Event

The Science of Pokemon at Harold Washington Library

The Chicago Council on Science and Technology and Chicago Public Library present The Science of Pokemon! In the world of Pokemon, adventurous explorers – called Pokemon trainers – can travel far and wide, catching and cataloging fantastical creatures to fill out their Pokedex, a digital index of various pokemon species. While you can’t find a Pikachu in any of the viridian forests on Earth, Pokemon masters have a real-world counterpart in the form of scientists! Scientists can be found in every corner of the world, discovering new species and cataloging their unique characteristics. This real life data collection has become the foundation for the design of Pokemon themselves! We’ve brought a panel of experts from across the sciences to talk to us about the real-life plants and animals that Pokemon are based on. If you’ve ever wanted the chance to have a conversation with Professor Oak, this is the next best thing! We’ve gotta catch them all!

Event

The Science of Pokemon at C2E2

Wild Science Encounters: Beyond the Pokeball

In the world of Pokemon, adventurous explorers- called Pokemon trainers- can travel far and wide, catching and cataloging fantastical creatures to fill out their Pokedex, a digital index of various pokemon species. While you can’t find a Pikachu in any of the viridian forests on Earth, Pokemon masters have a real-world counterpart in the form of scientists! Scientists can be found in every corner of the world, discovering new species and cataloging their unique characteristics. This real life data collection has become the foundation for the design of Pokemon themselves! We’ve brought a panel of experts from across the sciences to talk to us about the real-life plants and animals that Pokemon are based on. If you’ve ever wanted the chance to have a conversation with Professor Oak, this is the next best thing! We’ve gotta catch them all!

Blog Post

Bridging Language and the Brain: An Interview with Keith Johnson, Ph.D.

By Donnisa Edmonds, C2ST Intern, University of Chicago

Keith Johnson, Ph.D., Professor of Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, studies how language and the brain interact. For the past few years, Dr. Johnson has been working with a research group at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) on phonetic neuroscience. I recently sat down with Dr. Johnson to discuss this topic.

Continue reading “Bridging Language and the Brain: An Interview with Keith Johnson, Ph.D.”

Event

2026 WISER Distinguished Lectureship Series: Jennifer Holmgren

In today’s world, bold innovation is not just desirable, it’s essential for a sustainable future. Join Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech, as she shares her journey transforming “impossible” ideas into global solutions for the circular carbon economy. This inspiring talk explores the intersection of perseverance, daring to dream big, and leveraging cutting-edge technology to rethink how we obtain, use, and dispose of carbon. Continue reading “2026 WISER Distinguished Lectureship Series: Jennifer Holmgren”

Blog Post

Under the Sea: The Invisible Changes to Ocean Life

By Hayden Nelson, C2ST Intern, University of Chicago

At a long-term monitoring site at Tatoosh Island in northern Washington, researchers noticed an unexpected trend in their pH data. “We thought maybe it was a mistake,” recalls Dr. Cathy Pfister, an ecology and conservation scientist. “But after lots of checking and double-checking…it became really clear. Ocean pH was declining at our long-term study site.”

Continue reading “Under the Sea: The Invisible Changes to Ocean Life”