Chicago Science Field Trips

***** NOTE: This is a third party event. You must register with the Glenside library to attend this presentation *****

https://glenside.librarycalendar.com/event/comets-asteroids-45154

Michelle Nichols, Director of Public Observing at Adler Planetarium, will showcase amazing closeup images of comets and asteroids to highlight what we currently know about the cosmos, and what we hope to find out.

Henize Observatory at Harper College in Palatine contains one of the largest public telescopes in the Chicago area. They are once again open every other Friday night for public observing. In addition to the large telescope in the dome, several smaller telescopes will be set up. Several astronomers will be there to give us a tour of the fall sky.

Usual targets include the moon, planets, nebula, star clusters, and galaxies.

# Karl G. Henize Observatory

## Drop by, look through a telescope, and prepare to be awed.

### Free Community Viewing Sessions

Experience the wonder of the universe and the excitement of discovery. Not only can you observe objects near and far, but volunteers provide interpretation of what you're seeing. Observatory events are free and open to the community.

Tips for first time visitors:

• Admission is free, however we ask that you please sign in.
• Plan on staying about an hour. There are often lines for our telescopes.
• Visitors climb a 7-foot tall ladder to reach our main telescope. We also operate several telescopes at ground level.
• Wear comfortable, close-toed shoes. You may be standing in lines and climbing a ladder.
• Dress for the weather. The observatory is not heated and it can get chilly at night.
• There are no restrooms or water fountains at the observatory.
• We can't see anything if it is cloudy, but we may stay open just in case it clears up.
• The observatory will not be open in rain or inclement weather.

More information: https://www.harpercollege.edu/observatory/index.php

The observatory is isolated on the northeast part of the campus. Park in lot 8. I'll have my green laser pointer to point out any satellites visible that evening. As a courtesy to others, no bright flashlights (use red if possible), flash photography, and please turn off car headlights in the area.

***** THIRD PARTY EVENT - REGISTER WITH NIU AT THE FOLLOWING WEB SITE *****

[registration not open yet...]

https://calendar.niu.edu/event/computing-conundrum-the-impacts-of-deep-learning-large-language-models-and-quantum-computing

[ Event held off campus at a local pub. Food and beverages available for dinner ]

THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL EVENT!
Speakers:
Amin Vahedian, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Operations Management and Information Systems, NIU College of Business
Doğa Murat Kürkçüoğlu, Ph.D., Staff Scientist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
Join us to learn about the current state of computing, as well as the social impacts and ethical challenges presented by developments such as large language models and quantum computing.

Amin Vahedian is an assistant professor of Operations Management and Information Systems (OM&IS) in the NIU College of Business. He’ll talk about Deep Learning, which is the underlying technology of Large Language Models (LLM), the latest (and perhaps most impressive) manifestation of Artificial Intelligence in the public sphere. Dr. Vahedian will explore the ethical challenges and shortcomings inherent to Deep Learning and what those shortcomings mean for users of technology. For example, one surprising feature of LLMs is that they are not necessarily trained to be correct in their responses.

Doğa Murat Kürkçüoğlu is a staff scientist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory whose research includes designing new algorithms for the particle accelerator technology, devising quantum simulations of condensed matter and high-energy physics theories, and developing machine learning algorithms. Dr. Kürkçüoğlu will talk about the status of quantum technology today, what quantum computing promises for the future, and what is hype and not hype about quantum computing. He’ll explore the importance of quantum computing not only for science, but also for national security and society more broadly.

Northern Illinois University STEM Cafés are part of NIU STEAM and are designed to increase public awareness of the critical role that STEM fields play in our everyday lives. They are offered in partnership with the NIU Alumni Association and made possible with support from additional sponsors and individual supporters.

Wednesday, Febuary 12th at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Fatty’s Pub and Grille 1312 W. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb, IL 60115