Cafe Sci Orlando announcements for 2013-06: Space-faring Civilization / Science Experiments in Microgravity

[Chad MILLER]

contents:

• Kids cafe confusion? (You are invited. Anyone is welcome, not just kids.)
• "Urgent Need to Become a Space-Faring Civilization" at Taste
  
• "Science Experiments in Microgravity" at Downtown Orlando Library
  

This month we will have fascinating discussions at our Cafe Sci at 7PM on Wednesday 5 June, at Taste, in College Park; and at the Cafe Sci for kids at 6PM on Tuesday 11 June, at the downtown Orlando Public Library.

Kids' cafe confusion?

To clear up some misunderstanding, what's different about the new cafe is that kids are now welcome at a cafe. The "kids' cafe" does not exclude adults!  Anyone who comes to the cafes at Taste is also welcome at the cafe at the Library. The one at Taste is not restricted to ages, but is generally at least "PG-13".

Urgent Need to Become a Space-Faring Civilization

We are presently concerned about global warming, peak oil, resource depletion in general, overpopulation, resource wars, and so on. Rather than thinking of these as separate problems, we should recognize them as elements of the first barrier in any civilization's approach to Level 2 of the Kardashev scale (a method of measuring a civilization's level of technological advancement). If we want to address any of these global challenges effectively, we need to recognize them for what they are and address the basic problem behind them. We need to bring the solar system into Earth’s economic sphere. This talk will discuss the challenges and provide a strategy for getting over the first barrier affordably within our generation. 

Philip T. Metzger, Ph.D. works at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center as the lead research physicist and founder of the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations (GMRO) Lab, part of the Surface Systems Swamp Works. Phil has worked in the space program since 1985. He was a part of the Space Shuttle launch team and later with the International Space Station Program testing and assembling spaceflight hardware. For the past 10 years, he has performed research and technology development for solar system exploration (Moon, Mars, asteroids, etc.). He earned a B.S.E.(electrical engineering) from Auburn University in 1985, a M.S. in physics from the University of Central Florida in 2000, and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Central Florida in 2005. His doctoral work focused on the theoretical statistical mechanics of granular materials with applications to the mechanics of lunar and planetary soils.

Directions

Taste

717 W. Smith Street

Orlando, United States

32804

Taste is near the corner of Princeton Street (really Smith Street after the fork) and Edgewater Drive, so about 2 minutes from I-4 to parking. One can park on the street or in the parking lot behind Taste. 

• From Downtown and south, drive north ("east") on I-4 through downtown. At the exit for Princeton Street, exit and turn left/west.
  
• From Altamonte Springs and north, drive south ("west") on I-4 toward downtown Orlando. At the exit for Princeton Street, exit and turn right/west.
  

From I-4, drive a few blocks to Edgewater Drive. At the intersection, you should see a orange building ahead of you, labeled "Taste". Park on the street or behind Taste.

Science Experiments in Microgravity

What’s unusual about doing science while zipping around the earth in a space station at 17 thousand miles per hour? Dr Luke Roberson will tell you what it takes to design a good experiment to be run in microgravity, and will show the effects of zero gravity and low gravity on you and the things around you.

Luke B. Roberson, Ph.D. is a systems engineer for science payload development at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. He is responsible for designing, building, verifying, and validating science experiments for deployment to the International Space Station. His current projects focus on plant growth chambers, integrating requirements of science and engineering to create a high-fidelity platform for research aboard ISS. Previously Dr. Roberson served as a research scientist at KSC inventing and developing new technologies for the space industry. In addition, Dr. Roberson is the President of Vaulted Technologies, and has 3 issued patents, 10 pending patents, over 20 published scientific articles, and has co-authored a book.

Directions

Orlando Public Library, first floor

101 E Central Blvd

Orlando, Florida

32801

United States

The Library is at the corner of Central Blvd and Rosalind Ave, in downtown Orlando.  From northbound Rosalind, turn left/west onto Central.  From southbound Orange, turn left/east onto Central. The library is on the north side of the street, and directly across from it is a parking deck. Parking is free downtown starting at 6, so you might need to pay some negligible amount.  Or, from anywhere in downtown, ride free Lymmo busses to Central Ave.