On October 29, 2024, Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute held a symposium titled “The Neuroscience of Social Connections” at the Jerome L. Greene Science Center at 130th Street and Broadway.  The event featured faculty speakers and a series of presentations by PhD students highlighting the biological and psychological mechanisms of social interactions.

Welcome back to Science Fair, Bwog’s weekly roundup of science events happening around campus. As always, email science@bwog.com if you want your event featured.

This Wednesday, the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies hosted the authors of “Children of Modest Star” at the International Affairs Building. They discussed how a new governance framework could help nations tackle planetary issues more effectively. 

The new Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy (CICET) has appointed Michael Sadelain as the inaugural director.

The first speaker of the Barnard Cognitive Science Symposium series was Dr. Horowitz, a Psychology Professor and the Head of Barnard Dog Cognition Lab.

Professors Dan Steingart and Lauren Marbella collaborated to lead a team that could greatly improve battery performance and more.

On September 19, Bwog News Editor Emma Burris and Staff Writer Lorelei Gorton attended the Voyager Golden Record Experience, an interdisciplinary exploration of humanity’s place in the cosmos. 

Last Thursday, Staff Writer Amélie Acevedo attended a virtual seminar on aging, aimed at discussing recent trends in mortality rates in the US and UK over the past decade. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the once-assumed continuous progress in life expectancy feels increasingly uncertain.

Columbia University’s Department of Medical Humanities and Ethics held their April Narrative Medicine Rounds with acclaimed critic and writer Lucy Sante, author of “I Heard Her Call My Name: A Memoir of Transition.”

Last Thursday, Deputy Editor Nikita Nambiar attended an event at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem as a part of an event series called Music on the Brain. The event, was organized by Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute and featured musical artist T.K Blue and evolutionary biologist Wyatt Toure.

On February 29th, Staff Writer Erika Avallone attended an immersive experience and lecture featuring Ursula Kwong-Brown, researcher, composer, and media artist, and Professor Darcy Kelley, seeking to uncover the similarities between amphibian and human cognition.

Last Wednesday, Columbia Medical Center’s Division of Narrative Medicine held a talk with cardiologist Dr. Sandeep Juahar. He detailed his new memoir, introducing his brilliant father’s descent into dementia and the science and experience of searching for answers. 

On Friday, the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs hosted an event titled “Environmental Casteism and Climate Disaster,” the first of four events in a climate justice series.

On Wednesday, Staff Writer Adria Marin attended Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program’s lecture by Lee McIntyre, where he explored an interesting philosophical question.

On Friday, Staff Writer Elisha Dura attended Columbia Astronomy Public Outreach’s lecture, given by Dr. Nick Luber, on what we do and do not know about jellyfish galaxies. Read through the article to play an astronomy trivia game at the end!