UW-Madison Science Alliance Updater
12 October 2020
Hi Everyone,
Let’s see: where were we, this time last week? What a zoetrope. It was another good week to be attuned to the fine points of sensitivity, specificity, scale, speed, price, logistics, equitable distribution of goods & services, and rates of adoption of innovation in things like antibodies, assays and vaccines.
It was also a good week to be able to parse prose and to be on one’s toes for dodgers and dissemblers.
Mark Twain is credited with the observation that there are three types of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics. Can’t deny it, but it’s also a great reason to view a course in statistics as a form of intellectual self-defense. Some days I’m especially relieved for that M in STEM.
The math this week is particularly auspicious: it’s the 10th annual Wisconsin Science Festival, running October 15-18 statewide. As the website notes, activities include hands-on science experiments, live Q&A sessions and interviews with scientists, demonstrations, performances, behind-the-scenes tours and more. Most venues are offering online or at-home events.
The Festival reminds us that science is an act of doing that is both fun and fundamental, and that it is a route both to creating ideas and to testing & critiquing them.
Thanks again!
Tom Zinnen
Note: please visit https://science.wisc.edu/science-alliance/ for the updater archive.
Notable This Week
1. Science Alliance meets weekly by Webex at 10:00 am Mondays, including today, October 12. Email Liz Jesse at ejesse2@wisc.edu or Tom Zinnen at zinnen@biotech.wisc.edu to receive the link. The meeting notes are archived on https://science.wisc.edu/science-alliance/.
The draft agenda for October 12 at 10am includes:
Welcome
*Updates from colleagues and their science outreach programs
*Wisconsin Science Festival this week, October 15-18, on line, all across Wisconsin
*Engineering Expo
*UW Science Expeditions in April: suggestions for parallel planning for online, hybrid, and in person
*Other announcements or topics
2. Please add your upcoming online programs or resources with learners of any ages to the list at http://science.wisc.edu/ and be sure to include program events in the calendar at http://today.wisc.edu and tag them with “Science” and any other appropriate tag.
3. Programming Events coming this week and soon:
Badger Talks Live: – October 13 at noon. Lori Skelton, Wisconsin Public Radio Classical Music Host and Foodie. “The Life of William Grant Still.” https://www.facebook.com/UWConnects/live & https://badgertalks.wisc.edu/events/
“PLATO Frontiers in Life Sciences” public seminar, by Zoom. Wednesdays at 1 pm CT. September 30 through December 9 (except Nov25). https://uwmadison.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUvcOmqqDMiEtDdb9mSYczXmivRVETlkeUp
“Wednesday Nite @ The Lab” public science seminar, by Zoom. Wednesdays at 7 pm CT. Every Wednesday night, 50 times a year. https://uwmadison.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUrce2vrDwtHNBMv0FxIcmw56npNOhu831_
The UW Now Livestream. Tuesday October 15, 7pm CDT Speakers: William Hartman and Dietram Scheufele
Wisconsin Science Festival October 15-18. Events statewide.
Virtual Saturday Science Workshop with UW Space Place. Oct 17 at 10:00am. Check at http://www.spaceplace.wisc.edu/#satworkshops
About Every Two Weeks: Maritime Archeology Webinars. Tamara Thomsen and Caitlin Zant. Wisconsin Historical Society. Archive of past talks at https://wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS16271 Contact Amy Wyatt for dates and times.
4. Special Event: October 13, 7:00 pm, “Protecting the Planets and Ourselves: Are We Ready for the Search for Life Elsewhere?” by Jaime Cordova, graduate student in the Laboratory of Genetics and NASA Solar System Ambassador. Hosted by UW Space Place. Online through YouTube Live at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYhFO5VNZItK7f_EWe_sRPQ
5. From the Wisconsin Energy Institute:
October 20, 4:30 to 6:00 pm Central: Energy and the Election – ‘Forward in Energy’ Forum
How will the next four years drive national energy outcomes, such as the future of the electric grid, addressing energy justice, and international energy and climate policy? Join WEI and the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership on Tuesday, October 20, from 4:30–6:00pm CT, as we use the lens of energy and climate to consider the plans, policies, and agendas of the two major presidential candidates. More info and register here.
October 17th at 1:30 pm AND October 29th at 4:30 pm: Climate Solutions Workshops for Educators
The Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program and the Wisconsin Energy Institute are excited to bring no-cost interactive climate solutions workshops to your middle or high school classroom. Explore the En-ROADS simulation with us as you network with other teachers and imagine how this workshop fits into your curriculum. Learn more and Register here.
6. Upcoming Events from the UW-Madison Arboretum
Virtual Lecture Series – “Land, Culture, Identity: Roots of Resilience”
Tuesdays in October, from 7:00–8:30 p.m. More at https://arboretum.wisc.edu/learn/adult-education/public-talks/
Free. Advance registration required. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSffX5C9FD4UhjYp5k0cl_lHKsR9rOiCMyc55p7CMcdBJPhXEQ/viewform– October 6. Decolonization and Indigenization of Agriculture: The Foundation of Building a Resilient Regenerative System. Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin is the owner-founder of Regeneration Farms LLC, and founder and president of the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance.
– October 13. Preserving the Wisdom of the Land and Traditional Food Systems through Education. Elena Terry is the founder and executive chef of Wild Bearies, and the food and culinary program coordinator for the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance.
– October 20. Honor the Guardians, Respect the Land. Pao Vue, PhD, is a wetland biologist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
– October 27. The African American Land Ethic. Lillian “Ebonie” Alexander is the executive director of the Black Family Land Trust.
Arboretum Observation Stations
Saturdays and Sundays, 1–3 p.m., through October 25. This fall Arboretum naturalists will be available outdoors to share knowledge and stories of the land. The station is located behind the Visitor Center in the Native Plant Garden. Participants are required to wear masks and maintain physical distance. Drop-in, no registration needed. Weather dependent, may be cancelled without notice.
Five Powerful Routes to Promote Your Events: The Updater newsletter (750 subscribers), the science.wisc.edu portal, the @sciencewiscedu Twitter feed (3.2K followers), the @UWMadisonScienceOutreach Facebook page, and the today.wisc.edu calendar.
* Add your news, requests and programming announcements to the Updater by emailing them to ejesse2@wisc.edu
* Check out www.science.wisc.edu for more science activities! We’re delighted to help you promote your upcoming science outreach events. Send a note to Liz Jesse at ejesse2@wisc.edu.
* Or post your events to the @sciencewiscedu Twitter feed and to the @UWMadisonScienceOutreach Facebook page.