Childhood should be a time of carefree enjoyment. Unfortunately, for children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, leukemia or multiple sclerosis, youth is hardly worry-free. Learn what stem cell researchers are doing to develop cures for these and other diseases that rob children of some of their best and brightest days.

Kirkwood OASIS - Kirkwood Community Center

111 South Geyer Road, St. Louis, MO 63122

FREE to the first 10 registrants, $9 per person thereafter. OPEN to ALL. Space is limited.

To register call 314-533-8586 or e-mail rsvp@academyofsciencestl.org

On Science Series co-sponsor:

Pamela Gay, Ph.D., Astronomer, Assistant Research Professor, Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville; Co-Host, Astronomy Cast; Team Member, Galaxy Zoo

We live in a new age of technology-driven science, with new instruments and new computers that allow us to collect more information – more images, more DNA profiles, more environmental sensor data, than ever before. With this flood of information, scientists are no longer able to explore all the images, all the data, on their own, so more and more – science is turning to the public and requesting help. From the discovery of rare “Green Pea” galaxies to the first sighting in fourteen years of a rare non-spotted ladybug in the Northeastern U.S., ordinary citizens are contributing to discoveries in science.

It is possible to get involved in meaningful science either by going online or by going outside. The Galaxy Zoo project invites people to help astronomers better understand our evolving universe by classifying online galaxy images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Rather be outside? The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a variety of bird counting projects to help track the population of birds around the United States. Starting with the original citizen science projects begun by Benjamin Franklin, astronomer, writer, and podcaster, Pamela Gay, talks about citizens and science, the problem of data flood, and the ways ordinary citizens today can, and do, contribute to the pursuit of scientific discovery.

Photo © Pamela Gay

All Seminars are held in The Living World (north side of Zoo)
Parking FREE in Zoo North Lot.

FREE & OPEN to ALL.

For more information call 314-533-8586 or email mbauer@academyofsciencestl.org

Science Seminar Series Co-sponsored by:

Panel Moderator: Marc Lopata, P.E., Chief Technology Officer, Azimuth Energy

Featured Topics and Panelists:

Clean Energy: Opportunities and Challenges
Richard Axelbaum, Ph.D., Director, Consortium for Clean Coal Utilization and Professor, Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis

The world is facing a challenge like never before. Energy usage is skyrocketing and the consequence is that atmospheric CO2 levels are dangerously high and rising, potentially threatening our very planet. There are entrepreneurial opportunities in producing clean energy and challenges that must be met if we are to make a difference worldwide.

Energy, Our Environment & Development: What is Washington University Doing?
Pratim Biswas, Ph.D., Fellow, Academy of Science - St. Louis; Stifel and Quinette Jens Professor, and Director, McDonnell Academy Global Energy and Environment Partnership, and Chair, Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis

Learn about Energy Basics and why energy is such an important issue not only for all of us here in America, but for people across the globe. Find out how Washington University faculty, students and staff are addressing global energy challenges.

Environmental Economics... Wait, is that an Oxymoron?
Lea-Rachel Kosnik, Ph.D., Environmental Economist, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Missouri - StL

Most people assume Economics is about business, making money, and utilizing goods in destructive and/or consumptive ways. At the same time, Environmental Studies focuses on protecting and nurturing earth’s resources. The two seem polar opposites, but economists can and do contribute to solving our most pressing environmental issues. Learn why there are hundreds of economists currently employed at institutions like the Environmental Protection Agency, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the World Wildlife Fund; and discover how economists have been integral in shaping renewable energy legislation and renewable energy initiatives across the land.

Energy Makes the World go Round
James McLaren, Ph.D., CMC, Founder and President, StrathKirn, Inc., -- a biotechnology and bioenergy consulting company focused on the future

Energy—after food it’s the most important issue of our age. Everything we do, from sitting and thinking to flying around the world, consumes energy. Humans have been outstanding at developing high performance systems for convenience and comfortable living, which means using a huge amount of energy. Where does it come from? What types of energy do we harness? Will it ever run out? Will you be able to drive a car five years from now? Will energy ever be free? Why is bioenergy different? You don’t need to have a “sparky” personality but you do need to be “bright,” so... if you are a bit of a “live-wire,” come along and find out about the different sciences and skills that are working together on the future of energy. You might be able to plug right in

DRAWINGS for TWO FREE JUNIOR SCIENCE ACADEMY MEMBERSHIPS at each Seminar.

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES TO COMPETE FOR COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS - one $250 Middle School Student Scholarship and one $250 High School Student Scholarship. Attend 3 of the 5 seminars or panel discussions and write about your experience. Scholarship decisions announced in May 2010!

To be held at Kirkwood High School Keating Theater, 801 W. Essex, Kirkwood, MO 63122

Parking free in the high school lot.

This event is free and open to middle and high school students, teachers, adults, and the general public.

Pioneering Science Series co-sponsor:

Eagles, Hawks, Owls, Vultures & more! You will be amazed as you learn about these magnificent birds, some of which will fly right over your head! Masters of the Sky is a celebration of the migrating bald eagles who spend their winters in the Alton area where they can hunt for fish and rest along the Mississippi River. Spotting scopes will be available to view eagles in their natural habitat. Sponsored by the Meeting of the Rivers Foundation in partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Free and open to Junior Academy Students. (Parents welcome)

e-mail peggyw@academyofsciencestl.org by February 10th to RSVP and for directions.

Featured Speaker: Garland E. Allen, Ph.D.,Professor of Biology, Washington University of St. Louis

The concept of race as we know it arose in the 16th and 17th centuries. From the very beginning, various biological, or naturalistic, explanations were developed to describe differences between races and to justify race-based discrimination. Washington University Professor of Biology, Dr. Garland E. Allen, examines the history of these “scientific” endeavors. From debates about whether indigenous people were even the same species as Europeans, to studies of cranial capacities and body forms, to the use of genetics in the early 20th century, these attempts were always geared to show the differences between groups and explicitly or implicitly providing a rationale for economic and social exploitation.

Presented in conjunction with the traveling exhibition, RACE: Are We So Different? on display at the Missouri History Museum, January 16, 2010 – April 4, 2010.

Photo Credit: © American Anthropological Association

To be held at: Missouri History Museum – Lee Auditorium
Lindell and DeBaliviere in Forest Park
St. Louis, Missouri 63112

FREE and OPEN to ALL. Middle and high school students welcome.
Parking free in Museum lots or in Forest Park.

Perspectives on Science & History Series Co-sponsored by:

Featured Speaker: Bob Merz, Zoological Manager, Invertebrates, Saint Louis Zoo

Photo Courtsey Saint Louis Zoo

Like a story from a bizarre and twisted pulp novel—a couple finds a dead body, then under the cover of darkness, secret it away in a safe place and then feed the remains to their babies. It almost sounds too gruesome to be true, until you realize that it’s a large carrion beetle performing the essential task of breaking down “nature’s garbage,” by recycling carcasses and controlling fly populations.

The American Burying Beetle was once common in 35 states and 3 provinces of Canada. Now it is found in small pockets in just 7 states. This dramatic decline prompted the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to classify this beautiful black and red beetle as Endangered in 1989. Since 2002, the Invertebrate Unit at the Saint Louis Zoo has been diligently working toward the species’ recovery—surveying Missouri for existing populations and establishing colonies at the Zoo that help us learn more about this endangered beetle and its remarkable life history. In addition, the Saint Louis Zoo are providing founders in a USFWS-led reintroduction effort in parts of the species’ former range and are investigating possible reasons contributing to the beetle’s decline. Don’t miss Zoo Invertebrates Manager, Bob Merz’s unique insight into the nitty-gritty of field work to save an endangered species in this overview of the Saint Louis Zoo’s continuing effort to recover the American Burying Beetle.

Free public seminars highlight conservation science and global conservation issues and efforts supported by the Saint Louis Zoo and other wildlife organizations. Junior Academy members, middle, and high school students are encouraged to attend. Reservations are not required.

All Conservation Conversations are held in the St. Louis Zoo Living World auditorium and parking is free in the Zoo North Lot.

Conservation Conversations Co-sponsored by:

Presenter: Aaron Addison, International Explorer

In 2006, field reconnaissance revealed a massive limestone cave in the Khammouane Province of central Laos. An international team of explorers returned in early 2008 to document this world-class river cave system. Over 11km of cave passages were surveyed and photographed in just nine days. A better understanding of the region and its people was also achieved. Much of central Laos has been closed to outside visitors for almost 50 years. Based on the findings of the 2008 expedition, a return trip is planned to document other caves in the region.

5:30 p.m. Business Meeting for Explorers Club Members Only
6:00 p.m. Cocktails–Tickets issued, please bring correct change
6:45 p.m. Dinner
7:30 p.m. Speaker

Whittemore House
Washington University-Danforth Campus, 6440 Forsyth
RSVP - NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 10, 2010 to Becky Doane at
rdoane@thompsoncoburn.com or (314) 231-2306 x1302

Price: $50(Explorer Club Members) $55(Guests)

Note: to be admitted to the lecture portion of the evening only, you must RSVP.

Business attire required (jacket & tie)

Greater St. Louis Science Fair - Honors Division

Judging on Saturday, February 27, 2010

Students must be pre-registered to to participate.

Featured Topics and Panelists:

Women and Science Leadership
Norma Clayton, 2009 Women of Color Technologist of the Year; Vice President, Learning, Training & Development, The Boeing Company

Inspiring and driving individual, team, and organizational performance can be a tough job. Women in leadership roles in historically male-dominated fields of science, technology and engineering have traveled a particularly interesting path. But the climate for women who aspire to leadership roles in the sciences is changing considerably, with more women than ever before pursuing careers in science. Find out how women are leading the way in science today.

Research in a Pharmaceutical Setting: An Opportunity to Advance Science and Help People
Heidi Hope, Ph.D., Senior Principal Scientist, Pfizer

Find out about educational paths to pharmaceutical research, career opportunities in industry and how state-of-the-art scientific research leads to state-of-the-art new medicines.

Bleeding Control in Health and Disease
Matthew Ndonwi, Ph.D., Founder, Diversity Postdoctoral Association, and Staff Scientist, Internal Medicine/Hematology, Washington University School of Medicine

To prevent fatal bleeding from an injury, blood at the site of a wound is converted to a solid form called a clot, which seals wounded vessels. Clots sometimes form in the absence of injury, leading to heart attacks and strokes. Learn about work in Hematology to control clotting in both health and disease.

Plant Biotechnology for the Next 50 Years
Oliver Yu, Ph.D., Associate Member and Principal Investigator, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center

With increasing populations, a warming atmosphere, and depleting nature resources, the challenges for plant scientists are enormous. The most urgent problems plant scientists will face over the next 50 years are being helped by advances in modern plant biotechnology.

DRAWINGS for TWO FREE JUNIOR SCIENCE ACADEMY MEMBERSHIPS at each Seminar.

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES TO COMPETE FOR COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS - one $250 Middle School Student Scholarship and one $250 High School Student Scholarship. Attend 3 of the 5 seminars or panel discussions and write about your experience. Scholarship decisions announced in May 2010!

To be held at Kirkwood High School Keating Theater, 801 W. Essex, Kirkwood, MO 63122

Parking free in the high school lot.

This event is free and open to middle and high school students, teachers, adults, and the general public.

Pioneering Science Series co-sponsor:

Bruce Lindsey, Dean, College of Architecture and Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design, E. Desmond Lee Professor for Community Collaboration, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis

Two years after the publication of Rachel Carson's book, Silent Spring, botanist Paul Sears described ecology as a “subversive science” because it called into question the cultural and economic premises of Western societies – pointing out the ironic fact that the root word for economics and ecology is the Greek word oikos for house, household, or family. Bruce Lindsey, Dean of Washington University’s College of Architecture, takes a look at some of the early American environmental thinking as a foundation for discussing current trends in sustainability and architecture. Beginning with early voices such as Aldo Leopold, Ian McHarg, Rachael Carson, and others, he explores sustainability as both a cultural and technical force driving contemporary architectural practice.

A house that grows itself, a sustainable farmers’ market in the Ville neighborhood of St. Louis that improves public health, a play structure for an after school arts program in Pagedale, a sustainable skyscraper in Chicago – projects by both professionals and students illustrate the current issues informing environmental design. Dr. Lindsey speculates about the future of architecture and its relationship to our environment and us.

All Seminars are held in The Living World (north side of Zoo)
Parking FREE in Zoo North Lot.

FREE & OPEN to ALL.

For more information call 314-533-8586 or email mbauer@academyofsciencestl.org

Science Seminar Series Co-sponsored by:

Featured Speaker: Linda Wegrzyn, Environmental Specialist, Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Is your cell phone hazardous waste? Do you have an outdated computer or two in your basement, an old TV? Used electronics have become one of the world’s fastest growing and most toxic waste streams. Computer monitors and older TVs contain an average of four pounds of lead; and old electronics can contain toxic chemicals such as chromium, cadmium, mercury, beryllium, nickel, zinc and brominated flame-retardants. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that each year, more than 2 million tons of computers and other electronics are disposed of improperly and a mere 20 percent are recycled. Missouri Department of Natural Resources Environmental Specialist, Linda Wegrzyn, talks about e-waste in Missouri and the U.S., how to prevent heavy metals and other toxic electronics materials from polluting our environment, and the Missouri Computer Equipment Collection and Recovery Act which goes into effect in July 2010.

OASIS St. Charles Community College 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive, Cottleville, MO 63376-2865

FREE to the first 10 registrants, $9 per person thereafter. OPEN to ALL. Space is limited.

To register call 314-533-8586 or e-mail rsvp@academyofsciencestl.org

On Science Series co-sponsor:

Featured Topics and Panelists:

Bioethics and Science Reporting: The Problem of Hype
Rebecca Dresser, JD, Daniel Noyes Kirby, Professor of Law and Professor of Ethics in Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis

Nearly every day we hear about scientific breakthroughs in the laboratory. Journalists tell us about potential cures for cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and other diseases that plague modern society. But what works in animals often doesn’t translate to effective human treatments. Learn about the ethics of science reporting and why hype is bad for science and the public.

Medical Futility: Where Science & Morals Collide
Griffin Trotter, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Departments of Heallth Care Ethics and Surgery, Saint Louis University

When are doctors are justified in refusing to provide treatments and other interventions because these treatments violate the standards of good scientific medicine? Of special interest are cases where physicians refuse to provide a requested treatment (e.g., mechanical ventilation) because the scientific evidence indicates the treatment will not work —that is, that it is “futile” —for the given case. Dr. Trotter Investigates medical futility claims and the philosophical puzzles they create.

The Genetics of Infertility and the Extinction of the Dinosaurs: Is Humankind Next?
Sherman Silber, M.D., Fellow, Academy of Science - St. Louis; Director, Infertility Society of St. Louis, St. Luke’s Hospital

The modern world is in the midst of an unexpected infertility epidemic. Our genetic studies of infertility offer an explanation for how the X and Y chromosomes evolved and even for how the dinosaurs went extinct. Our changing societal structure is causing the majority of couples who delay childbearing to become permanently infertile, which portends a frightening demographic future for our economy.

DRAWINGS for TWO FREE JUNIOR SCIENCE ACADEMY MEMBERSHIPS at each Seminar.

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES TO COMPETE FOR COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS - one $250 Middle School Student Scholarship and one $250 High School Student Scholarship. Attend 3 of the 5 seminars or panel discussions and write about your experience. Scholarship decisions announced in May 2010!

To be held at Kirkwood High School Keating Theater, 801 W. Essex, Kirkwood, MO 63122

Parking free in the high school lot.

This event is free and open to middle and high school students, teachers, adults, and the general public.

Pioneering Science Series co-sponsor:

Featured Speaker: Wendy Applequist, Ph.D., Assistant Curator, William L. Brown Center, Missouri Botanical Garden

Plants have always been a major source of medicines, and to this day, two-thirds of the world’s population use medicinal plants as primary health care. Today many lifesaving pharmaceutical drugs have been developed from plants and it’s virtually certain that more lifesaving drugs remain to be found. Missouri Botanical Garden Curator, Wendy Applequist, talks on the development of the scientific study of medicinal plants, from pre-scientific and pre-human use to formal experimental methods used in medieval Arabic pharmacy to modern drug development, the means of validating traditional use of whole plants– and why some useful herbs can never be made into drugs.

To be held at: Missouri History Museum – Lee Auditorium
Lindell and DeBaliviere in Forest Park
St. Louis, Missouri 63112

FREE and OPEN to ALL. Middle and high school students welcome.
Parking free in Museum lots or in Forest Park.

Perspectives on Science & History Series Co-sponsored by:

-- a photographic journey and book signing with Amy Gulick, award-winning photographer and author, Salmon in the Trees

Salmon in the Trees tells the story of the Tongass, a rare rain forest spread among thousands of islands in the panhandle of Alaska. It’s a place where everything grows everything. Young saplings grow on top of fallen, centuries-old trees. Bears, eagles, and Native cultures grow strong on wild salmon. Trees grow salmon, and salmon grow trees.

At almost 17 million acres, the Tongass is America’s largest national forest, and comprises nearly a third of the world’s rare old-growth temperate rain forest. With some of the highest densities of grizzly bears, black bears, and bald eagles in the world, it’s a place that time hasn’t quite caught up to -- yet. Can the great forest’s biological treasures withstand the modern pressures of a globalized world? The Tongass is public land entrusted to all Americans. The decisions we make today will determine if the Tongass will continue to be a place where everything grows everything, and salmon grow in trees.

During the past two years, wildlife photographer Amy Gulick, has documented the grizzly bears, wolves, bald eagles, humpback whales and wild salmon of the Tongass National Forest. Gulick is an award-winning photographer and writer specializing in natural history, wildlife and conservation issues.

Book signing, “Salmon in the Trees: Life in Alaska's Tongass Rainforest" with author Amy Gulick will follow the talk.

Photo © Amy Gulick

Special thanks to the Alaska Wilderness League http://www.alaskawild.org/
for sponsoring,“Salmon in the Trees.”

All Seminars are held in The Living World (north side of Zoo)
Parking FREE in Zoo North Lot.

FREE & OPEN to ALL.

For more information call 314-533-8586 or email mbauer@academyofsciencestl.org

Science Seminar Series Co-sponsored by:

Lecture and book signing with...

Featured Speaker: Laurel Neme, environmental journalist, international consultant for natural resource management, and author, Animal Investigators: How the World’s First Wildlife Forensics Lab is Solving Crimes and Saving Endangered Species

Killing wild animals is big business. Illegal wildlife smuggling can be worth as much as $20 billion annually and ranks just behind drugs and human trafficking as the third largest illegal trade world-wide. Environmental journalist, Laurel Neme, has unprecedented inside access to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Oregon, (the first and only animal forensics laboratory known as a CSI of wildlife) and its agents, law enforcement and the indigenous people involved in individual cases of the illegal wildlife trade. She brings to life the trafficking of the Alaskan walrus, black bear gall bladders and feather art, and helps us understand the economics of wildlife crime and why everyone from the petty criminal to organized crime wants in on the game. Wildlife trafficking— who’s buying it, what species are most threatened, and what can we do to stop it? You won’t want to miss this fascinating look at the new science of wildlife forensics.

Free public seminars highlight conservation science and global conservation issues and efforts supported by the Saint Louis Zoo and other wildlife organizations. Junior Academy members, middle, and high school students are encouraged to attend. Reservations are not required.

All Conservation Conversations are held in the St. Louis Zoo Living World auditorium and parking is free in the Zoo North Lot.

Conservation Conversations Co-sponsored by:

The Quest for Cures: Stem Cells and Age-Related Diseases Learn the symptoms of diseases that tend to affect older Americans, and how scientists are using stem cells to develop therapies and cures. This class is especially helpful for people older than 60, when Parkinson’s, macular degeneration and heart disease often start to appear.

OASIS at The Willows at Brooking Park

211 South Wood Mill Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017-3416

FREE to the first 10 registrants, $9 per person thereafter. OPEN to ALL. Space is limited.

To register call 314-533-8586 or e-mail rsvp@academyofsciencestl.org

On Science Series co-sponsor:

2010 Outstanding St. Louis Scientist Awards
to be presented at the Awards Dinner
April 22, 2010 at the Chase Park Plaza

Please call Mary Burke with questions at 314-533-8082.

The Quest for Cures: Stem Cell Research and People of Color So many diseases affect minority communities at higher rates than the general population – diabetes, heart disease and sickle cell disease among them. Learn about medical advances that stem cell researchers are making to combat these and other diseases, advances that offer hope for a healthier tomorrow.

Forest Park OASIS - Dennis and Judith Jones Visitor Center

5595 Grand Drive, St. Louis, MO 63112

FREE to the first 10 registrants, $9 per person thereafter. OPEN to ALL. Space is limited.

To register call 314-533-8586 or e-mail rsvp@academyofsciencestl.org

On Science Series co-sponsor:

This week-long event features top students (Grades K-12)in the Greater St. Louis Region!

The hope of stem cell research unites a variety of Americans. Why? Because we all share a concern for our families’ health and well-being. Join us as we highlight medical advances that scientists are making in the fight against diabetes, Parkinson’s, spinal cord injuries and other afflictions that affect our families and friends.

OASIS at the Center of Clayton

50 Gay Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63105

FREE to the first 10 registrants, $9 per person thereafter. OPEN to ALL. Space is limited.

To register call 314-533-8586 or e-mail rsvp@academyofsciencestl.org

On Science Series co-sponsor:

2010 BioBlitz! Stay tuned for details!