 CALIFORNIA
SCIENCE
EDUCATION CONFERENCE
OCTOBER 22-24, 2010 • SACRAMENTO, CA
FOCUS SPEAKERS
Focus Speakers are highly regarded scientists and education
experts who present one-hour, in-depth sessions on subjects
relevant to science teaching. The Focus Speaker series
allows you to expand your understanding in a wide range
of critical topics. Focus Speaker sessions are included
with your conference registration.
Learn More: When
available, click on the "Learn More" button
to learn more about the presenter by visiting their
web site. |
Professional Development Icons:
I
= New Teacher
= Preservice Teacher |
 Earthquake
Prediction: A Practical Approach to an Impossible Problem
LUCILE JONES, Chief Scientist, Multi Hazards Project,
U. S. Geological Survey
Earthquake prediction—determining that a particular earthquake
will occur at a particular time—has proved a stubbornly intractable
problem. Many theoretical issues contribute to the difficulty,
especially that useful predictions require knowing the magnitude
of the future event, and different magnitude earthquakes appear
to start in the same way. However, earthquake probabilities
and rates have useful information for emergency response even
though they do not give a particular time for a particular
magnitude. This talk will describe the theoretical challenges
and how earthquake hazard maps at a variety of time
scales are being created and used for improved response.
Friday, October 22, 11:00 AM
- 12:00 PM
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 How
to Teach About Major Evolutionary Transitions
KEVIN PADIAN, Professor and Curator, University of California,
Berkeley
Most textbooks focus almost exclusively on microevolution—small
changes at the population level. Few explore how we know about
the evolution of major groups of organisms and their adaptations.
Dr. Padian will focus on the importance of teaching macroevolution
and effective strategies for doing so.
Friday, October 22, 1:00 PM
- 2:00 PM
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 The
Galápagos Islands: Treasures and Threats
MEG BURKE, Director of Education, California Academy
of Sciences
The Galápagos are famous for their unique wildlife
and their pivotal role in helping Charles Darwin formulate
his theory of evolution by natural selection. They have also
become a tourist mecca and are facing significant challenges
from increasing human impact. Come see and learn more about
Galápagos treasures, threats, and conservation efforts.
Friday, October 22, 2:30 PM
- 3:30 PM
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 Ants:
The Invisible Majority
BRIAN FISHER, Entomology Curator, California Academy
of Sciences
Ants may be tiny, but they play a huge role in their ecosystems.
In fact, biologists estimate that the collective weight of
all the ants on Earth is equal to the weight of all humans.
Join Dr. Brian Fisher as he describes the unique behaviors
and incredible adaptations of our planet’s most charismatic
small animals. Along the way, you’ll learn about Dr. Fisher’s
conservation efforts in Madagascar and gain new respect for
our smallest neighbors.
Saturday, October 23, 11:00
AM- 12:00 PM
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 Top
10 Creationist Arguments and Their Flaws
ASHLEY CARTER, Assistant Professor, Department of
Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach
Although the debate between creationists and scientists is
really a debate about faith vs. evidence, the creationist
community makes several arguments that claim to be scientific.
This talk presents 10 of the most common creationist arguments
and illustrates their logical and scientific flaws.
Saturday, October 23, 12:30
PM - 1:30 PM
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 Water
on the Moon: What it Means for us and Our Understanding of the
Solar System
GREG DELORY, Senior Fellow, Space Sciences Laboratory
and Center for Integrative Planetary Sciences, UC Berkeley
The recent
discovery of water in the lunar polar regions has profound implications
for our understanding of the formation and evolution of the
moon, the history of the solar system, and future human space
exploration. This talk will outline the history behind these
important questions for the moon and other planetary bodies,
and the impact of this new result on our future plans for space
science and exploration.
Saturday, October 23, 3:15 PM
- 4:15 PM
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 Safe
Ski Jump Landing Slope Design
MONT HUBBARD, Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, UC Davis
Skiing has evolved to become more acrobatic, with the use
of terrain park jumps and other features playing a prominent
role in an increase in serious spinal cord injuries. Yet these
jumps are rarely, if ever, designed or engineered. This talk
presents a coherent methodology for the design of ski jump
landing surfaces that can yield exhilarating flight experiences
without the danger posed by jumps created in an ad hoc manner.
Sunday, October 24, 9:20 AM
- 10:20 AM
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