Things Your Biology Teacher Never Told You or What’s Going On in Biology That’s Not in the News (Yet)

Speaker: Harry McDonald, retired biology teacher and science education consultant

Date: September 7, 2010

Time: 6:30 pm

Location: Coaches Bar and Grill, 14893 Metcalf, in private room

Harry taught biology for 32 years and has worked as a science education consultant for the last seven. During those seven years, he has presented numerous times about what is currently happening in the field of biology.

Harry will focus this talk on some of the wonderful things we are learning about living things which haven’t made it into the news or textbooks yet. The goal will be to stimulate thought and discussion.

For more information: biologycctrack @hotmail.com

Last week, Dr. Kenneth Miller of Brown University traveled across the state to serve up some science to the people of Kansas. Miller presented a talk entitled “God, Darwin, and Global Warming: Does Science Really Matter in America Today?” at Science Cafés in Johnson County, Pittsburg, and Hays.

The local newspapers in Pittsburg and Hays considered his talks newsworthy. You can read about his interactions at the Hays’ Science Café here. The report from the Pittsburg Science Café is here.

For information about future Science Cafés, subscribe to our feed

Practical Steps toward Sustainability

Date: Tuesday July 27th
Time: 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Location: Radina’s Coffeeshouse and Roastery, 616 N. Manhattan Ave, Manhattan, KS
Description: A group of students comprising the “Sustainability Research Experience for Undergraduates” is spending the summer performing research on various aspects of sustainability and green energy. They will speak about steps that the average individual can take in order to make the world more sustainable. They will also be presenting on steps that the city of Manhattan could potentially take to step in the direction of a greener earth. The names of the presenters are as follows: Brent Ware, Jackie Johnson, Lucas Foguth, Natasha Bell, Alicia Aguirre, and Samuel Joshua Dotson.

Kansas Citizens for Science has received three more questionnaires from candidates running for the Kansas State Board of Education.

Questionnaires received so far are indicated in red.

District 1 – Janet Waugh, Dawn Weston (withdrawn from the race and will be replaced after the primary)

District 3 - Dennis George, John Bacon

District 5 – Sally Cauble

District 7 – Ken Willard, M.T. Liggett

District 9 – Jana Shaver, Robert Medford

To access the full documents, see this map of the school board districts.

KCFS is a not-for-profit educational organization that promotes a better understanding of what science is and does by:

• Advocating for science education
• Educating the public about the nature and value of science
• Serving as an information resource

Don’t miss an opportunity to hear Dr. Kenneth Miller, a Cell Biologist at Brown University and the author of Finding Darwin’s God: A Scientist’s Search for Common Ground Between God & Evolution and Only a Theory: Evolution and the Battle for America’s Soul. Dr. Miller has been a staunch supporter of strong science standards across the country, including here in Kansas.

During his trip to Kansas, Dr. Miller will be presenting a talk entitled “God, Darwin, and Global Warming: Does Science Really Matter in America Today?” at each of the following venues:

Kansas City, Kansas
Date: July 25, 6:30 pm - Public Lecture
Location: Eisenhower Middle School, 2901 N 72nd St

Johnson County, Kansas
Date: July 26, 7:00 pm - Public Lecture
Location: Johnson County Community College, GEB 233

Overland Park, Kansas
Date: July 27, 6:30 pm - Science Café
Location: Coaches Bar and Grill, 14893 Metcalf

Pittsburg, Kansas
Date: July 28, 6:00 pm - Science Café
Location: Kyoto Asian Buffet, 2711 N. Broadway

Hays, Kansas
Date: July 29, 7:00 pm - Science Café
Location: Cafe Semolino, 110 W 11th

Title: God, Darwin, and Global Warming: Does Science Really Matter in America Today?

Speaker: Dr. Ken Miller, Cell Biologist, Brown University

Date: July 27

Time: 6:30 pm

Location: Coaches Bar and Grill, 14893 Metcalf, in private room

You are in for a real treat!

Check out Dr. Miller’s website, http://www.millerandlevine.com/km/. He is the author of the #1 high school biology text in the country as well as Finding Darwin’s God: A Scientist’s Search for Common Ground Between God & Evolution, and Only a Theory: Evolution and the Battle for America’s Soul. He has been a staunch supporter of strong science standards across the country, including here in Kansas. He was a primary witness for the parents in the Dover Intelligent Design lawsuit.

Don’t miss this one.

Over the past 10 years, science education issues have been points of contention among members of the Kansas State Board of Education (SBOE). These issues have included the adoption of public school science standards, the Board members’ openness to recommendations of the science community in making policy, and sex education.

In the upcoming Board of Education election, Kansans will elect SBOE representatives from five districts. All but one position have two candidates.

Since most candidates’ stands on science education issues will be unfamiliar to voters, Kansas Citizens For Science has prepared and submitted questionnaires dealing with these issues to all 8 current candidates. An additional candidate in District 1 will be sent a questionnaire when they are selected by the Republican party. These questionnaires are being posted in their entirety, as they are received.

Questionnaires received so far are indicated in red.

District 1 – Janet Waugh, Dawn Weston (withdrawn from the race and will be replaced after the primary)

District 3 - Dennis George, John Bacon

District 5 – Sally Cauble

District 7 – Ken Willard, M.T. Liggett

District 9 – Jana Shaver, Robert Medford

To access the full documents, see this map of the school board districts.

KCFS is a not-for-profit educational organization that promotes a better understanding of what science is and does by:

• Advocating for science education
• Educating the public about the nature and value of science
• Serving as an information resource

Bioterrorism: A Brief History

Speaker: Alisha Griswold - an Emergency Planner for the largest Public Health Department in the Kansas City Metro Region

Date: Tuesday, July 6th

Time: 6:30 pm

Location: Coaches Bar and Grill, 14893 Metcalf, in private room

Description: Specializing in the areas of Epidemiological and Radiological Disaster Planning and Response Ms. Griswold has completed coursework from the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the University of Central Missouri School for Crisis and Disaster Management.

Ms. Griswold also serves as the Executive Vice-Chair for the Medical Reserve Corps of Greater Kansas City and has been volunteering with this disaster response team since 2006.  In addition Alisha is a member of the Olathe Kansas Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), a licensed Emergency Medical Technician through the State of Kansas, and a voluntary MRC-ARC Liaison for the Wyandotte County Chapter of the American Red Cross.