A time to eat, drink & talk about science!

Celebrating 4 Years of Science on Tap!

Join us 

Science on Tap Series

Thursday, December 3, 2015

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Yanni's
will be offering Happy Hour Appetizers during SoT!
 
3109 Central Avenue NE

(505) 268-9250

http://www.yannisandlemoni.com/

What could possibly go wrong? Infrastructure failures, lessons from the past, and possible ways to design sustainable and resilient systems of the future.

Andrea Mammoli, PhD
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
 University of New Mexico

In 2003, overgrown branches touched transmission lines in Ohio, and triggered a blackout that left 55 million people in the US and Canada without power for days. What could have been a small and manageable event cascaded to such a large scale because of a series of interconnected  failures in physical, controls, communications and human systems. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina left 1836 people dead, due to a combination of lack of electricity, running water, sewage and transportation. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused widespread damage to the East Coast of the United States, leaving 7.5 million people without power, and almost caused the food supply chain to break down.

As infrastructures become more and more interconnected, we may be inadvertently setting ourselves up for disruption on an unprecedented scale. What if the power grid were to go down for weeks? What would life be like in Phoenix in the summer, or in New England in the winter?

What lessons have we learned from past failures, and what can be done to reduce the risk of catastrophic large scale events, caused by increasingly extreme weather, or by malicious man-made attacks? Can we design infrastructure that is more resilient, and at the same time more sustainable?

How can science and engineering help?

Don't forget to use your postcard from last month to BOGO an admission at both Explora and the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History!

A time to eat, drink & talk about science!

Celebrating 4 Years of Science on Tap!

Join us 

Science on Tap Series

Thursday, November 5, 2015

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Yanni's
will be offering Happy Hour Appetizers during SoT!
 
3109 Central Avenue NE

(505) 268-9250

http://www.yannisandlemoni.com/

CRISPR: The Better Chopper Upper.  From Ancient Antiviral Accessory to Genetics Gamechanger

Stephen Jett, PhD
Director, HSC Electron Microscopy Facility

Research Assistant Professor: Cell Biology and Physiology
University of New Mexico

Everywhere on earth that cellular organisms reside, from ocean bottoms to Yellowstone hot springs to high in the Troposphere, there are viruses that infect them. Viral attacks kill host cells, causing billions of dollars in health costs, agricultural losses, etc. Bacteria protect themselves using several antiviral mechanisms, including CRISPR/Cas. CRISPR/Cas is a virus checker billions of years older than all software versions, and provides a primitive form of acquired immunity. The heart of the system is a protein/RNA machine that recognizes and digests foreign nucleic acids.  CRISPR remembers old foes and incorporates information about new threats, forming a sort of molecular socket set.  The system’s flexibility makes it an attractive tool for DNA modification in many different organisms, igniting a new wave in genetic engineering.

Don't forget to use your postcard from last month to BOGO an admission at both Explora and the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History!

A time to eat, drink & talk about science!

Celebrating 4 Years of Science on Tap!

Join us 

Science on Tap Series

Thursday, October 1, 2015

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Yanni's
will be offering Happy Hour Appetizers during SoT!
 
3109 Central Avenue NE

(505) 268-9250

http://www.yannisandlemoni.com/

Biomimicry on the Molecular Scale

Nesia Zurek, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow

 Center for Biomedical Engineering
University of New Mexico

Biomimicry on the molecular scale is the study and reproduction of the natural environment, surfaces, and chemical reactions that happen on the surface or inside of the cell. Biomimetic systems are successfully used to improve healthcare. A big part of the mission of improving healthcare is the discovery of new drugs and vaccines that can treat illness. Most current drugs target proteins that are part of the outer most surface of the cell called the plasma membrane. Reproducing the natural environment of the plasma membrane to screen for drugs in a high-throughput system is an example of how we use biomimicry in the lab. Using high-throughput biomimetic systems in the process of developing novel drugs for targeted diseases such as Botulism and cancer, reduces time and money, and quickly delivers the drug to the market. 

A time to eat, drink & talk about science!

Celebrating 4 Years of Science on Tap!

Join us 

Science on Tap Series

Thursday, September 3, 2015

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Yanni's
 
3109 Central Avenue NE

(505) 268-9250

http://www.yannisandlemoni.com/

Cyber Security

Debbie Kuidis

Facility Security Officer, the University of New Mexico

Adelicia Gunn

Program Specialist in Export Control, the University of New Mexico 

“There are two kinds of people in America today: those who have experienced a cyber-attack and know it, and those who have experienced a cyber-attack and don't know it” –Frank Wolf

 WHICH ONE ARE YOU?

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected through multiple cyber interfaces, the importance of strong cybersecurity practices is of great importance in order to deter and effectively minimize attacks. Globalization as enhanced through cyber mediums such as facebook, periscope, twitter, and the use of the world wide web helps to connect us with people, organizations, and regions whom we otherwise would never connect with. This technological advancement has both positive and negative consequences.

For most, this interconnectivity helps us interact with others and learn about the world in a meaningful way. However, for others, they exploit vulnerable networks and employ malicious attacks with the intention to stealing personal identities and research.  

This presentation will help you to identify contemporary threats to information within the United States and when you are traveling abroad in order to help you develop a broad understanding of the regulatory frameworks that have jurisdiction over scientific research and its protection, and teach you specific behaviors that help protect yourself from becoming a victim of a cybercrime.

Topics Covered:

-          Contemporary threats to information and information security

-          Good behaviors that protect the University’s and your own information

-          Protection of sensitive, export controlled, and classified information

-          Social Engineering

-          Social media

-          Passwords

-          Physical and Mobile Security

-          Email phishing

-          Malware

-          Confidentiality on the Internet