Welcome back to Columbia and to Science Fair, Bwog’s weekly roundup of science events happening around campus. Get outside! Its so lovely. This week promises some woke and fascinating events. As always, email science@bwog.com if you want your event featured.

Prolonged Drought and Socioecological Transition on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the 16th-17th Centuries

• Monday, April 14, 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm.
• Fayerweather Hall, Room 513, 1180 Amsterdam Avenue.
• Rapa Nui isn’t actually a cautionary tale of environmental collapse, as this popular narrative has been debunked. The real collapse came from European slave raids in the 1860s. William J. D’Andrea will present new evidence showing a massive drought hit the island in the mid-16th century, with ~600mm less annual rainfall. Resilience strategy, not catastrophe, offers a better explanation for why Rapanui society reorganized. More information.

Chronic Nation: The Politics of Experts, Health and Making Modern Indian Citizens (1940-70s)

• Tuesday, April 15, 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.
• Hybrid event: Fayerweather Hall, Room 513, 1180 Amsterdam Avenue and online.
• How did chronic diseases become central to debates about modernization in post-colonial India? Kavita Sivaramakrishnan (a lovely professor of mine) traces how questions of immunity, stress, and adaptability shaped new medical specializations and were recast around work, lifestyles, and local metabolisms. Explore the politics of experts and expertise in nation-building. More information.

It’s Not Easy Being Green

• Tuesday, April 15, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
• Forum, 601 West 125th Street.
• Why is it so hard to make environmentally friendly decisions? Elke Weber breaks down the cognitive and motivational barriers that prevent us from acting wisely on climate, and, more importantly, some solutions. Learn how designing better decision environments can help people make choices they’ll actually be satisfied with long-term. More information.

Music on the Brain: Rewriting the Loss

• Wednesday, April 16, 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
• National Jazz Museum in Harlem, 58 West 129th Street.
• How does the brain navigate grief? An intimate evening combining live jazz with neuroscience to explore the “hidden” map of loss. Discover how our unconscious minds creatively “rewrite” grief into something the conscious mind can actually process. More information.

Azurite Pigment Workshop

• Thursday, April 17, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.
• Milstein Center for Teaching and Learning, Room 104, Barnard College, 3009 Broadway.
• Make paint from scratch using 16th-century methods. Transform azurite mineral from rock to blue paint. No experience necessary. Hosted by the Making and Knowing Project and Barnard Design Center. More information.

Earth Month Park Cleanup & Picnic: Morningside Park

• Friday, April 17, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.
• Morningside Park, 116th Street and Morningside Drive, Main Staircase.
• Clean up Morningside Park, get a free picnic with sandwiches, and snag a University Life Earth Day sticker. Meet by the Carl Schurz Memorial. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, bring water and sunscreen. Involves climbing steps. More information.

Science Fair via Madeline Douglass