UA News

Talks by Biospherians and scientists, Physics Factory featured on "Science Saturdays"

Those who tour The University of Arizona's Biosphere 2 on Saturdays this spring get something special for the price of admission.

The B2 Institute invites visitors to the 3.14-acre living laboratory to hear Biospherians talk about their experiences during the two years they were sealed inside the 7.2 million-cubic-foot glass dome and researchers talk about how the facility can help answer questions that face Earth and its future.

Speakers for the "Science Saturdays" series include researchers who are using Biosphere 2 in world-class research on questions about global climate change and how to manage water and energy demands made on a fragile environment during dramatic population growth.

Other speakers include a UA journalism professor whose book "The World Without Us" was named Time magazine's No. 1 nonfiction book in 2007, and a college dean who envisioned how UA could develop Biosphere 2 "into a center for research, outreach, teaching and lifelong learning about Earth, its living systems and its place in the universe."

Special Saturday events also include the Physics Factory, a program that combines hands-on learning with eye-popping stage shows and aims to share the excitement of physics with K-12 students, teachers and the public.

“Arizona, one of the fastest growing states in the country, faces complex and far-reaching decisions that require a significant degree of scientific sophistication from an informed public," said B2 Institute Director Pierre Meystre, UA Regents' professor of physics and optical sciences. "This is why public outreach and continued science education are essential components of the B2 Institute. The public lectures initiated this spring, as well as further events still in the planning stage, are a first step toward accomplishing this goal," Meystre said.

"Many of these events are a great deal of fun," he added. If you haven't had a chance to see the Physics Factory folks in action, you have really missed something. And your kids will love them even more."

The B2 Institute was founded in July 2007, when the UA took over management of Biosphere 2. It organizes programs to aid the scientific community, policymakers, business leaders, educators, students and the public in addressing scientific "grand challenges," including, global climate change and water, energy and other sustainable living issues.

All B2 Spring Special Event Series talks, which will be held at various locations around the B2 campus, begin at 1 p.m. All Physics Factory events run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Visitors Center.

The events scheduled are:

• Feb. 16, UA atmospheric sciences Professor Xubin Zeng, "Climate, Climate Change and Biosphere 2 Research Relevance"

• Feb. 23, Physics Factory

• March 8, Jane Poynter, Biospherian on Mission 1, "The Human Experiment" discussion and book signing
• March 15, Physics Factory
• March 22, UA College of Science Dean 'Joaquin Ruiz, "Earth Evolution: The Formation of Our Planet"
• March 29, Professor Jonathan Chorover of the UA department of soil water and environmental science, "Critical Zone Exploration"
• April 5, Alan Weisman of the UA journalism department, "The World Without Us" discussion and book signing
• April 12, UA planetary sciences professor Jonathan Lunine, "Exploring the Outer Solar System"
• April 19, Physics Factory
• April 26, Professor David Breshears of the UA School of Natural Resources, "Hot Times and Dead Trees: Change in the West"
• May 3, Linda Leigh, Biospherian on Mission 1, "Life Inside the Biosphere 2"
• May 10, Physics Factory

The B2 Spring Special Events are included in the cost of admission to Biosphere 2.

Admission to Biosphere 2 costs $20 for adults, $13 for children ages 6 and older, and free for children 5 and under. UA Cat Card holders are admitted at half price, and UA students who accompany their parents also entitle their parents to admission at half price. All admission fees fund Biosphere 2 research.

Biosphere 2 is located on Oracle Road (Highway 77) at Mile Post 96.5. Tours are available seven days a week during visiting hours, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Some areas of the Biosphere 2 tour are occasionally closed because of ongoing research.

Visitors can check for more information on days they plan to visit by telephone, 520-838-6200, or online at www.b2science.org. Strollers and wheelchairs cannot be accommodated on the tour trails because the facility is structured for active research.