Science in the Virtual Pub

Science in the Virtual & Actual Pub

Second and fourth Thursdays @ 7:00 pm Eastern Time

Science in the Virtual & Actual Pub is a twice monthly program where you can grab a drink and engage in some friendly science! Join us on second and fourth Thursdays of the month at 7:00 pm Eastern from September through May, excepting holidays. Most session will be fully virtual. Some special events will be a hybrid events, livestreamed from different locations.

All meetings are broadcast on Zoom and links to join are sent upon registration. Sessions are generally live streamed on PRI’s YouTube Channel and shared in the Science in the Virtual Pub Facebook Group, but participation in the discussion requires joining the Zoom meeting.

Upcoming Science in the Virtual & Actual Pub Events

Thursday, March 28, 2024 @ 7:00 pm Eastern - A child’s garden of climate change denial

Glenn Branch, Deputy Director, National Center for Science Education

Climate change denial propaganda campaigns aimed at American teachers and students are not new, but in 2023, no fewer than four β€” from the Heartland Institute, the CO2 Coalition, EverBright Media, and PragerU Kids β€” were in the headlines. Glenn Branch of the National Center for Science Education read all of the climate change denial propaganda, for his sins, and discussed the campaigns with journalists across the country and around the world. In his talk, he will assess these campaigns and their likely effects in the context of the advances of climate change education in the United States over the last decade.


Thursday, April 11, 2024 @ 7:00 pm Eastern - Why We Should All Know and Care about Antarctica

Dr. Warren Allmon, Director, The Paleontological Research Institution

It has been said that visiting Antarctica is the closest you can come on Earth to visiting another planet. It is a place of striking beauty, extreme conditions, amazing geology and oceanography, and abundant and distinctive wildlife. Antarctica is also changing rapidly, in complex and still incompletely understood ways, and these changes may have huge impacts on the entire Earth. PRI Director Warren Allmon recently returned from a trip to Antarctica, and will share some highlights, as well as an overview of current scientific understanding of its changing environment and why it matters.


Thursday, April 25, 2024 @ 7:00 pm Eastern - Earth Day Event

TBA

Description coming soon!


Thursday, May 9, 2024 @ 7:00 pm Eastern - Unlocking the Oceans’ Mysteries with the JOIDES Resolution

Find out how scientific ocean drilling has changed our understanding of the planet, and how to immerse yourself in the program through free resources for learners of all ages!

Panelists:

  • Maya Pincus, International Ocean Discovery Program;

  • Dr. Jonathan Lewis, Indiana University of Pennsylvania;

  • Melisa Dettbarn, Kenmore-Tonawanda School District;

  • DaNel Hogan, Waters Center for Systems Thinking

Moderator:

  • Don Haas, The Paleontological Research Institution


Check back soon for more programming details and speakers for Spring 2024. We take our summer break from June through September. Spring 2024 program began on January 25.


Previous Science in the Virtual Pub Events:

Thursday, March 14, 2024 @ 7:00 pm Eastern - Climate Change in Uganda.

Shaban Lutaaya, Chairperson, Hope for the Voiceless

As the western world has begun to wake up about the forces of climate, most African countries are still sleeping on it. I come from the eastern part of Africa and I will be discussing the importance of carrying out massive campaigns to teach people the importance of protecting our environment before it's too late in Africa and the world at large. I believe it's high time individuals like us step in since most governments in Africa don't care and all they think of is making money at whatever cost.

Please join us! You wouldn't want to miss this.

Learn about Hope for the Voiceless here.

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, February 22, 2024 @ 7:00 pm Eastern - Creative Sustainability Communication and Education Through the Arts: Engaging Gen Z in Climate Action.

Andrea Varga, MFA, Associate Professor of Theatre Design, SUNY New Paltz

Urgent times call for creativity! Professor Varga explores how creativity in climate action communication and education is critical to engage and activate Gen Z citizens in the work towards a brighter, healthier and more just future.Professor Andrea Varga teaches sustainable design courses at SUNY New Paltz including Intro to Sustainability and Ethical Fashion in the Honors Program to students from across disciplines. Her primary inquiry in recent years has been creating strategies for engaging Gen Z in climate action through creative communication, joy and dynamic learning modules that help young people understand interconnections in their lives and how they can be positive change agents in their communities and the world.

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, February 8, 2024 @ 7:00 pm Eastern - The Late Devonian Mass Extinction: the view from New York

Dr. Andy Bush, Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Connecticut

If we didn’t have fossils, we wouldn’t know much about extinction: fossils were key evidence in convincing scientists that species actually do go extinct and that many species go extinct at the same time during global catastrophes. As we approach the β€œSixth Mass Extinction”, what else can fossils tell us? I’ll talk about lessons from the Late Devonian mass extinction in New York and northern Pennsylvania, with a focus on animals living in shallow marine habitats. Why did some species live and others die, and what happened to the survivors after the extinction?

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, January 25, 2024 @ 7:00 pm Eastern - Town Hall on Climate Change Education Legislation in New York State.

Panelists from the Climate & Resilience Education Task Force

Identical climate change education bills have been introduced in the New York State Senate (S278A) and Assembly (A1559A) for the current legislative session. In this Science in the Virtual Pub Town Hall, you will learn from members of The Climate Resilience & Education Task Force who helped craft the bill about:

  • the contents of the bill;

  • how it differs from previous proposed climate education legislation;

  • why it is essential to improve climate change education in New York State (and more broadly); and;

  • what you can do to help pass the bill.

Panelists:

  • Laura Kosbar, retired IBM research scientist and adjunct professor at SUNY New Paltz.

  • Ethan Liu, senior at the High School for Math Science and Engineering and an incoming freshman at Dartmouth College. He is one of the policy committee heads for CRETF’s Youth Steering Committee and has been involved with the team for two years.

  • Dr. Alexa Schindel, Associate Professor of Science Education at the University at Buffalo.

  • Harriet Shugarman, MBA, Executive Director, ClimateMama and adjunct professor at Ramapo College of New Jersey.

  • Ellery Spikes, senior at NEST+m HS in Manhattan β€˜24, incoming freshman at the University of Pennsylvania β€˜28, she leads the CRETF YSC Executive Board and has been an active member and lead in both the Task Force and its Youth Steering Committee since 2021 

Moderator:

  • Dr. Don Haas, Director of Teacher Programming at The Paleontological Research Institution.

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, December 14, 2023 @ 7:00 pm Eastern - Sharing field study of the end-Cretaceous mass extinction: Making a virtual fieldwork experience

Dr. Robert Ross, Associate Director for Outreach, The Paleontological Research Institution

Rob Ross and Don Haas documented the fieldwork of paleontologists studying what happened in the Gulf Coast when an asteroid struck the Earth, causing the extinction of the dinosaurs and the world's fifth mass extinction. Working with intern Richard Gutierrez (Cornell) and others, a "virtual fieldwork experience" was created that allows the public, teachers, and their students to visit these field sites and researchers. Join us for this exploration of evidence for a really rough day.


Thursday, November 23, 2023 Happy Thanksgiving! - No session.


Thursday, November 9, 2023 @ 7:00 pm Eastern - Why We Didn't Act on Climate and How to Act Now: Lessons learned from geology to behavioral science

Dr. Caroly Shumway, Director of the Center for Behavior and Climate

We've known about fossil fuel's increasingly harmful impact on our atmosphere since at least the 1950's. Why didn't we act? We'll explore the changing relationship between science, government, business, people, and climate action, what holds people back from acting, and how to accelerate climate actions and policies with behavior change.

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, October 26, 2023 @ 7:00 pm Eastern - Seeing the Methane, then What?

Patricia RodrΓ­guez, International OGI Analyst and Advocate @ Earthworks

This talk will describe β€˜optical gas imaging’ and advocacy to stop the harm from the oil and gas industry at an international setting. As we will get to see the air pollution, what can we learn from frontline Indigenous, Black and small farmer communities in Latin America about the impact of resource extraction and contamination on their lives, livelihoods and health, and what are some alternatives to the presence of oil giants in their communities?

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, October 12, 2023 @ 7:00 pm Eastern - Fear is our Best Hope: Moving from Climate Anxiety to Climate Action

Dr. Don Haas, The Paleontological Research Institution

If climate change education is honest, it is scary. We have a moral obligation to be honest in our educational efforts. Fear and the associated emotion, anger, are also motivational. In the extreme, these emotions can be paralyzing or blinding. How can we get the dosing right? How can we manage our emotions to fuel climate actions and stay mentally healthy?

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, September 28, 2023 @ 7:00 pm Eastern - How are we preparing teachers to teach about climate & energy?

Panelists: Alexa Schindel, The University at Buffalo; Beth Klein, SUNY Cortland; Tammie Peffer, Lehigh University; Regina Toolin, University of Vermont

Moderator: Don Haas, The Paleontological Research Institution

This panel discussion will explore the changing landscape of how science educators are preparing future science teachers to teach about climate and energy. Thursday, May 25, 2023 @ 7:00 pm EST - The Electric Grid & the Energy Transition Panel Discussion.

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Janelle Bourgeois, NYSEG; Anne Rhodes, Community Energy Educator, Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County (CCETC); Guillermo Metz is the Energy & Climate Change Team Leader, CCETC

Climate change demands that we transition our energy systems off fossil fuels and on to one based entirely on electricity. What does this mean for the existing electrical grid and what’s it going to take to upgrade the grid to reliably handle all that electricity?

Janelle Bourgeois has worked with NYSEG since 2018. She began her career in the Customer Relations Center, where she worked for 2.5 years before accepting a position as a Construction Scheduler. Janelle moved over the Smart Grids innovation and Planning team in November 2022, and provides support to pilots/demonstrations around the Ithaca Green New Deal.

Anne Rhodes is a Community Energy Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County. She has worked at CCETC for 12 years, doing outreach and education for schools, neighborhoods, and various organizations, including religious and spiritual organizations, as well as social clubs and businesses, with information about sustainability, the climate crisis and its local impacts, home energy efficiency, renewable energy, the electric grid, and getting off fossil gas.

Guillermo Metz is the Energy & Climate Change Team Leader at CCETC, where, since 2008, he has led projects ranging from responsible wood stove use to solar campaigns. He was also part of NYSEG’s Energy Smart Communities program, which focused on a pilot rollout of smart meters, and is currently leading an education and outreach program to electrify homes in order to ease gas constraints in the Lansing gas moratorium area as part of NYSEG’s Non-Pipes Alternatives program.

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, May 11, 2023 @ 7:00 pm EST - My Work in Making Science Films and Videos

Deborah Hoard, President, PhotoSynthesis Productions

Films and videos about science can do powerful things -- take you places you couldn’t otherwise go, see things you couldn’t otherwise see. They can educate, engage and inspire, but also mislead, confuse and mystify. I will talk about my experience writing, directing and producing science films over the last 35 years for the National Geographic Society, the National Science Foundation, Cornell University and many others.

I will share a few video clips, including the premiere of the Cornell University Borehole Observatory Recent Results Video, the last video in our public outreach series following this pioneering experiment.

Check out the work of PhotoSynthesis Productions here.

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, April 27, 2023 @ 7:00 pm EST - Drought, Paleoclimate, and Dust

Dr. Toby Ault, Associate Professor of Earth & Atmospheric Science, Cornell University; Carlos Carrillo, Research Associate, Earth & Atmospheric Science, Cornell University; & Frank Telles, Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Northern Arizona University

What does dust have to do with drought and climate change? How can dust tell us about ancient climates? How is drought forecasting changing and improving?

See the YouTube Live recording here.



Thursday, April 13, 2023 @ 7:00 pm EST - Dinosaurs, Dragons, and Dragonite: Paleontology and Storytelling

Gabriel-Philip Santos, MSc, Director of Visitor Engagement and Education, Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology

Did you know that dinosaurs have helped to shape a lot of our stories? Its true! From ancient myths to Jurassic Park to our favorite Pokemon, the science of paleontology has inspired countless stories through our history! Join paleontologist and educator, Gabriel Santos, as we dig through just some of his favorite β€œpaleo-inspired” stories.

See the YouTube Live recording here.




Thursday, March 23, 2023 @ 7:00 pm EST - Yes, We Can Really See That from Space!

Nicholas LaVigne, Data Scientist, Ursa Space

Today more than 60 satellites in orbit carry Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payloads used to image the earth. The commercial SAR industry is valued at over $3 billion and continues to grow, but you won't see any of this imagery on Google earth! In this talk we'll explore this unique sensor and how scientists and engineers at Ursa Space Systems are using it to catch illegal fishing vessels, measure the world's available oil supply, provide humanitarian aid, and more.

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, March 9, 2023 @ 7:00 pm EST - Ravens and Writing Desks: With Reflections on Science and Science Literacy

Dr. Bryce Hand, Emeritus Professor of Geology, Syracuse University

In that classic children’s book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter challenges Alice with a riddle:  β€œHow is a raven like a writing desk?”

Alice didn’t know,  nor (it turns out) did the Hatter.

But the form of the riddle is less absurd than it first may seem!  I’ll ask, in all seriousness, β€œHow is a city like a rock?” and β€œHow is it like an organism?”  Many very different things share similar structures, and insight can often be gained by exploring their parallels!

This talk will range across a wide range of topics that I consider important in science, but that are poorly understood by the general public.

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, February 23, 2023 @ 7:00 pm EST - Catching the Buzz: the Amazing Honey Bee

Dr. Brenda Young, Professor of Biology, Chair of Local and Global Sustainability, Daemen University

Dr. Brenda Young is a Professor of Ecology and Sustainability at Daemen University and an amateur beekeeper who has become fascinated by the intricacies of the honey bee.   Although the plight of pollinators has become better known, not all appreciate the amazing biology behind our major pollinators like the introduced honey bee.   In this session, we will explore the dynamics of colony behavior, bee products and the threats that they face.   Time to open a bottle of mead and appreciate our Apis friends.

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, February 9, 2023 @ 7:00 pm EST - Devonian Fishes! Darwin Days Panel

Panelists:

  • Dr. James Boyle is Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Geology at the University of Buffalo. He has a special interest in placoderm (armored) fish of the Devonian period and in studying extinction using the fossil record.

  • Dr. Robert Carr is emeritus professor in the Department of Natural Sciences and Geography at Concordia University Chicago. He specializes in the fossil record and evolution of Devonian fish. 

  • Dr. Jennifer Olori is Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at SUNY Oswego. She studies the origin of the earliest tetrapods and other ancient land vertebrates.

A trio of specialists on fossil fish from the β€œAge of Fishes” and on the origin of land vertebrates will talk about their research and answer questions about what we know about this fascinating interval of time. This is part of PRI’s annual Darwin Days program.

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, January 26, 2023 @ 7:00 pm EST - Science Communication and Engagement with Faith Communities

Dr. Rob O’Malley, (formerly) Project Director, Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion Program, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); now Public Engagement Associate, Personal Genetics Education Project (pgEd.org)

Most people on earth claim a religious identity, including many scientists. Cultural narratives often frame science and faith as being at odds - yet on many forefront science-and-society issues (e.g., health inequity, conservation and environmental justice, racism), faith communities and institutions are deeply engaged. How can scientists ensure their approaches to STEM education and to public engagement with science are inclusive of faith identities? What opportunities exist for science engagement in religious communities? Rob O’Malley from the AAAS will discuss approaches for science engagement that honor identity, culture and worldview, including faith. Learn more about DoSER on their website.

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, January 12, 2023 @ 7:00 pm EST - Racism is a Public Health Crisis - updates on urban health in the United States

Dr. David Margolius, Director of Public Health for the City of Cleveland

Cleveland, like all large cities in this country, have been devastated by systematic under-investment leading to neighborhoods that remove decades from residents' average life expectancy. In this session, Cleveland's Director of Public Health will describe how we got here and what we can do about it.

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, December 22, 2022 No program. Winter Break!


Thursday, December 8, 2022 @ 7:00 pm EST - Why Sharks Matter

Dr. David Shiffman, Marine Conservation Biologist, Scientific and Environmental Consultant, and Science Writer

David Shiffman is a marine conservation biologist at Arizona State University. He is author of Why Sharks Matter: A Deep Dive with the World's Most Misunderstood Predator (2022). His work has appeared in the Washington Post, National Geographic, and Scientific American, and he writes a monthly column in Scuba Diving Magazine. He can be found on Twitter at @WhySharksMatter, where he's always happy to answer questions about sharks.

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, November 24, 2022 No program. Happy Thanksgiving!


Thursday, November 10, 2022 @ 7:00 pm EST - US Billion Dollar Disasters

Dr. Adam Smith, Applied Climatologist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information

Adam Smith is an applied climatologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information - Climate Science and Services Division. He is the lead scientist for the U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters program (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions). Smith performs research to standardize and integrate many public and private sector disaster data sources into better quality-controlled disaster cost frameworks as research tools. This includes socioeconomic exposure and vulnerability data, given that weather and climate extremes cause disproportionate physical, social, and economic impacts on vulnerable populations: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/mapping

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, October 27, 2022 @ 7:00 pm EDT - How to Drive Electric

A panel of EV Drivers, hosted by Dr. Don Haas, Director of Teacher Programming, The Paleontological Research Institution

Following a brief presentation, we will share practical insights learned by our panel of drivers from a year or more behind the wheel of their EVs. Our panelists have all owned their EVs for at least one winter and include one Kia Niro driver, two Tesla drivers and an electric motorcycle rider.

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, October 13, 2022 @ 7:00 pm EDT - Shaking up earthquake science

Dr. Wendy Bohon, Strategic Communications at NASA Earth Science Division

Most people know what an earthquake is, but do you know how scientists study them? In this talk, earthquake geologist Dr. Wendy Bohon from IRIS will outline general earthquake concepts like what earthquakes are, where and why they occur and their impacts on infrastructure. She'll then dive into the science of earthquakes, including the study of ancient earthquakes and how we study faults and earthquakes from space.

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, September 22, 2022 @ 7:00 pm EDT - Mrs. Comstock Was Here: The Legacy of Anna Botsford Comstock's Influence of Our Walks Into Nature

Streaming live from the Cayuga Nature Center! Join us online or in person.

Dr. Karen Penders St. Clair, Horticulture, Plant Science, Nature Study History, Textile History, Cornell University

Karen Penders St. Clair received her MPS (2012) from the School of Integrated Plant Science/Horticulture for her work in Smith Woods, Trumansburg NY, with β€œLearning Activities for Exploring Forested Ecosystems: A Project of Discovery.” St. Clair received her doctorate (2017) from the same department at Cornell University for her work on the original manuscript of the autobiography of nature study educator Anna Botsford Comstock. As the 21st-century editor of The Comstocks of Cornell: the Definitive Autobiography, Karen returned Comstock’s original voice to her manuscript thereby replacing the heavily culled 1953-edition with 1st-generation original material written by Comstock.

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, September 8, 2022 @ 7:00 pm EDT - The Real Paleodiet

Dr. Briana Pobiner, Paleoanthropologist, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

The modern "paleo" diet movement makes assumptions about what our ancient humans ate, Are these assumptions based on actual evidence? Presenting a variety of lines of evidence for prehistoric human diets including early human, animal, and plant fossils, ancient stone tools, DNA, and living human and chimpanzee diets, Briana Pobiner will discuss significant changes in the evolution of human diets – and highlight what makes human meat-eating unique.Wednesday, May 25, 2022 @ 6:00 pm EDT - Climate Change Education Panel

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, May 24, 2022 @ 7:30 pm EDT - The Climate Change Education Panel

Panelists:

Ada Bastedo, Student, Amherst High School;

Andrew Beiter, Social Studies teacher at Springville Middle School & Executive Director, The Academy for Human Rights;

Nellie Duggan-Haas,  Student, Amherst High School;

Adam Gollwitzer, Science Teacher, Chautauqua Lake Central School;

Kelli Grabowsk, STEM Coordinator, The Cattaraugus-Allegany-Erie-Wyoming Board of Cooperative Educational Services;

Mike Jabot, Professor of Science Education, SUNY Fredonia;

Moderator: Don Haas, Director of Teacher Programming, The Paleontological Research Institution

Our closing session for the spring will engage educators and students concerned with and working on the promise and perils of teaching and learning about climate change. Other panelists may be included.

See the YouTube Live recording here. The slides, which include links to some of the resources shared, are here. The chat file is here, with many more links.


Thursday, May 12, 2022 @ 7:30 pm EDT - The Science of Puppetry & Other Fun Things

Anney Fresh Ozar, Puppets, Costumes and things that go

Explore the materials and mechanisms and, of course, the artistry underlying puppetry. Get a glimpse at the work of 5 time Daytime Emmy Winner Anney Fresh Ozar here: https://www.anneyfresh.com/.

See the YouTube Live recording of the session here.


Wednesday, April 27, 2022 @ 6:00 pm EDT - Why Nature is Important: Learning to Love our Planet

Jay Burney, Friends of Times Beach Nature Preserve

Join us in person at Resurgence Brewing Company or online for this presentation and discussion about the importance of understanding and embracing conservation as a primary strategy for moving into the future.

Learn more about Jay Burney and his work in the recent profile in Buffalo Spree.

See the YouTube Live recording here.


Thursday, April 14, 2022 @ 7:30 pm EDT - Storying Climate: At the intersection of science and justice

Dr. Vandana Singh, Professor of Physics and Environment, Framingham State University

Vandana Singh is a theoretical physicist by training, who found, a decade ago, that teaching climate science in her general physics classes didn’t work as expected.  Instead of being inspired to act, many students reacted with despair and apathy.  This took her on a journey of learning within and beyond the boundaries of science toward developing a transdisciplinary pedagogy of climate change.  In this presentation she focuses on a central aspect of this approach: the importance of story and narrative as ways of encompassing both scientific and ethical aspects of the climate crisis.

The YouTube recording is here.


Wednesday, March 23, 2022 @ 6:00 pm EST - The Maid of the Mist Goes Electric!

Chris McKay, Operations Manager for Maid of the Mist

The iconic Maid of the Mist tourist attraction spearheaded the future of marine transportation with the launch of North America’s first ALL Electric passenger vessels. Entering into service in 2020, the Nikola Tesla and the James V Glynn, are 100% battery powered producing zero emissions.  This innovation has been brought to life locally right here in Buffalo, New York.

A brief description of the Maid of the Mist’s transition to electric power is here.

The YouTube recording is here.


Thursday, March 10, 2022 @ 7:30 pm EST - Outwit, Outlast, Outplay: A Game of Bacterial Survival in the Deep Ocean

Dr. Brandi Kiel Reese, Senior Marine Scientist | Dauphin Island Sea Lab

The ocean covers over 70% of the Earth and the sediment and rocks beneath the seafloor is home to one of the larger and most diverse biomes on the planet. We still know very little about the microbes – bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses – that make their home in this environment.The marine subsurface biome has only recently been appreciated as a metabolically active ecosystem, profoundly affecting global elemental cycles. However, they may not all be alive and we need to sort out the living microorganisms from the dead and the ones that are dormant. Due to extreme difficulty in sampling this environment, relatively few locations have been studied in depth and over time.Therefore, the diversity, abundance, energy metabolisms, and active fraction of subsurface organisms have traditionally been poorly constrained. My research uses sequencing to comprehensively survey microbial communities in deeply buried marine environments. Unlike other environments, the deep subsurface provides a unique opportunity to study biogeography across four dimensions. These samples are not only isolated by linear space on a global scale, but they are also temporally isolated by, in some cases, tens of millions of years.

The YouTube recording is here.


Wednesday, February 23, 2022 @ 6:00 pm EST - When we change how we get energy, we change history

Dr. Don Haas, Director of Teacher Programming, The Paleontological Research Institution

Wind and peat made Holland a global power in the 1500s and 1600s. Coal gave rise to the British Empire in the following centuries. And coal, oil, and nuclear power were fundamental to America’s superpower status in the 20th century. Fossil fuels still dominate world energy today, but huge energy transitions are underway and they will change the course of history. Join us for a look at the role of energy use and production in our past and future.

See the YouTube recording here. Presentation slides with links to related resources is here.


Thursday, February 10, 2022 @ 7:30 pm EST - Moth vs predator: 1000 ways to die, 1001 ways to survive

Dr. Jason J. Dombroskie, Manager, Cornell University Insect Collection (CUIC) & Coordinator of the Insect Diagnostic Lab (IDL)

New York is home to around 4000 species of moths and butterflies that are integral parts of our ecosystems. Hundreds of species of birds, mammals, arachnids, and insects depend on them for food, but they are not always an easy meal. Both caterpillars and adults employ everything from leaping, biting, stabbing, yelling, and stinging to more passive strategies like poisons, camouflage, and mimicry. In this talk we will look at the myriad of predators, parasites, and parasitoids looking for a meal and the strategies that moths and butterflies use to survive.

See the YouTube recording here.

See information about the PRI’s 2022 Darwin Days here: https://www.priweb.org/event/darwin-days.


Wednesday, January 26, 2022 @ 6:00 pm EST- Making Flakes: The Art of Snowflakes

Douglas Levere, Snowflake Hunter

Douglas Levere is an artist and photographer living in Amherst, NY. On some cold snowy winter nights he can be found outside his garage photographing snowflakes in the dark. His work has been published in The New Yorker, The Buffalo News and many other blogs and online publications. See Doug’s snowflakes here: https://www.douglaslevere.com/.

While we had hoped to livestream from Resurgence Brewing Company this will be a fully virtual session due to continuing pandemic concerns.

The YouTube recording is here.


Thursday, January 13, 2022 @ 7:30 pm EST - Caring for COVID Patients: Perspective From Primary Care

David Margolius, MD, The MetroHealth System, Cleveland, OH

Dr. Margolius returns to Science in the Virtual Pub for a look back on the year since his last visit. In this session, Dr. Margolius will discuss the features of COVID (and dispel some myths); describe different options for diagnosing or presuming COVID; and apply current knowledge to different COVID scenarios we see in primary care.

The YouTube recording is here.


Thursday, December 9, 2021 @ 7:30 pm EST - Explore the Earth System with Understanding Global Change

Dr. Jessica Bean, Project Scientist, University of California Museum of Paleontology at Berkeley

The effects of intensifying global changes are here: fires, warming and acidifying oceans, sea level rise, and extreme weather events. The causes of global change and the mechanisms for mitigating future consequences are complex, and we need innovative scientists, engineers, and informed citizens to understand and how to respond to these challenges. Join us for a night of activities and discussion exploring UC Berkeley's Understanding Global Change tools that allow you to visualize the Earth system and paths to a resilient future.

See the Facebook livestream recording here.


Thursday, November 11, 2021 @ 7:30 pm EST- How do sharks react to fishing gear? Important questions in the field of conservation physiology, outreach, and education

Dr. Heather Marshall, Co-Founder/Research Scientist, Field Lab Consulting

Many shark species and populations are facing conservation challenges around the world, and as such scientists are working in more collaborative and integrative ways to find creative approaches to shark protection. The field of conservation physiology focuses on understanding the physiological impacts of various anthropogenic stressors. As such, incorporating stress physiology research into shark fishery studies is a developing tool that can contribute to fisheries mitigation in new ways. Relaying such conservation challenges to the public through outreach and education is also considered an important piece of the shark puzzle, and as such many scientists are engaged in outreach projects, such as The Gills Club (www.gillsclub.org), to help relay the goals of their work, and hopefully inspire the next generation of shark researchers.

See the Facebook livestream recording here.


Wednesday, November 24, 2021 - No session - Thanksgiving Break


Wednesday, October 27, 2021 @ 6:00 pm EDT- The art and science of malting

Dr. Bob Johnson, Hop farmer and former biology professor

Livestreamed from Resurgence Brewing Company - 55 Chicago Street Buffalo, NY 14204. Join us online or in person!

The art and science of malting...or hops may be the sex organs, but malt is the heart of beer! I will begin with a historical introduction to the process of malting and its importance to early brewing and how it has advanced to modern techniques and malt's influence on brewing styles. We will take a more indepth look at what is happening to that germinating grain and how the seed modifies to provide brewers with the starch, converting enzymes, color, taste and texture/body components that is the hallmark of fine brews worldwide.

See the Facebook livestream recording here.


Thursday, October 14, 2021 - The Biology, Society and Industry of Cannabis

Dr. Carlyn Buckler, Associate Professor of Practice, School of Integrative Plant Science Horticulture Section, Cornell University

Cannabis sativa L is probably the most misunderstood plant in the world, and one that, for the last 100 years, scientists have been barred from researching. In 2010 that changed, and scientists have begun to unravel the complexities of this plant that humans have been using for over 6000 years. The uses of this plant are myriad; but the severe lack of knowledge about the production, processing, pharmacology, etc., as well as the misinformation about cannabis, has greatly hindering the process. We’ll talk about the threats and opportunities of Cannabis sativa L., and see what this plant can – and cannot – do.

The Facebook livestream video is here.


September 22, 2021 - What can tundra preserved beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet tell us about sea level rise?

Dr. Elizabeth Thomas, Assistant Professor, Department of Geology, University at Buffalo

In the 1960s a secret US military base on northwestern Greenland was the first place where a long ice core was ever drilled. This drill core included several feet of sediments from beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet. The sediments were stored in freezers and forgotten until 2019, when an international team of scientists decided to study them. We discovered that these sediments contain plant fossils, and were likely exposed to the atmosphere at least once in the past 1 million years. Learn how this discovery helps understand how the Greenland Ice Sheet contributes to sea level rise today.

The Facebook livestream video is here.


September 9, 2021 - PRI Shark Week Special Event

Join Museum of the Earth at Cinemapolis in Ithaca, New York on Thursday, September 9 at 7 pm for a special screening of the hit movie, β€œJaws”. When a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping near the New England tourist town of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to close the beaches, but mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) overrules him, fearing that the loss of tourist revenue will cripple the town. Ichthyologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and grizzled ship captain Quint (Robert Shaw) offer to help Brody capture the killer beast, and the trio engage in an epic battle of man vs. nature. As part of our Shark Fest activities, guests can attend this in-person screening and hear from a guest speaker on sharks before the show.


August 25, 2021 - Burgess Shale: Antiquated and Updated Preservation Theories

Dr. Kimberly Meehan, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Geology, University at Buffalo

The Burgess Shale may be the world’s most famous fossil bed. In 1907 Dr. Charles Doolittle stumbled upon a fossil bed that contained the oldest known macrofaunal community known. These fossils were buried for over 500 million years in black shale that contained every phylum of organisms that exist on the planet today; all seemingly appearing instantaneously in the rock record. Since the Burgess’s discovery other Burgess Shale-type preserved deposits have been found around the globe. Not even one of these localities parallels the conditions as the original Burgess Shale location outside of simply occurring in the Cambrian Period. Despite advances in technology and understanding of sedimentary, metamorphic, hydrothermal, and microbial processes acting on decaying materials, the explanation of black shale anoxic conditions in preservation persists.

See the Facebook Livestream here. Note that technical problems led to a late start of the recording.


August 12, 2021 - Los Angeles Underwater

Dr. Austin Hendy, Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

The city of Los Angeles is built on rocks and fossils that tell a story of dramatic geological forces, evolution and extinction, and environmental change - past, present, and future. Making sense of this immense story requires an understanding of the vastness of time, the immense scale of geological processes, and how to interpret prehistoric life. Join us for this virtual exploration of the geological history and fossil record of Los Angeles with insights into what the story implies about future changes.

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.


July 29, 2021 - Streams in polar desert? Lessons from the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

Dr. Joel Singley, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado at Boulder

Many people are familiar with research on Antarctica's ice sheets or charismatic megafauna such as penguins, but did you know there are also streams and rivers in this frigid polar desert that are carpeted with vibrant algal mats? We'll take a tour of these otherworldly aquatic ecosystems and explore what they can teach us about streams in our own backyard.

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.


July 15, 2021 - Not all science lovers are nerds

Laura Faye Tenenbaum, Author and former Senior Science Editor, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

The science community has rightfully encouraged more people to embrace science, to participate, to buck the rejection of science that’s become a trend in this country. We must persist. While we strive toward greater racial and gender inclusivity, we must also become more welcoming of diverse personality. Nerdiness is wonderful. But not all science lovers are nerds. Some of us want to embrace our fun, wild, playful, exuberant selves in the classroom and in the laboratory.June 17, 2021 - Earthly Dreams and SuperCOPs: Sustainable energy in your neighborhoodJuly 1, 2021 - Do β€œpre-existing conditions” prime the Earth for mass extinction?

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.


July 1, 2021 - Do β€œpre-existing conditions” prime the Earth for mass extinction?

Dr. Corinne Myers, Assistant Professor Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico

Mass extinctions get a lot of attention from paleontologists and for good reason since they generally wipe out 70% or more of the species on the Earth! However, the state of the Earth System prior to those extinctions is not as well researched, and yet could have an important effect in enhancing or inhibiting mass extinction rates. This research, guided by my Master’s student Dustin Perriguey, tests for what kinds of environments BEFORE mass extinctions might act to make those extinctions worse once they get going. The results provide a predictive model that can tell us how vulnerable the Earth System is right now to having a worse extinction if human activities detrimental to the biosphere persist.

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

June 17, 2021 - Earthly Dreams and SuperCOPs: Sustainable energy in your neighborhood

Steve Beyers, PE, Lead Earth Source Heat engineer with Facilities and Campus Services, Cornell University

Cornell uses the cold waters of Cayuga Lake to cool campus buildings – the most efficient district cooling technology on Earth. Can the earth beneath our feet heat campus with the same world-class efficiency? The Cornell University Borehole Observatory, a project sponsored by the US Department of Energy, is a research program seeking to explore that possibility. Come dig into the details of Cornell’s deep thoughts!. See related information here.

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

June 3, 2021 - A Scientist walks into the virtual pub… how stand-up comedy and storytelling can break the science-communication paradox.

Dr. Danielle L. Eiseman, Visiting Lecturer , Department of Communication, Cornell University

We are living in a time in which our knowledge of the world has never been so advanced and yet we disagree on many issues. This is known as the science communication paradox. Few people talk about science regularly and in many cases they find it difficult to connect science to their daily lives. Additionally, there is increasing distrust in institutions, scientists are perceived as unapproachable, and there is increasing pressure of an β€œattention economy.” Both humor and science are fundamental aspects of the human experience, and perhaps through humor we can break the science-communication paradox.

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

May 20, 2021 - Fossils, Culture, and Diverse Narratives in Paleontology

Dr. Christy Visaggi, Austin Wilson, Leonardo Maduro-Salverrey, Cameron Muskelly, Candice Simon, and Megan Rich, all of Georgia State University

Paleontology is often presented from a Eurocentric perspective with little mention of stories that relate to fossils from varied cultural contexts. Yet, humans from all over the world have been inspired by fossils for millennia. Fossils have been used for a multitude of purposes throughout history and the study and interpretation of ancient life has left lasting impacts on places and cultures. Numerous cultural connections to paleontology exist as well through stories of discovery and contributions to the field. By viewing paleontology through a more inclusive cultural lens, diverse narratives in the discipline can be given greater recognition.

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

May 6, 2021 - Perseverance, Ingenuity, and the Search for Life on Mars

Zoe Learner Ponterio, Manager, Spacecraft Planetary Image Facility, Cornell University

NASA’s latest Mars rover, Perseverance, and first-of-its-kind extraterrestrial aircraft, the helicopter Ingenuity, have both arrived safely at Mars! These robotic explorers have begun traversing an ancient river delta in Jezero Crater, which was once a vast lake. With previous rovers having firmly established that Mars was once a warmer, wetter, more habitable world, β€œPercy” will hunt for signs of ancient life in the rocks, caching precious samples that will one day be returned to Earth.

See the Facebook Livestream recording here. The video does not include the first several minutes due to technical problems.

April 22, 2021 - Kitchen Climate Science: Expanding Hands-On Engagement in a Hands-Off Environment

Dr. Alexandra Moore, Senior Education Associate, The Paleontological Research Institution

Everyone should understand climate.  When working with students educators focus on experiential, hands-on learning.  But this approach is human resource intensive and thus difficult to adapt to the general public.  We always walk the divide between in-depth but narrowly focused learning and strategies that are an inch-deep and a mile wide. The pandemic has forced us to adapt hands-on experiences to a hands-off environment.  This gives us the advantage – if we do it well – of maintaining in-depth work but reaching many more people, wherever they are, even in the kitchen.

Join us for this Earth Day event!

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

April 8, 2021 - What can Geocognition Research Tell us about Effective Climate Communication?

Dr. Karen McNeil, COSAM Molette Endowed Professor, Department of Geosciences, Auburn University

Research has shown that β€œinformation is not enough” when engaging the public about climate change topics and that engagement efforts should utilize strategies that have been supported by research in cognitive science, psychology, communication and science education. The emerging field of geocognition draws from these research disciplines and applies what is known in these foundational fields to understanding how to robustly measure people’s knowledge and perceptions of climate change as well as their engagement with climate information. This presentation will highlight the evaluation and research results of example interventions and provide practical tips for effective communication.

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

March 25, 2021 - Women in Paleontology: A Panel Discussion

Dr. Phoebe Cohen, Associate Professor of Geosciences, Williams College

Dr. Patricia H. Kelley, Professor Emerita of Geology, Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Dr. Francisca Oboh-Ikuenobe, Professor of Geosciences & Geological & Petroleum Engineering, Missouri S&T

Dr. Carlie Pietsch, Assistant Professor of Paleontology, Geology Department, San JosΓ© State University

Dr. Lisa D. White, Director of Education and Outreach, University of California Museum of Paleontology at Berkeley

Dr. Yurena Yanes, Associate Professor, Department of Geology, University of Cincinnati 

Join us at this special event in celebration of Science in the Virtual Pub’s one year anniversary and the forthcoming Women in Paleontology exhibit at the Museum of the Earth!

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

March 18, 2021 - A Look Back on a Year of Pandemic Education - A ReinventEd Special Event

Dr. Don Haas, Director of Teacher Programming, The Paleontological Research Institution

What have we learned from a year of education in a pandemic? What have we failed to learn? Join us for a structured discussion and sharing of lessons learned for this ReinventEd Special Event.

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

March 11, 2021 - Ethnogeology and its Implications for Geoscience Education

Dr. Steve Semken, Professor of Geology and Education, Arizona State University

Ethnogeology is the scientific study of the geological knowledge of various peoples and cultures, generally carried out in their traditional homelands and only with their informed permission and partnership. Research in ethnogeology blends the methods of field geology and field ethnography. Findings from ethnogeologic research can inform place-based and more inclusive and locally relevant ways of teaching geoscience, and support environmental and cultural resilience and sustainability. This talk will offer an outline of this relatively new science with examples from studies done in the Southwest USA, Latin America, and the Caribbean. 

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

February 25, 2021 - Introduction to The Maple Syrup Making Process & Delicious Cocktail Recipes

Katie Bagnall-Newman, Associate Director for Nature Center Programs, The Paleontological Research Institution

Join us as we discuss a New York staple: maple syrup! We’ll cover the basics on the syrup making process all the way from tree to bottle. Then we’ll show you a couple of our favorite cocktail recipes to try at home! 

After the presentation we’ll spend some time discussing personal tales from the sugarbush, sharing our favorite recipes, and more! So bring your favorite maple recipe (cocktail or otherwise) and see you there!

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

February 11, 2021 - Evolution in the Time of Covid and Climate Change

Dr. Warren Allmon, Director, The Paleontological Research Institution

In these tumultuous times, why is it still important to think about, teach, and celebrate evolution?

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

January 28, 2021 - Grassroots and international climate response: Some ways forward

Dr. Frank Granshaw, Portland State University

A key challenge for international efforts tackling climate disruption is developing widespread public understanding of and support for this work. Likewise, the challenge for the average citizen is finding ways our individual and local efforts can meaningfully help with work. Ironically, 2020 with all of its crises and changes, has also presented us with opportunities for tackling both challenges. This talk will look at how public climate participation and education is changing in the midst of a pandemic wrapped in increasingly damaging climate change.

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

January 14, 2021 - Tales from the COVID-19 Hotline

David Margolius, MD, The MetroHealth System, Cleveland, OH

On March 9th, 2020, the first three cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in Cleveland, Ohio. By March 13th, our health care system launched a 24/7 physician-staffed hotline to care for people with symptoms or worried about symptoms of COVID-19. Since then, we have done over 25,000 telehealth visits, started a mobile testing unit to care for clusters in congregate living facilities, and started a hospital at home program to care for severely ill COVID patients in their home. This session will share lessons learned from the COVID-19 hotline to date, and how we are managing the current surge.

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

December 17, 2020 - Our Theory of the Earth: A Brief Biography

Dr. Glenn Dolphin, Tamaratt Teaching Professor, The University of Calgary

Coming to understand how the earth works–how to explain the existence of oceans and continents–has been a long and journey, from mythic stories of lands rising from the seas, to a porous earth, responding to the movement of subterranean fluids, to a thermally contracting earth, even an expanding earth. Most textbooks have created their own myth-conception of our developing understanding of Earth dynamics, stripping from view the very human aspects of geology and how we create the knowledge. This presentation will add some of the historical and human context to our ever-developing knowledge of how the earth works.

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

December 3, 2020 - Fire!

Dr. Don Haas, Director of Teacher Programming, The Paleontological Research Institution

Fire both makes modern society possible and endangers modern society. Fire is hidden in the internal combustion engines in nearly every car, truck, plane, train, and ship. It’s hidden in our furnaces, boilers, and water heaters. It plays some important role in the making, processing and moving of nearly every product we buy, but it’s easy for many of us to go weeks without seeing flame. Stunningly, for the first 90% or Earth’s history, there was essentially no fire as nearly all fuel was under water. And it is fire that produces most of the carbon dioxide that is responsible for most modern climate change. Fire makes us human, yet we don’t talk about fire nearly enough. This session will help you see in a different light and give you strategies for talking more effectively about climate change.

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

November 19, 2020 - The Power of iNaturalist

Brandon Woo, Cornell University Alumnus

iNaturalist is a global citizen science project aimed at getting people outside to document Earth’s biodiversity. People from all over the world submit their photos, and both amateurs and experts collaborate to identify each observation. It’s fantastic for engaging with the natural world, and it is also providing scientists with new data, distribution records, and specimen material for a multitude of research projects. I will discuss how I use iNaturalist, both as a scientist and as a member of the public, and share some tips and tricks so that you can make the most out of your iNat experience too!

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

November 5, 2020 - Through the Museum Prep Lab Windows

Dr. Maureen Bickley, Museum Education Manager & Prep Lab Supervisor, The Paleontological Research Institution

Visit with Museum of the Earth’s Prep Lab Manager Maureen Bickley in the lab and discover the current fossils, the lab’s mission, and how one becomes a fossil preparator. Learn about fossil preparation and the tools and skills that are needed from the field to the lab. How does preparation fit into the field of paleontology? This session will be live from the Prep Lab!

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

October 22, 2020 - Fun with maps and data from the New York Climate Change Science Clearinghouse

Dr. Ingrid Zabel, Climate Change Education Manager, The Paleontological Research Institution

Thinking about climate change and its impacts is not usually fun, but exploring maps and data is! We’ll explore resources on the New York Climate Change Science Clearinghouse (https://nyclimatescience.org/), a portal to climate change information for New York State.  The Clearinghouse was developed to help local governments make scientifically sound decisions, but the maps and data available on it can be interesting and useful to teachers, students, researchers, and the general public.  We’ll explore some maps and data together and hopefully learn something about climate change along the way.

Technical difficulties prevented the live stream of this event.

October 8, 2020 - Earth@Home: Your Toolkit for Learning About Earth and its 4.5-billion-year history

Drs. Don Haas, Jonathon Hendricks, Alexandra Moore, Robert Ross, The Paleontological Research Institution

Earth@Home, a new resource from PRI, is rich with free interactive content about Earth and its life, with a focus on geology, paleontology, climate, and the connections of Earth’s different systems. Designed for anyone who wants to learn more about the history of the Earth and its life, Earth@Home provides opportunities to explore the geology right outside their door and around the world through Here on Earth, dig into an array of topics in the Digital Encyclopedia of Earth Science and participate in a range of investigations through Virtual Fieldwork, Virtual Labs, and Virtual Collections. For this session of Science in the Virtual Pub, we’ll give a quick tour of these resources followed by a discussion on how and why the resource was created and how it is likely to grow in the coming years.

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

September 24, 2020 - STEM in the 18th Century:  How Navigation, Geodesy, and the Romance of Euclid made the Industrial Revolution Possible

Dr. Eric Pyle, Professor, James Madison University University

From the time of Tycho Brahe, astronomers sought ever more precise instruments in a quest to define the order of the heavens.  This quest lead not just to the development of a new mathematics (calculus), but applications of the classical mathematics of Euclid.  With precision instruments in hand, scientists applied such instruments to the measure of the Earth, finding anomalies that not just showed how the Earth was β€œlumpy” and confirming Newton, but also demonstrating the practical limits of hand-made instruments.  Standardized, machine-generated instruments, further guided by geometry, exceeded these limits and made possible the tolerances necessary for efficient engines and interchangeable parts – touchstones of the Industrial Revolution.

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

September 10, 2020 - Indigo, a Story of Craft, Religion, History, Science, and Culture

Dr. Roald Hoffmann, Emeritus Professor, Cornell University

A desirable blue pigment, indigo, has served to intertwine craft, fashion, religion, power, and science. The story begins with the prescription by the Hebrews in Numbers of tekhelet, a blue pigment for ritual use, the parallel story of Tyrian purple in the Roman world, continues with the animal and plant sources of that pigment worldwide, the historical loss of the art of making snail indigo, on to chemistry and blue jeans. Some observations on the relationship of science and religion will emerge along the way.

See the Facebook Livestream recording here.

August 27, 2020 - Special screening of β€˜The Colony’ Weaves Together Animation, Theater, Music, and Science

Anna Lindemann, Assistant Professor, Digital Media & Design, School of Fine Arts, University of Connecticut

Animator, composer, and performer Anna Lindemann screens her newest work, The Colony, an art-science performance about sisterhood and the evolution of communication in two of the most social creatures on earth: humans and ants. Discussion with Dr. Lindemann follows the screening.

August 13, 2020 - The games of life: From unicellular organisms to mammals and even cancer

Dr. Ted Galanthay, Associate Professor, Mathematics, Ithaca College

God may not play dice with the universe, but organisms of all kinds, even cells, do play games.  Unlike the games we typically play with our friends, these can be literally games of life and death.  So, what kinds of games are played?  And, how can we formulate and study these games?  We'll peek into ways scientists use mathematics to search for answers to pressing questions in bacteriology, ecology, and cancer.

July 30, 2020 - Demonstrating the need for equity and inclusion in the geosciences through increasing access to authentic paleontological data and classic field sites

Lisa D. White, The University of California Museum of Paleontology at Berkeley

Virtual fieldwork experiences (VFEs) provide novel ways to engage audiences in the physical features of an area through the eyes of geoscientist. As VFEs, digital fossil databases, and other distance learning resources expand and potentially draw more diverse and inclusive audiences, questions remain as to their effectiveness. Join Dr. Lisa White, Director of Education and Outreach at the UC Museum of Paleontology, for a presentation and discussion on the challenges of transferring what we "see" and choose to emphasize as trained scientists and the opportunities to engage and inspire broader communities to share their own observations and drive curiosity.

July 16, 2020 - β€œDazzling, Deadly, and Diverse: Cone Snails and Their Fossil Recordβ€œ

Jonathan R. Hendricks, Paleontological Research Institution

Cone snails are one of the most diverse groups of marine animals alive today and their fossil record extends back over 50 million years. Their beautifully patterned shells have attracted the attention of naturalists and artists for hundreds of years. Today, their powerful venoms are being used to create novel drugs to treat varied human ailments. This presentation will provide an introduction to these remarkable animals and their rich fossil record.

July 2, 2020 - β€œI'm ashamed I believed this stuff”- Insights from people who changed their minds about climate change

Karin Kirk, Yale Climate Connections

Few things are more alluring than former climate skeptics, contrarians, or deniers who reverse course and ultimately come to accept the science of anthropogenic climate change. This presentation will illuminate the thought process of 8 people who changed their minds about climate change. Seven people were skeptical about climate change and came to accept the science, while one person went in the opposite direction. Learn what prompted them to change their minds.

Karin Kirk is a geologist and freelance science writer. She’s a contributing writer for Yale Climate Connections where she delves into public attitudes about climate and energy.

June 18, 2020 - Saving the College Lodge Forest near Fredonia, New York 

Jajean Rose-Burney, Deputy Executive Director, Western New York Land Conservancy

ο»ΏThe College Lodge Forest is home to old growth groves of trees, a pristine wetland, rare plants and animals, and miles of trails. Rose-Burney will discuss the Land Conservancy's efforts to purchase the forest and maintain it as a publicly accessible nature preserve.

June 10, 2020 - The good, the bad, and the tasty: perspectives on invasive crayfish (Bonus Wednesday session)

Dr. Chris Pennuto, WNY PRISM Director and SUNY Buffalo State Collegeο»Ώ

Species are sometime moved intentionally or inadvertently beyond their natural range. Crayfish are no exception. They represent one of the most extensively, intentionally introduced type of organism worldwide, primarily driven by culinary interests. Join Dr. Chris Pennuto, Director of the WNY PRISM and professor of Biology at Buffalo State College to explore how to recognize different local crayfish species and the potential impacts of non-native crayfish in habitats around the world. And yes, we’ll talk about their potential for the table.

June 4, 2020 - The Mating Game: The Secret Sex Lives of Local Wildlife

Dayna Jorgenson, Director of Live Animals, Cayuga Nature Center (a public education venue of the Paleontological Research Institution)

The science of sexual reproduction is complicated, and as to date remains steeped in mystery as we’ve only yet begun to explore in earnest the sexual natures of our wild brethren.  Come explore this fascinating division of evolutionary biology with Dayna Jorgenson, Director of Live Animals for the Cayuga Nature Center, as we dissect the importance of sexual reproduction and take a closer look at the amazing diversity of strategy and anatomy that defines how our native wildlife follow through with their basic instincts. Don’t miss this look behind the real β€œbirds and the bees”!

May 21, 2020 - The Frequency of Frequencies in Humpback Whale Song

Christina Perazio of the University of New England and University of Buffalo

ο»ΏOur oceans are being increasingly altered by anthropogenic disturbances, especially noise. What we don't fully understand is the impact that this noise is going to have on marine animals who use sound to forage, navigate, and communicate. I will be presenting the proposed research that my dissertation at SUNY Buffalo will address: do humpback whales concentrate their energy in specific frequency ranges? And if they do, what does that suggest about their ability to communicate in oceans that are becoming louder and louder?

May 7, 2020 - Muscles of Our Rivers: The Power of Unionids

Isabel Porto-Hannes of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Brandon Sansom of the University of Buffalo

Native freshwater mussels in our local waters are master filter-feeders, with each mussel filtering up to 1 liter of water per hour!  Isabel Porto-Hannes is a researcher at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Brandon Sansom is a post-doc researcher at UB.  Together they will tell the story of the rise and fall of native mussel populations in our local waters, and how we can use them to improve water and habitat quality in Western New York.

April 23, 2020 - She Sells Sea Shells: The Story of Mary Anning’s Fossils

Dr. Phil Stokes, Executive Director of Penn Dixie Fossil Park

Mary Anning spent her youth searching for fossils along the Lyme Regis coast in southern England. At the age of 12, Mary uncovered the world’s first ichthyosaur, which was a previously unknown animal whose discovery paved the way for our understanding of evolution and extinction. During his talk, Dr. Phil Stokes, the Executive Director of Penn Dixie Fossil Park will delve into Mary’s discoveries and illustrate the surprising connections between the ancient histories of southern England and Buffalo, NY.

April 9, 2020 - Continuing the discussion: Reinventing the Educational System in a Time of Disruption

Dr. Don Haas, Director of Teacher Programming, The Paleontological Research Institution

COVID-19 is a tragedy of epic and as yet uncertain magnitude. It is also a disruption to educational ecosystems of unprecedented scale, providing stunning opportunities for innovations. In this Science in the Virtual Pub session, Dr. Don Haas, Director of Teacher Programming at the Paleontological Research Institution, will continue the discussion of begun March 26.

March 26, 2020 - Reinventing the Educational System in a Time of Disruption

Dr. Don Haas, Director of Teacher Programming, The Paleontological Research Institution

COVID-19 is a tragedy of epic and as yet uncertain magnitude. It is also a disruption to educational ecosystems of unprecedented scale, providing stunning opportunities for innovations. In this kick-off event for Science in the Virtual Pub, Dr. Don Haas, Director of Teacher Programming at the Paleontological Research Institution, will discuss how most recent educational reform efforts are akin to rewriting the user manuals (through the writing and rewriting of educational standards) without changing educational operating systems. Suddenly, we have shelved the centuries-old operating system of schooling, and need to invent a replacement on the fly. While the chaos is stressful, it is also a great unshackling of educators.

Buffalo Science in the Pub Events:

February 26, 2020 - Critters in the Dirt That Aren’t Always Good

Dr. Nicholas Henshue, Clinical Assistant Professor of Ecology & Director of Undergraduate Studies, University at Buffalo

In our local soils, the β€œCrazy Asian Snakeworm” (Amynthas spp.) is becoming very common with their abundance and spread are increasing every year. During this chat, Nick Henshue, a professor at UB with a Ph.D. focused in Oligochaetology will highlight the current state of the worm knowledge; how they live, thrive, and survive; and environmentally damaging effects they pose on the local forests and your dirt!

January 29, 2020 - How Native Plants Help

Stanley Radon, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Planting native plants on a small scale in your backyard is helpful to may different types of wildlife in your area. Stan Radon will be sharing his experiences with converting a portion of his backyard to a small wetland habitat filled with native plants. Learn how planting just a few native plants can help, and what you can do to make a difference.


Science in the Virtual Pub is sponsored by the Paleontological Research Institution. The co-coordinators are Dr. Don Haas ([email protected]) Ken Zidell ([email protected]).

Science in the Virtual Pub is a spinoff of the Buffalo Science in the Pub. We look forward to returning to Resurgence Brewing Company in Buffalo, New York, and resuming our monthly face-to-face events as soon as it is safe to do so!

If you are unfamiliar with Zoom teleconferencing, you can find information about the service at zoom.us

Join our Facebook Group Science in the Virtual Pub and find us on Instagram at BuffSciPub