Science Under the Dome

Join usÌýfor ourÌýScience Under the DomeÌýmonthlyÌýlive talk series.ÌýTalks in this series are presented by graduate students and postdoc researchers at ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder.


These are a part ofÌýour regular talk series. Regular ticket prices apply.

¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder students are admitted FREE on THURSDAY NIGHT TALKS with valid Buff OneCard.Ìý

Upcoming Science Under the Dome Talks

November 14Ìýat 7pm

Our Earth system is under increasing strain to support human societies and the larger ecosystems in which we function. One way to combat this sustainability challenge is to look for resources from alternative sources. Wastewater is such a source, although its value is often overlooked. In this talk, we will explore the different components of wastewater, how wastewater can be re-contextualized as a resource, the benefits and concerns of reusing different components of wastewater, and how wastewater reuse just might save us all.

Vanessa Maybruck is a 3rd-year PhD student in the Environmental Engineering program at ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder. Her research focuses on pharmaceutical occurrence during water reuse processes, bacteriophage transport and infection dynamics in sewers, and ethical conduct of wastewater-based surveillance in diverse communities. Vanessa is also pursuing graduate certificates in Interdisciplinary Quantitative Biology and Data Science and graduated from Kutztown University with bachelor's degrees in Applied Mathematics and Secondary Education: Mathematics with a minor in Biochemistry in 2022. In her spare time, Vanessa enjoys singing, obsessing over fandoms, petting dogs, hiking, and volunteering.

December 5 at 7pm

Ever wondered what it’s like to be a time traveler? Now's your chance! Join us for an exciting journey through Earth's history as we delve into two natural archives: glaciers and trees. Glaciology and dendrochronology are the stars of this show, offering a window into our planet’s climate and environment over millennia. We’ll uncover secrets of past climates, environmental shifts, and even ancient atmospheres through ice cores and tree rings. This talk unites the methods of both sciences, showing how ice and trees provide valuable insights into Earth’s biggest climate dramas. Get ready to learn how these 'natural historians' work together to reveal our planet's secrets and why their findings are essential in understanding our future.

Dr. Madison Sankovitz is an expeditionary scientist and artist. As a postdoc in the Boulder Bee Lab at the BioFrontiers Institute, she studies parasites and predators of honey bees across Asia. Her love of trees and ice began when she found the hidden remains of the Great Basin bristlecone pine Prometheus, once the world’s oldest organism. Since then, Dr. Sankovitz has journeyed to the Palisade Glacier and Svalbard to archive ancient ice and trees in glass form.

More talks coming soon

Watch this space for more compelling talks at Fiske.

Climate Change in Our Backyard

Our climate is changing and we must adapt to a world that is transforming right before our eyes. Early warning signs of climate change were seen in far away places like the Arctic, Antarctica, and Greenland. Now these impacts are affecting us here at home and changing the way we live our lives. Join us as we explore the local and global impacts of climate change and ways in which we can contribute to a solution.

Science and Society

Science and technology don’t exist in a vacuum - there are countless ways that research and innovation play a significant role in society at large. What are some of the ways in which they overlap? This seriesÌýexplores the intersection of science and society, addressing topics such as light pollution, GMOs, and mining asteroids, and the talks invite the audience to consider ways in which they have been impacted by this intersection.

Science of Sci-Fi

From warp drives to artificial intelligence to living on Mars, this series is to explore a variety of scientific ideas that surface in science fiction books, movies, and video games. Where have popular sci-fi movies portrayed science correctly, and where has Hollywood gone off the deep end? What technologies were once ‘sci-fi’ but are now rapidly becoming a reality?Ìý