Description
Zika Virus has been in the news lately. Until recently, it was known as a rare and unremarkable virus that was connected to a few small outbreaks. In 2015, the virus tore through South America, and carried a previously unseen side effect: severe birth defects. This has understandably caused a lot of concern about the spread and risk of contracting this disease, and leaves people with many important questions: Continue reading “C2ST Speakeasy: “The Summer of Zika” with Dr. Daniel Johnson”
What kinds of technology are involved with helping reduce and reuse food waste in an urban food production setting? Plant Chicago’s Farm Technology Coordinator, Eric Weber, will discuss some of the projects being explored at The Plant, and how they fit into the larger world. These projects focus on various parts of the circular economy as it relates to food production, from the actual production of food to the energy used in both production and processing, as well as how to handle the waste products generated. Continue reading “C2ST Speakeasy: “Urban Farming and Closed-Loop Production” with Eric Weber”
Cannabis abuse during adolescence increases the risk of developing psychosis and prefrontal cortex (PFC)-dependent cognitive deficits later in life. The CB1 cannabinoid receptor has long been known to mediate the psychoactive effects of cannabis, yet the mechanisms underlying such vulnerability remain unknown. Here, I will discuss data from my lab and others showing that long-lasting deficits in prefrontal functions can occur following repeated exposure to cannabinoids during adolescence. Continue reading “C2ST Speakeasy: “Cannabis and the Developing Brain” with Dr. Kuei Yuan Tseng”
Everything we see today, our precious atoms and molecules, got here by traveling on swaths of dark matter. From the oscillations of the hot plasma of the primordial universe, to the formation and dynamics of modern galaxies, dark matter plays a necessary role. The very construct in which we sit is defined by its abundance. Our universe’s evolution is controlled tightly by a cosmic tug-of-war between dark matter and dark energy. Continue reading “C2ST Speakeasy: “Dark Matter — The Dark Path to our Being” with Dr. Ritoban Basu Thakur”
The Rupununi region of Guyana is a mix of lowland savannas and tropical forests. The vast savannas include an expansive network of wetlands that connect the Guyana’s main river drainage, Essequibo River, to the Amazon River during the rainy season. This unique biogeographic feature influences fish communities of the area. One of the fish species found here is in dire need of protection. Continue reading “C2ST Speakeasy: “Saving Giants of the Amazon” with Dr. Lesley de Souza”
There’s a treasure at the edge of the Solar System. It’s a data recorder, aboard the New Horizons spacecraft, slowly sending to Earth several gigabytes acquired during last summer’s flyby of Pluto. That information is still coming down. At the mission’s home base in Maryland, William S. Higgins witnessed the excitement during the encounter. Now he reviews results, downlinked in recent months, that are illuminating the mysteries of Pluto, its five moons, and its neighborhood. Continue reading “C2ST Speakeasy: “Playback from Pluto: Recent News from NASA’s New Horizon Spacecraft” with William S. Higgins”
