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A weekly digest of science events in the NYC area |
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Your Enormous Bacterial Entourage
Consider this: for every human cell of your body, there are about ten bacterial cells—so, trillions—adding around 8 million genes to your approximately 22,000 human genes. What does this vast, internal ecosystem do? Scientists are in the early stages of trying to find out, adapting some of the methods used for decoding the human genome to the study of our bacterial "metagenome." "Most of these microorganisms live in harmony with their human hosts, playing a crucial role in immune function, digestion, metabolism, and other important functions. Some microbes cause sickness and disease," writes Steven Benowitz in this NIH blog. There's still a ton we don't know. For example, how have humans and our bacterial colonizers co-evolved, and might modern environments—internal and external—be disrupting the symbiosis? Dr. Martin Blaser, Director of the Human Microbiome Program at the NYU School of Medicine, hypothesizes "that changes in the composition of the microbes living in the human body are contributing to the development of several of the diseases that have been increasing in recent years, including esophageal diseases, obesity, diabetes, and asthma." To find out more about the trillions of bacteria inside you and what scientists are revealing about them, join us at the Academy for Hats Off to Bacteria on Dec 2. Tamara Johnson  Science and Exploration Three NYC-based opthalmologists discuss their medical expedition to Nepal, where they provided eye care, including cataract surgeries, to high altitude villages.
Science and the Stars Meteorologist Joe Rao discusses Comet ISON, which might become so bright as to be clearly visible without a telescope, even in the daytime...if it remains intact during its close encounter with the sun!
Science and Philosophy Particle physicist Melissa Franklin and novelist Rick Moody discuss the relationship between emptiness, existence, and literature.
Science and History An expert at the Metropolitan Museum of Art discusses the role of food in ancient Egyptian mortuary rituals.
Family Fun Kids create seasonal decorations from fall leaves, cones, pods, and seed heads while learning about local flora.
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About Science & the City
Science & the City is the public gateway to the New York Academy of Sciences. Our program helps fulfill an important piece of the Academy's mission: to connect people to science in New York City and beyond, and increase science literacy. Science & the City achieves its goals through a vibrant, engaging, and comprehensive program that highlights activities across New York's diverse science and cultural communities. Learn more. Support Science & the City. |
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When: Mon Nov 25, 6:00 PM
- 8:00 PM
When: Tues Nov 26, 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
When: Weds Nov 27, 1:00 PM
- 2:00 PM
When: Sat Nov 30, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
When: Sat Nov 30, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM