[sfevents] Ask a Scientist [July 9]: Native American Science

[Michael Portuesi]

From: Juliana Gallin
Subject: Ask a Scientist [July 9]: Native American Science

Here's what's coming up for July:

TOPIC: Topic: Native American Science

Next Wednesday night, Berkeley astronomer Isabel Hawkins and the  
Native American Academy's Rose von Thater Braan will join forces to  
discuss the topic of Native science. Isabel will talk with us about  
Native American astronomy from a western perpective, and Rose will  
address how Indigenous learning processes differ from the western  
scientific method that most of us are probably used to. You may  
already know that among the ancient world's top astronomers were  
Native Americans. For example, Mayan measurements of the known  
planets' synodic periods were every bit as accurate as Ptolemy's, and  
their calendar was so precise that it could predict the occurrence of  
eclipses to an error of one day in 6,000 years. But despite the  
concurrence of Mayan and Greco-Roman observations, the methods and  
goals of western vs. Native science contrast with one another in some  
thought-provoking ways. Discover how these two world views differ,  
what they share, and how bringing them together holds the potential  
for a paradigmatic shift and the emergence of a whole new kind of  
science.

SPEAKERS: Isabel Hawkins, Research Astronomer at UC Berkeley. Rose von  
Thater Braan, cofounder of the Native American Academy.
WHEN: Wednesday, July 9th, 7:00 pm
WHERE: Axis Cafe, 1201 8th Street (btw. 16th & Irwin) 94107

For those of you who don't know, Axis Cafe serves much more than just  
coffee. Bring your appetites and enjoy a very reasonably priced  
gourmet dinner, plus wine and beer: http://axis-cafe.com/AXISCAFE/menu.html

And finally, anyone who's not ready to go home at 9pm can plan to grab  
a nightcap at either Connecticut Yankee or Thee Parkside (TBD) after  
the talk.

Toodles,
Juliana

Ask a Scientist
http://askascientistSF.com


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