foto-seti-3

The Institute for the Science of Origins is excited to bring the Origins Science Scholars Program beyond University Circle. 

Just as with on-campus OSS, during this unique program members of the community engage with each other and with leading scholars of the origins sciences to investigate everything from the big bang to the developing mind and emerging life. 

OSS-East is similar to the OSS on-campus series. Each evening begins with a presentation by a world-class researcher, followed by dinner and open discussion among all the participants.

 

 

Spring 2015 Program

 

To register by phone: Call Felicia at 216-368-2090

Time: Five Monday evenings from 5:30-8 p.m .

Dates: Jan 26, Feb 2, Feb 23, March 2, and March 30, 2015
Location: All sessions will be held on the campus of the Siegal Lifelong Learning Program’s Facility in Beachwood, 26500 Shaker Blvd, Beachwood OH 44122 

We are excited to share unique and challenging perspectives and hope to leave participants better educated about origins research and the Institute for the Science of Origins. We look forward to seeing you!

 

Oh Dear, What Could Dark Matter Be?
Instructor: Glenn Starkman
Monday, January 26
REGISTER HEREWe look at galaxies and we see that the gravity of the ordinary matter can’t possibly stop them from flying apart.We look at clusters of galaxies and come to the same conclusion.   In fact, we need dark matter to make those structuresin the first place.   Yet the dark matter detectors we have built for the last 30 years have consistently failed to find dark matter, and we’ve failed to make dark matter at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva.  So what could that dark matter be?  And how could we look for it?

How Euclid Made the Pythagorean Theorem Unbearable

Instructor: Colin McLarty
Monday, February 2
REGISTER HERE  Schoolchildren everywhere learn the Pythagorean theorem. But do they understand how amazing it is that the human mind is capable of such nuanced thinking? Who was Pythagoras and did he really invent the theorem that bears his name? And if so, why? Similar questions can be asked about Euclid, who turned the Pythagorean ideas into the system of axioms we are so familiar with. But somewhere along the way things got way more complicated than anyone would have expected! This is the story of where mathematics comes from and how it is created by the human mind and spirit.  

Oxygen: A Toxic Chemical Crucial for Life
Instructor: Joe LaManna
Monday, February 23
REGISTER HERE

How did earth come to have an atmosphere with free oxygen? We know the physical environment plays a role in shaping biological evolution, but can the existence and evolution of life significantly impact our atmosphere and oceans? This talk will discuss the surprising origin of mitochondria -the ‘powerhouse of the cell’ and the feedback loop of oxygen-based biological energy production and the evolution of life on earth.  

 

Laser Flashes in the Night Sky: Searching for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
Instructor: Corbin Covault
Monday, March 2
REGISTER HERE

Description to be posted soon.

 

Insulin for All: Improving Nature’s Handiwork
Instructor: Mike Weiss
Monday, March 30
REGISTER HERE

The discovery of insulin in 1921 immediately transformed the treatment of diabetes mellitus, and its use continues to grow even today due to an emerging global pandemic of this metabolic disorder. Despite the urgent need for insulin in the developing world, there are significant economic and social barriers to the effective use of insulin due to its fragile structure above room temperature. We will discuss new ways to re-engineer the insulin molecule to enhance its stability even at very high temperatures while preserving its biological activity.