Upcoming Events

Philosophy Study Group
Leader: Curt Hillstrom
When: August 6 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Meeting Link: Join Meeting

We will finish our discussion of the book, How Nature Works: The Science of Self-organized Criticality, by Per Bak. For those who will have read the book and will attend the meeting, you can, of course, expect to understand how nature works. However, this creates a problem. After so many of us comprehend this, there really is no longer any reason to keep this group going. However, we do feel some obligation to explain these findings to those who come to subsequent meetings and who are not as enlightened as we will be – sort of an intellectual noblesse oblige. So, we’ll keep at it for a while, anyway. 😊

 

Annual Picnic
Leader: Peter Simmons
When: August 16 @ 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Where: Cherokee Park Picnic Shelter
Chippewa and Winona Streets
St. Paul, MN,

This is our annual summer picnic. MISF will provide the drinks, plasticware, and grills, and St. Paul Parks & Rec the electricity and more grills. You provide a dish to share and your best topics for good conversations.

 

Electricity, Magnetism and Birds
Leader: Michael Hurben
When: September 27 @ 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Where: Shoreview Library
4560 Victoria St N
Shoreview, MN 55126
When we consider how physics applies to birds, we are inclined to think about topics such as the aerodynamics of flight, the mechanics of feathers and bills, the optics enabling eagle vision, the pigments and structural features that produce vibrant colors, the thermodynamic demands of living under temperature extremes, or the acoustics of birdsong. We tend not to associate the seemingly more esoteric fields of electricity and magnetism with our avian neighbors, but there are fascinating ways in which they are relevant. This presentation will review several examples, with a focus on the mechanism by which birds are thought to perceive the earth’s magnetic field as an aid for navigation.

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Bulletin Board

Have an interest in researching your family or a topic of Minnesota history? Join The Researcher Round Table, a special group of history researchers who are eager to support your work through encouragement and the sharing of vital information. Two different opportunities are available: Coffee Catch-up sessions and Topics on the Go!!