Science on Tap takes place at 6pm on the second Monday of every month at
National Mechanics
22 South Third St.
Philadelphia 19106
Ages 21+ or accompanied by a chaperone 25 years or older
May 14, 2012
“The Science and Magic of Fairy Tale Birth”
Linda J. Lee, Graduate Program in Folklore & Folklife, University of Pennsylvania
Many fairy tales begin with a king and a queen who desperately want to have a child. The range of remedies suggested in early modern fairy tales suggest uncertainty and anxiety about women’s bodies, where children come from, and how to prevent pregnancies from going horribly wrong. For example, fairy tales are filled with monstrous births that happen as the result an imprudent wish, unfortunate cravings, or failing to follow directions. This talk will consider how early modern European fairy tale writers and collectors combined the scientific and magical thinking of their times to address anxieties about infertility, pregnancy, sex selection, and anomalous births.
This month’s Science on Tap is presented by the Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Monday, June 11, 2012
“Do-It-Yourself Evolution: A Historian’s Guide to Amateur Plant Breeding”
Helen Anne Curry, Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellow, Chemical Heritage Foundation; Graduate Program in History, Yale University
You might not think of gardening as science. But home gardeners have long been enthusiasts for experimentation of all kinds, and gardens have often doubled as experimental laboratories. This talk will describe the efforts of amateur gardeners to create their own new varieties of flowers, fruits, and vegetables throughout the twentieth century—using techniques taken straight from the latest in genetics research. These include everything from straightforward techniques such as selection and hybridization to more unusual approaches such as x-raying seeds, spraying shoots with toxic chemicals, and exposing flower buds to radioisotopes. You might even get inspired to try your own hand at evolution!
This month’s Science on Tap is presented by the Chemical Heritage Foundation.
Monday, July 9, 2012
“Flash! A Quick History of Photography in Motion”
Jane E. Boyd, Independent Curator
Ever wanted to stop time? For centuries, artists, scientists, and dreamers have tried to seize the fleeting moment, to picture phenomena that occur too fast for the human eye and brain to perceive. When photography arrived on the scene in the 1830s, it amazed people with its ability to render a scene in meticulous detail. Though the first photographic processes were slow, ingenious photographers were soon capturing events never before recorded: a horse’s gallop, a bullet’s path through the air, a wave crashing on the shore, a meteor’s track across the night sky, and much more. Join us for a swift flight through the remarkable story of photography in motion, from its earliest days to today’s advanced digital techniques.
Art historian Jane E. Boyd, Ph.D., is an independent curator and freelance writer, editor, and translator in Philadelphia. She specializes in the history and visual culture of science, technology, and medicine. Dr. Boyd has worked on projects for all five of the Science on Tap sponsoring institutions. Visit her website at www.jane-e-boyd.com for more information and links.
This month’s Science on Tap is presented by the APS Museum
