About the series
CAFÉ SCIENTIFIQUE ARLINGTON
WHAT: "Assembling the Tree of Life - Birds"
WHEN: Dec 4, 6:30-8:00 PM
WHERE: The Front Page Restaurant, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA
WHO: Michael J. Braun, Dept. of Vertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
HOW: 6:30-8:00 Short presentation, followed by Q&A (Come early to purchase a drink or a meal if you so desire)
No science background required!
Free and open to the public
ABOUT THE TOPIC: Birds are one of the best-studied groups of animals but comparing different studies is hampered by incomplete understanding of bird's relationships. Using genomics to build an accurate "family tree" for birds will help scientists to organize and interpret the vast amounts of information already available about birds. Why birds? Because creating the bird evolutionary tree will guide the development of more general evolutionary patterns and processes for other creatures.
ABOUT THE CONCEPT: Cafe Scientifque flourished first in the U.K. (see http://www.cafescientifique.org) as a way for the public and scientists to mingle and discuss science issues in an informal setting. At least 35 café now exist in the U.S.
ABOUT THIS CAFE: The National Science Foundation initiated Café Scientifique (Arlington) and its occasional cousin in Washington D.C. in April 2006 to make science more accessible and accountable by featuring speakers whose expertise spans the sciences and who can talk in plain English. Generally held on first Tuesdays at the Front Page in Arlington. This month's event is co-sponsored with the Smithsonian Institution. To suggest topics or speakers, complete a survey on-site. To be notified of future events, see "Find Out More" at bottom.
COMING NEXT MONTH: Dr. Richard Spinrad, NOAA, "How Oceanography Saved the World", 8 January 2008.
FIND OUT MORE: To hear about upcoming cafes sponsored by NSF, subscribe to the NSF e-mail list. Send a message to lyris@lists.nsf.gov. In the text, write "subscribe cafesci." Don't add a signature. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)
RELATED WEB SITES: http://cafescientifique.org, http://cafescientifique.org/arlington.htm
