Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The Light Fantastic: An Illustrated History of Laser Development

Hello, everybody! Welcome to the Cambridge Science Festival blog. My name is Amali, and this is the first part of a three-part Tuesday series about LASERS.

I'm writing about lasers for two reasons: firstly because I like lasers, and secondly because the Cambridge Science Festival opens with a laser show on Saturday, April 24. I want you to be ready.

This week's topic: milestones in laser development.



The answer's under the cut...

Lunch With a Laureate: Dr. Eric Chivian

The rich intellectual environment of Cambridge has so many Nobel Laureates, and soon you'll have the unique opportunity to meet one (or more) of them! Next month, from Monday, April 26 through Friday, April 30, is the Cambridge Science Festival's week-long Lunch With a Laureate series, and the MIT Museum will host free daily lunchtime discussions with Nobel Laureates from 12-1 pm.
Thursday's lunch will be with Dr. Eric Chivian, a Harvard Medical School professor of psychiatry who co-founded the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985 for its efforts to prevent nuclear war. In addition to his attempts to prevent nuclear warfare, Chivian founded Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment to increase awareness of environmental change and its effects on people. The Center champions the idea that people are an essential part of the environment and that when we destroy our environment, we damage ourselves as well. Through these initiatives, Dr. Chivian continues to be active in promoting world causes 25 years after receipt of his Nobel Peace Prize.
If you attend the event, you'll be able to meet Dr. Chivian and ask him questions about his political position. You can ask him about the history of his organizations or about the factors that influenced his work. You can find out his opinion on current conflicts and the proper way to deal with the many humanitarian crises around the world, and you can get his opinion about health and public policy issues. You can also ask Dr. Chivian about how receiving the Nobel Prize changed his personal and professional life. Come armed with questions and comments and don't forget to bring your lunch!

The Basics:
Lunch With a Laureate: Eric Chivian
12-1 pm
Free
Thursday, April 29 2010
MIT Museum, 265 Massachusetts Avenue, first floor in the MIT 360 area