See a recording of this event on our Facebook video page or YouTube channel.

What do the gut and the brain talk about? Our gut microbiome is filled with yeasts and bacteria that help digest food, but also have shown to be associated with central nervous system function. The gut-brain axis involves links between the central nervous system and the intestinal tract, including the microbes that live there. Disturbances to the normal gut microbiota have been linked to causing several mental illnesses, including anxiety.

At this livestream Science on Tap, Dr. Lisa Sardinia, associate professor of biology at Pacific University, will explain what the microbiome is, and how those experiencing anxiety symptoms might be helped by regulating the microorganisms in their gut with diet (probiotics, non-probiotic foods, and supplements).

See a recording of this event on our Facebook video page or YouTube channel.

In these times of cancelled classes and events it’s comforting to know that some things haven’t changed. While we stay safe at home, bird migration continues just outside our windows.

At this special online Science on Tap we’ll be joined by Dr. Nicole Michel, a Senior Quantitative Ecologist with the National Audubon Society’s Science Division. She will tell us about birds you can see in your neighborhood or local park and how you can attract more birds to your yard. We’ll follow the adventures of individual birds as they travel between breeding and wintering locations, and face threats along the way. You’ll discover how advanced technology – machine learning, space stations, and more – lets us delve deeper into the wonders of bird migration. Finally, you’ll leave with ideas for what you can do to help protect the birds we love.

See a recording of this event on our Facebook video page or YouTube channel.

Even during times of social distancing, the desire to meet and connect with new potential partners can be strong. Since in-person activities to meet new people are out of the question for now, online dating sites can be even more important when looking for a match*. What can science tell us about using Tinder “smartly”? Do dating sites help or hinder finding a mate?

Join sexuality educator and researcher Dr. L. Kris Gowen as she goes deep into the psychology of online dating to discuss why it’s so popular, whether or not it’s effective, and how its design impacts who we choose.

Dr. Kris, Co-founder of Beyond the Talk has presented internationally on the intersection of sex, love, and technology. Hear her previous talk on finding love through technology on our podcast, A Scientist Walks into a Bar.

*to meet in person only after social distancing restrictions have been eased.

See a recording of this event on our Facebook video page or YouTube channel.

Where is the best place to find life beyond Earth? We often look to Mars as the most promising site in our solar system, but recent scientific missions have revealed that some of the most habitable real estate may actually lie farther away. Beneath the frozen crusts of several of the small, ice-covered moons of Jupiter and Saturn lurk vast oceans that may have been in existence for as long as Earth, and together may contain more than fifty times its total volume of liquid water. Could there be organisms living in their depths? Kevin Peter Hand’s book Alien Oceans: The Search for Life in the Depths of Space reveals the science behind the thrilling quest to find out.

Kevin Peter Hand is one of today’s leading NASA scientists, and his pioneering research has taken him on expeditions around the world. At this special online Science on Tap, he will bring together insights from planetary science, biology, and the adventures of scientists like himself to explain how we know that oceans exist within moons of the outer solar system, like Europa, Titan, and Enceladus. He’ll discuss how the exploration of Earth’s ocean is informing our understanding of the potential habitability of these icy moons, and draws lessons from what we have learned about the origins of life on our own planet to consider how life could arise on these distant worlds.

Two suggestions for purchasing the book Alien Oceans:
1) Support a local Vancouver small business and purchase your book through Vintage Books. They are offering online sales, shipping, and curbside pickup.

2) Purchase your book through the Princeton University Press website and receive a 20% discount by using the code HAND20-FG at checkout. (Note: The coupon code is ONLY valid on the Princeton site.)