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 use plain language to talk about extraordinary ideas.

Presenter: 
Blair, Richard
When: 
Wednesday, 2 November 2011 - 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Venue: 
Taste
Where: 
Taste
Street:
717 W. Smith Street
City:
Orlando
,
Province:
Florida
Postal Code:
32804
Country:
United States

The periodic table is an amazing tool that provides the ability to predict chemical properties. Scientists often take it for granted. We will undertake a guided tour of the periodic table from its humble beginnings with just a little over 60 elements to today’s table with 118 elements and counting. The layout we are familiar with is much different from the original and even today alternative depictions are being developed.

Dr. Richard Blair earned his B.S. in Chemistry and Mathematics from Hope College in Holland, MI. He has an MS in Physical Chemistry from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from UCLA. He worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the next generation of thermoelectric power modules for spacecraft.

In 2007, he accepted a position as assistant professor of Chemistry and Forensic Science at UCF. His work at UCF has expanded on a synthetic technique utilized at JPL where mechanical force is used to induce a chemical reaction—mechanochemistry. His current research is focused on biofuels, greener syntheses, and forensic identifications of illicit substances.

Past Café Scientifique Events

Race to the Moon 18 November, 2014 - 18:30 downtown library
Good Bacteria 9 September, 2014 - 18:30 downtown library
Marine Ecosystems 8 August, 2014 - 18:30 downtown library
Solar System 7 July, 2014 - 18:30 downtown library
Robotics 6 June, 2014 - 18:30 downtown library
Cloud Computing 13 May, 2014 - 18:30 downtown library
Nanoscience 8 April, 2014 - 18:30 downtown library
Fire Ants 11 March, 2014 - 18:30 downtown library
Food Preservation 5 March, 2014 - 19:00 Eden Bar at...
Marine Mammals 11 February, 2014 - 18:30 downtown library
Bees 14 January, 2014 - 18:30 downtown library
Frankenfood 10 December, 2013 - 18:30 downtown library

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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