I have always had a fiercely inquisitive mind, constantly questioning everything (For instance, if evolution produces the best and brightest in the species, why does it produce people who don't believe in evolution?). So I was happy to find the interactive, monthly lecture series, Science Cafe. You know this free event is legit, because it's sponsored by Northwestern. Who else knows science better? DePaul? Right. Alumni pay to have their names taken off of buildings. UIC? Uh-huh. I've seen more sophisticated scientific breakthroughs in a Dustin Diamond science project.
The event is held at the bar, FireHouse Grill. Ironic that I'm visiting an alcohol-filled venue to improve my brain when such venues have previously done so much damage. Too bad the venue couldn't also improve my damaged fender or make that kid walk again (But on the plus side, he no longer has to wait in line for rides at Disney Land). The patrons are a shockingly older group. Still, great to see such fervent curiosity from folks so close to death. If I were FireHouse Grill, I'd ask patrons to pay their tabs in advance. Anyway, when you show up, pick a seat, sit down, and like a panda mating ritual, you know its game on when someone starts presenting.
The lecture I attended was called "The Array of Things," dealing with Argonne Lab's efforts to put sensors all over Chicago to help improve our quality of life. For instance, sensors could change cross-walk signals more quickly based on BlueTooth signals from pedestrians' mobile devices. That means when the city is all wired up and you want to cross the street more quickly, find the intersection with a lot of people with smart phones. Or, find an intersection near an Apple store. Another example is if you're a young woman walking home late at night, sensors could tell you what streets had lots of people, so you could avoid muggers. By the same token, if you're a mugger, you could see the streets with only a single lone woman walking. That saves time! It may sound scary that there are all these devices tracking what we do, but its coming, so we might as well embrace it. As the old saying goes, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Or to put that in a more modern context, if you're kid already has autism, might as well get him vaccinated. read more