April 2017
Biodiversity and Its Histories Exhibition
An historical exhibition celebrating biodiversity will open Earth Day, April 22, 2017, and last through May 19, 2017. The exhibition is designed and produced by students of Barnard College and Columbia University.
Find out more »Biodiversity and Its Histories Workshop
This workshop will further explore several of the principal themes discussed in The New York Botanical Garden’s March 9th Symposium Threshold: Biodiversity, Climate, and Humanity at a Crossroads, through a further historical examination of the concept of biodiversity. Experts from around the world will travel to the Garden in order to participate in a collective endeavor to reconstruct the complex past as well as the competing measures and conflicting prescriptions for the preservation of biodiversity, from the eighteenth century to the present. In doing so, Biodiversity and its Histories aims to provide a forum for the discussion of one of the most contentious and pressing issues in the academy today.
Find out more »Julia Wynn – Obtaining Consent, Educating and Disclosing Results from Genomic Sequencing: A Genetic Counselor’s Perspective
Ms. Wynn will present findings from the Technologies for Exome Education and Health (TEEcH) study, which she led, examining the patient experience of diagnostic exome sequencing and a video educational tool to augment the genetic counseling session. She will also discuss findings from the NHGRI-funded Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research (CSER) consortium, which evaluated the integration of genomic sequencing into clinical practice. Finally, she will share her evolution as a genetic counselor in the genomic era and reflect on the roles of genetic counselors as genomic sequencing is increasingly integrated into healthcare.
Find out more »Sophia Roosth – The Fluent Structure of Time: Microbial Colonies and Post-Colonial Economies in the Caribbean
CIRHUS, NYU, 4 Washington Square North, Second Floor Dean’s Conference Room Sophia Roosth (Harvard University — History of Science), will discuss "The Fluent Structure of Time: Microbial Colonies and Post-Colonial Economies in the Caribbean" at the Workshop for Intellectual History of the Consortium for Intellectual and Cultural History.
Find out more »Eric R. Kandel – Reductionism in Art and Brain Science
Neuroscientist and Nobel Prize winner Eric R. Kandel will discuss his latest book, Reductionism in Art and Brain Science, in a free, public lecture at Columbia University. In this new book, Kandel, whose remarkable scientific career and deep interest in art give him a unique perspective, demonstrates how science can inform the way we experience a work of art and seek to understand its meaning.
Find out more »To Detect and Conserve: New Research on the Science and History of Columbia’s Ancient Manuscripts
This talk will describe the cross-disciplinary work of the Ancient Ink Lab and explain some of its surprising discoveries, including research that may lead to a new and non-destructive method for dating carbon inks from the ancient Mediterranean world. The speakers are Alexis Hagadorn, Head of Conservation, Columbia University Libraries; David Ratzan, Head Librarian, Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University; and Sarah Goler, Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Columbia Nano Initiative.
Find out more »Celebrating Recent Work by Philip Kitcher and Evelyn Fox Keller
As the icecaps melt and the sea levels rise around the globe―threatening human existence as we know it―climate change has become one of the most urgent and controversial issues of our time. For most people, however, trying to understand the science, politics, and arguments on either side can be dizzying, leading to frustrating and unproductive debates. Now, in this groundbreaking new work, two of our most renowned thinkers present the realities of global warming in the most human of terms―everyday conversation―showing us how to convince even the most stubborn of skeptics as to why we need to act now. Indeed, through compelling Socratic dialogues, Philip Kitcher and Evelyn Fox Keller tackle some of the thorniest questions facing mankind today.
Find out more »Sandra Soo-Jin Lee – Beyond Consent: Diverse Patient Perspectives on Building Trust in Precision Medicine Research
The collection of biospecimens and electronic health record data is central to precision medicine research. A challenge is the ongoing under-representation of racial and ethnic populations in genomic research. Dr. Lee will discuss the VALUES Study of the perspectives of diverse patients and the role of trust and trustworthiness in next generation biobanking.
Find out more »Ann-Sophie Barwich – Scent Track: What can the History of Olfaction tell us about Theorizing in the Life Sciences?
Perfumery may possibly be the second oldest business in the history of mankind. Olfaction, the sense of smell, has attracted systematic interest in scientific studies only recently, however. The discovery of the olfactory receptor genes by Linda Buck and Richard Axel in 1991 catapulted olfaction into core neurobiological research. Seldom does a discovery represent the birth of an experimental system as markedly as in the case of the olfactory receptors. Olfaction has been a fairly neglected field before, conducted only by a few but dedicated researchers throughout the past centuries.
Find out more »James Scott – Landscaping the Planet: The “Domus Complex” or The Late Neolithic Multi-Species Resettlement Camp
James Scott, Yale University professor, will give a talk on "Landscaping the Planet: The 'Domus Complex' or The Late Neolithic Multi-Species Resettlement Camp." Open exclusively to Columbia affiliates.
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