.m. Location: Kiggins Theatre, 1011 Main Street, Vancouver, Wash.

Cost: $8 online advance tickets , $10* suggested cover at the door. This is an all-ages event.

Food & Drink: Beer, wine, pizza slices, popcorn and snacks available.

Event Description:

Those pesky fruit flies that seem to come out of nowhere have actually evolved a pretty sophisticated way to stay healthy. Fruit flies are often host to parasitic wasps who lay their eggs inside the flies and which, after they hatch, consume the flies from the inside out. (Yes, like the movie Alien.) Since fruit flies are often around rotting, fermenting fruits, the flies that are infected with the parasitic wasps will actively seek out otherwise harmful levels of alcohol that has the effect of killing off the wasps in their system. They can also identify the wasps by sight, and when they see them, they will lay their eggs on more alcoholic food sources in (presumably) an effort to protect their offspring from being infected in the future. Todd Schlenke, PhD, professor of biology at Reed College, will talk about his studies that seem to show fruit flies self medicating and discuss how alcohol might be used as medication in humans as well.

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Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

---

Science on Tap at the Kiggins is produced in partnership with Washington State University Vancouver.

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*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is supported, in part, by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

2015 is starting out with a bang! ChickTech is busier than ever planning a bunch of great events, activities and workshops for all our women and girls!

Start your new year off right with ChickTech! We'd like to invite you and all ChickTech Volunteers to join us for an evening of productivity, pizza, beer, and meeting other ChickTech volunteers - new and experienced. Join in to experience some hands-on volunteering projects, find out what exciting events and activities are in store at ChickTech, and see our new office!

Haven't volunteered with ChickTech yet?

You're welcome, too! Meet other volunteers, work on a volunteer project, and learn about future volunteer opportunities.

Tentative Agenda 6pm-6:15pm - Welcome from Board Members, eat pizza, drink beer

6:15pm-6:30pm - Icebreaker. Get to know your fellow ChickTech volunteers!

6:30pm-6:50pm - Introduction to tonight's volunteer projects

6:50pm-7:10pm - New to ChickTech? We'll have an orientation, just for you.

6:50pm-9pm - Make a real impact with ChickTech and work on volunteer projects

Pizza and beer will be provided.

• Bring a laptop if you have one! *

Join our meetup page!

Did you ever think you could change the world by pursuing your dreams? But how do you get there and reach your full potential? What does education have to do with all of this? Women can transform their lives by jumping in and getting involved in their dreams. At this event, you’ll see an inspiring movie called Girl Rising.

Want to understand the basics behind all the cool gadgets we use every day? It all starts with circuits! And we’ll have a fun activity for beginners.

What is this event? It’s a combination movie showing and hands-on activity. It’s a chance for high school girls to meet women in technology and a chance for women in technology to be inspired by high school girls!

Who's invited? We’re excited to have an Intel WIN and ChickTech event! If you identify with any of the following, we’d love to have you:

Current and past ChickTech: High School participants Current and past ChickTech volunteers ChickTech supporters Intel WIN members Women in tech and ChickTech supporters

Why should you come? It’s free! There will be snacks.

But seriously, this is an event to watch and reflect on women’s empowerment in tech by watching Girl Rising. We’ll also have an educational (and fun, we promise!) hands-on activity and create your very own circuit.

If you’re a ChickTech: High School participant, we’ll do our best to provide transportation to the event, free of charge.

Who’s hosting?

Intel WIN (Women in Intel Network) Oregon will be co-hosting this event with ChickTech.

Public Transportation HF3 is a 7 minute walk from the Hawthorn Farm MAX Station on the blue line and 4 minutes from the nearest bus stops on Cornell Rd on route 48.

Shaken, Not Stirred: The Coming Great Cascadia Earthquake

DATE: Tuesday, February 3, 2015

TIME: Doors at 6 p.m. event at 7 p.m.

LOCATION: Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton Street, Portland, Ore.

COST: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door

FOOD & DRINK: Beer, wine, popcorn, and snacks available. You’re welcome to bring food into the theater with you.

DESCRIPTION: While we can’t predict exactly when the next Great Cascadia Earthquake will happen, we CAN forecast the probabilities from a long history of past earthquakes. The study of the geological history of the last 10,000 years of the Cascadia Subduction Zone has shown that there have been 43 great earthquakes (magnitude 8.0 or higher) along the coast of Oregon, Washington, California, and British Columbia. Some of these earthquakes were probably magnitude 9.0 or higher, and like the 2011 Japanese and 2004 Sumatran earthquakes, they probably also caused large tsunami waves that were devastating all over the Pacific. At this Science on Tap, Chris Goldfinger, PhD, professor of geology and geophysics at Oregon State University, will talk about the geology of Cascadia and his research on the recurrence interval of major earthquakes. While this research may not allow us to pinpoint a date for the next great quake, a better understanding of the geological forces at work can help us prepare.

Event Website

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Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is mostly supported by money collected at the door. It is committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

An Animal's Guide to Dating Success

Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Time: Doors at 6 p.m. event at 7 p.m.

Location: Kiggins Theatre, 1011 Main Street, Vancouver, Wash.

Cost: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door. This is an all-ages event.

Food & Drink: Beer, wine, pizza slices, popcorn and snacks available.

Event Description:

Just in time for Valentine's Day! Have you ever wondered how animals find and impress that special someone? From crazy dances to unanticipated sex changes, animals have some unusual strategies for attracting and keeping their mates. Join Dr. Allison Coffin, Assistant Professor of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience at WSU Vancouver, for this fun romp through the dating lives of birds, fish, and other animals. No date required!

Event Website

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Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

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Science on Tap at the Kiggins is produced in partnership with Washington State University Vancouver.

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*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is supported, in part, by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

The Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Reed College invites you to a public lecture by Prof. Harry L. Swinney, Sid Richardson Foundation Regents Chair of Physics and Director of the Center for Nonlinear Dynamics at the University of Texas at Austin. Prof. Swinney is one of the pioneering figures in the study of chaos theory and his lab has played a leading role in the study of nonlinear dynamics over the past 40 years. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and his work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Moser Prize, the Richardson Medal, and the Boltzmann Medal.

From spatial patterns like the stripes on a zebra to temporal patterns like the rhythmic beating of the heart, patterns are ubiquitous in nature. Understanding how these patterns emerge is one of science’s most enduring mysteries. In this lecture, aimed at a general audience, Prof. Swinney will discuss how ordered patterns emerge as systems are driven away from thermodynamic equilibrium. While no general theory of pattern formation currently exists, new analysis techniques, experiments, and computational methods can provide general insights into pattern formation in a diversity of physical, chemical, and biological systems.

Spontaneous pattern formation in bacterial colonies

Sponsored by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty at Reed College.

DATE: Tuesday, March 3, 2015

TIME: Doors at 6 p.m. event at 7 p.m.

LOCATION: Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton Street, Portland, Ore.

COST: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door

FOOD & DRINK: Beer, wine, popcorn, and snacks available. You’re welcome to bring food into the theater with you.

DESCRIPTION:

Vaccines are one of the greatest achievements of public health in the last century, and more is yet to be done. This success has saved countless lives -- and created a backlash of vaccine hesitancy and denial that we are still seeking to understand. At this Science on Tap, hear from a panel of experts from the Multnomah County Health department, including epidemiologists, doctors, and other scientists, about how vaccines work, how they protect our communities, what the risks really are, and how you can make a difference.

Event Website

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Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is mostly supported by money collected at the door. It is committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

Full Event Title: This Is Your Brain on (Legal) Drugs: The Neuroscience and Art of Cannabis and Alcohol

Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Time: Doors at 6 p.m. event at 7 p.m.

Location: Kiggins Theatre, 1011 Main Street, Vancouver, Wash.

Cost: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door. This is an all-ages event.

Food & Drink: Beer, wine, pizza slices, popcorn and snacks available.

Event Description:

Humans have used intoxicants like alcohol and marijuana for thousands of years, and we modern humans are no different. The Northwest is home to thriving beer, wine, and spirits industries, and now that both Washington and Oregon permit the recreational sale and use of marijuana, there are more legal opportunities to get high.

At this Science on Tap, have a beer and stimulate both sides of your brain as neuroscientist Bill Griesar, PhD, and artist Jeff Leake from NW Noggin discuss both the science and art of alcohol and marijuana. Find out how these drugs affect the chemistry our brains and how they change our behavior. Also find out how some well-known artists have approached (and sometimes used) these drugs in the creation of works of art.

Event Website

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Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

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Science on Tap at the Kiggins is produced in partnership with Washington State University Vancouver.

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*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is supported, in part, by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

In Hot Water: What is the Future of our Freshwater Ecosystems?

DATE: Tuesday, April 7, 2015

TIME: Doors at 6 p.m. event at 7 p.m.

LOCATION: Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton Street, Portland, Ore.

COST: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door

FOOD & DRINK: Beer, wine, popcorn, and snacks available. You’re welcome to bring food into the theater with you.

DESCRIPTION:

Freshwaters are some of the most imperiled ecosystems on the planet. Human activities, such as those linked to climate change, invasive species, and pollution, have greatly accelerated the degradation of these critical ecosystems.

Angela Strecker, PhD, assistant professor of Environmental Science and Management at Portland State University, will share some recent research and prospects for the future of healthy freshwaters in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

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Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is mostly supported by money collected at the door. It is committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

The Hacker's Guide to the Galaxy

› Please RSVP via Eventbrite HERE

Don't panic: the next big science revolution isn't just for asteroid miners or CERN scientists. Just as science fiction has often shown the way to future inventions, the act of hacking is now generating prototypes that act as footholds for future explorations, discoveries and epiphanies in science. From the collisions of subatomic particles to the explosions of supernovas, this presentation takes you on an unusual trip through the weird, whimsical and fun ways to explore the final frontier.

Ariel Waldman is the founder of Spacehack.org, a directory of ways to participate in space exploration, and the global instigator of Science Hack Day, an event that brings together scientists, technologists, designers and people with good ideas to see what they can create in one weekend. She is also a fellow at Institute For The Future.

› Doors will open at 5:30 for a 30-minute networking happy half-hour! The food, beer and drinks are provided by Bellagios and New Relic. The presentation will begin right at 6p.

› Stay tuned for the latest developments and updates on this and upcoming events by joining our Meetup group, New Relic FutureTalks PDX, and following us on Twitter @newrelic.

› FutureTalk is brought to you by New Relic in collaboration with TAO

Please note new date. Location and time remain the same.

Junk In the Trunk: Recent Controversies in Genomics

Date: Thursday, April 16, 2015

Time: Doors at 6 p.m. event at 7 p.m.

Location: Kiggins Theatre, 1011 Main Street, Vancouver, Wash.

Cost: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door. This is an all-ages event.

Food & Drink: Beer, wine, pizza slices, popcorn and snacks available.

Event Description:

You may have heard that less than 2% of the human genome is comprised of protein-coding DNA. So what is the 98% composed of, where does it come from, and what does it do? Sarah Schaack, PhD, assistant professor of biology at Reed College will take you on a guided tour through the genomic landscape of some fully sequenced plants and animals, including humans. Her talk will explore the recent heated debate among biologists surrounding "junk DNA", its utility (or lack thereof), and why bigger isn't necessarily better, at least when it comes to genome size.

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Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

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Science on Tap at the Kiggins is produced in partnership with Washington State University Vancouver.

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*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is supported, in part, by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

We'd like to invite you and all ChickTech Volunteers to join us for an evening of productivity, pizza, beer, and meeting other ChickTech volunteers - new and experienced. Join in to experience some hands-on volunteering projects, find out what exciting events and activities are in store at ChickTech, and see our new office!

Haven't volunteered with ChickTech yet?

You're welcome, too! Meet other volunteers, work on a volunteer project, and learn about future volunteer opportunities.

Tentative Agenda 6pm-6:15pm - Welcome from Board Members, eat pizza, drink beer

6:15pm-6:30pm - Icebreaker. Get to know your fellow ChickTech volunteers!

6:30pm-6:50pm - Introduction to tonight's volunteer projects

6:50pm-7:10pm - New to ChickTech? We'll have an orientation, just for you.

6:50pm-9pm - Make a real impact with ChickTech and work on volunteer projects

Pizza and beer will be provided.

• Bring a laptop if you have one! *

Join our meetup page!

DATE: Tuesday, May 5, 2015

TIME: Doors at 6 p.m. event at 7 p.m.

LOCATION: Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton Street, Portland, Ore.

COST: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door

FOOD & DRINK: Beer, wine, popcorn, and snacks available. You’re welcome to bring food into the theater with you.

DESCRIPTION:

Food scraps comprise almost one-fifth of the amount of material our region sends to landfills every year – enough to fill 5000 long-haul trucks. These food scraps can provide compost, energy and other benefits to communities, but what are the most desirable environmental and economic approaches to dealing with this resource? What impact do food scraps have on the climate, water supplies, energy, and food security?

David Allaway, senior policy analyst with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, will share insights for different ways of dealing with food scraps while reducing what we throw away.

This event is part of Metro’s Let’s Talk Trash series designed to engage you in discussions that help shape how our region manages its waste in the future.

Event Website

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Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is mostly supported by money collected at the door. It is committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

The Pacific Northwest is home to a Tardis-Full of Science Fiction and Fantasy writers, a fact celebrated every quarter with the Pacific Northwest Reading Series. These free quarterly events provide the Northwest Science Fiction and Fantasy community a chance to gather, network and enjoy readings from local and visiting authors in Portland and Seattle.

Each event features three authors who read from their latest work, interpreting and explaining their concepts and vision. In addition, space is provided for networking and conversation. The next Portland event will be held on Thursday, May 7th and will feature Cat Rambo, Janine Southard and Fonda Lee.

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

Cost: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door. This is an all-ages event.

Event Description:

Parasites constitute a global health problem of unimaginable magnitude. Two out of three people worldwide are afflicted with a parasitic disease, and most people who harbor parasites actually are afflicted with a multiplicity of diseases. The organisms that are considered traditional parasites are either protozoa, worms, or insects, although viruses, bacteria, and fungi also meet the classic definition of a parasite.

At this Science on Tap, Dr. Buddy Ullman, parasitologist at OHSU, will take a somewhat irreverent tour of the major time-honored parasites and describe where they live, how they reproduce, and what effect they have on humans. Warning: this talk will be both gross and fascinating!

(Note: This is a repeat of the talk held in Portland on January 6, 2015.)

Event Website

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Science on Tap at the Kiggins is produced in partnership with Washington State University Vancouver.

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*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is supported, in part, by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

Contamination & the Portland Harbor Superfund: DEQ’s Cleanup Before the Cleanup

LOCATION: Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton Street, Portland, Ore.

COST: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door

DESCRIPTION:

With Keith Johnson, DEQ Northwest Region Cleanup Manager, and Alex Liverman, DEQ Portland Harbor Stormwater Coordinator. More details soon!

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Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

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*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is mostly supported by money collected at the door. It is committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

Event Description:

Hanford Nuclear Reservation, located on the Columbia River in eastern Washington, is the largest contaminated site in the western hemisphere. Used to make plutonium for nuclear bombs during WWII and the Cold War, the Hanford site generated vast quantities of chemical and radioactive pollution. Cleanup at Hanford began in 1989 and we know it will now continue for generations to come.

At this Science on Tap, Abigail Cermak, Hanford Coordinator with Columbia Riverkeeper, Dirk Dunning, Chemical Engineer & Nuclear Specialist from the Oregon Department of Energy, and Tom Carpenter, the Executive Director of Hanford Challenge will talk about the history of Hanford, how we built the atomic bomb, and what the government is doing to clean up the nuclear waste.

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Science on Tap at the Kiggins is produced in partnership with Washington State University Vancouver.

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*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is largely supported by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

COST: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door

DESCRIPTION:

Caring for animals in captivity is a complicated task and many factors are involved in providing the best quality of life possible. Are the animals healthy? Are they housed in an appropriate environment? Do they experience positive emotions? We often assume we know the answers to these questions, but the needs of animals vary from species to species and can often be met through unusual and innovative means.

At this Science on Tap, Dr. Daniel Gottlieb, Animal Behaviorist and Manager of Non-Human Primate Resources at OHSU’s Oregon National Primate Research Center, will explain how to take a scientific approach to evaluating and improving the welfare of captive animals in a laboratory, zoo, or production setting. Learn about how research is used to improve animal management through specific cases of animal welfare research and enrichment and management strategies for captive primates.

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*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is mostly supported by money collected at the door. It is committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Location: Kiggins Theatre, 1011 Main Street, Vancouver, Wash.

Cost: $8 online advance tickets, $10* suggested cover at the door. This is an all-ages event.

Full Title: Crime Scene Reconstruction: The Devil Is In The Details

Have you ever wondered how crime scene investigations actually work? At this Science on Tap, join Rod Englert of Englert Forensic Consultants as he takes you behind the scenes and explains how homicide investigations can test the limits of an investigator’s power of observation, intuitive thinking, and creative ability.

Chief Deputy (Retired) Rod Englert, a 50-year veteran of law enforcement, retired as Commander of the Operations Division, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Portland, Oregon, in 1995. He is also is the author of Blood Secrets: Chronicles of a Crime Scene Reconstructionist.

Books will be available for sale and signing.

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*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is largely supported by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.

The Pacific Northwest is home to a Tardis-Full of Science Fiction and Fantasy writers, a fact celebrated every quarter with the Pacific Northwest Reading Series. These free quarterly events provide the Northwest Science Fiction and Fantasy community a chance to gather, network and enjoy readings from local and visiting authors in Portland and Seattle.

Each event features three authors who read from their latest work, interpreting and explaining their concepts and vision. In addition, space is provided for networking and conversation. Booksellers will be on hand with fresh copies of the authors’ books for you to buy and get autographed.

This is designed as a one-day course in science entrepreneurship for those who do science and wonder about how to turn their science into inventions they can commercialize.

Questions? Contact Jim Tung (chair-elect of the American Chemical Society Portland section) at jimtung -at- gmail/dot/com

Hack Oregon Spring Buildathon!

Presented with The Oregonian and OregonLive

What is it?

Believe it or not, Hack Oregon actually doesn’t really do a lot of Hackathons. We form specialized teams to build software and open data stories for important themes in Oregon, and work and iterate incrementally over months to create a product.

The “Buildathon” is the one day where we open up our project teams for guest contributors that want to be part of the magic and build something amazing, but might not have the time to participate in our months-long project season.

What’s the goal?

The Buildathon is a production sprint. We’ve laid the groundwork to do research, visualizations, and data storytelling quickly, and we need your help to bring our projects to the next level. Be prepared to make friends and be an instant part of our Hack Oregon family!

How can I get involved?

By joining our sprint, you’ll be placed with a team that needs extra hands on deck in your particular skill set. We’re working toward a public demo day in June, where you can proudly present alongside your team.

Here are the two ways to join the event:

1. We have open roles for experienced developers, creatives, and multimedia storytellers on each team. If you'd like to join one of the project teams for the day, we'll need to match you with the team that needs your skills most and give you an onboarding package. Fill out this inquiry form along with your eventbrite RSVP, and we will be in touch with you shortly!
2. If you are a new to coding or want to contribute in a non-tech way, we have a highly appreciated team working on research, fact-checking, and user testing. No inquiry form required, just go ahead and RSVP for "Research Team". We can't wait to meet you!

Perks

• Team T Shirt
• All Day Food
• Profound Glory

Project Teasers

Food Insecurity: “Oregon Hunger Equation”

Why does Oregon consistently have one of the highest reported rates of food insecurity in the country? We’re analyzing links between regional cost of living, benefit programs, and local school districts to solve for systemic causes of hunger at home.

Campaign Finance: “Behind the Curtain”

Hack Oregon has the only machine readable database for local campaign finance in the country. We’re adding in new meta-data and working on fascinating high level view of influence and money in Oregon’s election cycles.

Urban Development: “Plot PDX”

Data can tell us a lot about our neighborhoods. We’re building maps that take a non-typical approach to hard truths about urban growth, concentration of wealth, and the digital divide.

Agriculture: “Crop Compass”

In the Pacific Northwest, we live in one of the most rich biospheres in the world, with global demand for Oregon grown products. We have the ability to produce a wide range of food in Oregon, but we’re far from self-sustaining. How do our economic and environmental factors work together to shape our food system?

Education: "Programming for Progress"

Across Oregon, some schools are lucky enough to have free or low cost summer school programming and/or afterschool programming. How much of a difference can that programming make for early literacy, attendance, and future academic success of students? What does could this say about Oregon’s statewide performance, and especially those districts facing higher poverty?

Eventbrite RSVP Here!

We are happy to announce that we will be holding our second event at Latte Da in downtown Vancouver!

This is an opportunity to meet and engage others who work in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) related fields here in the SW Washington area, so be sure to bring business cards and information on projects you may be working on, opportunities for others in the community, etc.

Those of you wanting something non-caffeinated after work will be glad to know the venue also has beer and wine available.

Looking forward to another hour of networking and supporting local business!

Collective Eye Films and the Hollywood Theatre present the film Big Dream, a film that promotes women and girls to pursue their dreams in the Math, Science, Engineering, and Technology fields.

Big Dream follows the intimate stories of seven young women who are breaking barriers and overcoming personal challenges to follow their passion in science, math, computing & engineering (STEM) fields. Through video diaries and verité moments, each of these girls defy the stereotype of what it means to be an over achieving woman in the fields of technology. From small town Iowa to the busy streets of the Middle East, Big Dream immerses viewers in a world designed by the next generation of girls. Watch the trailer here: https://vimeo.com/145552629

Join the filmmaker and industry professionals from ChickTech and PDXWIT after the event for a conversation about taking initiative to build girls' confidence in their capabilities and the importance of gender diversity in STEM fields.

RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/506175236260505/

Join us to discuss the Nobel prize winning work on the structure of DNA. We'll be diving into the Watson's and Crick's race to discover the source code of life as published in the article "A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid" Nature. 1953. Watson, J.D. & Crick, F.H.C.

PortLab is group of like-minded yet diverse people, sharing a passion for biology and bio-tech. The Journal Club meets regularly to discuss an area of scientific interest using a peer-reviewed scientific paper as the centerpiece. A member will suggest a topic and a research article for the group to read and discuss. Each meeting begins with a summary of the chosen paper followed by lively discussion. This is an interactive event for participants to ask questions, inquire about aspects of the experimental design, comment on methods, and bring a healthy amount of skepticism to the results.

Contact Us

Coding for Science & Society

Let’s get excited about open science, reproducibility, civic technology, and open data! Come meet other folks who code for science and society.

RSVP on Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/Dat-Meetup/events/235968044/

There will be a few talks about work that makes society and science better through code. Speakers will present for 10 minutes on an idea, trend, interesting project, or open source community related to coding for science and society.

Doors open at 5pm, Talks start 6:00pm. Some snacks provided.

Presenters

• Joe Hand, The Dat Project
• Danielle Robinson, Mozilla Science Lab
• Scott Chamberlain, rOpenSci
• Ted Laderas, OHSU

Organizers

Karissa McKelvey, Max Ogden

If you are attending, organizing or speaking at our event, you are required to agree with our Code of Conduct.

Questions? Email [email protected]

miniWOW PDX 2017

Do you have an idea for a project that will help the scientific community or impact the way scientists work? It could be software, an advocacy project, an effort to bring science to the people, or something else entirely. Getting a project off the ground is daunting, and most of us aren’t trained in project management and community building skills.

At miniWOW PDX, Mozilla Science Lab will help you take your project from idea to reality and give you technical, project management, and community building skills to kickstart your work.

We have 10 awesome science/tech community building and tool development projects registered from OHSU, PSU, OSU, and UCSF! We can accommodate about 5 more projects. Multiple people can bring a project as a team, just get us the headcount so we can get enough food and get everyone access to the venues. Registrations accepted through Wednesday 4/12/17. Contact [email protected] with questions. To register, please fill out this form.

See here for more details!

The Oregon Science Startup Forum is a one-day course in science entrepreneurship.

It's designed for students and professionals of all levels to meet science entrepreneurs, hear from their experiences and meet and connect with intellectual property lawyers and experts in turning science into businesses.

Hosted by the Portland Section of the American Chemical Society.

The March for Science is a celebration of science and the role that science plays in each of our lives

Cascadia R Conference is an R conference serving the Cascadia-ish region (Oregon/Washington/BC).

Check out https://cascadiarconf.com for details - that should be coming out soon.

This week is going to be Great! We'll have our first interactive session. Ernest Bonat will share his idea this week on "Tensorflow or TFLearn?"

Do you want to start using Kaggle? Why not learn as a group? I'll share the basics and an example how to start the competition "Titanic - Machine Learning from Disaster".

The second half of our session, we'll experiment with our open idea session. The winner will be awarded Innovator of the week. The winner has the highest potential to be added to our next session.

Here is the link to my transcript and video links. Enjoy! https://portlanddatascience.wixsite.com/home/single-post/2017/06/19/Kaggle-Session

Hello from Garrett Broughton.

Michael Wild is sharing his WiPy Python hardware device this week. Find out more about it here: https://docs.pycom.io/wipy/wipy/general.html#upgrading-the-firmware-over-the-air

If time permits, we'll also cover the beginning of our group Kaggle competition.

Do you want to learn machine learning? The best place to start is creating a predictive model for the Titanic.

Join us as a team as we work on it together. We'll kick it off with the basics reviewing the dataset, using Python and Juypter.

We'll talk about different models we can use. We'll spend a few sessions together to prepare us to submit on Kaggle.

Join us for the fun!

We had many volunteers to talk about Python. We'll share the basics, Logistic Regression, and how to solve the Kaggle Titanic competition.

We'll have a few lightning talks then an open session for new topics.

You are welcome to join us and share your knowledge!

Do you want to learn Python Pandas and Machine Learning? Check out our group. We're just getting started with the Titanic competition. Find out you can solve a real world Kaggle problem with Python and Machine Learning.

At the end of the session, we'll brainstorm a new hot topic for the following week presentation. The winning idea will get the innovator of the week.

Join the fun!

All aboard the Titanic. Your task, if you choose to accept it, pick a character on the Titanic. Then, you must build a machine algorithm to predict if you survived.

Now that you are afraid of dying, what's the best way to predict your survivorship?

Python Pandas and Numpy. If you want to learn how to build a machine learning algorithm check us out next Saturday at 1 pm in the Hillsboro Brookwood Library. We be using the Kaggle dataset to build our code.

Do you want to learn Python and Machine Learning? Check out our group. We're getting started with the Titanic competition. Find out you can solve a real world Kaggle Titanic problem with Python and Machine Learning.

At the end of the session, we'll brainstorm a new hot topic for the following week presentation. The winning idea will get the innovator of the week.

Join the fun!

Here's our agenda

We've located at the Hillsboro Public Library. We'll be meeting in Conference room A, on the second floor.

All are welcome to gather in Laurelhurst Park to meet other Science Hack Day attendees and organizers.

We will brainstorm projects and build DIY eclipse viewers for the upcoming solar eclipse.

Optional: bring food/drink to share and a small donation for materials

To find Picnic Area A, see the park map here: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/article/286479

Please RSVP so we can get an idea of how much materials to order: https://ti.to/maxogden/science-hack-day-pdx-summer-meetup

We had several new college students join us last week. We had a new idea to help college students with open data. Bring your college problems and we can help brainstorm how to help.

Did you know the top skill people want to learn is a language? How about a programming language like Python? Python is very powerful in Machine Learning. Check out our group on Saturday's at 1 PM.

We're working together to solve the Kaggle Titanic competition. Find out how you can learn Python and Machine Learning very easily and quickly.

At the end of the session, you'll get an opportunity to brainstorm and present new topic ideas for the following week. Did you know you learn exponentially more when you prepare a topic vs attending as a learner? The winning idea will get the innovator of the week.

Join the fun!

Did you know the top skill people want to learn is a language? How about a programming language like Python? Python is very powerful in Machine Learning. Check out our group on Saturday's at 1 PM.

We're working together to solve the Kaggle Titanic competition. Find out how you can learn Python and Machine Learning very easily and quickly.

At the end of the session, you'll get an opportunity to brainstorm and present new topic ideas for the following week. Did you know you learn exponentially more when you prepare a topic vs attending as a learner? The winning idea will get the innovator of the week.

Join the fun!

We have had a wonderful turnout of college students. It would be great to help with your projects. Please bring stop by and check us out.

Did you know the top skill people want to learn is a language? How about a programming language like Python? Python is very powerful in Machine Learning. Check out our group on Saturday's at 1 PM.

We're working together to solve the Kaggle Titanic competition. Find out how you can learn Python and Machine Learning very easily and quickly.

At the end of the session, you'll get an opportunity to brainstorm and present new topic ideas for the following week. Did you know you learn exponentially more when you prepare a topic vs attending as a learner? The winning idea will get the innovator of the week.

Join the fun!

Data Scientists,

Do you want to learn Python the Machine Learning Language?

or

Did you know MongoDB is the most popular NoSQL database? How interesting would it be if you could see it on a Raspberry Pi?

or

How about the schema of Stack Exchange the extremely useful site for stack overflow? Here is a link to Matt's presentation.

We have three excellent presentations this week. At the end of the session, we'll brainstorm a new interesting topic for the following week presentation. The winning idea will get the innovator of the week.

Presenter Topic Time Everyone Introductions 1:00 - 1:10 PM Matt SQL Project 1:10 - 1:35 PM Michael Raspberry Pi & Mongo 1:35 - 2:00 PM Garrett Python 2:00 - 2:20 PM Everyone Brainstorm & Vote Topics 2:20 - 2:30 PM

A weekend making fun science projects.

Designers, students, engineers, programmers, scientists, artists, and science-enthusiasts! Excited about making weird, silly or serious things with science? Anyone who is excited about making things with science are welcome to attend. No experience in science or hacking is necessary - just an insatiable curiosity.

Wifi, 3D printers, and basic electronic prototyping equipment (soldering irons, Arduinos, etc) will be available. For more demanding projects we can help facilitate access to specific tools for your prototype.

All skill levels, ages, and backgrounds are welcome. Children must be accompanied by at least one adult.

You don't need a team, project, or idea to attend. Just show up and we will help you find an interesting project to work on!

To find out more, come to our meetup on Aug 10 at Laurelhurst Park!

Admission: FREE

RSVP: https://ti.to/maxogden/science-hack-day-pdx-2017

Do you want to learn Python the Machine Learning Language?

Do you want to see a live demo of an Arduino robot?

How about the Stack Exchange Schema?

We're exploring all of these innovative areas all in one session. We'll share a ton of knowledge in a short amount of time. Don't miss it!

At the end of the session, you'll get an opportunity to brainstorm and present new topic ideas for the following week. Did you know you learn exponentially more when you prepare a topic vs attending as a learner? The winning idea will get the innovator of the week.

Here's a link to my previous Python session https://youtu.be/OX2fVsKbwXg

Here's a link to our topic agenda https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15cmTfCJdwttpYEONdY-uGxMbCo7Z8_sWCKznKknGZ4k/edit?usp=sharing

Join the fun!

Data Scientists,

Do you want to learn about an unmanned robotic spacecraft Cassini?

How about programming a game in Python?

What about the data scheme behind Stack Overflow?

We have three amazing topics with code to share with the group. At the end of the session, we'll brainstorm next topics and someone will be awarded innovator of the week

Here's a YouTube of the previous session on Pygame. https://youtu.be/tRCYaCWzRnU

Join the fun!

Why do we feel pleasure and how does pleasure work in the brain? Join us for September's Neurogeeks meetup to learn more!

Do you want to learn more about API calls to Google and Better Doctor?

How about Juno-Jupiter?

At the end of the session, we'll brainstorm new ideas and the winner will be crowned innovator of the week!

Here's a YouTube of the session from the previous week. https://youtu.be/U5sdLYHeJgk

Join the fun!

Agenda Presenter Topic Time Everyone Introductions 1:00 - 1:10 PM Kimberely API calls - Google Maps, Better Doctor 1:10 - 1:25 PM Everyone API calls - Q&A 1:25 - 1:30 PM Kateyln Juno-Jupiter 1:30 - 1:45 PM Everyone Juno-Jupiter Q&A 1:45 - 1:50 PM Everyone Brainstorm & Vote Topics 1:50 - 2:00 PM

Data Scientists,

Do you want to learn more about Data Visualization, BI, and Data Lakes?

How about more on Python Pandas and Data Frames? I'll be giving some examples of housing pricing trends.

At the end of the session, we'll brainstorm a new interesting topic for the following week presentation. The winning idea will get the innovator of the week.

Here's a YouTube of the session from the previous week. https://youtu.be/U5sdLYHeJgk

Join the fun!

Agenda Presenter Topic Time Everyone Introductions 1:00 - 1:10 PM Justin Data Visualization,BI,Data Lakes 1:10 - 1:25 PM Everyone Q&A 1:25 - 1:30 PM Garrett Python 1:30 - 1:45 PM Everyone Q&A 1:45 - 1:50 PM Everyone Brainstorm & Vote Topics 1:50 - 2:00 PM

f we were bold enough to attempt building a brain inside a computer, how much detail would our computer program require to pass as ‘convincingly intelligent’?

This should be a great meetup!

Help Stencila to reinvent spreadsheets for reproducible research.

When: Friday November 10th, 2017 - 2 pm- 4 pm, Hacky Hour with the BioData Club following the session.

Where: OHSU Collaborative Life Sciences Building (CLSB) room #1S019

Questions: [email protected]

Spreadsheets are widely used in all fields of research - for everything from data entry to simulation modelling. But spreadsheets can be error prone and don’t fit well into a reproducible workflow.

Stencila is trying to make reproducible research more widespread by making it more accessible. Stencila Sheets provide a familiar spreadsheet interface but are built from the ground up to leverage the power of languages like R, Python, and SQL, and with reproducibility at their core. We want to show you what we are building, but we are also looking for the opinions, experiences, and ideas of people who work with data across various research domains.

• What are the great things about spreadsheets? Why are they used by so many researchers?
• What problems do spreadsheets have? What are the challenges to making them more reproducible?
• If you could start over, what would you change about spreadsheets? Which features of conventional spreadsheet software would you change? What would you add? What would you take away?

Join us to share your ideas and help shape Stencila Sheets... and the future of reproducible research!

Stencila is an open source project funded by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, under the umbrella of the Oregon-based non-profit Code for Science & Society.

Do you want to learn about idea generation? We're going to talk about key points in preparing a disclosure for a patent filing.

Do you enjoy learning and sharing knowledge to help people solve problems? Check out this video to see what we're about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc

We'll have two lightning talks and at the end of our session, we'll brainstorm and vote for a new interesting topic for the following week presentation. The winning idea will get the innovator of the week.

Stay tuned for topics. It will be posted a week prior to the session.

Join the fun!

Do you enjoy learning and sharing knowledge to help people solve problems?

Do you want to learn about API's?

We'll have two lightning talks and at the end of our session, we'll brainstorm and vote for a new interesting topic for ideas on upcoming presentation. The winning idea will get the innovator of the week.

Join the fun!

Dear Learners,

Do you enjoy learning and sharing knowledge to help people solve problems? This week we're going to share about patents.

We'll have a thirty-minute talk and at the end of our session, we'll brainstorm and vote for a new interesting topic for ideas on upcoming presentations. The winning idea will get the innovator of the week.

Join the fun!

Dear Innovators,

Do you enjoy learning and sharing knowledge to help people solve problems? This week we're going to share on how to file patents part II.

We'll have a thirty-minute talk and at the end of our session, we'll brainstorm and vote for a new interesting topic for ideas on upcoming presentations. The winning idea will get the innovator of the week.

Join the fun!

Do you want to learn about eBikes? What is the range and speed of an eBike? What will the infrastructure look like in 5 to 10 years?

Cedar will give us a live demo of his eBike.

We'll have a short presentation and at the end of our session, we'll brainstorm and vote for a new interesting topic for the following week presentation. The winning idea will get the innovator of the week.

Join the fun!

Do you want to learn about Machine Learning for IoT devices? Chris is planning to join us fSensiML http://www.sensiml.com/

Do you enjoy learning and sharing knowledge to help people solve problems? Check out this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc) to see what we're about.

We'll have a short presentation and at the end of our session, we'll brainstorm and vote for a new interesting topic for the following week presentation. The winning idea will get the innovator of the week.

Join the fun!

Join us for a presentation and discussion on the technology behind Bitcoin called Blockchain. You can tell us if it's a fraud or the future of global currency.

We'll have a thirty-minute talk and at the end of our session, we'll brainstorm and vote for a new interesting topic for ideas on upcoming presentations. The winning idea will get the innovator of the week.

Join the fun!

Interested in how neurons form and grow in the brain? Learn about the mechanics of brain development at Neurogeeks, a community of people interested in cognitive science, psychology, and neuroscience. Please RSVP at Meetup with the link here.

Do you enjoy learning and sharing knowledge to help people solve problems? Check out this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc) to see what we're about.

We'll have a 30-minute demo and at the end of our session, we'll brainstorm and vote on new interesting topic ideas for upcoming presentations. The winning idea will get the innovator of the week.

Join the fun!

Interested in getting a scientific perspective on managing adult ADHD? Integrated Neurobiology is a cross-disciplinary approach to understanding the mind. Greg Crosby, author of Transforming ADHD will give this talk addressing how ADHD affects the mind and strategies that can help overcome distraction and re-focus attention.

Check out Hong Wong's foldable kayak. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRv7EY3Qa-4

We'll have a 30-minute demo and at the end of our session, we'll brainstorm and vote on new interesting topic ideas for upcoming presentations. The winning idea will get the innovator of the week.

Join the fun!

Historically, the study of human consciousness was often considered to be outside the scope of scientific inquiry. Thanks to recent advances in brain imaging techniques and the development of various methods for manipulating consciousness in the lab, the scientific study of consciousness is now recognized as a mainstream topic of research within the cognitive neurosciences. In this talk Dr. Pitts will outline some of the recent progress in the field... Please RSVP at Meetup.com.

Do you want to know more about SpaceX, the Falcon Heavy, and space Tesla?

We'll have a 30-minute demo and at the end of our session, we'll brainstorm and vote on new interesting topic ideas for upcoming presentations. The winning idea will get the innovator of the week.

Join the fun!

Join us to learn about how alcohol affects the brain's decision-making (spoiler alert: not so great decision-making can happen!) along with how sex differences in the brain may have an effect on how this plays out.

Garrett will share his knowledge to get started with Python essentials. We will have a combination of basic programming and Python basics.

Do you want to learn and share your passion in a supportive community?Free Knowledge Mission is an ethos of sharing, creativity, and inspiration.

Our Meetup provides an opportunity to "Show and Tell" followed by a feedback and Q&A. You'll have the opportunity to share with our channels such as Meetup, GitHub, YouTube, and Facebook to connect with more passionate people.

The second half of our session we'll collaborate on new topics. The winner wins an award for the most interesting topic and the opportunity to share in an upcoming session.

Join our Zoom conference at https://zoom.us/j/7891236789

Join us at TVF&R Station 67 in Beaverton every Saturday. Music and Art is at 11AM and Science and Tech at 1 PM.

Join us for a dynamic discussion where our distinguished panelists will discuss their transition from a scientist/clinician to an entrepreneur. Learn from their unique experiences, insights, challenges, and successes to embark on your own entrepreneurial journey.

Sandra Shotwell, PhD, CEO of Design Medix Brian Martin, MD, CEO of Recentia Health Erik Tucker, PhD, COO of Aronora Greg Cox, PhD, Director of Corporate Development for MolecularMD

Neurogeeks May Meetup features Dr Serena Saturn from University of Portland. Learn how social connection impacts neurophysiology.

Steve Buss will share how innovation works by inspiration from Steven Johnson's book "Where Good Ideas Come from: The Natural History of Innovation"

Learn and share your passion in a supportive community. Free Knowledge Mission is an ethos of sharing, creativity, and inspiration.

Our Meetup provides an opportunity to "Show and Tell" followed by a feedback and Q&A. You'll have the opportunity to share with our channels such as Meetup, GitHub, YouTube, and Facebook to connect with more passionate people.

The second half of our session we'll collaborate on new topics. The winner wins an award for the most interesting topic and the opportunity to share in an upcoming session.

Join us online for desktop or mobile at https://appear.in/knowledgemavens

Join us at TVF&R Station 67 in Beaverton every Saturday at 11 AM for Music/Art and 1 PM for Science/Tech.

Join us on Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/7891236789

Steve Buss will share his knowledge on the Argument for a Heat Shock Protein Related Aging Switch in Humans.

Do you want to learn and share your passion in a supportive community? Knowledge Mavens is an ethos of sharing, creativity, and inspiration.

Our Meetup provides an opportunity to "Show and Tell" followed by a feedback and Q&A. You'll have the opportunity to share with our channels such as Meetup, GitHub, YouTube, and Facebook to connect with more passionate people.

The second half of our session we'll collaborate on new topics. The winner wins an award for the most interesting topic and the opportunity to share in an upcoming session.

Join us online for desktop or mobile at https://zoom.us/j/7891236789

Join us as we plan how to make a smart sneaker for Maker Faire Portland. We'll collaborate on a two-month project together. We'll gather once a week and we'll each have an opportunity to create our own smart shoe. Then we'll get to share it with the world at OMSI Make Faire.

Here's the Maker Faire info https://portland.makerfaire.com/ Free entry as maker, no group size limit Choose from 30 min presentation, 2-day exhibit, 60 min workshop Recommended to have hands-on for the exhibit Application Deadline July 20th Event weekend Saturday & Sunday, Sept 15-16 3 t-shirts, $7 for additional Guest admission:$16 adults, $10 for 17 and under Located at OMSI downtown

Exciting News, we're moving to Portland Community Church!

What a great time for a new location the week after our two-month project preparing for Maker Faire.

This week we'll start brainstorming new community events or projects we can work on. Here are a few examples.
Hackathon
Film Festival - Choose from many
Art Festival - Art in the Pearl
Music Festival - Choose from many
Food Festival - Feast Portland

Bring you're ideas and let's work on a project together.

If you would like to join the discussion check us out on Zoom https://zoom.us/j/7891236789. If you want to listen, we're also on Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/KnowledgeMavens/.

Do you want to learn and share your passion in a supportive community? Knowledge Mavens is an ethos of sharing, creativity, and inspiration.

Our Meetup provides an opportunity to "Show and Tell" followed by a feedback and Q&A. You'll have the opportunity to share with our channels such as Meetup, GitHub, YouTube, and Facebook to connect with more passionate people.

The second half of our session we'll collaborate on new topics. The winner wins an award for the most interesting topic and the opportunity to share in an upcoming session.

An OpenCon satellite conference, which aims to support regional efforts to make scholarship more open, inclusive, and accessible.

Engage in energizing conversations on all things open–with a focus on supporting young and early career professionals in science, scholarship, research, and librarianship.

We aim to foster community building, gain an understanding of current issues within the research ecosystem, and form solutions to these obstacles as a regional community.

Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/opencon-cascadia-tickets-52732189398

Calorie restriction has been associated with greater longevity, how does that affect the brain? Gail Stonebarger is currently collaborating with the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to determine whether calorie restriction (CR) of 30% is able to delay or slow brain aging in rhesus macaque monkeys. Previously, CR has been shown in various species to enhance cognition and metabolic function, extend lifespan, and, in this population, extend healthspan. In this talk, Gail will discuss normal and pathological brain aging, the unique population of very old monkeys housed at the NIA, what effects CR has on the brain, and will also include future directions of this research.

Please make sure to sign up via Eventbrite for this event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/workshop-machine-learning-fundamentals-201-tickets-55279670984

Women Who Code Portland is holding a Machine Learning Fundamentals workshop. The goal of this workshop is to provide people with an introduction to machine learning using Python and open source libraries.

Attendees should be familiar with Jupyter Notebooks, the Pandas library, and also be comfortable with histograms, scatterplots, and boxplots.

Our events are geared towards women, but we welcome everyone who supports our mission of inspiring women to excel in technology careers and follows our code of conduct.

OUR INSTRUCTORS

Ozlem Senlik

Ozlem is a data scientist at Urban Airship where she builds predictive models for digital marketing. She holds a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Duke University and has a background in photonics and microsystems.

Lisa Orr

Lisa works as a data scientist at Urban Airship where she builds predictive models on top of digital engagement data. She has a PhD in Psychology from the University of St. Andrews where she studied gestural communication of bonobos.

OUR TA’s

Alekhya Vemavarapu

Alekhya is a member of Enterprise Data Analytics at Nike where she does data engineering & analysis on Asia Pacific region. She holds a Masters degree in Data Sciences from IIIT-H, India and has a background in Computer science.

Siggy Hinds

Siggy is a front end software engineer on the Web team at Urban Airship. She is a recent CS post-bac grad from PSU and also holds a BA in Anthropology from USC. In her free time (between work and being a mom) she studies various programming topics.

Dipti Muni

Dipti is a Senior Data Analyst at Fiserv. She has recently received Database Design & SQL Certificate and has done training in Python for Data Science at Thinkful. She is also an active member at Portland Data Science Group.

AGENDA

9:30 - 10:15 Section 1: What is machine learning? 10:15 - 10:30 Break 10:30 - 11:10 Section 2: Machine Learning Techniques I 11:10 - 12:00 Section 3: Machine Learning Techniques II 12:00 - 1:00 Lunch 1:00 - 1:30 Lecture: Getting into data science 1:30 - 2:30 Section 4: Model Selection and Evaluation 2:30 - 2:45 Break 2:45 - 4:00 Lab 4: Build ML model predicting breast cancer 4:00 - 4:30 Discussion: Discussion on how to leverage today's work into your own projects *Agenda is subject to changes

EVENT COST

The event cost is $15 for participants and includes lunch. Fee is collected via Meetup. If you are a student, under-employed, or in need of financial assistance, we have full scholarships available for this event. Please submit an application here: https://goo.gl/forms/ANmXwj5Uyaqv9WLn2

There will be no refunds for this event. If you cannot attend, you can email us to transfer the ticket to another attendee, or we can add it to our scholarship pool.

CODE OF CONDUCT

Women Who Code (WWCode) is dedicated to providing an empowering experience for everyone who participates in or supports our community, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, ability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, age, religion, socioeconomic status, caste, or creed. Our events are intended to inspire women to excel in technology careers, and anyone who is there for this purpose is welcome. Because we value the safety and security of our members and strive to have an inclusive community, we do not tolerate harassment of members or event participants in any form. WWCode's code of conduct applies to all events run by Women Who Code, Inc. If you would like to report an incident or contact our leadership team, please reach out to one of our volunteers or submit an incident report form.

Join us on April 11, 2019 at the VertueLab office in Portland, Oregon, where you’ll hear from a panel about Securing Funding for your business, and a panel of Rockstar Women Entrepreneurs who are fueling their startup ventures with fundraising, government grants, bootstrapping, and true grit.

All are welcome!!! Register now and join us on April 11th.

Drinks and modest fare provided.

Use promo code BWE-SiliconFlorist19 to attend for half price! ($10 General Registration, $5 Students (w/ ID)

Think your technology might be a good fit for a SBIR/STTR grant?

Sign up NOW for one-on-one meetings about SBIR/STTR grants with VertueLab's grant writing expert, Leon Wolf. 15 minute time slots available between 3:30p and 5:30p prior to the event. E-mail [email protected] to RSVP for your consulting session.

At our next meetup on June 11, Dr. John Harkness, a neuroscientist, will share insights on genetic predictors of drug preference, epigenetic responses to drug use, and neural mechanism of drug memory.

Note that we're in the new Vacasa building this month, located one block south of our old side, on Lovejoy between Johnson and Kearney. We need a volunteer to let people into the building, please let me know if you can help.

Please RSVP!

http://meetu.ps/e/GLw3f/12Ddh/d

Suicide is an evolutionary puzzle. Most theorists reasonably assume that suicide is a pathology or an unfortunate byproduct of one or several adaptations, but evolutionary theorists also recognize that increasing fitness can entail risks or come at the expense of survival. The bargaining model of suicidal behavior frames non-lethal attempts, which far outnumber completions, as costly signals of need in the face of severe fitness threats. Kristen and her colleagues tested this and other evolutionary models using data from 53 unique cultures. Forced or thwarted marriages, social condemnation, and the victim having committed a transgression were common precursors to lethal and non-lethal suicidal behavior. She will discuss the social conditions that commonly lead to suicidal behavior and how evolutionary theory can help make sense of the tragedy of self-inflicted death.

From an early age, humans learn that objects can be sorted into meaningful orderings. This might be on the basis of an obvious physical feature (like "size") or something more subtle and subjective (like "cost" or "preference"). A particular cognitive skill arises from this understanding: the ability to perform a transitive inference. Although long studied as a facet of human intelligence, many other species are also able to make this inference. When considering several different experimental manipulations, the best explanation for transitive inference in these species is a cognitive representation of order that can be reasoned about and manipulated as though it possesses spatial properties. This cognitive faculty has deep evolutionary roots that predate the talent for mathematical and linguistic abstraction that humans often take for granted. Simulations using a computational model that embodies this theory suggest new directions for the study of this fundamental cognitive mechanism.

Translating human emotions into the language of neurons is one of the fundamental challenges in affective neuroscience and critical for understanding the neuronal basis of many mental illnesses. But we currently have no quantitative understanding of how emotions emerge from the activity of neural networks in the brain. Capturing the essence of emotions with computational methods might seem like an oxymoron given lay conceptions of emotions as irrational forces that inflexibly bias behavior away from rationality. However, it is increasingly clear that the neural circuits mediating emotion and decision making are highly intertwined. After decades of research suggesting the amygdala mainly contributes to emotion and simpler forms of associative learning, researchers are just beginning to explore the computational boundaries of amygdala function. The emerging perspective, which Dr. Costa will discuss, is that the computational goals of emotional circuits in the brain are much richer than simply identifying things as good or bad.

Dr. Vinny Costa is an assistant professor in Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and in the Division of Neuroscience of the with the Oregon National Primate Research Center. Dr. Costa's research is focused on using computational approaches from reinforcement learning and decision making to understand the function of the mesolimbic circuits in emotion, cognition, and disease. To do this he takes a multidisciplinary approach combining computational modeling of behavior, neurophysiology, neuroimaging, psychopharmacology, and chemogenetic methodologies in rhesus macaques and humans.

CAT BarCamp is a free unconference hosted by the Computer Action Team at Portland State University every year. BarCamps are free conferences where the people who show up on the day of decide what the conference is about. No scheduled talks are planned beforehand by the organizers, making the range of talks and topics covered each year entirely unique. Timeslots are posted in an accessible place and the attendants are given (fairly) free reign to post and choose which talks they would like to attend or give. We only ask that topics be respectful and PG-rated. The CAT at PSU is an ops training organization that has secured the venue and is organizing the event. We expect many job-hungry students skilled in development, computer science, operations, and everything else to be in attendance at this event and we want to enable as many connections as possible. Because the CAT is a tech organization and has ties to the larger tech community, many speakers will likely give tech-oriented talks.

Interested in learning more about the emerging understanding of glia in the brain? Dr. Kelly Monk, co-director of the Vollum Institute at OHSU will be sharing her research and highlighting the many functions glia are responsible, many of which are new discoveries.

Beginning before birth, human development takes place deeply embedded within a biobehavioral system with other conspecifics. The attachment bond that forms between the highly altricial infant and its caregiver not only ensures the infant's survival but is the critical context for the brain development that underpins executive function and self-regulation. Emerging research identifies how infant-caregiver neurobiological synchrony between helps shape this development and how early experiences marked by deprivation, adversity, and trauma influence mental and physical health across the lifespan. In this talk, Dr. Waters will discuss the neurobiology of attachment, the ways in which early experience gets under the skin, and what we can do about it.

What does it take to get a tech or science-driven startup in healthcare and life-sciences off the ground?

Our panel of experts will provide an overview of the mission-critical aspects of founding a life sciences startup - and why it's different.

The panel will cover sourcing technology, finding co-founders and partners, continued mentorship resources, and creating an advisory board.

Bring your questions and hear our experts speak to their experiences fundraising, managing IP, growth, and marketing.

PANELISTS

Dr. Yi Wang (He/Him) - VP of Business Development at Isolere Bio

Hazel Valdez (She/Her), Associate Director of the Oregon Bioscience Incubator

Chris Wang (She/Her), Co-Founder of Shimmer Care

Jason Bellett (He/Him), Co-Founder of Eko Health