Announcement: This Saturday at The Science Circle - "Webb Telescope," "Organic Chem Basics"

The James Webb Space Telescope: A Summary

Saturday January 22,

9:30 AM to 10 AM SL time

I briefly review the science mission of the JWST and discuss its potential discoveries. I do this in the context of the discoveries of Webb’s predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope.

– Dr. William. F. Wall / Syzygy Asymptote

Auditorium

For more information, Click Here.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/72/129/30

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Beragon’s Bistro: Webb Telescope

Saturday January 22,

10 AM to 11 AM SL time,

A discussion hosted by Matt Burr at the Light house Cafe

The Light House Café

For more information, Click Here.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/225/230/28

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Organic Chem Basics: Diels-Alder and Similar Reactions

Saturday January 22,

9 PM to 10 PM

The 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Dr. Benjamin List (Max PLack Institute)  and Dr. David MacMillam (Princeton University) for “the development of asymmetric organocatalysis.” One of the first reactions that they found could be catalyzed by purely organic compounds was the Diels-Alder reaction. The Diels-Alder reaction is a well-known example of a fundamental class of reactions in organic chemistry, and it can proceed unaided, be catalyzed by metal-containing compounds, or most recently catalyzed by purely organic species. We’ll talk about what makes the Diels-Alder reaction special, and how it has been catalyzed in the past, and why the recent Nobel prize is seen as a jump forward.

A presentation by Dr Michael J. Shaw

Auditorium

For more information, Click Here.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/125/132/22

Announcement: UoH "The Telescope in Astronomy: Historical Perspectives"

Univ of Hawaii, Astronomy Presents: "The Telescope in Astronomy: Historical Perspectives"

By Jim Mayo
Thursday, Sept 13th at 9:30 PM PDT
Institute for Astronomy - U. Hawaii Astronomy Amphitheater: 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/CUH%20Alliance/49/206/4002

And on the web: http://tinyurl.com/ifamaui

In “The Telescope in Astronomy: Historical Perspectives,"  Jim Mayo discusses the emergence of astronomy as one of the most ancient of all sciences going back to the world’s earliest civilizations. Starting with “Astronomy of the Ancients” to include Egypt, Babylonia, China and Phoenicia, the focus moves to Greece and Rome, and then to Arabic and early European astronomy.  The critical telescope precursors of the 16th Century are covered leading to the explosion of the telescope onto the scene in 1608. Mayo covers the development and early astronomical use of refractors and reflectors, the emergence of the achromatic object glass in the 1750s, the large refractors of the late 19th Century, and the great reflectors of the 20th Century.

Press Release: Astronomy Discussion at University of Hawaii

By Dr. Gary Davis
Friday, Aug 1st at 9:30 PDT
Institute for Astronomy - U. Hawaii Astronomy Ampitheater: Astronomy Ampitheater:
Alliance, Chaminade University (49, 205, 4002)

In a continuation of the British presence in Hawaii, two of the telescopes on Mauna Kea are owned by the United Kingdom: the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope and the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. Opened in 1979 and 1987, respectively, both telescopes observe the heavens using forms of light which cannot be seen with the naked eye. In this talk I will describe why we do this challenging type of astronomy, why we come to Maunakea to do it, what we have achieved here over the last three decades, and the imminent withdrawal of the UK from Hawaii. Along the way I may also reflect on the importance of astronomy and why science is such a powerful approach to understanding the world in which we live.

Press Release: Guy Jetts: "Kitt Peak and the Observatories of Southern Arizona"

Kitt Peak National Observatory was the first major observatory complex when established over fifty years ago.   This national observatory became a catalyst for the numerous astronomical sites of southern Arizona. The evening’s talk will discuss why and how a national observatory came to be, and why it was sited at Kitt Peak. 

The evening’s speaker, Guy Jette, will discuss the major observatories/telescopes in operation at this site, including the McMath Solar Telescope, which has been the largest solar telescope for fifty years. This distinction will soon pass to the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope now under construction on Haleakalā. The relationships between other telescopes in southern Arizona and those on both Haleakalā and Mauna Kea will be highlighted. The talk will include key research, from Kitt Peak’s major role in identifying the existence of dark matter to a new $100 million dollar project called Big BOSS (Baryonic Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey), a project with ties to Haleakalā's Pan-STARRS.


Friday Jan 18, 9:30PM

UH Aquaculture Program (45, 82, 25)