Events of Interest—September 2007

Please E-mail NSWA with suggested announcements for the NSWA Business Calendar or Events of Interest list.
Some events may require advance registration or admission fee. Check with the Sponsoring organizations for further details. Please send additions or corrections to deafrost atsign gmail dot com – and feel free to submit events for future calendars. Please put “NSWA-to be posted” in the subject line.

NSWA Business Calendar | University of Washington Events

NASW Science in Society / CASW New Horizons

Registration is open through Tuesday, October 2 for NASW’s Science in Society Meeting, the biggest science writing event to hit the Northwest in years. The meeting will be hosted by Pacific Northwest National Labs and the University of Washington, and will take place in Spokane, WA, at the top-rated and recently restored Davenport Hotel.

The NASW Science in Society Meeting, Oct. 19-20, features networking opportunities with fellow writers and workshops on topics such as freelancing, wrestling big topics, and switching from reporting to PR. It will also feature another round of the ever-popular pitch slam. See the meeting program, register, and learn more about volunteer and fellowship opportunities at the Science in Society Meeting web site.

The NASW meeting will be immediately followed by the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing’s New Horizons in Science Briefing, Oct. 20-23. This is a chance to hear top researchers talk about topics that will make headlines in the coming year. Registration for this portion of the meeting is free. For more info, see the CASW web site, then register online concurrently with NASW.

The NASW/CASW meeting is more intimate than the AAAS and it’s a great chance for both experienced and newbie science writers to meet in a relaxed setting, chat and learn about new topics and skills.

To top it all off, NSWA presents Sleepless in Spokane, Saturday, October 20
Kick up your heels with The Dusty 45s, one of Seattle’s top roots and rockabilly bands. Come see their famous live show, complete with flaming trumpet. Click for Details.

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September 10, 6:30 p.m.:
NSWA Board Meeting – all interested members are invited to attend. Deanna Frost’s home. For agenda and/or location, please email deafrost at yahoo dot com for directions.

Tuesday, September 4:
The IMAX film “Whales” opens at Pacific Science Center’s Eames IMAX Theater.
http://www.pacsci.org/imax/

Tuesday, September 4, 7:30 p.m.:
Activist and Seattle Pacific University professor Doug Thorpe, will read from and sign his new book, Rapture of the Deep: Reflections on the Wild in Art, Wilderness and the Sacred. Rapture of the Deep received the David Family Defender of the Earth Award, with the panel of judges including Robert Kennedy, Jr., Alison Deming, and Carl Pope. Elliott Bay Book Company.
http://www.elliottbaybook.com/events/

Thursday, September 6, 5:00 p.m.:
Photographer and PATH employee Michael Wang frequently travels to PATH projects around the world to capture images addressing the range of the human condition. On September 6, PATH will showcase Michael’s photography from Kenya, Nicaragua, and Bolivia as part of the First Thursday Gallery Walk in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle. The exhibit is hosted by ArtXchange, 512 1st Ave S. It will remain on display through October 27.
http://www.path.org

Thursday, September 6, 5:00 p.m.:
The Experience Music Project and the Science Fiction Museum join the Seattle tradition of celebrating art and culture by offering free admission from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the first Thursday evening of every month. All EMP/SFM Galleries. 325 5th Avenue North, Seattle.
http://www.sfhomeworld.org

Friday, September 7, 7:30 p.m.:
The history of waterborne disease epidemics and the threat of their re-emergence in the near future are just part of the story told by environmental epidemiologist Robert D. Morris in his new book, The Blue Death: Disease, Disaster and the Water We Drink. Elliott Bay Book Company.
http://www.elliottbaybook.com/events/

Monday, September 10, 5:00:
The Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association (WBBA) and UW Medicine will host a reception with Robert N. Klein, chairman of the Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Klein, president of Klein Financial Corporation, is one of the chief architects of the successful “California Stem Cell Research and Cures” ballot initiative that passed in November 2004, providing the state of California with $3 billion for stem cell research. Time magazine honored Bob as one of the world’s “100 Most Influential People of the Year” for 2005, and Scientific American named him one of “The Scientific American 50” as a leader shaping the future of science. Hear how Klein helped lead a grassroots effort to ensure community understanding of the importance of stem cell research and the role it may one day play in treating diseases such as Alzheimer’s and juvenile diabetes. Registration is $35. Ranier Room, Ranier Club.
http://www.washbio.org/cde.cfm?event=179886

Tuesday, September 11, 6:30 p.m.:
The Elliott Bay Book Company’s Global Issues & Ethics Book Group is devoted to discussing books that cover the most relevant topics of our everyday lives. In Changing Minds: The Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other People’s Minds, Harvard professor and psychologist Howard Gardner explains the process of what happens during the course of changing a mind. “Come and change someone’s mind.” Elliott Bay Book Company.
http://www.elliottbaybook.com/events

Tuesday, September 11, 5:00 p.m.:
The first meeting of the 2007-2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers – Puget Sound Sector’s program year will start with a wine tasting and tour of the Columbia Winery http://www.columbiawinery.com. More details will be on the AIChE PSS website shortly along with a reservation form link. Members, family, friends, and technically minded general public are welcome. The wine-tasting and a brief tour at will begin at 5:00, a social mixer at 6:00, dinner at 7:00, and speaker at 8:00. The speaker will be Alex Sloley http://www.blackthornmountainwinery.com; the topic will be specific to micro-winery production of sparkling wines. Register at the website.
http://www.psaiche.org/Forms/reservation_form.htm

Wednesday, September 12, 5:30- 7:00 p.m.:
Seattle ranks third behind Portland, Oregon and San Francisco, California with their high quality of life and commitment to green building, local food, alternative fuels and renewable energy. Steve Nicholas, Director, Seattle Office of Sustainability & the Environment, elicits views and opinions on Seattle’s ranking as a sustainable city from the nation’s leading urban sustainability analysts, featuring Sightline’s Founder, Alan Durning, and Warren Karlenzig, Chief Strategy Officer of SustainLane. The panel discussion will be held at Seattle City Hall, 600 4th Ave, Seattle, WA. Free event. No registration required.
http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/GreenBuilding/OurProgram/Events/DPDS_007557.asp#upcoming

Thursday, September 13, 7:00 p.m.:
Author Daniel Brown will read from and sign Under a Flaming Sky: The Great Hinckley Firestorm of 1894. The Hinckley Firestorm was a tragedy that led to a revolution in forestry management and the birth of federal agencies to monitor wildfires. Of course, reform came too late for the 400 people who died as two forest fires engulfed the Minnesota city of Hinckley, creating hurricane-strength winds, 200-foot tall walls of flame, and temperatures of 1600 degrees Fahrenheit. Daniel Brown’s book is an unforgettable account of this devastating moment in American history. Bellevue University Book Store.
http://www.bookstore.washington.edu

Saturday, September 15, 2007 - Sunday, September 16, 2007
The Reptile & Amphibian Show will be happening at the Pacific Science Center. This special event weekend is packed with family activities, exciting demonstrations, special exhibits and up-close encounters with dozens of assorted species! Join wildlife biologist Joe Wasilewski and his entourage of live reptiles. New this year: Discover the world of reptiles and amphibians from Latin America and also check out some special science demonstrations and events, presented in both English and Spanish.
http://www.pacsci.org

Saturday, September 15 – Friday, September 28:
Offering a visit to the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage site to game viewing in Kruger National Park to wine tastings in the Cape, the Burke Museum is offering a “Natural History Tour of South Africa,” September 15-28, 2007 (short notice!). The tour will be led by an expert invertebrate paleontologist. Dr. Julie Stein, director of the Burke Museum, and Dr. Stan Chernicoff of UW Earth and Space Sciences, will accompany the group. Click here for a full itinerary and pricing. Contact Mike Nesbitt at African Safari Company at 206-284-7682 or mike@africansafarico.com.
http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/events/index.php

Saturday, September 15, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.:
The Science Fiction Museum will host Family Days; their activities include art projects, music demonstrations, special tours and workshops for everyone. Bring the family and join them for a day of fun and creativity!
http://www.sfhomeworld.org

Saturday, September 15, 2:00 p.m.:
Poet and MacArthur Fellow, Lucia Perillo is up from her Lacey home to read from and discuss her luminous new nonfiction prose book, I’ve Heard the Vultures Singing: Field Notes on Poetry, Illness, and Nature. “In this thoughtful and eloquent memoir ... poet Perillo observes the world around her from her four-foot-high wheelchair. Once an intrepid park ranger in the Cascade Mountains, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in her 30s, and now most navigate the world without the use of her legs ... Her life moves at a slow pace, full of bird watching, pondering, and even occasional sex. She uses her heightened senses and a poet’s prose to give a vivid, tragicomic portrayal of current life and reflections on her bipedal past. Whether she’s taking notes on seagulls, trees, salmon, poetry or herself, she writes astutely and gracefully.” - Publishers Weekly. Free admission is on a first-come, first-served basis (no advance tickets). The Seattle Public Central Library. For more information, please see http://www.spl.org or call (206) 386-4636.
http://www.elliottbaybook.com/events/

Monday, September 17, 7:30 p.m.:
Daniel Pinchbeck returns to Elliott Bay Book Company in honor of the paperback release of his wide-ranging 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, first published a year ago. “A daring and intriguing, sometimes deeply disturbing, very well researched and extremely readable book that puts an entirely new slant on 2012. From quantum physics to aliens, from crop circles to reincarnation, from shamanic hallucinogens to Rudolf Steiner, from the Amazon jungle to Stonehenge, from fragments of a jaundiced autobiography to the ending of worlds, Pinchbeck takes us on a mind-bending, paradigm-rattling ride.” - Graham Hancock.
http://www.elliottbaybook.com/events/

Tuesday, September 18, 6:00 p.m.:
WBBA hosts “Bio on the Vine” at Chateau Ste Michelle, Woodinville. The evening will be an opportunity to mingle with others in the life science community while sampling appetizers and award winning wines. Chateau Ste Michelle will offer Bio on the Vine attendees “Wine 101,” tour and tastings from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.: followed by the reception from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
http://washbio.org/cde.cfm?event=180867

Tuesday, September 18, 6:30 p.m.:
The Elliott Bay Science Fiction and Fantasy Group will discuss The Road by Cormac McCarthy. In a postapocalyptic America, a father and son struggle to survive. In the past year, this novel received the twin honors of the Oprah’s Book Club seal and the Pulitzer Prize.
http://www.elliottbaybook.com/events/

Tuesday, September 18, 7:30 p.m.:
UW Professor of Biology Roger del Moral will discuss “Environmental Disasters, Natural Recovery, and Human Responses” at Town Hall Seattle. Natural disasters will likely destroy more property and kill more people this year than they did last year. In this comprehensive study of the earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and fires that plague us, del Moral and his coauthor Lawrence Walker look at the disruption and devastation of natural disasters, and they way we cope with the aftermath. This is a part of the Seattle Science Lectures series. It is co-sponsored by Town Hall, the Pacific Science Center, 94.9 KUOW-FM, Microsoft, and The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Admission is $5 at the door.
http://www.bookstore.washington.edu

Wednesday, September 19, 5:30 p.m.: - 7:30 p.m.:
The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame will host an Educator Open House, free evening event for educators that will focus on their science fiction-centered galleries and resources. They will showcase EMP|SFM’s new Investigation Workshop on science fiction and technology. Light desserts provided. Each educator may bring one guest. RSVP to 206.770.2765 or http://celebrateeducators@emplive.org, with name of educator, school or institutional affiliation, and number attending.
http://www.empsfm.org/

Wednesday, September 19, 7:30 p.m.:
Author, environmentalist, and social activist Dr. Wangari Maathai opens the Seattle Arts and Lecture’s 20th anniversary season and takes us on a stirring journey from a subsistence farm in Africa to her place as a visionary on the world stage. Maathai’s Green Belt Movement has planted more than 30 million trees, as well as seeds of hope for women and the rural poor of Kenya. And she defied custom, tradition, and her own government to carry out the groundbreaking reforestation and human rights work that won her Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. Benaroya Hall. For ticketing information, go to
http://www.lectures.org

Wednesday, September 19, 7:30 p.m.:
First published to high praise and honors in Canada, including the prestigious Giller Prize, Dr. Vincent Lam”s debut book of linked stories, Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures traces the work, lives, and relationships of four doctors moving from medical school into their new daily world of life and death. “Lam puts all the sex, and death and sleep deprivation crucial to any hospital drama in his debut story collection about doctors in the making...” - Publishers Weekly. Dr. Lam’s appearance is co-presented by the Consul General of Canada, and the Canadian Studies Center, UW Jackson School of International Studies. Elliott Bay Book Company
http://www.elliottbaybook.com/events/

Wednesday, September 19, 7:30 p.m.:
Ever provocative Bjorn Lomborg will discuss his new work, Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist’s Guide to Global Warming. Lomborg asks his audience to examine climate change from a perspective that takes human needs into account. He asks whether the billions it will cost to stop global warming will have a significant impact on the world’s temperature, and if it wouldn’t be better to focus resources on more immediate concerns, like global HIV/AIDS. The presentation is sponsored by Town Hall Center for Civic Life and University Book Store. Downstairs at Town Hall Seattle. Admission is $5 at the door.
http://www.townhallseattle.org/calendar.cfm

Thursday, September 20, 6:00 p.m.:
Science with a Twist presents “Retro Science.” It's an ’80s party and you’re invited! Remember those family trips to the Science Center? And the awesome toys you played with as a kid? Explore these and more as you listen to some classic tunes. After happy hour catch our Radical ’80s Laser Show in the Seattle Laser Dome. Don’t forget the leg warmers, parachute pants, and big hair - a prize will be awarded for the best ’80s outfit! You must be 21 or older to attend, ID required.
http://www.pacsci.org/twist/

Monday, September 24, 7:00 p.m.:
Science on Tap will host Alfredo Gomez-Beloz, UW Department of Epidemiology, as he opens for discussion “The Botany of Chocolate.” The Pub at Ravenna’s Third Place Books (need not be 21).
http://www.scienceontap.org

Tuesday, September 25 at 7:30 p.m.:
Bill Ruckelshaus, the respected first head of the Environmental Protection Agency and widely-admired corporate and community leader, has been tapped by Governor Christine Gregoire to lead the Puget Sound Partnership, a state agency formed this year by the State Legislature to protect and restore Puget Sound. Ruckelshaus will speak about the work of the partnership, the development of an action agenda based on the best available science, covering the entire ecosystem affecting the Sound, to identify and prioritize actions of those responsible and identify funding sources by 2008. The Partnership will then track progress and report on the results publicly. Presented by the Town Hall Center for Civic Life as part of Puget Soundscape, A Community Celebration of Puget Sound through Art, Ecology and Culture.
http://www.townhallseattle.org

Wednesday, September 26, 7:30 p.m.:
Harvard psychology professor and popular science writer, Steven Pinker will lecture on The Stuff of Thought. Pinker is well known for his work on how children acquire language (The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works and The Blank Slate); he believes the human mind evolved by natural selection just like other body parts, and that language reflects innate brain structure. In his new book, The Stuff of Thought, Pinker explores the concepts of metaphor, causality, naming, swearing, and politeness as tools that humans use to organize the flow of raw information. Presented as part of the Seattle Science Lecture Series with University Book Store. Town Hall Seattle, enter on 8th Avenue. Tickets are $5 at the door.
http://www.townhallseattle.org/calendar.cfm

Thursday, September 27, 7:00 p.m.:
In 1962, James Watson was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine as one of the discoverers of the structure of the DNA molecule. His breakthrough book, The Double Helix, changed the way the public viewed scientists and the way they work. Similarly, his textbooks, all still in print, set a new standard for textbooks. Now the chancellor of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Watson has written a memoir, Avoid Boring People and Other Lessons from a Life in Science. Presented as part of the Seattle Science Lectures with University Book Store.
http://www.pacsci.org or http://www.townhallseattle.org/calendar.cfm

Also on the horizon:
PATH Journeys, a new travel program set up to visit the sites that PATH.org serves will make their first trip, in January 2008, to tour Thailand and Cambodia. For more information, contact Jan Jacobs, PATH’s development director, at jajacobs@path.org.