Presentations | Science Unwrapped

Vaccine Fears: Fact or Fiction

“Although vaccines have played a major role in eradicating serious disease over the centuries, concerns and fears surrounding their use have persisted,” says Utah State University neurobiologist Thayne Sweeten. “Today, these concerns continue in questions about the safety of measles, mumps and rubella vaccines and new vaccines, developed with unprecedented speed, against COVID-19.” Sweeten explores this topic as featured speaker for the USU College of Science’s Science Unwrapped outreach program. He presents “Vaccine Fears: Fact and Fiction” Friday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. MST via Zoom.

Uneasy Neighbors: Science Unwrapped Explores Viral Spread from Animals to Humans

"Science Unwrapped welcomed featured speaker Brett Hurst, SARS-CoV-2 researcher in USU's Antiviral Research Institute in mid-November 2020. His talk explored how interactions between humans and animals can cause pandemics, including COVID-19.

Smart Cookies: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Cybersecurity

On Friday, Oct. 23, Science Unwrapped welcomed featured speaker Charmaine Sample, chief security research scientist of Idaho National Laboratory's Cybercore Division. Her talk was broadcast at 7 p.m. via Zoom.

'Bake’ to the Future: Baking in the 21st Century

“Daily Bread,” “Breaking Bread,” “Bread and Butter,” “Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread.” Bread has been a staple, and a symbol, of sustenance, community and survival since antiquity.  Utah State University Biology alum and Cache Valley artisan baker Bill Oblock re-introduces us to this common food source in an uncommon way, as he presents “Bake to the Future” at Science Unwrapped Friday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. in the Emert Auditorium, Room 130, of the Eccles Science Learning Center on the USU campus.

"Breaking it Down: Food's Epic Journey through Your Digestive System" with Carrie Durward

What a lot of people don’t know is your stomach is technically considered outside your body,” says Carrie Durward, USU Extension nutrition specialist and assistant professor in USU’s Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences. “We’re going to learn about the dangerous chemicals, molecular machines and friendly bacteria that work together to break down food molecules we need and move them into our body, while keeping the dangerous stuff out.”

How Big Is The Earth, Really?

USU geologist Carol Dehler was featured speaker for Science Unwrapped Friday, Nov. 30. Dehler, an associate professor in USU’s Department of Geology, was recently named a Fellow of the Geological Society of America. Her research interests include early Earth systems and the “Snowball Earth” hypothesis. Her teaching interests include physical and historical geology, stratigraphy and sedimentology.

Cosmologic: Are We Alone in the Cosmos?

USU physicist Tonya Triplett was featured speaker for Science Unwrapped Friday, Oct. 26. The gathering began at 7 p.m. in the Emert Auditorium, Room 130 of the Eccles Science Learning Center on campus.

Sharks: Guardians of Our Oceans

Though sharks often evoke fear, USU marine ecologist Trisha Atwood says they deserve greater credit for their role in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Why the World Needs Big Trees

“I think that I shall never see, a poem as lovely as a tree.” Many of us share poet Joyce Kilmer’s appreciation for trees, but we know little about the world’s really big trees. USU forest ecologist Jim Lutz sheds light on these natural wonders and why they’re important.  

Hiding In Plain Sight

Could scientists actually create an invisibility cloak like Harry Potter’s surprise Christmas gift? What if the U.S. Air Force could make fighter jets disappear like the Romulans’ Bird of Prey aircraft in the Star Trek TV series? Could operatives really sneak into a high-security building using optical camouflage like that depicted in Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol?

Dancing With The Stars: The Unheard Symphony of Gravity

Physicist Sydney Chamberlin often refers to dead stars as ‘zombie stars’ for comedic effect, but her research on these stars, gravitational waves and other cosmic phenomena is ‘dead serious.’ The Utah State University Honors alum will discuss her out-of-this-world research as featured speaker at Science Unwrapped Friday, Oct. 14. A postdoctoral fellow at the Pennsylvania State University, Chamberlin presents “Dancing with the Stars: The Unheard Symphony of Gravity” at 7 p.m. in the Eccles Science Learning Center Emert Auditorium, Room 130, on campus.

Water and People: Friends or Foes?

Water and people share an uneasy alliance. On the one hand, people can’t survive without water. But too much water destroys lives and property. People love water, but are we loving this precious resource to death? Utah State University’s Science Unwrapped explores this extraordinary relationship Friday, Nov. 6, with USU water scientist Michelle Baker. She presents “Water and People: Friends or Foes?” at 7 p.m. in the Eccles Science Learning Center Emert Auditorium, Room 130, on the Logan campus.

Keepers of the Water

Science Unwrapped, the public outreach program of Utah State University’s College of Science, meets at the confluence of art and science as it welcomes environmental artist Betsy Damon as featured speaker Friday, Oct. 9. “Quality of water has to equal quality of life,” says Damon, founder of the internationally renowned, Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Keepers of the Waters organization. “If we degrade water, we degrade our quality of life.”