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This year’s University of Arizona College of Science’s free lecture series begins this week and promises to be full of surprises.
The four presentations will focus on how science is leading researchers in unexpected directions. AZPM’s Tony Perkins spoke with Calmara Garzione, Dean of the Faculty of Science, about what viewers can see and hear.
Tony: The topic is about surprising developments that have transformed science, and in science we often talk about unexpected events. How important and fascinating is it that the unexpected happens in science?
Garzione: I don’t think a lot of people realize how thrilling it is to do science. And the possibility of discovering something completely new than expected through twists and turns is a big part of why scientists love their work. Therefore, we want to share the infectious elements of science with our viewers, make them feel the thrill of being a scientist, and make unexpected discoveries.
Tony: Science has become something that a lot of people rely on and expect to always be the same. But when it comes to research, it can also be a work in progress.
Garzione: That’s exactly right. I think people look at the scientific process and think that it’s kind of rote and repetitive, and that if you do what you’re supposed to do, you’ll get a result that makes your hypothesis seem true. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Often we find that our assumptions do not hold, and that unexpected result forces us to think beyond what we currently know and established as our disciplinary understanding. You end up adapting things. Science is constantly changing based on new research, new results, unexpected events, and what leads us to further research.
Tony: Okay, let’s switch to another presenter. How are presenters selected?
Garzione: We try to choose presenters who can tell stories that align with the theme, and this year we wanted to feature some exciting stories that focus on big surprises in one area. But we’re also looking for presenters who are passionate about presenting to a general audience and bringing science into conversations that are highly understandable and engaging for the audience. Therefore, these presenters can be considered good teachers, good communicators who know how to captivate the audience and maintain a connection with the content being shared.
Tony: What do you want people to feel after listening to the lectures in the series?
Garzione: My hope is that people can feel the thrill and fun of doing science. We want these lectures to be not only accurate and informative, but also entertaining. As scientists, we love what we do, and we love that our audience can feel our passion for our research. This year, we held a lecture on Valentine’s Day, with a Valentine’s theme in the title. And we want people to choose to share their love of science with us and with the partners they bring. So why not make this lecture series your itinerary and join us for a special science love fest?
The UA College of Science Lecture Series will be held every Wednesday night this month at 7 p.m. in Centennial Hall and is free to attend. Each lecture will be live-streamed and posted on his Faculty of Science YouTube channel. A link to the program can be found on our website.
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