You never know what you'll see at the circus - fire, magic, juggling and so much more. Science of the Circus explains the science behind many of your favorite circus acts. Find out the neuroscience behind magic or how a performer can eat fire as we explore this exciting world before a Sunday matinee of St. Louis’ very own Circus Flora.

Free and open to all. Registration not required.

To be held at:
Centene Center for the Arts
Fourth Floor
3547 Olive St
St. Louis, MO 63103

A partnership presentation of:

On Science Series

Featured Speaker: Bruce Stinchcomb, Ph.D., paleontologist, retired Professor of Geology, St. Louis Community College - Florissant Valley, and author of, World’s Oldest Fossils, Paleozoic Fossils and More Paleozoic Fossils

Lecture and book signing

Within the Missouri Ozarks are extensive fossil-containing exposures of rock strata formed during the Cambrian Period of geologic time and deposited in shallow seas from 500 – 535 million years ago. This geologic era was a time of a great radiation of life with some life forms being obvious ancestors to those living today, while others appear to be totally extinct. Paleontologist and author Bruce Stinchcomb talks about these disappearing life forms represented by peculiar and even mysterious fossils found in the Cambrian of the Missouri Ozarks.

To be held at:
Center of Clayton OASIS
50 Gay Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63105

Registration required.  FREE to the first 10 registrants, $10 per person thereafter. OPEN to ALL. Space is limited. Middle and high school students welcome.

A partnership presentation of:

Perspectives on Science & History Series

Featured Speaker: David L Brody, M.D. Ph.D., Associate Professor of Neurology, Washington University; Site Director, National Football League Neurological Care Program and Washington University Concussion Clinic

Recently, reports of delayed deterioration after sports concussions and extensive news coverage on the effects of blast-related injuries in U.S. service members from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have brought the topic of traumatic brain injury into sharp focus. NFL Neurological Care Program and Washington University Concussion Clinic Director, Dr. David Brody, talks about what is really known about these injuries, and introduces several medical mysteries that remain unsolved in this important look at both sports and war-related traumatic brain injuries.

Photo credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Presented in conjunction with traveling exhibition Gridiron Glory: The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame on display at the Museum from May 25 – September 3, 2013; and the Missouri History Museum exhibition, Between Two Worlds: Veterans Journey Home, currently on display at the Museum through October 20, 2013.

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

Registration not required. FREE and OPEN to ALL. Middle and high school students welcome. Parking free in Museum lots or in Forest Park.

Presented in partnership with:

On the Menu: The Science of Food
Featured Speakers: Lauren Landfried, R.D., L.D., Instructor, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Saint Louis University; Dan Brewer, M.S., R.D., L.D., Chef Instructor, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Saint Louis University

Join us for an evening of art, food and science. We are creating a healthy meal using the dietitian's 3 favorite words - balance, variety, and moderation - while exploring different textures to show that food that is good for you can appeal to all of your senses.

Location: Webster House Galleries
7522-7526 Big Bend Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63119

Registration required. SPACE is LIMITED. OPEN to ALL. For more information, or to register, CLICK HERE, or call 314.533.8586.

Presented in conjunction with the exhibition A Feast For The Eyes, A Food Inspired Art Exhibition on display at Webster House Galleries from June 7 – July 19, 2013.

On the Menu: The Science of Food
Featured Speaker: Brian Pelletier, Owner and Chief Chocolatier, Kakao Chocolate

Photo credit: Kakao Chocolate

Do you love chocolate? Join us as we explore chocolate – where it comes from, how it’s made, and what makes it so good – and so good for you! We'll learn about the cocoa bean, cocoa nibs, where chocolate grows, the history of chocolate, and the process of making chocolate. Then Brian will lead you through a selection of Kakao's tasty confections, explaining how they make each one, by hand with all-natural ingredients. (They're always working on something new, so you might just get to try something no one else has had before!)

Participants can bring their own wine or other beverages to pair with the chocolate. Kakao provides the glassware.

Registration required. COST: $20 per person (Includes chocolate but not beverages). SPACE is LIMITED. OPEN to ALL. For more information, or to register, CLICK HERE, or call 314.533.8586.

On Science Series

Featured Speaker: Crystal Weaver, CRC, MT-BC, Music Therapist, Saint Louis University Cancer Center

Music therapy is a growing field in healthcare. Saint Louis University Cancer Center music therapist, Crystal Weaver provides insightful information on the practices of music therapy in hospitals and clinics throughout St. Louis and shares simple, easy to implement music therapy interventions for stress management.

Photo credit: Saint Louis University

To be held at:
OASIS in Forest Park, Dennis and Judith Jones Visitor’s Center
5595 Grand Drive in Forest Park
St. Louis, MO 63112

Registration required. FREE to the first 10 registrants, $10 per person thereafter. OPEN to ALL.  Space is limited. Middle and high school students welcome.

On Science Series co-sponsor:

Special Partnership Presentations

School Summit for the Greater St. Louis Region

Photo Credit: Missouri Botanical Garden

What: A 2-day summit where everyone will be able to share their successes and struggles, take in a film screening together, visit community and school gardens, and think big about our students’ food future.

Who: Educators, district leaders, school food service professionals, school gardeners/groundskeepers, parents, and students (high school and above). Teams of two to five individuals per school and/or district are encouraged.

Why: To learn from each other about ways to get healthier, fresher, more locally grown fruits and vegetables into school gardens, cafeterias, classrooms, and family kitchens.

To be held at:
Missouri Botanical Garden
Monsanto Center
4500 Shaw Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63110

Registration required. For more information, or to register, CLICK HERE

Foodology for Schools is a partnership presentation of:

On Science Series

Featured Speaker: Kurt H. Studt, DDS, MS, FAGD, Clinical Professor of Applied Dental Medicine, Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville; Adjunct Faculty, St. Louis Community College, Department of Dental Hygiene, Forest Park; part-time private practice

George Washington was perhaps the most famous wearer of dentures in American history. Want the tooth, the whole tooth and nothing but the tooth on the dental health and infamous "wooden" teeth of our Country's quintessential Founding Father? Then don't miss this fascinating talk on Dentistry through the Ages with Dr. Kurt Studt. It's a cringe-worthy look back at the history of dentistry with a peek at today's kinder, gentler dental technology.

To be held at:
Center of Clayton OASIS
50 Gay Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63105

Registration required.  FREE to the first 10 registrants, $10 per person thereafter. OPEN to ALL. Space is limited. Middle and high school students welcome.

A partnership presentation of:

Perspectives on Science & History Series

Featured Speaker: Rumi Kato Price, Ph.D., MPE, Professor of Psychiatry and Director, NIDA Post/Predoctoral Training Program, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine; Interim Director, Health Services Research and Development, Veterans Administration St. Louis Health Care System, Research Service

Photo credit: Washington University School of Medicine

Every major war in modern history spurs technological and scientific developments. The Vietnam War signifies a beginning shift in the investment of science capital to emphasize the psychological injuries of deployment. Washington University psychiatry professor Rumi Price traces the scientific history of treating and preventing war’s “signature injuries,” from the early 1970s to today’s conflict in Afghanistan. She covers current understanding of both the negative and positive impacts of soldiers’ war experiences, talks about best practices for prevention and treatment of war injuries, and based on her research, pays particular attention to the experiences of Missouri’s National Guard soldiers and families.

Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Between Two Worlds: Veterans Journey Home on display at the Missouri History Museum from April 13 - October 20, 2013. Between Two Worlds explores the 20th century soldier's struggles to stay connected to home and to transition back to home life upon return from service.

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

Registration not required. FREE and OPEN to ALL. Middle and high school students welcome. Parking free in Museum lots or in Forest Park.

Presented in partnership with:

On Science Series

Featured Speaker: Berit Brogaard, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy, Center for Neurodynamics, University of Missouri – St. Louis; Principal Investigator, Brogaard Lab devoted to synesthesia and multisensory perception; American editor, international philosophy journal, Erkenntnis

Photo credit: University of Missouri - St. Louis

Painter and photographer David Hockney perceives music in terms of colour and shape, and Richard Feynman and Vladimir Nabokov linked letters and numbers to colours. All three are synaesthetes. Synaesthesia-- a fusion of the senses, is a neurological condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway in unusual ways-- letters or numbers have colours, someone hears sounds in response to visual motion. Learn more about this fascinating condition and what it says about the idea that genius and special abilities are hidden aspects of us all.

To be held at:
OASIS in Forest Park, Dennis and Judith Jones Visitor’s Center
5595 Grand Drive in Forest Park
St. Louis, MO 63112

Registration required. FREE to the first 10 registrants, $10 per person thereafter. OPEN to ALL.  Space is limited. Middle and high school students welcome.

On Science Series co-sponsor:

On Science Series

Featured Speaker: Robert Criss, Ph.D., Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis

While he survived his fall down the “rabbit hole” in mid-March, a relaxing day on the fairway turned into a terrifying ordeal when the ground opened beneath the feet a golfer on a Waterloo, Illinois golf course. The Ozark ecoregion, which includes Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Illinois, and a corner of Kansas, is an area prone to soil collapses. Featuring local examples, hydrologist and Washington University professor, Robert Criss, talks about the uses and importance of caves and springs and the problems that commonly arise when karst lands are developed; and he shares information on nearby places where Missouri’s remarkable karst features can be experienced safely.

Photo credit: Washington University

To be held at:
OASIS in Forest Park, Dennis and Judith Jones Visitor’s Center
5595 Grand Drive in Forest Park
St. Louis, MO 63112

Registration required. FREE to the first 10 registrants, $10 per person thereafter. OPEN to ALL.  Space is limited. Middle and high school students welcome.

On Science Series co-sponsor:

Green Energy Series

Tour Guide: Jim Jordan, Senior Coordinator, Continuing Education, University of Missouri - St. Louis; Board Chair and Educational Outreach Director, Show Me Solar

Small passenger bus driving tour

Recycling is becoming a common household practice in St. Louis, but what happens to the products and materials we recycle once they arrive at the recycling centers? Visit three recycling facilities – Republic Recycling, Remains Textile Fiber Recycling, and the new Household Hazardous Waste Facility on this guided passenger bus driving tour of Eco-Recycling in St. Louis. Along the way, we’ll stop at Perennial, a repurposing center, to see and learn about the process of reclaiming trash.

Meet at:
OASIS in Forest Park, Dennis and Judith Jones Visitor’s Center
5595 Grand Drive in Forest Park
St. Louis, MO 63112

Registration required.  COST: $20 per person.  OPEN to ALL.  Space is limited, so register early!  Middle and high school students welcome. 

For more information, or to register, CLICK HERE, or call 314.533.8586.

Green Energy Series co-sponsors:

and

Science Seminar Series
Featured Speaker: Shibu Jose, PhD., Harold E. Garrett Endowed Chair Professor and Director of the Center for Agroforestry, University of Missouri - Columbia

Researchers have long known the fertile lands of Missouri and the Midwest have the capacity to be powerhouses for biofuel production. What remains elusive is a way to grow the biomass needed to make biofuel without encroaching on land dedicated to food crops, and a way to profitably transport and refine the biomass. Big energy challenges require big ideas and even bigger collaborations. University of Missouri – Columbia’s Advantage researcher Shibu Jose has both.

Photo credit: University of Missouri - Columbia

In response to our country’s advanced biofuels goals, the University led the formation of the Mississippi/Missouri River Advanced Biomass/Biofuels Consortium (MRABC) in 2010, a team of more than 40 academic institutions and agricultural and energy companies working to turn the Missouri and Mississippi rivers into a “biomass corridor” that will provide clean energy for the U.S. and economic opportunity for Missouri—a system with the capacity to produce up to 8 billion gallons of advanced biofuels. It’s a fascinating look at a biomass and biofuels innovation you won’t want to miss.

To be held at: Saint Louis Zoo Living World auditorium (north side of Zoo)

Parking is FREE in Zoo’s North Lot.
FREE & OPEN to ALL. Registration not required.
For more information call 314-533-8586 or email events@academyofsciencestl.org

Science Seminar Series Co-sponsored by:

Science Seminar Series
Featured Speaker: Joseph D. Lykken, Ph.D.,Theoretical Physicist, Theoretical Physics Department, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Photo credit: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

To be held at: Saint Louis Zoo Living World auditorium (north side of Zoo)

Parking is FREE in Zoo’s North Lot.
FREE & OPEN to ALL. Registration not required.
For more information call 314-533-8586 or email events@academyofsciencestl.org

Science Seminar Series Co-sponsored by: