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Free Science Seminars for Teachers and Others Begin Sept. 20 at Appalachian State Education Center

Sept. 4, 2012. A variety of science seminars on topics ranging from the accelerating universe to relativity will be offered by the Mathematics and Science Education Center at Appalachian State University beginning Sept. 20.

Teachers attending the seminars can earn continuing education units (CEU), but all those interested in science are invited to attend the free presentations.

Programs will be presented in Room 124C College of Education Building on campus from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Refreshments will be served from 6-6:30 p.m.  For more information, call 828-262-3185.

The series will focus on advances in science that change perceptions of the natural world. The first seminar in the series is “Dinosaur Renaissance” presented Sept. 20 by Dr. Andy Heckert from the Department of Geology.

Other presentations this fall are:

  • “Relativity” presented Sept. 27 by Dr. Tonya Coffey from the Department of Physics and Astronomy
  • “The Accelerating Universe” presented Oct. 4 by Dr. Dan Caton from the Department of Physics and Astronomy
  • “The Environmental Revolution of the 1970s” presented by Ms. Sammye Sigmann, chemical hygiene officer in the Department of Chemistry
  • “The Evolution of Evolution: Do Great Theories Ever Arise in Isolation?” presented by Dr. Howie Neufeld from the Department of Biology
  • “The Brain as a Meat Machine: Modern Neurobiology, Free Will, and the Hard Problem of Consciousness” presented Nov. 15 by Jeff Goodman, practitioner in residence in the Reich College of Education
  • “How Will We Feed Nine Billion People?” presented Nov. 29 by Dr. Marty Root from the Department of Nutrition and Health Care Management

Programs in 2013 are “Alternative Transportation, What Is the Best Route?” on April 11  presented by Dr. Jim Houser from the Department of Technology and Environmental Design, and “Scientific Advances: Revolutionary Paradigm Shifts or IncrementalKnowledge Growth or Both?” on April 18 presented by Dr. Max Dass from the Department of Biology.

A downloadable flyer is available at http://msec.appstate.edu/sites/msec.appstate.edu/files/Science%20Seminars%202012_0.pdf.