Science and the Liberal Arts

Speech-Theater Building
Kelsey Theater

A New Brain
Music and lyrics by William Finn, book by William Finn and James Lapine. Directed by Dona Werner Freeman

An autobiographical response to the diagnosis of an inoperable brain tumor, A New Brain resounds not with the threat of death, but with the wonder of living. When he is stricken with a brain tumor, Gordon assesses the value he places on creativity, work, and those closest to him. Aided by his friend and manager Rhoda, his partner Roger, his mother and a host of colorful characters, Gordon works through the physical and spiritual ordeal of his medical calamity, gaining keen insight into the blessings and purposes of art, love, family and friendship. Ticket information.

Human Performance at Extreme Altitude: Adaptation, Acclimatization, or What?
Mike Farris, Department of Biology, Hamline University

Hypoxia is an environmental stress experienced at high elevations. Most humans can acclimatize to hypoxia over time, leading to improved performance. In addition, populations such as Tibetans who live at high elevations can show genetic adaptation to hypoxia. In this presentation, I will review the research examining acclimatization and physical performance at extreme altitude. Using examples from my expeditions to some of the world's highest peaks, I will discuss the nature of acclimatization, some of the trade-offs involved as different organ systems acclimatize, limits to acclimatization, and altitude illness. I will discuss potential examples of genetic adaptation in highland populations and genes that might confer superior performance at altitude. Throughout the talk I will emphasize the variability in acclimatization among individuals and the influence of other factors (heat, cold, dehydration, and exercise) that are experienced along with hypoxia.

My Arctic:  Siberian School-Children Express Environmental Awareness through Art

The Arctic is an amazing place that is undergoing tremendous changes because of global warming. It is a key component of Earth's linked physical and biological systems, as well as home to people, including many of the Earth's remaining indigenous cultures, whose way of life is threatened by environmental change. In the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), grade school students have become key partners in a scientific research initiative exploring the impacts of climate change on the Arctic. This work, begun in 2003, is part of The Student Partners Project, a program led by Max Holmes, an earth systems scientist at the Woods Hole Research Center. In addition to the Siberian Arctic, the project has collaborations in Alaska and Canada. This initiative is not only advancing scientific understanding of a part of the world already experiencing climate change, but is also creating the next generation of scientists and scientifically-literate citizens. The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) covers over 3 million km2. Most of the artists are Evenki and come from communities north of the Arctic Circle, along the Lena River, where they still engage in the traditional activities of fishing, hunting, and reindeer herding. The artwork depicts the children's environment and their perceptions of the environmental changes going on around them. The Polaris Project, funded by the National Science Foundation, includes faculty and students from several colleges, including St. Olaf. Museum hours.

Hans Jonas: A Study in Biology and Ethics
Presented by Alan Rubenstein, visiting scholar in ethics at Carleton College

Hans Jonas, a German-born philosopher and Jewish émigré to Palestine left his native country in 1933 when the Nazis came to power. He volunteered for the British army during the war, serving on the front line and marching into conquered Germany with the Jewish Brigade Group. He later fought for Israel in the 1948 war before moving again to North America where he resumed his long-suspended career in philosophy, turning his attention to the philosophy of biology. In particular, he aimed to correct philosophy's long-standing neglect of the organic and he became a voice in the nascent field of bioethics, where he was often asked to offer a philosophical perspective on contemporary issues spawned by progress in medicine and biotechnology. His third and final project was to systematically describe the novel responsibilities that have devolved on humankind as a result of its unprecedented technological power in the modern age. This research yielded Jonas's most widely read and discussed monograph, “The Imperative of Responsibility, ”a formative document for the school of thought we now call environmental ethics.

Thus, Hans Jonas was a pioneer in two areas that dominate our contemporary ethical and policy debate: bioethics and environmental ethics. The lecture will provide an overview of the events of his uncommonly interesting life and will explore the philosophical roots of his contributions to public policy.

Ferocious Beauty: Genome — Performance, Process & Perspective
Laura Grabel (scientist) and Elizabeth Johnson (dancer)

Genetic research raises prospects that previous generations scarcely imagined. How we age, confront disease and think about human variation will all be altered in the coming years by scientific research happening right now. In their stage work Ferocious Beauty: Genome, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange worked with scientists to examine the implications of the genomic revolution. Join Elizabeth Johnson, associate artistic director and Laura Grabel, Lauren B. Dachs Professor of Science and Society at Wesleyan University for a viewing of excerpts and a behind-the-scenes look at the research that went into this unique art/science collaboration.

Science in the Studio: Embodying Ethics

What is the role of ethics in the advancing field of genetic research? Who gets to decide the role of ethics? And what roles can art play informing these discussions?  Join Elizabeth Johnson, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange associate artistic director and Laura Grabel, Lauren B. Dachs Professor of Science and Society at Wesleyan University for a lively experience using movement as a tool to deepen the dialogue concerning the ethical implications of genetic science. Experience how art can be a powerful tool in gaining perspective and coming to terms with a changing world. Come find your stance!

Registration required. Contact Kay Smith.

Green Design for the 21st Century: Sustainable Architecture in Scandinavia and European Cities

Chris Butters, architectural consultant and designer of sustainable communities and buildings, will present the 2nd annual Frederick Gaylord Grose lecture.  In his discussion of green design, Butters will show examples of state of the art buildings and urban developments in Europe that have high social qualities and almost zero energy use or climate emissions, illustrating that sustainability is fully possible.  Butters is also course leader for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development at the International Summer School, University of Oslo, Norway. 

The play is an examination of the times of Galileo when science and religion (and thus government) were at odds over the world as God made it.

Science and Religion
10th Annual Science Symposium

What’s Wrong with this Picture? The Technical Analysis of a Known Forgery

Gregory Smith, Andrew W. Mellon Assistant Professor, ArtConservation Dept.,  Buffalo State College.

Smith will explore the role of conservator and conservation scientist in authenticity studies that straddle the Arts-Science interface. He will take the audience through the technical analysis of a known forgery and describe the construction of a typical folk art painting while highlighting “red flags” that indicate a fake or forgery. A number of non-invasive examination methods and sophisticated analytical instruments will be introduced as a means of uncovering anachronistic or misused materials that confirm the object’s inauthenticity.

3:15 p.m.
Regents Hall 310

The Liberal Art of Science
A. Truman Schwartz, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, Macalester College. Liberal arts colleges produce a disproportionate percentage of graduates who go on to earn doctorates in the sciences and mathematics. This is no accident, but evidence supporting the contention that science is one of the liberal arts and should be taught as such.   Schwartz will describe the goals of a liberal education and demonstrate the role of science (and chemistry in particular) in achieving those goals.

Science, Art, and the Imagination
An art exhibit that brings art and science together, with an emphasis on the role of the imagination in the creation of work and pursuit of science. Artists: Daniel Kelm, Amanda Means, Merrill Steiger, Susan B. Woods

Opening reception for the exhibit Science, Art, and the Imagination
Merrill Steiger, painter, will speak at 5 p.m. on The Unseen World.

A Conversation on Poetic Science: The Bookworks of Daniel E. Kelm
Daniel E. Kelm, artist. Kelm’s work is in the exhibit Science, Art and the Imagination

No Agreement to Separate: G. Ledyard Stebbins and Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, 1959-1973  
Betty Smocovitis, Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar and Professor of Zoology and History at the University of Florida, will explore the nature of divisions and controversies in the history of science by following the split between naturalists and molecular geneticists in the 1960’s and subsequent attempts to reconcile evolution with development and genetics.

Singing his Praises: Darwin and His Theory in Song
Betty Smocovitis, Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar and Professor of Zoology and History at the University of Florida,
will reflect on Darwin, his theory, and its expression in popular culture. Many musical excerpts will be played and discussed. A 200th birthday celebration for Charles Darwin will follow the talk.

Oct. 1–4, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 4–5, 2 p.m.
Speech-Theater Building Haugen Theatre

The Aerodynamics of Accident
A comedy by playwright Deborah Stein set in 1897, about an ambitious young girl who crashes to her death in an experimental flying machine and returns to haunt the house of a reclusive widow and upstart professor.

What Impact Can St. Olaf Students Make in the Advancement of Issues Related to Math and Science?
Alumni Science Symposium: Panel Discussion

Moderator: Anne Walter, Professor of Biology, St. Olaf College

Dr. Theresa Wise '89
Chief Information Officer, Northwest/Delta Airlines

Dr. Alison Wallace '89
Professor of Biosciences, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Dr. Helen Piwnica-Worms '79
Gerty T. Cori Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine

Dr. Kathryn J. Wahl '87
Research Materials Scientist, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

Dr. Roger Stolen '59
Visiting Professor of Material Science and Engineering, Clemson University

Reception follows in Buntrock Commons, Crossroads

Dedication Plenary Address
Dr. Freeman Hrabowski III
President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Hrabowski is a nationally recognized advocate for improvements in science and math education, with a special emphasis on minority participation and performance. He has served as president of the University of Maryland, since 1992 and he is also a consultant to the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the National Academies, and universities and school systems nationally.

A light reception will follow Dr. Hrabowski’s presentation.

Celebrating the Sciences
St. Olaf Band, Timothy Mahr conducting.
An evening of musical selections representing a scientific theme, including Don Freund’s Exotic Particles and the Confinement of Quarks, Roger Cichy’s “Heptomical Infusions” from Geometic Dances, Frank Ticheli’s Nitro and Jayce Ogren’s Symphonies of Gaia.

Gallery talk
Susan B. Woods, sculptor and performance artist
          

Cocoon
Susan B. Woods, performance artist, presents her own metamorphosis into a cocoon.

Discussion of the book Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman.
Exerpt from Einstein's Dreams.

The Mathematics of Fiction
Manil Suri talks about the experience of being both a novelist and a mathematician, and the synergy generated between the two endeavors. An essential strategy in mathematics is to decompose a process into its basic building blocks from which new processes can be built. The presentation will show how this fundamental idea can be used to compose a symphony, create an image, make Marilyn Monroe smile, and, surprisingly, create a fictional piece. No prior mathematical knowledge is needed.

The Age of Shiva
Manil Suri reads from and discusses his novel. Summary of book.

The Mathematics of Elections
Kay Smith, St. Olaf College

Science Scenes
This 45-minute documentary about the history of science education at St. Olaf was created by the Shaw-Olson Center for College History staff in honor of the college's academic theme for the year. Discussion and dessert reception to follow.

The Full Monty Hall
In a book review, Brian Hayes mentioned the old Monty Hall three-door puzzle (from the TV game show Let's Make a Deal). He was surprised to get letters in response, including several that disputed the correctness of the correct solution. So he wrote a followup essay about this which, of course, brought even more letters from more skeptics. Reflecting on this experience, Hayes will explore how we persuade ourselves and other people that a mathematical result is true, and what happens when the process of persuasion fails.

STEM* as an Essential Literacy for a Healthy Society
Eric Jolly, President of the Science Museum of Minnesota.

Dr. Jolly's professional career reflects his broad interests and commitment to service. Some of his accomplishments include:

* A leader in the Native American community; known for his skill as a traditional storyteller and basket weaver

* Among the first Americans to train psychologists of the Eastern Block countries in substance abuse and cultural treatment strategies

* Vice President and Senior Scientist at the Education Development Center, a "global nonprofit organization that designs, delivers and evaluates innovative programs to address some of the world's most urgent challenges"

* Co-author of resources for educators including Bridging Homes and Schools: Tools for Family Involvement in Multilingual Communities and Beyond Blame: Reacting to the Terrorist Attack

*STEM abbreviates Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Events will be added as they are scheduled.
For more information contact Kay Smith.