OMSI Science Pub

We have lost both an adapter sleeve for our receiver hitch and my truck key, so we spent some time this morning researching possible replacements. We found that U-Haul carries a nice black powder coated 2.5" to 2" adapter, and we located a U-Haul dealer that had two in stock. However, when we got there, the darned thing didn't fit. So we called a couple of Ford dealers. The cheapest Ford adapter we found is $50, a definite ripoff, since the U-Haul version is only $14.99.

We thought we might be able to find a locksmith to make an ignition key for the truck, but after calling three, we decided that we'll need to get a new key from the Ford dealer: $119 plus $45 for programming it. Another ripoff. Sigh.

We gathered up our laundry from the past week and a half and headed over to "the duplex" (Chris and Shawn downstairs, Edie upstairs, and Annie both). We started a load of laundry before walking over to Guardian Games where Annie was attending D & D camp afternoons this week. She was psyched about the group's having accomplished what they considered a miracle: they talked a greedy dwarf into giving them something. Her character is a druid, one of whose special abilities is being able to take the shape of an animal. Annie has a special affinity with animals, so that suits her well.

Shawn made some really great enchiladas and cornbread for dinner. The cornbread included corn kernels and green chilies. Michael, a friend of Chris's who is in town for the day, joined us for dinner and the Science Pub afterward. He's from Seattle and works for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (which Chris worked for when he was in Chicago).

The Science Pub program was presented by Dr. Ted Scambos on the topic of Antarctica. We're sure Blake would have enjoyed the program, since one of his specialties is snow and ice. We got to the Bagdad  Theater early, but the lower level was already completely full, except for some seats in the back row, which we took. Chris and Michael stood in a long line to purchase beer for everyone (Sprite for Annie) and we sat back to enjoy the presentation.

The first thing on the program was a ten-question trivia quiz on the Antarctic. One audience member scored a 10 and another scored a nine. There were several sevens and eights. The two top scorers got tickets to an upcoming science pub presented by the "Bad Astronomer." Chris got a Science Pub pint beer glass.


Dr. Scambos is an engaging presenter, and he clearly has a special love for Antarctica (hard for us sun lovers to totally understand). He was quite eloquent in describing the spiritual experience of being surrounded by the Antarctic--very similar to the stories told by the Glacier Bay NP rangers about their experiences of the vast wilderness of the Arctic.

As an aside, he burst my bubble about penguins: he says they are very noisy and spend lots of time in one place, which means piles of penguin poop! In fact, scientists estimate the populations of penguins by the brown spots on the ice.....

When we got home, Shawn cut Chris's hair and we talked about Kathryn and Michael's wedding, which they attended yesterday evening. It was held in Cathedral Park, so named because its iconic bridge has arches resembling those of a cathedral.



 Venue/Location: Bagdad Theater, 3702 Southeast Hawthorne Blvd, Phone: (503) 467-7521
Date: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 - 7:00 PM


OMSI Science Pub:
Antarctica in the Palm of Your Hand: A Science Tour of the Ice Sheet
Presenter: Dr. Ted Scambos, Lead Scientist at the University of Colorado's National Snow and Ice Data Center
Admission: $5.00 suggested cover charge
21 and over, or minor with adult
Antarctica is a continent of superlatives: coldest, highest, driest, and a few others you may not have heard of. Its ice and snow landscapes have an other-worldliness about them -- it is a place where things happen that don't occur at any other place on Earth. We will take a tour of the ice sheet (using slides and our imagination: no parka needed) and describe its unique style: on the high plateau, the awesome glaciers, the vast ice shelves, and its teeming coast and sea ice. We will also examine the continent's response to climate change and its role in sea level rise. Several areas of Antarctica have seen spectacular changes as a result of air and ocean warming in recent decades. We will consider what the future may hold.
This Science Pub is presented in collaboration with the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and Open Science Conference being held in Portland July 13-25, 2012 and is supported in part by the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs.