Yale Bulletin and Calendar

March 23, 2007|Volume 35, Number 22

Saturday series again will prove 'science is fun'

Curious youngsters (and their parents) will have the opportunity to learn about important uses of radio waves and magnets, how fruit flies and mosquitoes -- as well as humans -- are guided by their sense of smell, and the unique properties of certain metals and other "smart materials" during "Science Saturdays," a special series of lectures designed to introduce schoolchildren to the fun of science.

The annual series for children in the seventh grade and above will begin on March 31 and continue on four successive Saturdays through the month of April. The lectures are free and run from 10:30 a.m. to noon in Davies Auditorium, 15 Prospect St.

The program is designed to shatter stereotypes about science and scientists, and focuses on topics that are both fun and challenging, according to Ainissa G. Ramirez, associate professor of mechanical engineering, who created "Science Saturdays" and co-hosts the program with Erin Lavik, assistant professor of biomedical engineering.

"Science is fun," says Ramirez. "Understanding how things work and inventing and creating new possibilities are basic benefits of being a scientist. This program aims to show that and show off a few of the areas that are making news now."

The lectures for the spring program are as follows.

March 31 -- "Magnets, Molecules and Radio Waves: Using Magnetic Resonance to Image Molecules, Cells and the Human Body" by Kurt Zilm, professor of chemistry and chemical engineering. Magnetic resonance imaging has become indispensable for determining the structures of molecules and for imaging the human body. Zilm will show how radio waves and magnets are used to listen to molecular signals and how they can be exploited to image cells, guide oil-well drilling, determine the structures of large molecules and even detect contraband in airport security checks.

April 7 -- "How Fruit Flies Find Bananas and How Mosquitoes Find Us" by John Carlson, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. Many insects find the humans and plants on which they feed through their sense of smell. Major advances recently have been made in understanding insect olfaction, bringing new opportunities for the control of insect pests. Carlson will show the importance of working with fruit flies for devising new ways to combat mosquitoes and the malaria they spread in many parts of the world.

April 14 -- "Scents and Sensibility: The Molecular Mechanisms of Olfaction" by Charles Greer, professor of neurosurgery and of neurobiology and co-director of the School of Medicine's Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program. Greer will discuss the structure and function of the olfactory system and how sense of smell gives humans cues about their environment, food sources and territorial boundaries. He will discuss advances in knowledge of the cellular and molecular basis of olfaction that have helped humans "make sense of scents." He will also demonstrate in a few simple experiments the important role this sense plays.

April 21 -- "Metals with Memories and Other Smart Materials" by Ramirez. She will discuss the mechanisms behind certain "mysterious" materials, such as metals that exhibit a memory by, after being bent, returning to their original shape when heated. Ramirez will also discuss where these devices can be found in our everyday world and their applications in Lilliputian-sized devices such as micromachines.

Ramirez, a much-honored materials sci-,entist, has fostered the "Science Saturdays" program since the fall of 2004 and won an Elm-Ivy Award for her efforts to excite young people about science.

"It is exciting and tremendously rewarding to see the response this program has received from Yale and New Haven," she says. "I am still surprised when people stop me on the street to say that they enjoyed the program or particular demonstrations. Having the program re-broadcast on our local CTV was a first step in expanding the program. We are looking for ways to branch out and reach more people."

"Science Saturdays" is supported in part by the National Science Foundation, the Yale Faculty of Engineering, the National Society of Black Engineers, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale Scientific Magazine, Tau Beta Pi and Scienceworks. More information is available by contacting Ramirez at ainissa.ramirez@yale.edu or online at www.eng.yale.edu/science.

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