Since 1974, there has been mounting evidence of declining human sperm counts in several industrialized populations. But there are marked differences in occurrence and timing between regions, suggesting an environmental effect. Sperm counts have not yet declined to levels where fertility is severely threatened, but how serious is the problem and what might the future hold for our species?

Continue reading “Out for the Sperm Count: mysteries of a declining resource”

“You Can Observe A Lot By Watching” – Yogi Berra

Following Yogi’s advice, Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of Illinois Alan Nathan will use high-speed video clips to highlight some of the interesting physics underlying the game of baseball.  The talk will focus on the subtleties of the baseball-bat collision, the intricacies of the flight of a baseball, and many other things. Continue reading “The Physics of Baseball: “You Can Observe A Lot By Watching””