Illuminating Discovery Hub

Wisconsin Science Festival
2023-10-22 | Throughout Wisconsin (Also offered online)
*Note: actual end time may vary.*
Curiosity Unleashed!. Held across campus and throughout Wisconsin, the weeklong festival is packed with activities for people of all ages. Events include hands-on science exhibitions, demonstrations, performances, tours, pub nights, workshops and more.
CONTACT: 316-4390 info@wiscifest.org.
URL: http://WiSciFest.org
ONLINE: https://wiscifest.org

Crossroads of Ideas - Comparing the Creative Process in Science and Art
2023-10-22 10:30 - 11:30 (America/Chicago) | Madison Central Library, Community Room 302, 201 W. Mifflin St., Madison, WI, 53703, United States
There is more overlap between scientific research and creative writing than you may think! Both involve a process of research, creative thought and storytelling, and in this panel we will discuss what these disciplines have in common and what each can take from the other. Acclaimed novelist Chloe Benjamin (THE IMMORTALISTS) uses science to inform her fiction, while data scientist and statistician Claudia Solis-Lemus writes fiction and memoir when she isn’t researching evolutionary biology and microbiome. Moderated by novelist and WID writer in residence Michelle Wildgen.

Chloe Benjamin is the author of The Immortalists, a New York Times bestseller, and The Anatomy of Dreams.
A Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, LibraryReads favorite, and #1 Indie Next pick, The Immortalists was named a best book of 2018 by NPR, The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, and others.
The Anatomy of Dreams received the Edna Ferber Fiction Book Award and was long listed for the 2014 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize.
Originally from San Francisco, CA, Chloe is a graduate of Vassar College and the M.F.A. in fiction at the University of Wisconsin. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages. She lives with her husband and two Maine Coon cats in Madison, WI, where she is at work on a third novel.

Claudia Solís-Lemus is an assistant professor at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery and the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Originally from Mexico City, she did her Undergraduate degrees in Actuarial Sciences and Applied Mathematics at ITAM. She then earned an MA in Mathematics and a PhD in Statistics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Michelle Wildgen is the author of four novels, most recently WINE PEOPLE, published in August. Her first novel, YOU’RE NOT YOU, was an NYT Editor’s Choice and was adapted into a film starring Hilary Swank and Emmy Rossum. She is currently a writer in residence at WID, and cofounded the Madison Writer’s Studio with novelist Susanna Daniel in 2013. Her work has appeared in the New York Times Modern Love column and Book Review, O Magazine, Best Food Writing, and elsewhere.

Instagram: mswildgen

Seating is limited. Get your tickets here.

Indigenous Language Table
2023-10-25 12:00 - 13:00 | Room 1145, Discovery Building, 333 N. Randall Avenue, Madison, WI, 53715, United States

2023 WID Symposium Public Expo
2023-11-15 15:00 - 16:30 | Town Center, Discovery Building
Resilience, Robustness, & Adaptability in Complex Systems. This expo serves as an opportunity for our researchers at every stage in their career to showcase their ongoing work as it relates to WID’s theme, focusing on resilience, robustness, and adaptability within complex systems.
With participation from our entire 200-member WID team, this event offers an excellent platform to highlight our partnerships and give a peek inside the studies happening in the labs.
A reception with light refreshments will follow the expo.
CONTACT: lredeagle@wisc.edu
URL: https://wid.wisc.edu/event/2023-wid-symposium-public-expo/

SoundWaves: Celebrations of Time, part 2
2023-12-01 19:30 - 21:00 | Discovery Building, 330 North Orchard Street, Madison, WI, 53715, United States
All that Jazz, and more!

SoundWaves is looking at (and listening to) Time all year. In this second installment, learn what time does to a Supreme Court precedent and to the environment, how time affects chemical reactions and how it behaves weirdly in our universe, and how time feels in jazz.
Lu Lu, physics
Asifa Quraishi-Landes, law
Elizabeth Maroon, atmospheric and oceanic sciences
John Yin, Wisconsin Institute for Discovery
Dan Cavanagh, piano
Daniel Grabois, SoundWaves Curator
Event is free of charge but registration is requested as space is limited.
Food and beverage available for purchase at Steenbock’s on Orchard until 7:30pm.
We value inclusion and access for all participants. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations to enhance your participation experience, please email info@wiscifest.org no later than 2 weeks prior to the event. This event is wheelchair accessible.

We value inclusion and access for all participants. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations to enhance your participation experience, please email info@wiscifest.org no later than 2 weeks prior to the event. This event is wheelchair accessible.

Crossroads of Ideas: Palettes, Pigments, & Perception–Watercolor Connections
2023-12-08 17:00 - 18:30 | Discovery Building, 330 North Orchard Street, Madison, WI, 53715, United States
Explore the mixability of watercolor chemistry and visual perception with our experts in the field.

Speakers:
Kaitlin Walsh – Independent artist specializing in abstract anatomical watercolor and oil paintings.
Kristin Labby – Beloit College professor incorporating technical studies of art and artifacts into her instrumental analysis chemistry courses.
Karen Schloss – University of Wisconsin–Madison associate professor Department of Psychology Visual Reasoning Lab studies how people interpret meaning from visual features, with a focus on color.

We value inclusion and access for all participants. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations to enhance your participation experience, please email info@wiscifest.org no later than 2 weeks prior to the event. This event is wheelchair accessible.

We thank our sponsors:
Dane Arts
Artist & Craftsman Supply
Faber-Castell
Madison Watercolor Society

There Are No Bugs in Winter
2023-12-12 18:00 - 19:00 | Marquee Cinema, Union South
2023 Hispanic International Film Festival Winner!. There are no bugs in winter is a zero-budget scifi film created by two UW-Madison faculty during the pandemic (Claudia Solis-Lemus and Daniel Pimentel-Alarcon).
101 minutes | United States | 2023 | Spanish with English subtitles – A former pianist sees a mysterious photo that leads him into a rabbit hole of unintended consequences.
Sponsored by the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery.

SoundWaves:
2024-02-16 19:30 - 21:00 | Discovery Building, 330 North Orchard Street, Madison, WI, 53715, United States
A Celebration of Time, pt 3

In this third presentation of Celebrations of Time, SoundWaves is looking at how we know when events occurred in the past, through the lens of geology (objects on Earth), astronomy (distant objects), anthropology (human prehistory), pathology (the human body), and, as always, music.

Presenters:
Brad Singer – Department of Geoscience
Professor Brad Singer is a Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor and the Geoscience department chair. His research uses high-precision geochronology to resolve fundamental geoscientific problems. He leads the WiscAr Geochronology Labs at UW-Madison – a state-of-the-art 40Ar/39Ar dating facility capable of addressing questions spanning the entirety of Earth history.

Kate Grier – Astronomy
Dr. Kate Grier is an assistant professor at the UW-Madison department of astronomy. Her research interests include active galactic nuclei, supermassive black holes, reverberation mapping, quasars, and more. Grier utilizes a wide range of techniques and observing facilities in her research into measuring masses of black holes.

Jamie Kallan – Pathology & Lab Medicine
Dr. Jamie Kallan is an assistant professor in the department of pathology and laboratory medicine at UW-Madison. Kallan has been in active practice in the field of pathology and forensic autopsy for over 10 years and is currently on the clinical health sciences faculty at UW specializing in autopsy.

Gilliane Monnier – Anthropology (University of Minnesota)
Dr. Gilliane Monnier is an associate professor in anthropology at the University of Minnesota. She studies Neanderthal behavior through their use of stone tools, both in the lab and out in the field. Monnier uses her expertise in microarchaeology and lithic analysis and is currently studying Neanderthal response to climatic and environmental change 60-40,000 years ago.

Dawn Wohn – Music
Dawn Wohn is violin teaching faculty at the UW Madison Mead Witter School of Music. Wohn has performed across five continents including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, as well as appearing as a soloist for numerous live-broadcast performances. Dawn has played the violin since the age of 4 and trained at The Juilliard School, Yale University, and Stony Brook University.

Daniel Grabois – Music and SoundWaves Curator

Event is free of charge but registration is requested as space is limited.
Food available for purchase at Steenbock’s on Orchard until 7:00pm, beverage available for purchase at Steenbock’s until 7:30pm.
We value inclusion and access for all participants. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations to enhance your participation experience, please email info@wiscifest.org no later than 2 weeks prior to the event. This event is wheelchair accessible.

Pours & Prose
2024-02-23 17:00 - 19:00 | Discovery Building, 330 North Orchard Street, Madison, WI, 53715, United States
A Celebration of Wine and Wine People

Presented by the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery Writer in Residence, join us for an evening celebrating all things wine!
Michelle Wildgen, WID Writer-in-Residence, recently released her latest book, Wine People, which made the Oprah Daily list, TIME’s “25 New Books You Need to Read This Summer,” and many others. Join us at our “Pours & Prose” event for an exclusive evening celebrating wine and Wine People. Published in August 2023, Wine People invites readers to travel from Madison, WI, and Sonoma, CA, to Italy, France, and Germany and follow two wine professionals as they navigate friendship and ambition.
Tickets to Pours & Prose include:

A signed copy of Wine People
A free bottle of wine from a generous donor to enjoy after the event
Hors d’oeuvre reception
1 drink ticket (in addition to the wine tasting)
An excerpt reading from Wildgen’s novel
Guided wine tasting with L’Etoile’s Wine Director, Michael Kwas

And more!
Join us at the Discovery Building on February 23rd, 5-7pm, for this special event!
* Must be 21+ to participate in this event.* Proceeds go towards supporting the WID Writer in Residence Program.

Crossroads of Ideas: Tomorrow's Yellowstone
2024-04-17 19:00 - 20:00 | Discovery Building, 330 North Orchard Street, Madison, WI, 53715, United States
Yellowstone, climate change and the importance of sharing science.

This edition of Crossroads of Ideas will feature a panel discussion hosted by Kelly Tyrrell and will cover the topics of how Tomorrow’s Yellowstone came about, an overview of Monica Turner’s lab’s work, and how the University Communications team approached the project before arriving in, during, and after the trip to Yellowstone National Park. UComm shares how they worked with the students on the ground and balanced the many themes at play in the project.

Speakers:
Monica Turner, principal investigator
Timon Keller, Turner Lab researcher
Althea Dotzour, photographer
Elise Mahon, project lead/videographer
Jason Weiss, videographer
Kelly Tyrrell, panel moderator

*NOTE: This link is for in-person registration only. If you would like to attend via livestream, please register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/crossroads-of-ideas-tomorrows-yellowstone-streaming-tickets-878192024987
We value inclusion and access for all participants. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations to enhance your participation experience, please email info@wiscifest.org no later than 2 weeks prior to the event. This event is wheelchair accessible.

Crossroads of Ideas: Tomorrow's Yellowstone (Streaming)
2024-04-17 19:00 - 20:00 | WI
NOTE: This registration link for virtual attendance only. Yellowstone, climate change and the importance of sharing science.

This edition of Crossroads of Ideas will feature a panel discussion hosted by Kelly Tyrrell and will cover the topics of how Tomorrow’s Yellowstone came about, an overview of Monica Turner’s lab’s work, and how the University Communications team approached the project before arriving in, during, and after the trip to Yellowstone National Park. UComm shares how they worked with the students on the ground and balanced the many themes at play in the project.

Speakers:
Monica Turner, principal investigator
Timon Keller, Turner Lab researcher
Althea Dotzour, photographer
Elise Mahon, project lead/videographer
Jason Weiss, videographer
Kelly Tyrrell, panel moderator

*NOTE: This registration link is for virtual attendance only. If you would like to attend in person, please register at : https://illuminatingdiscovery.wisc.edu/event/crossroads-of-ideas-yellowstone-climate-change-and-sharing-science/
We value inclusion and access for all participants. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations to enhance your participation experience, please email info@wiscifest.org no later than 2 weeks prior to the event. This event is wheelchair accessible.

SoundWaves:
2024-04-19 19:30 - 21:00 | Hamel Music Center, 740 University Avenue, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
A Celebration of Time, pt 4

SoundWaves has been looking at and listening to time – join us for Celebrations of Time, Part 4, the final edition of this time-based series! Learn about how dating and relationships have changed over time from a psychologist, the way we know how to walk from a kinesiologist, why and how the stock market changes over time, and of course, enjoy a beautiful musical performance linked to the theme of time. The event is free but registration is requested. This gathering will take place at the HAMEL MUSIC CENTER, Collins Recital Hall. Register here!

Catalina Toma (Communication Science)
Andrea Mason (Kinesiology)
Sara Hotchkiss (Botany)
David Brown (Finance)
James Waldo (Cello)
Christopher Taylor (Piano)
Daniel Grabois (Host)

Event is free of charge but registration is requested as space is limited. This edition of SoundWaves will take place in Collins Hall within Hamel Music Center.
We value inclusion and access for all participants. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations to enhance your participation experience, please email info@wiscifest.org no later than 2 weeks prior to the event. This event is wheelchair accessible.

Crossroads of Ideas: Democratizing Data
2024-05-08 19:00 - 20:00 | Discovery Building, 330 North Orchard Street, Madison, WI, 53715, United States
Making Scientific Data FAIR

This last Crossroads of Ideas of the semester will feature presentations and a fireside chat all about the data life cycle and what it takes to make scientific data FAIR – Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reuseable. Panelists will journey through a day in the life of data from collection to interpretation, the ways scientific data is made available to both the scientific community and the world, and the importance of openness.

Panelists:
Brian Bockelman, Investigator, Research Computing, Morgridge Institute for Research
Margaret Thairu, Researcher, Handelsman Lab , Wisconsin Institute for Discovery
Cameron Cook, Data & Digital Scholarship Manager, UW–Madison Libraries

We value inclusion and access for all participants. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations to enhance your participation experience, please email info@wiscifest.org no later than 2 weeks prior to the event. This event is wheelchair accessible.

2024 Tiny Earth Summer Symposium
2024-06-12 09:00 - 2024-06-13 17:00 | Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, 330 North Orchard Street, Madison, WI, 53715, United States
Join students, instructors, and researchers from around the world for Tiny Earth’s 2024 Summer Symposium in Madison, Wisconsin.

The Tiny Earth Summer Symposium is a two-day event designed to showcase student research findings, delve into current advancements and challenges in antibiotic discovery, and engage instructors in sharing instructional innovations. Join us in person at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for an opportunity to network with Tiny Earth researchers from around the globe.
Tiny Earth Partner Instructors (TEPIs) will convene on June 12th to engage and share new innovations in teaching and learning. TEPI Day will feature Tapas Talks, a series of bite-sized, dynamic presentations, plus new updates and content from Tiny Earth Headquarters. June 13th will feature a student research poster session and plenary sessions from expert researchers in antibiotic discovery!
For event details and registration visit the 2024 Tiny Earth Summer Symposium webpage.
Be sure to request lodging and indicate your dietary restrictions using this form.

"X Marks the Spot: Places of Great Discoveries at UW-Madison": In-Person Badger Talk in Sun Prairie, WI
2024-10-14 14:00 - 15:00 | 275 North City Station Drive, Sun Prairie, WI, United States
Presenter: Tom Zinnen. This is a free, in-person event hosted by Talamore Senior Living of Sun Prairie on October 14, 2024 at 2:00 PM as a part of the Wisconsin Science Festival. No registration is necessary to attend.
Explore the people and the places of great discoveries at UW-Madison that have changed how we look at life and how we lead our lives, including the discovery of vitamins, DNA breakthroughs that won four Nobel Prizes in Medicine, and the development of human embryonic stem cells.
CONTACT: 263-7793, badgertalks@uwmad.wisc.edu
URL: https://www.facebook.com/share/fCQ2ytDskbjiQfyv/

Badgers on Tap: Microbiology at Delta Beer Lab
2024-10-14 18:30 - 19:30 | 167 E Badger Rd, Madison, WI, United States
in collaboration with the Wisconsin Science Festival. Join for a pint and a night of learning, activities, and good cheer at Badger State Brewing on October 14 at 6:30 PM! Listen to engaging 15-minute flash talks, & participate in trivia & bingo! This event is in-person, and no registration is necessary.
Rob Striker: How the “game of T cells” influences your risk of infections and cancer
Holly Nichols: Gut Gladiators: Bacteria Battling to the Death in the Mosquito Gut
Heather Emery: Gut Feeling – How Microbes Shape your Health and Happiness
CONTACT: 263-7793, badgertalks@uwmad.wisc.edu
URL: https://badgertalks.wisc.edu/badgers-on-tap/

Crossroads of Ideas: Wisconsin's Role in Shaping the Future of Agriculture
2024-10-14 19:00 - 20:00 | Discovery Building, 330 North Orchard Street, Madison, WI, 53715, United States
Glenda Gillaspy (UW-Madison College of Agriculture and Life Sciences) moderates a lively panel discussion.

This engaging panel discussion will take a deeper look into the innovation and tradition of Wisconsin agriculture and the opportunities and challenges we face at the leading edge of sustainable systems. Moderated by Dr. Glenda Gillaspy, Dean of UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and featuring researchers who are helping establish Wisconsin as the leader in agricultural advancement and innovation.
Panelists:

Dr. Julie Dawson – Professor in the UW-Madison Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences and Extension Specialist for Regional Food Systems. Research and extension interests include plant breeding for organic systems and participatory research in regional food systems. She is an academic cooperator with the USDA on the Farmer Seed Liaison initiative, focused on promoting fair competition and innovation in the seed industry.
Dr. Randy Jackson – Joined the Department of Agronomy (now the Department of Plant & Agroecosystem Sciences) at UW-Madison in 2003. Jackson teaches Grassland Ecology and co-instructs Agroecology-An Introduction to the Ecology of Food and Agriculture. His grassland ecology group studies how carbon and nutrients flow into, within, and out of grassland ecosystems, including prairie, pasture, and row-crop communities.
Dr. Rebecca Smith – Assistant professor of plant and agroecosystem sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a researcher with the Wisconsin Energy Institute and the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC). Smith’s research focuses on how to make alter the plant cell wall to improve plant digestibility, animal nutrition, and dairy sustainability.
Dr. Shawn Conley – Professor and the State Soybean and Small Grain Specialist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Conley leads the UW Soybean Research Program “a.k.a. The UW BeanTeam” and actively collaborates across all disciplines to generate science-based solutions to address real world problems in soybean and small grain production systems.

Link to full presenter bios.
This is a free event – registration is requested to ensure adequate seating.

We value inclusion and access for all participants. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations to enhance your participation experience, please email idhub@wid.wisc.edu no later than 2 weeks prior to the event. This event is wheelchair accessible.

Badgers on Tap: Wisconsin Agriculture at Amorphic Beer
2024-10-15 19:00 - 20:00 | Amorphic Beer, 3700 N Fratney St, Milwaukee, WI, United States
in collaboration with the Wisconsin Science Festival. Join for a pint and a night of learning, activities, and good cheer at Amorphic Beer on October 15 at 7:00 PM! Listen to engaging 15-minute flash talks, and participate in trivia, bingo, and more! This event is in-person, and no registration is necessary.
Michaela Hoffelmeyer: LGBTQ+ Farmers
Shelby Ellison: Collecting Cannabis through Citizen Scientist Collaboration
Caitilyn Allen: Fruits of the Fore-mothers of Wisconsin Farming
CONTACT: 263-7793, badgertalks@uwmad.wisc.edu
URL: https://badgertalks.wisc.edu/badgers-on-tap

Big Ideas for Busy People: Fields of Wonder
2024-10-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Majestic Theatre, 115 King Street, Madison, WI, 53703, United States
A celebration at the intersection of art and science. Nerdy talks, performances, Adult Swim crafts, prizes, and more!

Doors and bar open at 6:30pm, event takes place 7-9pm. Mark your calendars for a unique, interactive event!
Join the Wisconsin Science Festival and friends for an unforgettable night at the intersection of art and science. Hear flash talks from incredible scientists on an array of topics, enjoy dance performances supported by the UW-Madison Division of the Arts, take in the musical wonder of the fiddle, and get creative with crafts led by the Madison Children’s Museum Adult Swim team.
This event is free and in town for one-night-only. You won’t want to miss it!
Click here to view the full presenter information!

Emcee: Ben Rush, PhD, MPH
Science Presenters: Leah Elson, DJ LeClear, Ania Bialic, & Izzy Ross
Musical Interludes: Daithi Wolfe (fiddle)
Dance Performances: Guy Thorne and the MUKULA Indian Dance group

"Wisconsin's Busy Bees": Virtual Wisconsin Science Festival Badger Talk
2024-10-16 16:00 - 17:00 | (Online)
Presenter: PJ Liesch. This free, virtual event will take place on October 16, 2024 at 4:00 PM and is a part of the Wisconsin Science Festival. The Bloomer Public Library will be hosting an optional viewing of the Zoom in the community room. To register for the Zoom, visit here: https://bit.ly/4d5tEMJ
CONTACT: 263-7793, badgertalks@uwmad.wisc.edu
URL: https://badgertalks.wisc.edu
ONLINE: https://www.facebook.com/share/Ruawycx8TdNMjGUb/

MadPrompts
2024-10-16 18:00 - 19:30 | H.F. DeLuca Forum, Discovery Building
Creativity Unleashed. Join us for an exhilarating evening of wit, artistry and prompt engineering at MadPrompts, presented by WARF and the Data Science Institute! MadPrompts is not just an event; it's a mesmerizing game show-style competition where talented contestants race against the clock to craft captivating images inspired by a mysterious meta prompt. The fusion of art and technology promises to be nothing short of extraordinary.
CONTACT: anaas@warf.org
URL: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/madprompts-creativity-unleashed-tickets-993842538787

Science on the Square – Madison Night Market Fusion
2024-10-17 17:00 - 21:00 | State Street, Downtown Madison
Join us for one fantastic night that blends science with downtown Madison businesses!. Back for its seventh year, the ever-popular Science on the Square event is again fusing with the Madison Night Market to create a unique way to explore hands-on science activities while also supporting local businesses and vendors. In 2024, our focus is on agriculture, aiming to showcase its profound impact on our world.
CONTACT: 316-4390, info@wiscifest.org
URL: https://www.wisconsinsciencefest.org/event/science-on-the-square-madison-night-market-fusion-4/

Badgers on Tap: Wisconsin Agriculture at Delta Beer Lab
2024-10-18 19:00 - 20:00 | 167 E Badger Rd, Madison, WI, United States
in collaboration with the Wisconsin Science Festival. Join for a pint and a night of learning, activities, and good cheer at Delta Beer Lab on October 18 at 7:00 PM! Listen to engaging 15-minute flash talks, and participate in trivia, bingo, and more! This event is in-person, and no registration is necessary.
Adam Borger: Food Microbiology: The Good Microbes, The Bad Microbes and the Ugly Microbes
Jerry Clark: Malting Barley Research for the Craft Brewing Industry
Kevin Myers: A Wild Strain of Brewer's Yeast Engineered to Make Biofuel
CONTACT: 263-7793, badgertalks@uwmad.wisc.edu
URL: https://badgertalks.wisc.edu/badgers-on-tap/

SoundWaves: Developing Ideas, Part 1
2024-10-18 19:30 - 21:00 | Discovery Building, 330 North Orchard Street, Madison, WI, 53715, United States
Explore how trends, plans, viewpoints, projects, materials, and sounds develop. Where we are and where we might be headed in the future.

All year, SoundWaves will explore the concept of Development. In our first event, we ask: How did the development of monotheism affect human society? How do plants evolve, and how do we help them evolve? What is all this about AI? How does research and creativity give birth to a novel? And what does development mean in the context of music? Find out on October 18, at 7:30pm in the DeLuca Forum in the Discovery Building. This SoundWaves event is part of the Wisconsin Science Festival.
William Tracy, Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences
Michael Bell, Community and Environmental Sociology
Jerry Zhu, Computer Science
Michelle Wildgen, WID Writer-in-Residence
This event will take place in the DeLuca Forum in the Discovery Building. This is a free event, however registration is requested to ensure adequate seating.

We value inclusion and access for all participants. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations to enhance your participation experience, please email idhub@wid.wisc.edu no later than 2 weeks prior to the event. This event is wheelchair accessible.

SoundWaves combines scientific lectures about the world with live classical music performances. Each event revolves around a theme, exploring it first from many scientific angles and then through the lens of music. The program concludes with a live performance of music related to the evening’s theme.

Discovery Expo – Community Day
2024-10-19 10:00 - 13:00 | 1st Floor, Discovery Building
Presented by Morgridge Institute for Research. The Discovery Exp Community Day invites learners of all ages to the Discovery Building on UW-Madison’s campus to experience dozens of interactive, hands-on exploration stations that feature STEM activities ranging from virtual reality to health and medicine, chemistry, physics demonstrations and more! Explore the hands-on activities at your own pace and interact with scientists, STEM professionals and students from UW-Madison and beyond!
CONTACT: 316-4390, info@wiscifest.org
URL: https://www.wisconsinsciencefest.org/event/discovery-expo-community-day-presented-by-morgridge-institute-for-research/

Reclaiming Space, Reclaiming Stories
2024-11-01 18:30 - 20:00 | Hub Central, Discovery Building
Native November Indigenous Art Gallery Opening. As part of Native November, this gallery opening features 11 student-created art pieces that explore how Indigenous students across UW–Madison have found grounding and purpose through culturally informed art to enhance their mental health practices. By sharing their work, these students are indigenizing space on campus, celebrating their heritage, and inviting the larger UW and public community to engage with the powerful connection between culture and mental well-being.
CONTACT: lredeagle@wisc.edu
URL: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/indigenous-art-reclaiming-space-reclaiming-stories-opening-reception-tickets-1031338841237

Crossroads of Ideas: Growing Without Gravity
2024-11-21 19:00 - 20:00 | Discovery Building, 330 North Orchard Street, Madison, WI, 53715, United States
Can plants thrive amid the zero-gravity chaos of space? Could the stars themselves hold the recipe for life? Join Crossroads to find out!

Ready to leave Earthly bounds behind? Join us for an absolutely out-of-this-world Crossroads of Ideas, where astrobiology and astrochemistry come together in cosmic fashion! Plant biologist Dr. Simon Gilroy and astrochemist Dr. Susanna Widicus Weaver are your guides for an evening of star-studded discovery, diving into everything from the surprising resilience of plants in space to the chemistry that could hint at life beyond our planet. Moderated by Eric Wilcots, this event will tackle cosmic questions like: How do plants handle the zero-gravity chaos of space? Could the stars themselves hold the recipe for life? With Gilroy’s upcoming plant experiment on the International Space Station and Weaver’s quest to uncover the secrets of interstellar molecules, this is more than a talk—it’s an invitation to explore life’s mysteries among the stars!

Guest presenters Simon Gilroy, Susanna Widicus Weaver, and moderated by Eric Wilcots.
Dr. Simon Gilroy is a plant biologist whose research seeks to understand how plants and microbes respond to the alien world of spaceflight. He received his bachelor’s degree in botany from the university of Cambridge in England and a Ph.D. in plant biochemistry from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He pursued postdoctoral research at the University of California at Berkeley before becoming a faculty member at PennState and then moving to his current position in the Department of Botany at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2007. He is a fellow of the American Society for the Advancement of Science and a recipient UW-Madison’s Bassam Shakashiri Public Science Engagement Award. He serves on NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Advisory Committee and is currently preparing to send his seventh plant experiment to the International Space Station in March 2025.

Susanna Widicus Weaver, Vozza Professor of Chemistry and Astronomy at the University of Wisconsin, is an expert in prebiotic astrochemistry. Her research, combining laboratory spectroscopy, observational astronomy, and chemical modeling, is aimed at understanding the mechanisms driving interstellar chemistry and the pathways for the formation of life. She received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Illinois Wesleyan University (2000) and her Ph.D. in chemistry at Caltech (2005). She was a postdoctoral fellow in Chemistry and Astronomy at the University of Illinois from 2005-2008. Before moving to Wisconsin in 2020, she was a Professor of Chemistry at Emory University. She is the Provisional Director of the Wisconsin Center for Origins Research at UW-Madison. She is also a member of the Chemical Sciences Roundtable at the National Academy of Sciences.

We value inclusion and access for all participants. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations to enhance your participation experience, please email idhub@wid.wisc.edu no later than 2 weeks prior to the event. This event is wheelchair accessible.

SoundWaves: Developing Ideas, Part 2
2024-11-22 19:30 - 21:00 | Discovery Building, 330 North Orchard Street, Madison, WI, 53715, United States
The Universe and Beyond!

How do babies develop language? How are new drugs developed? How did we go from no universe to the universe we know and love? And how does cancer develop in our bodies? How does a musician write a piece of music for himself to play? Find out as SoundWaves continues its yearlong exploration of Development: where are we now, how did we get here, and where might we go?
SoundWaves combines scientific lectures about the world with live classical music performances. Each event revolves around a theme, exploring it first from many scientific angles and then through the lens of music. The program concludes with a live performance of music related to the evening’s theme.
This episode, our musical guest is Tom Curry, Mead Witter School of Music Teaching Faculty, Tuba and Euphonium. Curry is currently the tubist in the Wisconsin Brass Quintet, a faculty ensemble-in-residence at the Mead Witter School of Music, and has performed with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Joffrey Ballet, the Chicago Philharmonic and many other orchestras.
Join him and our scientific experts as we continue Developing Ideas, Part 2:
Jennifer Golden, pharmacy
Morgan Robertson, geography
Peter Timbie, physics
Jose Ayuso, dermatology
Daniel Grabois, music and host
This event will take place in the DeLuca Forum in the Discovery Building. This is a free event, however registration is requested to ensure adequate seating.

We value inclusion and access for all participants. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations to enhance your participation experience, please email https://mailto: idhub@wid.wisc.edu no later than 2 weeks prior to the event. This event is wheelchair accessible.

Crossroads of Ideas: Communicating through Creativity
2024-12-03 19:00 - 20:00 | Discovery Building, 330 North Orchard Street, Madison, WI, 53715, United States
Explore how art and science intersect as experts reveal creative ways to deepen our understanding of culture, justice, and science!

Join us for Crossroads of Ideas: Communicating through Creativity, a dynamic fireside chat that explores the intersection of art and science in shaping perspectives and values. Featuring Nan Li, an expert in science communication who leverages art to inform and influence public opinion; Casey Fletcher, who focuses on culture, justice, and diversity through creative expression; and mural artist Sonya Sankaran, who bridges the gap by using art as a medium to illuminate scientific concepts. Together, they’ll dive into how creative approaches can deepen our understanding and appreciation of the world around us.

We value inclusion and access for all participants. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations to enhance your participation experience, please email idhub@wid.wisc.edu no later than 2 weeks prior to the event. This event is wheelchair accessible.

Tiny Earth 2024 Virtual Winter Symposium
2024-12-06 10:00 - 12:00 | WI
(work in progress)
