Tag results for: science

Optical Illusions: A Look At How The Human Eye Works

Category: Season 2

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Lou Thieblemont

Professional Speaker, Airline Pilot (Retired)

Many of us think we are in perfect control of what our minds believe to be true or false. But what happens when your mind is unable to determine what is impossible? Imagine what would happen if your mind suddenly overrides your conviction that something is false. That is exactly how the mind perceives optical illusions!

So just how do these intriguing illusions work? Is yellow really yellow? Your brain is constantly interpreting everything you see, feel and hear. You rely on your mind for everything you do in your life from complex decision making and logic to the simplest tasks such as eating with a spoon.

In Optical Illusions we’ll explore how the eye and brain can sometimes fool you & explore how the eye sees color and motion. And we’ll also explore how what you learned from your earliest days can fool you later in life.

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The Climate of Belief: American Public Opinion on Climate Change

Category: Season 2

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Christopher Borick, Ph.D.

Muhlenberg College

Climate change has gained enormous visibility during the past few years, reflected in a range of American policy initiatives. But what does the American public think about the issue of climate change and possible policy responses? Dr. Borick discusses how media, political parties and other factors affect American views on climate change.

Dr. Borick is Professor of Political Science and the Director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion. He is a
nationally recognized public opinion researcher whose work has appeared in numerous periodicals including Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post. He has also provided analysis for the BBC, NPR, PBS, CBS News and NBC Nightly News.

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The Science of Dreams

Category: Season 2

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Dr. Shaun Cook

Millersville University

Dreaming is one of the most fascinating and mysterious human functions. Have you ever wondered what dreams are and/or how they are formed? Although we all dream on a regular basis, we often wake up barely being able to remember any details. Why is it that we can remember some of our dreams, but not others? We discuss the science of dreams. Not a program where we try to interpret dreams, in this program Dr. Cook offers factual information about the cognitive neuroscience of dreams that most of us are unaware of.

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Paranormal

Do You Believe? Science and Paranormal Phenomena

Category: Season 3

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Lou Manza, PH.D.

Lebanon Valley College

What leads you to believe (or not) in Bigfoot, astrology, or ghosts?
Studies by Dr. Lou Manza, Chair and Professor of Psychology at Lebanon Valley College, may provide the answers. He’s researched the questions (and their answers) that may address our likelihood to believe.

Dr. Manza is a member of the Association for
Psychological Science, the Eastern Psychological Association,
and Division 2 of the American Psychological Association.

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Experiencing Hubble

Category: Season 3

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Louis P. “Lou” Thieblemont

Historian, Aviator, former mayor of Camp Hill, PA

 

SPACE…The Final Frontier.

Lou Thieblemont is back to take us on another wonderful adventure. There are telescopes and then there is the HUBBLE Telescope. Are you ready to learn about how Edwin Hubble took his knowledge and showed us how much more there is to our universe.

You will learn about many of the stepping stones in the world’s ability to look into the stars and how individuals from all over the world made it possible for us to know a lot of what we do today about space.

Strap in for an amazing journey!! See you there!

Lou Thieblemont was a pilot for TWA and American Airlines for 38 years. He is now retired but still loves to travel. Lou is also the former mayor of Camp Hill, PA.

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A Look at the Night Sky

Category: Season 3

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Lou Thieblemont

Captain TWA and American Airlines (retired)

Lou Thieblemont is back to take us on another wonderful adventure. This time we will take “A Look at the Night Sky.” Many times we look up and see the stars and admire their beauty. Lou will take a more in depth look at the stars, constellations, and how we all view what we see. You will learn just how long ago the stars and constellations got their names and how they were viewed in ancient times. So sit back, and take a look at one of the most amazing things we can see each and every day…our beautiful night sky!

Lou Thieblemont was a pilot for TWA and American Airlines for 38 years. He is now retired but still loves to travel. Lou is also the former mayor of Camp Hill, PA.

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Geography Between Generations

Category: Season 3

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Bradley Austin, Ph.D.

Geographic Information Systems Administrator at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

What is Geography? For many, the answer is usually something like “states and capitals.” Throughout its development, Geography has been closely connected with technologies, from the compasses and paper maps of yesteryear to the satellites and smart phones of today. However, this field of study is much more than navigation or memorized locations— it is a multifaceted analysis of spatial patterns and processes. In this brief history of the discipline, Dr. Austin explores what has changed and what has remained constant in Geography between American generations.

Dr. Austin is a geographer born and raised in Pennsylvania. His interests revolve around nature-society dynamics and his past research includes studies of climate change impacts, weather perception, and species distribution modeling. As of 2017, he is the Geographic Information Systems Administrator at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and also holds teaching positions at Southern New Hampshire University’s College of Continuing Education and Harrisburg Area Community College.

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HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr

Category: Season 4

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Heather Massie

Award-winning actor/writer

Heather Massie has always been fascinated by the sciences, especially astronomy and astrophysics. She studied at the University of Virginia and after graduation, began to gather details about the life of Hedy Lamarr in order to create a story that would honor Ms. Lamarr’s accomplishments and inspire young women to take an interest in the sciences.

In this lecture we learn the amazing story of Hedy Lamarr. At the height of her Hollywood career, actress Hedy was known as “the most beautiful woman in the world,” but she was always more interested in inventing than acting or fame. She fought Hollywood stereotypes so she could have her inventions recognized and developed. Her breakthrough ideas changed the world, some of which are the foundation for today’s wireless communications!

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Coronavirus and Older Adults

Category: Season 7

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Dr. John Goldman

UPMC Pinnacle

Dr. Goldman is Vice President, Designated Institutional Official for Graduate Medical Education, and an infectious disease specialist at UPMC Pinnacle. He leads and collaborates on UPMC’s response to COVID-19 in the southcentral Pennsylvania region. In addition, Dr. Goldman is a practicing physician at PinnacleHealth Medical Associates and consults for inpatient and outpatient care.

As you get older, your risk for severe illness from COVID-19 increases. Severe illness means that the person with COVID-19 may have a reduced quality of life, require hospitalization or intensive care, or even need a ventilator to help them breathe. By understanding the factors that put you at an increased risk, you can make decisions about what kind of precautions to take in your daily life. Dr. John Goldman, infectious disease specialist with UPMC Pinnacle, shares important information to keep you and your family safe and healthy.

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What Time is It?

Category: Season 7

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Lou Thieblemont

Lou Thieblemont worked for 37 years as a commercial airline pilot. Since retirement, Lou has served as mayor and is now actively volunteering in his hometown of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. He has served as vice president of the Astronomical Society of Harrisburg and as a member of the board of directors of the Museum of Scientific Discovery in Harrisburg. When not in PA, Lou can be found giving his informative talks on cruise ships around the world.

A fun, fast moving discussion on how we measure time and how our present calendar has been developed over the ages. Learn how the Earth’s orbit makes timekeeping very difficult and discover why George Washington’s birthday may not be on the day we think it is.

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Don’t get “Bugged,” Keep Foods Safe

Category: Season 8

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Sharon McDonald, MEd, RD, LDN

Sharon currently serves as an Extension Educator and Food Safety Specialist based at University Park. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and a master’s degree in education from the Pennsylvania State University. She is a registered dietitian with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a licensed dietitian in the state of Pennsylvania.

Stacy Reed, MS

Stacy is an educator at Penn State Extension Lancaster County. She has a bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Nutrition Science and a master’s degree in Food Science from The Pennsylvania State University. Her job focuses on providing health and wellness and food safety education and technical support, outreach, and programming.

Are you at risk for food poisoning? Do you want to learn the keys to preventing foodborne illness? Don’t get “Bugged” in the Kitchen addresses food safety in your home. We’ll look at keeping food safe from purchase to preparation and beyond and places where problems may occur. Even if you have been preparing food your whole life and never gotten sick, it only takes one small misstep for a problem to occur!

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Preparing Together – Are you Ready PA?

Category: Season 10

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Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA)

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA). PEMA helps people prepare for all kinds of emergencies. Representatives hosting the workshop are trained in preparedness and have helped others make easy to follow materials to help you Be Ready.

The Preparing Together – Are you Ready PA? workshop is a unique opportunity for older adults to start (or continue) to plan for what to do during different types of emergencies. The best time to prepare is before something happens. From knowing what to do if you lose electricity in your home to who will take care of your pet if you have to leave your home unexpectedly, this workshop will guide you through how to Be Ready and be safe.

This workshop walks participants through completing the Preparing Together workbook. There are opportunities to pause the presentation to allow a bit more time for participants to complete the pages or discuss their experiences. Participants will leave with a workbook that has a magnet on the back so they can keep it on a refrigerator or somewhere that is easy to get to.

Hosting the program is simple. PEMA will:

  • Ship the free workbooks and a flashlight for each participant directly to your Senior Center, free of charge.
  • Invite an emergency management representative to be with you during a workshop held at your Senior Center (in person or virtually).
  • Provide a flyer to help you promote the program that you can customize for your Senior Center if you choose.

 

To offer this program, complete the materials request form: www.surveymonkey.com/r/Prepare2gether

Depending on availability of an emergency management representative, this program could be provided within two weeks from when you complete the form.

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How Big is Space?

Category: Season 10

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Lou Thieblemont, Viking Resident Astronomer

Lou Thieblemont pursued his interest in astronomy throughout his 30-plus-year airline piloting career and into his retirement, serving as the Astronomical Society of Long Island’s program director, the Astronomical Society of Harrisburg’s vice president, and the Museum of Scientific Discovery’s board member. He now produces astronomy-related educational talks for various organizations.

This is a program on the scale of everything – comparing an atom to the scale of the solar system, our Sun to other suns, our Milky Way galaxy to other galaxies. All will be discussed in a light-hearted and entertaining lecture on the scale of everything!

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Ticks of Pennsylvania

Category: Season 10

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Emily Struckhoff, Vector-Borne Disease Program Specialist

Emily is an Education Program Specialist on Penn State Extension’s Vector-Borne Disease Team. She received her B.S. in Biology from Saint Louis University and M.S. in Entomology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. At Penn State Extension, Emily develops and delivers programming about vectors, such as ticks and mosquitoes, throughout the state, and she is passionate about helping the people of Pennsylvania protect themselves from vector-borne diseases.

If you have spent time outdoors in Pennsylvania, you have probably encountered ticks. However, did you know that there are many species of ticks found within the state, and that different ticks can cause different diseases? In this presentation, attendees will learn about the most common ticks in Pennsylvania and how to prevent tick bites.

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The Sun!

Category: Season 10

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Lou Thieblemont, Viking Resident Astronomer

Lou Thieblemont pursued his interest in astronomy throughout his 30-plus-year airline piloting career and into his retirement, serving as the Astronomical Society of Long Island’s program director, the Astronomical Society of Harrisburg’s vice president, and the Museum of Scientific Discovery’s board member. He now produces astronomy-related educational talks for various organizations.

This is a light-hearted presentation on how the Sun works. Using everyday terminology, Lou explains how our Sun converts the simplest atom, Hydrogen, into Helium. He also shares how the Sun’s power gives us what we need to sustain life here on earth.

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