It’s Time, Again, For The Big Asheville Science Salon!

What’s The Science Salon?

Welcome to the tremendous, amazing, Big Asheville Science Salon!

Our mission: Cultivate curiosity and build community by sharing the coolest, grooviest, and fascinating-ist scientific discoveries. And have a beer (or wine or soda).

How it do:       Each month, a bona fide expert takes us on a thrill ride of science awesomeness (i.e., talk about their research and probably show pretty pictures). Afterwards, a lively Q&A segues into general mingling and chatting about why science is so cool.

When:             First Wednesday of each month.

                        Doors: 6:00pm; Presentation: 7:00pm; Socializing: 8:00pm

Where:            The Mule (at Devil’s Foot Beverage)

131 Sweeten Creek Rd., Asheville, NC 28803

No cover charge – just bring your brain!

 

And for this one…?

Tardigrades: Charismatic Microfauna with Dr. Paul Bartels.

Go grab a handful of mud (don’t worry – we’ll wait). Got it?  Excellent!

In your hand, you now have more living organisms than there are humans on this planet. Billions of bacteria, millions of mycelia, and, if you’re lucky, a trove of tardigrades. Yes, tardigrades – also called “water bears”, “slow steppers”, or (my personal favorite) “moss piglets” – are galumphing along in the mud, moss, and waterways around us. Like most things their size (at less than a millimeter long, ten tardigrades can fit on a single grain of rice), however, these charming animals are often overlooked.

But don’t mistake their small stature for fragility – these mighty miniatures are tremendously tough, able to withstand extreme temperatures, pressure, and dehydration, and are the only animals to have survived exposure to low earth orbit (that’s space, people!).

At our next salon, come get small with invertebrate zoologist Dr. Paul Bartels as he shares his research on the weird, wild, and remarkably resilient tardigrade. Paul is a Professor of Biology at Warren Wilson College, where he has spent four decades exploring and celebrating biodiversity, from flukes to fish to finches. For the past 25 years, he and his students have focused on understanding the distribution, behavior, and evolution of the more than 1,000 species of the phylum Tardigrada.

 

Doors open at 6:00. Have a drink with old friends, meet new ones, and get ready for some serious science in a seriously un-serious setting.

Presentation begins at 7:00 PM. Stick around for a lively Q&A session and discussion.

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