Just what is Science Pub? Science Pub is an informal get-together where you can interact with experts and where there's no such thing as a silly question. No scientific background is required - just curiosity, a sense of humor, and an appetite for food, drinks, and knowledge. We meet once a month. Topics are focused on advances in science and technology that directly affect our lives, and the experts are leading researchers and scientists in the field. Don't expect a speaker behind the podium! It's relaxed, interactive, and fun.

The Science Pub is open to anyone and everyone, no RSVP required. Science Pub is meant for adults. Tell your friends, and we hope to see you there!

For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, please contact sciencepub@omsi.edu or call 503-797-4517.

The Portland Science Pub has a new home!

When: The last Monday of the month @ 7:00 pm

Where: Mission Theater & Pub, 1624 N.W. Glisan, Portland, OR

Doors open at 5 p.m.

OMSI has started recording the science pub! You can find recordings on our past pub page, or subscribe to the podcast!

Fifty years ago, the introduction of modern shipping containers revolutionized the world's economy. For the first time there was a secure, cost-effective method to transport everything from footwear to frozen French Fries anywhere in the world. We'll explore the value and relevance of marine shipping and international trade, the effects on the economy and the environment, and the role Portland plays in this global network.

Barry Horowitz is the general manager of container marketing for the Port of Portland, responsible for attracting new ocean carrier services to the Port and developing new shipper-based programs. He has worked extensively in international trade, including being director of international transportation for Nike in the early 1990s.

For bonobos, a species of great ape, sex is not just for reproduction; it's used for greeting, bonding, play, and conflict resolution. It's just one of several things that set these apes apart from their evolutionary cousins-gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and humans. In communities of bonobos, females hold the power: They maintain priority over food, they create alliances with other females to keep peace in their groups, and they avoid conflict. Are the peaceful, nonviolent bonobos really capable of empathy, sensitivity, and altruism? What can bonobo behavior tell us about human interaction?

Dr. Frances White is a primatologist interested in the evolution of non-human and human primate social behaviors and has been studying bonobos since 1983. She is an associate professor of anthropology and director of the Institute of Cognitive and Decision Sciences at the University of Oregon.

Geckos can run up smooth vertical surfaces but, until recently, no one knew how they did it. Looking at the structure of gecko feet at the nanoscale and measuring the tiny forces involved showed that gecko feet stick mechanically, not chemically. This discovery lead to the development of the world's first adhesive that is dry, self-cleaning, reversible, and can even work in the vacuum of outer space. Designs based on gecko feet are being used to create robots that can run up walls, and this adhesive could bring changes to the manufacture of everything from home electronics to car brakes. At this Science Pub we will talk about how the study of mechanisms and evolution of animal locomotion has lead to biologically inspired materials and machines.

Kellar Autumn, Ph.D., professor of biology at Lewis & Clark College since 1998, does research that has grown into a new field of study at the interface between biology, physics, and materials science. He has authored over 40 scientific papers and his research is featured in textbooks, encyclopedias, and popular books including The Nanotech Pioneers: Where Are They Taking Us? Every major television network has covered his work, as have hundreds of newspaper, magazine, and Internet articles worldwide.

When: The 2nd Thursday of the month.
7:00 pm
Where: Cozmic Pizza
199 W 8th Ave, (inside The Strand @ 8th & Charnelton)

Co-sponsors:

Open (or compound) fractures are one of the most problematic injuries, presenting formidable challenges to physicians and surgeons for centuries. Learn about the history of fracture care - from wooden splints and plaster-of-paris bandages to state-of-the-art stainless steel, polymer fibers, and titanium implants. We'll discuss applicable biomechanical principles of fracture care, case histories, and surgical and x-ray imaging, and discover all that happens when "bones ain't where they're supposed to be."

Thomas K. Wuest, MD, directed the development and completion of the Slocum Center for Orthopedics and Sportsmedicine in Eugene, OR, where he is now president. He is a fellow of the Orthopedic Trauma Association and was a principal in the establishment of the Orthopedic Trauma Service at Sacred Heart Medical Center as a regional referral center for complex skeletal injuries and fracture care.

Some of the most devastating environmental disasters happen in countries with few scientists and even fewer legal safeguards against polluters. Discover how scientists at the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) are helping communities in Asia, Africa, and Latin America identify toxic emissions, hold polluters accountable, and win environmental justice. At this Science Pub, we'll learn about conducting air, water, and soil testing in remote parts of the world, and how lab results translate into relief for disadvantaged communities. Hear reports from South Africa, Kenya, Peru, Argentina, Malaysia, and more.

Mark Chernaik, PhD, JD, has served as staff scientist at the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide for more than 15 years. Chernaik has traveled around the globe to help uncover environmental abuse, promote sustainable solutions, and enforce the human right to a healthy environment.

Though we enjoy one of the safest food supplies in the world, occasional outbreaks of infectious disease associated with eating are inevitable. Join us for a discussion of current research on E. coli O157 disease spread by fresh produce, why these outbreaks occur, and how our own personal food handling and purchasing habits can help minimize contact with infectious agents.

Jay Mellies, Ph.D, is an associate professor of biology at Reed College in Portland. He was an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow at the Max-Planck-Institute for Infectious Biology in Tuebingen, Germany, and a Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Maryland School of Medicine, and his current long-term research goal is to study the molecular mechanisms of how E. coli causes disease.