Science Inquiry Series
Explore cutting edge science topics, their latest developments, and their relevance to society through speaker presentations followed by conversations between speaker and audience.
Sponsored by the Gallatin Valley Friends of the Sciences, and co-sponsored by the non-profit community service organization Hopa Mountain and the Museum of the Rockies, the talks for the 2021 winter/spring series will be presented virtually via the Zoom video conferencing platform on Wednesday evenings at 7 pm, followed by a brief question-and-answer period using the Zoom chat function.
The talks are free to the public.
To join the Zoom session on the evening of the talk, click the Zoom link below:
Science Inquiry Series Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 821 0939 0204
Passcode: 419126
+1 346 248 7799 US
+1 669 900 6833 US
Note: If you have not used Zoom before, you will need to download the Zoom application. If you cannot or do not wish to connect via your computer, you can connect using one of the telephone numbers above and enter the meeting ID and passcode to listen in.
2021 Winter/Spring Science Inquiry Series
Feb 17 – Vaccines in the Age of COVID-19
How do vaccines work, how have Montanans helped, and what are the implications for COVID-19? Dr. Mark Jutila, MSU Regents Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, will discuss the mechanisms of effective vaccines, Montanans’ roles in vaccine development, and vaccine development and implementation for COVID-19.
Mar 10 – Fighting Doubt By Facilitating Trust Between Scientists and The Public
How can Society advance evidence-based, science-related public policy when a portion of the public doesn’t believe in our best science? Dr. Kristen Intemann, Professor of Philosophy at Montana State University, will examine the evidence for explaining this “belief gap” and will discuss potential solutions and strategies for bridging the gap between scientists and the public on important issues including climate change and vaccine safety.
Courtesy of Kristen Intemann
Apr 14 – Microbes, Carbon and Climate: Impacts of a Changing Cryosphere
What can the study of microbes living in cold temperature environments tell us about the physical limits of life? Dr. Christine Foreman, Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at MSU, will discuss how her research with deep ice cores and current environments provides insights into bacterial processes in cold places, past and present, and how carbon moves through these living systems in the context of a changing climate.
Courtesy of Christine Foreman.
May 12 – The Origin of Supermassive Black Holes
What can we learn about the origin of supermassive black holes from studying small galaxies? Dr. Amy Reines, Assistant Professor of Physics at MSU, will discuss how observations of little “dwarf” galaxies using world-class telescopes are being used to reveal the birth and growth of black holes that can reach masses upwards of a billion times the Sun’s mass.
