What we’re about
Welcome to Houston Science Enthusiasts! Founded in 2010 (under the original name Houston Super Secret Science Club), our goal is to provide a place for people interested in science to find and gather at the most interesting science-related activities in the Greater Houston region. These include gatherings at the many science-related lectures held at area universities and other educational institutions, visits to museums, outdoors field trips and social mixers at local pubs and restaurants. The idea to make these meet-ups entertaining and interesting to the lay community as well as those from the ranks of professional scientists. Anyone can join -- you don't need a Ph.D., just some curiosity.
You also are invited to join our Facebook group, where we continue the discussion online: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HoustonSuperSecretScienceClub/
Find our listing of Houston Science Resources here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/houston-science-enthusiasts/houston-science-resources/637381806593089/
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Connecting with the Past – A Timeline of Astronomy HistoryLink visible for attendees
ONLINE: The Houston Astronomical Society presents Chris Morisette, who will survey the history of astronomy from antiquity (3200 BC) to the present. During this journey Chris will discuss key events and discoveries and introduce us to the principal characters involved. He’ll also attempt to connect the past with the present to provide context with respect to current areas of inquiry in astronomy and astrophysics.
Chris Morisette is HAS Novice Chairperson and an active member of the Houston Astronomical Society, North Houston Astronomy Club, and the Fort Bend Astronomy Clubs. He is also a member of the University of Texas Astronomy Department Board of Visitors. On clear Saturday nights you may find him volunteering at the George Observatory engaging with visitors and sharing his love of the night sky, or you may find him at the HAS Dark Site trying his hand at astrophotography.
This meeting will be held virtually via Zoom. To attend, you must register for the meeting. You can do so using the link below. You will receive an email with the details of the meeting and a link that will allow you to join in.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIlc-2trDIsHtOEAUbSsCSUtvbq3aveSCVY
You only need to register once!
Join us Thursday, May 2nd, 2024, at 7:00 pm CT. See you then!
Top image: Andreas Cellariu's illustration of the Copernican system, from the Harmonia Macrocosmica, via Wikipedia
- The Current State of Gravity Wave ResearchUniversity of Houston-Clear Lake, Houston, TX
HYBRID: The Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society presents Dr. Aaron Clevenson in a talk titled "The Current State of Gravity Wave Research."
Dr. Aaron Clevenson is an astronomy professor at Lone Star College in Montgomery and the Observatory Director for the Insperity Observatory in the Humble Independent School District.
The meeting at will be held at the University of Houston-Clear Lake STEM Building, Room 1203 starting at 7:30 p.m.. Attendees should park in Parking Lots D3 or D4 no earlier than 7 p.m.
Please see the UHCL Map here -- Please park in lots D3 and D4. The STEM building is building #5 on the map. Come in from the east side and go left. When you come to the end of hallway, you should find the auditorium where the meeting will be.
The meeting can be accessed by going to the JSCAS YouTube Channel at the link: https://www.youtube.com/c/JSCAstronomicalSociety
Also, the JSCAS YouTube Channel link will be posted on the JSCAS web page: http://www.jscas.net
To submit questions for our presenters during the meeting, please either enter your questions as a YouTube comment (if you have an account that will allow doing so) or send your questions to: jscaslive@gmail.com
JSCAS is open to anyone who wants to learn about astronomy and membership is free. After joining, you’ll have access to our amazing Astronomy DVD Library with 100’s of choices to learn from (from Astronomy Magazine, NASA, The Great Courses, Discovery Channel, etc.).
For more information, see the website at http://jscas.net/.
Top image: C. Henze/NASA Ames Research Center
- The Sun in the SanctuarySaint Philip Presbyterian Church, Houston, TX
The Church & Society class at St. Philip Presbyterian Church in the Uptown area presents Bruce Yaeger in a talk about the relationship between science and religion.
Description: "Few people today know that centuries ago, several churches in Europe installed into their stone floors lines to mark the passage of the sun through the course of a year.
"Why was that done? And why did that practice decline?
"This presentation will answer those questions, revealing how Christianity and science have at times been deeply intertwined and mutually supportive. It will also explain the theological assumptions underlying those lines in sanctuary floors, as well as the enduring Christian meanings discerned in the regular course of the sun."
Bruce Yaeger has been a teacher and lecturer at diverse churches for over thirty-five years. He is the author of two books: Wrestling Brothers: Rethinking Religion-Science Relationships, and Spirited Bodies Beneath the Stars: Science & Spirituality Together.
The presentation will be held in Room 201 (second floor) of the Education Wing of the church.
Ken Fountain will act as Event Host.
- When Medicine Becomes PoliticalLink visible for attendees
ONLINE: The Baylor College of Medicine's Center for Medical Ethics presents its annual Health Policy Symposium with the theme "When Medicine Becomes Political."
Description; "Our annual event where we highlight health policy work at Baylor College of Medicine and discuss contemporary challenges in health policy that impact our community. This year, we hope to have candid conversations about how to engage in productive discussion around controversial topics and promote respectful discourse in the face of disagreement. We will also have a poster session from Baylor students."
Keynotes:
- Where Do We Go from Here: Robert J. Blendon, Sc.D., Richard L. Menschel Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Policy Translation and Leadership Development at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Professor of Health Policy and Political Analysis at both the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He directs the Harvard Opinion Research Program, which focuses on better understanding of public knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about major social policy issues in the U.S. and other nations.
- The Political Doctor: Admiral Bret Giror, M.D., CEO, Altesa BioSciences, Inc. Former Assistant Secretary for Health, Acting FDA Commissioner, WHO, Board Member, and Admiral in the US Public Health Service, Author of “Memoir of a Pandemic: Fighting the Coronavirus, the Presidency, and Leadership”
- The Political Academic: Peter Jay Hotez, M.D., Dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine, Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine, Endowed Chair in Tropical Pediatrics Texas Children's Hospital, Co-Director, Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development; Author of new book “The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science: A Scientist's Warning”
Panels:
- The Political Patient: April Dione Adams, M.D. MS, FACOG, FACMG, Joseph Kass, M.D., J.D., FAAN, Susan Patricia Raine, M.D., J.D., M.Ed., LLM, Jean Raphael, M.D., MPH.
- Transcending Politics: Mary Brandt, M.D., FACS, J. Wesley “Wes” Boyd, M.D., Ph.D., Ricardo Nuila, M.D., Stacey Rubin Rose, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.I.D.S.A.
This virtual event is free and open to the public.
Full agenda and registration: https://www.bcm.edu/academic-centers/medical-ethics-and-health-policy/health-policy-program/health-policy-symposium
NOTE: RSVP'ing on this Meetup page DOES NOT mean you are registered for the event itself.
