August 5, 2007

Sciencedude: Shuttle launch highlights week ahead in science

Gary Robbins

Aug. 7: Mike Schaadt, director of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, will discuss “A Place to Grow Young Sea Animals and Young Scientists,” 1:15 p.m., Ruby Gerontology Center, Cal State Fullerton.

Aug. 7: Mat Kaplan will discuss Saturday’s successful launch of the Mars Phoenix Lander on his weekly show, “Planetary Radio,” 5:30 p.m., KUCI/88.9

Aug. 8: The space shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to launch from Kennedy Space Center, Fla. at 6:26 p.m. EDT. Tracy Caldwell, a graduate of Cal State Fullerton, is a member of the crew.

Aug. 8: The History Channel’s Modern Marvels series will focus on “extreme aircraft,” ranging from the X-1 to F/A-22 Raptor, during a one hour special at 9 p.m.

Aug. 9: MIT’s Marvin Minksky, the so-called father of artificial intelligence, turns 80.

Aug. 10: Inventor Leo Fender, who lived in Orange County, was born on this date in 1909.

Aug. 12: Bowers Museum in Santa Ana says it will host Egyptologist Fadel Gad, who will discuss ” evidence surrounding Pharaoh Akhenaton’s belief in one god, Aton, and the concept of atonism, brought to Egypt by Akhenaton’s grandfather, Tuthmoses IV.” The lecture begins at 1:30 p.m.

Aug. 12: The Orange County Astronomers club will hold a free public start party at Riley Wilderness Park, starting at 8 p.m.

Aug. 12-13: The annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak.