Guests can mingle with scientists at Potsdam'Science Cafe' series

POTSDAM — The usual musicians and poets at Jack & Wezzie's Coffee House, formerly Fields Coffee House, will take a break for five Wednesday nights this fall, as scientists and engineers from Clarkson University take center stage instead at the north country's first "Science Café."

The series is designed to bring together scientists and townspeople in a relaxed, informal setting, where in a guest scientist will make a short presentation about a topic in his or her field and then open up the floor to discussion.

Each Science Café will begin at 7:30 p.m. and include the following speakers and topics:

Sept. 10 — Daniel ben-Avraham, "Weirdness of Reality Through the Eyes of a Physicist."

Sept. 24 — Ed Moczydlowski, "Biology of Prion Diseases."

Oct. 15 — Michael Twiss, "Size Matters: Life in the St. Lawrence River."

Oct. 29 — Andrea Ferro, "The Rule of 1,000 Determines Our Exposure to Environmental Pollutants."

Nov. 12 — Kathleen Fowler, "Coffee, Gossip, and Math."

For more information about Clarkson's Science Café, visit www.clarkson.edu/sciencecafe.

Questions or suggestions for future topics may be sent to Daniel ben-Avraham at ScienceCafe@clarkson.edu.