(You normally shouldn't see this. Dang.) Cafe Scientifique Orlando is a gathering of scientifically-inclined people in Central Florida, who meet at a cafe, coffee house, pub, or nonacademic location to discuss events and ideas in the world of science. We enjoy beer and wine, and we love ideas. We try to avoid using slides, and we use plain language as much as we can.

"The War on Weeds"

Presenter: 
Von Holle, Betsy
When: 
Wednesday, 1 October 2008 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Where: 
Stardust Video and Coffee
1842 E Winter Park Rd.
Orlando, United States
32803

Effects of non-native species are a great hazard to global biodiversity, second only to habitat destruction. United States spends US$120 billion a year on direct costs from non-indigenous species, and Florida is one of the most invaded states, with significant resources spent on nonnative control and eradication. Dr. Von Holle will first enumerate methods of preventing, eradicating, and controlling nonnative species, then discuss the historical approach that Florida has used for control of nonnative species, and finally suggest a way forward.

The presenter, Dr. Betsy Von Holle, studies the interaction of nonnative species and ecologies, especially ecological resistance, the impact of land use history, community structure, and disturbance and restoration ecology. She is an Assistant Professor at UCF.

(Publicity flier)

Notes from event

Attendance: 10

Future Café Scientifique Events

Our next event is…

"The Neandertal Enigma: Our origins and closest evolutionary relatives"

Presenter: 
Cowgill, Libby
When: 
Wednesday, 3 December 2008 7:00pm - 9:30pm
Where: 
Stardust Video and Coffee
1842 E Winter Park Rd.
Orlando, United States
32803

Neandertals have long fascinated both scientists and the general public. Due to their close evolutionary relationship to modern humans, they captivate our imagination because they are us, but not us, and therefore have stood as a guidepost for defining ourselves. Changing perspectives on Neandertal biology and behavior are partial reflections of both advances in scientific research and of our own preconceptions about humanity, our identity, and our place in the world. This talk will introduce both current anthropological evidence for Neandertal lifeways and paleobiology, but also evaluate how the cultural and social lens through which the scientific community views the fossil record filters and shapes scientific knowledge.

Dr. Cowgill is an assistant professor of anthropology specializing in biological anthropology. Her primary research focus includes late Pleistocene human evolution, human growth and development, human variation, and functional morphology. In particular, she is interested in understanding how childhood activity patterns affect the developing skeleton during growth, and how these forces shape the adult skeleton. She received her B.A. in anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley in 2001 and a M.A. and Ph.D. in anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis in 2001 and 2008. Dr. Cowgill has done extensive field research in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the United States.

Past Café Scientifique Events

"Phoenix on the Red Planet" 2 Jul 2008 19:00 - 20:30
"Evolutionary Antecedents of Obesity" 6 Aug 2008 19:00 - 20:30
"On Water Pollution" 3 Sep 2008 19:00 - 20:30
"The War on Weeds" 1 Oct 2008 19:00 - 20:30
"Tidal Modeling in the 21st Century" 5 Nov 2008 19:00 - 20:30

Topics We'd Love to See

What are some topics you’d like to have? Tell us in your comments below. See our full schedule to know what we’ve had and plan to have, before adding something new.

Additionally, if you are a scientific expert interested in presenting a topic, please email us.

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