All posts by newtonstem

Broad Institute: What Genetics and Biology are Teaching Us about Mental Health, Oct. 7

Celebrating its first 15 years, the Broad Institute in Cambridge is hosting Broad@15, a series of free, public lectures.  On October 7, 6-7PM, Geneticist Benjamin Neale and neuroscientist Beth Stevens will speak on What Genetics and Biology are Teaching Us about Mental IllnessRegister here. All Broad@15 talks will be live streamed. You can view the live stream and video of previous talks via links at broadinstitute.org/15.

Bedford HS Hosts Women of Science Competition, Dec. 7

Bedford High School (9 Mudge Way, Bedford) will host the 17th annual Women of Science Competition for up to 45 teams of junior and senior women from area high schools competing in four science and engineering events on December 7, 7:30AM-3PM. Each team of three students will compete as a group. Area high schools may register up to two teams each by October 31 and possibly a third team after that if there’s room. The event is sponsored by MilliporeSigma and ThermoFischer with support from UMass Lowell, Bedford Public Schools, and the Bedford Education Association. For more information, contact Michael Griffin or Michelle Pietrangelo at Bedford High School.

Register for Science on Saturday (Science and Magic of Optics!) at MIT Lincoln Labs, Oct. 19

Registration is now open for the Saturday-morning session of Science on Saturdayon October 19 at 10AM at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory (244 Wood Street in Lexington).  The topic will be The Science and Magic of Optics!, presented by Lincoln Laboratory’s Recent College Graduates Employee Resource Group. See laser light bend and bounce, learn how different colors combine, watch flat images pop up in 3D, reveal hidden messages with light, and visit demonstration booths. All children (5-17 years) must be escorted by an adult, and every adult must be escorted by a child or children.  Children under 5 are not admitted. Admission is free but each person attending must be registered.  Space is limited. Register online by October 18 (October 7 for non-U.S. citizens). Register an adult first, then a child, then others. Adults must bring government photo identification.  See other rules on the registration pages.

Mass. STEM Week Challenge: Zero Waste

Any Massachusetts K-12 school may register by September 18 to participate in the Zero Waste MA STEM Week Challenge — a part of Massachusetts STEM Week. Project Lead the Way and One8 Foundation’s Mass STEM Hub are sponsoring this real-world design challenge and offering educators free curriculum, training, and opportunities to connect with industry. Themes vary by grade level:

  • K-2: Exploring food waste, understanding composting and recycling, and reducing your “foodprint”
  • 3-5: Learning about novel energy solutions, understanding unintended consequences, and prototyping a way for your school to use cleaner energy sources
  • 6-8: Understanding the impact of microplastics on the environment, animals, and our bodies and creating processes to decrease their spread
  • 9-12: Exploring electronic waste and ecotoxicology, understanding the implications of the technology we use every day, and prototyping novel ways to refurbish used technology hardware.

Educators may register here by September 18. Volunteers may register here to be mentors and judges. For more information or to offer your own ideas, email stemweek@mass-stemhub.org.