Talk Archives

Have you ever wondered about all the satelllite and radar displays that you see on TV and what that information means? Radar and satellite technology has progressed to the point that we can “see” small scale features in the atmosphere. Using recent examples from tornadoes in Oklahoma City and Jarrell, Texas, Troy Kimmel discusses tornado detection and the radar and satellite signatures that are commonly seen.

There have been many ideas and speculation about the age and origin of the Universe. There are four major discoveries that have led us to believe that the universe started in a giant explosion about 13 billion years ago. Dr. Frank Bash discusses the major discoveries including the fact that the sky is dark at night, that galaxies expand away from us, that if we look far enough we can see the birth, and that the amount of helium is consistent with this explosion picture.

The subject of human origins and evolution has witnessed a revolution during the past 30 years. Dr. Kappelman presents some the high points of this revolution and discusses how the recovery of new fossil specimens has changed our understanding of the timing of hominid origins and the sorts of selection pressures that drove the evolution of bipedalism.

Darwin’s second great theory, sexual selection, attempts to explain why males are males and females are females. Dr. Michael Ryan explores the diversity of differences between male and female animals, asks why such differences have evolved, and touches upon some of the differences between males and females in our own species.

Central Texas is recognized as a hotspot of biodiversity on an international scale. Many species of animals are found nowhere else in the world, and discoveries of new species are still occurring in the region. Dr. David Hillis shares the unique biological community of Central Texas an dhow this diversity is endangered by habit destruction and the introduction of exotic species.

Over the last decades, the application of modern systematic techniques to dinosaurs produced a great shift in our understanding, as we realized that birds were the living descendants of Mesozoic dinosaurs. Dr. Timothy Rowe and his colleagues share the anatomy and Earth history that led scientists to this conclusion.

In 1977, scientists in the Galapagos Ridge made a fantastic discovery: springs of warm water emerging from the ocean floor where water temperatures are near freezing, and an abundance of life in what was previously considered a desert. New life forms were discovered at these vents, in an ecosystem that seemed to be completely independent of the Earth’s surface. Dr. Henrietta Edmonds shares the exploration of the seafloor and the discovery of hydrothermal vents.

What makes earthquakes happen? How are earthquakes measured? Where do earthquakes occur? Are we at risk in Austin? How do earthquakes damage property and injure people? Can earthquakes be predicted? Dr. Randall Marrett discusses what we know about earthquakes and what we still have to learn.

Why are natural gems rare? What are the geologic processes that form them? Where are they found? Are natural gems different from man-made gems? What is done to improve the appearance of natural gems? Are such treatments permanent and do they affect gem values? Dr. Mark helper dispels confusion surrounding natural and man-made gems and provides understanding the unique processes and circumstances responsible for gem formation.

As you travel along Texas highways or hike through state or federal parks, do you wonder why there are different rocks in different areas? Or if an area has always looked like it does now? Dr. Richard Kyle share the Geologic History of Texas.