Events | Periodic Tables: Durham's Science Cafe

May 8, 2012 | 7:00 P.M.

Genetic Engineering & Society: Is the world ready for transgenic mosquitoes?

Scientists are currently genetically engineering (GE) mosquitoes in an effort to eradicate insect-borne diseases like dengue fever and malaria. These GE strains of mosquitoes have already been released in the Cayman Islands, Malaysia, and Brazil while plans are currently being formulated to conduct releases in the Florida Keys. These releases are arousing concerns about the potential for unpredictable consequences, because once some types of GE insects have been released, they cannot be recalled.

What role should the public play in determining their use and should the release happen if the citizens of the Keys are opposed to it? Join us for a discussion on the future of transgenic insects and what impact they could have on our local and global ecosystems.

Speakers: Dr. Fred Gould, William Neal Reynolds Professor of Agriculture, North Carolina State University and Dr. Michael Cobb, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, North Carolina State University

June 12, 2012 | 7:00 P.M.

Let's Play Ball: The Science & Mathematics of Sports

The Oakland Athletics baseball team shocked the sporting world in 2002 by leveraging statistical analysis over intuition, experience and money to build a winning team. Popularized by the Oscar nominated film Moneyball, the use of statistical science in sports in changing the way sporting professionals look at data. Join us for a discussion with Dr. Sayan Mukherjee, Associate Professor of Statistical Science and Mathematics at Duke University, on the science and mathematics of sports and how data is trumping the intuition of athletic scouts.

Speaker: Sayan Mukherjee, Associate Professor, Statistical Science, Computer Science and Mathematics, Duke University

See previous Periodic Tables

Cold beer.
Hot food.
Cool science.

OFF-SITE EVENT

Second Tuesday of every month
at Broad Street Café
1116 Broad St., Durham
Cost: Free

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No such thing as a
stupid question.

At Periodic Tables, you will chat with your neighbors and local experts about interesting, relevant science happenings right here in the Triangle and beyond. No lengthy PowerPoint presentations, no drawn-out seminars, no confusing jargon. Eating and drinking are encouraged.

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Speaker Testimonials

Mohamed Noor
On the Origin of Species, Really

"I thoroughly enjoyed talking with folks at Periodic Tables- the house was packed, the audience was engaged, the food was great- an all around great experience! And they all asked great questions, too. What a great experience- thank you so much for having me."

Phillip Barron
Human Enhancement

"I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed last night's event. The audience was very engaging, and I was challenged by some of their questions. I will make it known in any future publication that I had such a great dialogue on these complicated issues with folks from the Periodic Tables event."

Steve Cummer
The Invisibility Cloak

"The experience was every bit as interesting as I'd hoped. Attendance was good and I got a lot of thoughtful questions from the audience. It's a great opportunity to connect with the public, and I'm glad I did it."