Previous Topics

Perception - January 11, 2011

The worlds of physics and art intersect in a fascinating examination of fractal art and innovative imaging technology, allowing us to perceive beyond what's visible to the human eye and projecting our world in a whole new light.

Dr. Thomas Vaughan is a professor in the Departments of Radiology, Electrical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Minnesota. With work experience ranging from NASA to the DOD, his current research focuses on biomedical imaging—in other words, looking at ourselves in a whole new way.

Barry Kleider began studying photography at age nine with his family's subscription to Life magazine. A long-time professional photographer, his work has been commissioned by the Oakland Museum of California and the Plains Museum of Fargo, ND and is included in several collections. Barry is also a rostered teaching artist in Minnesota, Iowa and North Dakota as well as COMPAS and VSA in St. Paul. He brings his talents and passion for photography and visual art to young people of all ages.

Addicted to Love - February 8, 2011

Is our brain's wired need for physical intimacy the same as a smoker's cigarette craving or an addict's itch? Explore addiction and our most basic impulses, including the act of love, through the eyes of an artist and a scientist.

Bob Meisel researches sexual behavior in rodents to further our understanding of how motivations form in the brain, and how these motivations are thrown for a loop by environmental factors such as addiction.

M.K. Melin has been writing novels in general since 1986, romances in particular since 1994, and screenplays since 1999. She has experience in both mainstream romantic fiction and more niche markets, including science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, and GLBTQ fiction. A teacher by nature and profession, she has run several workshops on all aspects of writing, believing that she learns most when she teaches others.

Composition and Decomposition - March 8, 2011

The human form tells a great many stories, from the artistic exploration of our relationship with our body to the vital biological clues that close criminal cases.

Dr. Susan Myster has been consulting as a Forensic Anthropologist in Minnesota and Wisconsin since 1991. Her work has involved the recovery and analysis of human remains from burned, buried, surface, and water contexts, as well as providing expert testimony. She has been involved in several high profile cases in Minnesota during which she worked closely with various law enforcement, medicolegal, and forensic science agencies.

Erica Spitzer Rasmussen is an artist who creates mixed media and handmade paper garments. Her current work explores issues of identity and corporeality, often utilizing clothing as a metaphor for one's skin. Rasmussen teaches studio arts as an Associate Professor at Metropolitan State University (St. Paul, MN). She is also affiliated with the MN Center for Book Arts and the Textile Center. Her sculptural and wearable works are exhibited internationally.

Music and the Brain - April 12, 2011

Music is a central part of the human experience, but what is the natural force that drives us to sing, strum, drum and dance? What is the scientific basis of whistling, humming and toe-tapping? Is there a formula for the perfect pop song?

Justin M. London's research interests include the perception and cognition of musical rhythm, as well as linguistic pragmatics and musical aesthetics. In other words, how fast is too fast for your brain to process a rhythm, how much does tapping your toe change that, and what makes a song so beautiful?

Justin Busch is an internally performed composer with a strong and informed interest in science. He has written several essays on music and aesthetics as well as a book on the film director Robert Wise. He's taught at the Institute of Production and Recording and given numerous performances and lectures.

Creative Memory - May 10, 2011

Without a clear understanding of what's known, how can we try what's unknown? Explore how memories are formed, what memory is, and how it is incorporated into our creative endeavors.

Dr. A. David Redish's work records neural activity in rats which have been trained to navigate a maze using memory for a reward. Yet the location of the reward may change and force them to make a directional choice by "imagining" ahead of their movements. His lab is able to recreate the path of the animal through the maze based on recorded neural activity and can determine when the animal thinks of itself as located within its own body, and when it imagines itself beyond its body as it determines which way to turn.

Chris Faust is an award-winning photographer whose work focuses on landscapes and the way people use private and public spaces to reflect differences in local cultures and historical periods. He took part in the Minnesota 2000 Project which invited twelve photographers to capture various topics of change in the state of Minnesota. Faust is a recipient of multiple McKnight Foundation Fellowships and his photographs have been displayed in galleries across the U.S. See his work at chrisfaustphoto.com.

Art and Human Evolution - June 14, 2011

Are humans the only creatures who create art? At what point in human evolution did artistic creations become separate from tools, become art for arts' sake? What in us is so driven to create?

Dr. Greg Laden is a biological anthropologist who has done research in human evolution as well as eco-tourism in South Africa. In his own words: "I think of myself as a biologist who focuses on humans (past and present) and who uses archaeology as one of the tools of the trade." You can check out his blog—"Culture as Science- Science as Culture".

Abbi Allan is a visual artist and sculptor whose work is "an expression of the fragility of living things inspired by the world's biological forms." She received her MFA in sculpture from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and has exhibited in galleries across the U.S. Read more about her at abbiallan.com and view her work online.

Evolution & the Tree of Life: Endless Forms Most Beautiful - July 12, 2011

Darwin developed his theory of evolution from a famously simple tree of life drawing. How has the study of evolution and the inter-connectedness of species changed with modern DNA technology? How has exploring genetic relationships shaped how we now view ourselves and how might that be expressed in art?

Lynn Fellman is a multiple media artist and designer who works with scientists to communicate their research. Her work focuses on evolution and the human genome. From research to sketches to completed digital art, she'll explain how her process engages the people in the DNA portraits in genetics—becoming informed advocates for science. See examples on her website www.fellmanstudio.com.

Dr. Scott Lanyon served as Director of the University of Minnesota's Bell Museum of Natural History for thirteen years before becoming Professor and Head of the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior in 2008. Using DNA sequence data he and his colleagues develop an understanding of the tree of life which he then uses as the foundation of his studies of behavioral and morphological evolution in birds.

Movement and the Mind - August 9, 2011

Modern thought often holds that the mental and the physical are sharply divided, leading to a dualism of mind and matter. Break down the barrier between the mental and the physical with us as we explore how music, movement and dance can be used to connect our innermost thoughts to the external world, and how the physical can impact our mental health and well being.

Marcus Young creates behavioral art in the form of personal practice and collective experience. His ongoing work Don't you feel it too? is an aspiring mind-body practice of dancing one's inner life in public places. Marcus is founding member of the group Grace Minnesota, a 2011 McKnight Fellow for Visual Artists, and Saint Paul's City Artist in Residence, a program of Public Art Saint Paul.

Dr. Annie Heiderscheit is a board certified music therapist and licensed marriage and family therapist. An Assistant Professor and Director of Arts and Healing at the University of Minnesota Center for Spirituality and Healing, she is currently conducting research on the impact of imagery and music on hospitalized patients and on patients with eating disorders. She has a private practice, Music Medicine that employs several music therapists and provides music therapy service throughout the surrounding metro area. She has authored several articles and book chapters and frequently presents her work and research nationally and internationally.

Clarity in the Ice - September 13, 2011

The monumental glaciers of Antarctica have trapped in their layers vital information about our climate through the ages. These harsh icy landscapes shed light on the past and future of our species—and simultaneously serve as a powerful inspiration and metaphor for the human condition, confronting an expansive and sometimes inhospitable world. Join us as we discuss the art and science of Antarctica with a geophysicist and a photographer.

Robert Jacobel is a Professor of Physics at St. Olaf College where he teaches in the Environmental Studies Program in addition to courses in physics. His research utilizes ice-penetrating radar and satellite remote sensing to investigate ice masses in both temperate and polar regions. Jacobel has been a participant in the U.S. Antarctic Research Program since 1987 studying the dynamics and evolution of the Antarctic ice sheets. The Jacobel Glacier in coastal West Antarctica was named for him in recognition of his contributions to Antarctic science.

Stuart Klipper has traveled the entire world photographing everything from mountaintops in Patagonia to ocean swells in the Antarctic. An internationally recognized photographer, his work is in the collections of major museums throughout the world. These include the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Boston Museum of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Chronicle Books published The Antarctic: From the Circle to the Pole, a book of Stuart's Antarctica photographs, in 2008.

Art, Elemental Particles and the Big Bang - October 11, 2011

Half a mile under the ground in the Soudan Mine of Minnesota, physicists such as Dr. Alec Habig have been hard at work studying some of the most elemental particles in the universe: neutrinos. In that same mine, artist Joseph Giannetti was commissioned to create a mural representing the research, its history and its impact on our understanding of our universe. Join us to discuss how these sub-atomic particles impact the largest system we know, and how Giannetti's mural explores and interprets the physics of the universe we live in.

Biological Art - November 8, 2011

Artists and scientists are collaborating to produce contemporary artworks that involve living organisms and life processes. Join us for a discussion exploring how artistic, scientific, and collaborative creativity is at play in biological art.

Diane Willow is a multi-modal artist and Associate Professor of Experimental and Media Arts at the University of Minnesota. Working at the nexus of art and technology, architecture and science, by any medium necessary best describes her process as she experiments with hybrid media to explore the poetic dynamics of nature, technology and community. Focused on art as experience, she invites people to engage in multi-sensory explorations as participants and choreographers.

Neil Olszewski is a Professor of Plant Biology at the University of Minnesota. His laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms by which hormones and posttranslational modification of proteins with sugars regulates plant growth and development. He also studies the molecular biology of plant viruses.

Identity - November 21, 2011

What makes you unique? How is your identity formed psychologically, and how does what we see form our opinions of others' identity? Join us at the Aster Cafe as we bring together an artist and a scientist to explore the concept identity from the perspective of both disciplines.

Speakers:
Moin Syed, Ph.D in Developmental Psychology
Wing Young Huie, Photographer

Experiencing Art and Ideas - December 13, 2011

Has the computer replaced the artist's brush and the scientist's beaker? Learn how animator, teacher and developer Susan Van Baerle and computer scientist Dr. Daniel Keefe of the University of Minnesota Virtual Reality Lab take technology, conceptualization, and the conscious experience to the next level.

Susan Van Baerle earned her Master's Degree in Art Education / Computer Animation from Ohio State University. For the past 25 years, she has worked for 3D computer animation production companies, software companies, colleges and universities. Her interest began with character animation and grew to include the design of animation software tools. As the industry matured, Susan became involved with motion capture software and interactive content. She currently teaches at Minnesota School of Business in Game and Applications Development and at Minneapolis Media Institute in Game Art and Animation.

Dan Keefe is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota where he directs the Interactive Visualization Lab. His research and teaching focus on topics in data visualization, computer graphics, and 3D human-computer interfaces.Current projects include applications of computer graphics and visualization to: virtual prototyping for medical device design, improving training for laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgery, analyzing the biomechanics of the human spine, reconstructing ancient Greek sites in virtual environments, and more.

Biomimicry - January 10, 2012

Through observing nature, scientists and artists can learn much that influences their research and art. From the aesthetically pleasing to sustainable design, join us as we explore the ingenuity inherent in nature.

Janna Schneider is a ceramic artist and educator living in Northeast Minneapolis. She creates small-scale sculptural work based on forms found in the natural world. In 2009, she was awarded a Fellowship in Environmental Sustainability from Public Arts St. Paul, and researched the environmental impact of the ceramic process. She recently completed her most important work to date, her son Iver, born in late November.

Curt McNamara, P.E. (BSc/University of Minnesota, MEng./Portland State University) is a practicing designer with 20 years experience in medical, commercial, and industrial markets. He is a scholar of R. Buckminster Fuller, and an education Fellow for the Biomimicry Institute. Curt has created biomimicry course material for MCAD, presented workshops on bio inspired design to students, uses biomimicry in his design work, and started the Biomimicry for Educators webinars.

Gastronomy: The Art and Science of Food - March 13, 2012

Discover the art of the perfect meal and the chemistry behind taste! Join Chef Doug Flicker from Piccolo Restaurant in Minneapolis and Dr. Gary Reineccius, food scientist at the University of Minnesota as we explore the marriage of science and art in gourmet cuisine. Expertly paired with a group discussion, this is sure to be a feast for the intellect.

Why We Collect - April 10, 2012

What does what we collect, give value to, and put in our museums say about who we are as individuals and as a society? Join sculptor and Science Museum educator Jan Elftmann and Science Museum Director of Collections Jackie Hoff as they discuss what's worth keeping in science and art.

Jan Elftmann has been collecting, sorting and organizing objects since she was born. She collected 10,000 wine and Champagne corks for over 13 years and glued them all over her truck creating the ArtCar, the Cork Truck. Currently, she has been encrusting cement lawn ornaments and taxidermy animals with thousands of objects she has been sorting by color. She combines the precious with the mundane and "paints" with the objects on her sculptures. Jan is an artist and educator of art, science and engineering and is the Director of the annual Minnesota ArtCar + ArtBike Parade in Minneapolis.

Jackie Hoff is the Director of Collections Services in the Science Learning Division and is responsible for the care, conservation, and cataloguing of artifacts, as well as connecting Science Museum and visiting researchers with the artifacts that fuel their studies.

The Changing Ocean - May 8, 2012

What information do oceans hold for us, and how is that information relevant to our lives? Discover how a wave from the middle of the sea can be instantaneously transported to the center of an art gallery and how a dab of mud can tell us about thousands of years of changes in the ocean and atmosphere. With Louisa Bradtmiller, Asst. Professor of Climate Science at Macalester College and kinetic sculptor David Bowen.

Humanizing the Machine - June 12, 2012

What does it mean to have a machine that keeps your heart beating? How does an art piece made of machine parts appeal to our humanity? We will explore the innovative, emotional and aesthetic aspects of our complex relationship with technology in a world where the gap between human and machine is narrower than ever before. With Kenneth Rys of Medtronic and Allen Christian from the House of Balls gallery and studio.

Human Impact - July 10, 2012

We live in a world being thoroughly reconfigured by human activity. While individuals are insignificant in shaping our planet, the 7 billion people on Earth now rival natural processes in global impact. Join us as we discuss Earth's ecosystems and understand how we as humans, collectively and individually, fit into natural systems.

Dr. John Schade, an associate professor of ecology at St. Olaf College, studies ecosystems from a practical and theoretical perspective, focusing mainly on element cycles. He is currently involved in two research projects through the National Science Foundation studying stream systems in California and arctic ecosystems in Siberian Russia.

Sculptor Aaron Dysart explores the juxtaposition of the natural and artificial. Dysart has exhibited nationally, served as a fellow for Sustainable Art Making through Public Art St. Paul and works as an adjunct professor of art at the Anoka Ramsey Community College.

Acting on Ethics - Tuesday, August 14, 2012

What are the ethical arguments around determining the safety of a new drug? With the help of Dr. Jennifer Kuzma of the University of Minnesota and the Science Museum of Minnesota's own Science Live Theatre troupe, you can follow the debate through a short play and discuss how acting helps in communicating difficult scientific topics.

Dr. Jennifer Kuzma is Associate Professor in the Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy program at the University of Minnesota. Her current research focuses on risk and oversight policy for bio- and nanotechnology.

Dynamic, energetic and masters of their trade, our Science Live Theatre troupe makes science learning accessible through interactive presentations. Representing the group are Bob Malos, Rebecca Talbot, and Darius Dotch.

Beautifully Engineered - Tuesday, September 11, 2012

As technology becomes ubiquitous, the demand for attractive, well-designed tools becomes standard. Art is incorporated into technology, and technology into art. From installation pieces to museum exhibits, join resident Science Museum artist Asia Ward and exhibit prototyper Aaron Heigerken-Greene as they discuss working together to create smart and interactive works of art and science.

Fantastic and Fantastical Evolution - Tuesday, October 9, 2012

How do we track the evolution of long-extinct creatures? What amazing creatures could exist if evolution had branched in a different direction? Explore the ancient detective work of paleobiology with David Fox and the imagination of alternate evolutions with Michael Bahl.

As a Paleo-osteological Interpreter, Michael Bahl creates skeletons of imaginary creatures and artifacts using the bones of contemporary mammals. The evolutionary possibilities presented by the creatures and the documentation Michael provides form a unity of art, science, and whimsy. His work has been featured on National Public Radio's Studio 360 and on the science and technology blog Boing-Boing. His studio in the Northern Warehouse has been open for the St. Paul Art Crawl since 2004.

Teeth and tusks can tell us a lot—through studying the chemical composition of these, Associate Professor of Earth Sciences David Fox explores the ecology of Late Pleistocene North American mammoths and mastodons and Eurasian mammoths and the changes in North American deer ecology from the Late Pleistocene to the Recent. He also works with computer simulated evolutionary histories and explores the ecological biogeography of modern North American mammals in relation to the variation in climate across the continent.

Power: Conflict and Technology - Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Explore the technologies that generate the electricity that powers your home, your devices, and the modern world with physics professor and author Jim Kakalios, and learn why conflicts of communication halt energy crisis policy from moving forward with science journalist Maggie Koerth-Baker.

Maggie Koerth-Baker is the author of Before the Lights Go Out: Conquering the Energy Crisis Before it Conquers Us. A freelance science journalist, she is a columnist for The New York Times Magazine and the science editor at BoingBoing.net, one of the most widely read blogs in the United States.

James Kakalios is the Taylor Distinguished Professor in the University of Minnesota's School of Physics and Astronomy. In 2001 he created the class "Everything I Know About Science I Learned from Reading Comic Books" which led to the writing of The Physics of Superheroes in 2005 and The Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics in 2010. Professor Kakalios has served as the science consultant for the Hollywood films Watchmen, Green Lantern and The Amazing Spider-Man.

The Amazing Honey Bee - Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Gain insight into the fascinating world of the honey bee with scientist Dr. Marla Spivak and artist Susan Brown (Mademoiselle Miel). From hive to honey, learn what this amazing creature can teach us about our planet and our taste buds. Honey sampling provided!

Dr. Marla Spivak, distinguished McKnight University Professor and MacArthur fellow, has devoted her life to honey bees. Her research focuses on protecting bee populations from disease, adding to our understanding of social behaviors and breeding what is known as "Minnesota Hygenic" bees. She has been with the University of Minnesota since 1993.

Susan Brown, aka Madamoiselle Miel, is a former pastry chef turned award winning honey artist. Combining asthetic, culinary and apiary prowess Brown's honey bon-bons have become what Minnesota Monthly named some of the best candy in all of Minnesota. Brown also serves on the board of the Minnesota Hobby Beekeepers Association.

Sense of Place - Tuesday, January 8, 2013

In January ponder the question of what defines a place with Macalester College professor of geology Kelly MacGregor and site-specific theatre group Gonzo. Presented in conjunction with the Minnesota Museum of American Art Project Space's exhibition, Painting the Place Between, which explores the different ways painters have tried to capture the experience of a specific site rather than what it looks like.

Sustainable Designs - Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Humans now dominate environmental change on Earth. Ethics, aesthetics and engineering all factor into sustainable design when it comes to buildings, which are responsible for 40 percent of all energy consumption in the U.S. and thus have an enormous global environmental impact. Join Patrick Hamilton, the director of global change initiatives at the Science Museum, and Janis LaDouceur, the architect behind Science House, the solar powered, zero-emissions building currently housing the Science Museum of Minnesota's Teacher Resource Center, as they discuss global change, the motivations behind the creation of Science House, and how today's buildings measure up.