Events

Pizza with a Scientist: Scott Hughes and Gravitational Waves

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Last week scientists announced the fourth detection of gravitational waves, ripples in space-time that shook the international physics community when they were first detected in 2015. The feat not only validated Einstein’s theory of general relativity but also opened a new field of astronomy that will essentially allow us to listen to some of the most energetic and exciting processes in the universe.

Join your NESW colleagues for pizza with MIT physics professor Scott Hughes, who will describe the discoveries, why they are so important, and the current status of the research. Hughes studies astrophysical general relativity, focusing on black holes and gravitational-wave sources.

Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Building 37, Room 252 (Marlar Lounge)
MIT
70 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA

This event is limited to 15 people; RSVP to reserve your seat!

Contact Elizabeth Thompson with any questions.

Image: LIGO/Caltech/MIT

A ferry tour of the Block Island Wind Farm

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Join NESW on a ferry tour of Block Island Wind Farm, the first offshore wind farm in the United States, on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. We anticipate high interest in this event, so be sure to reserve your spot today.

NESW is working with Special Initiative on Offshore Wind at the University of Delaware (UD) to develop a one-day program that includes a ferry trip out to the Block Island Wind Farm, as well as talks with offshore wind researchers from UD, the National Wildlife Federation, and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

Presenters:

  • Willett Kempton – Research director for UD’s Center for Carbon-free Power Integration with expertise in viability, efficiency, and public opinion of offshore wind farms
  • Cristina Archer – Associate professor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment at UD with expertise in meteorology and physical ocean sciences
    David Biggers – Marine avian specialist with the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
  • Catherine Bowes – Senior manager for climate and energy at the National Wildlife Federation

The ferry will depart from North Kingstown, R.I., at 10:00 a.m. and return to shore at 1 p.m. Presentations will take place onboard the boat on the way to and from the wind farm. The cruise departs from the Martha’s Vineyard Fast Ferry terminal located at 1347 Quonset Road, North Kingstown, RI 02852. Visit Atlantic Wind Transfers for detailed directions.

* Please note that the bus from Cambridge to Rhode Island is now full. Contact Noelle Swan if you would like to be added to the waitlist.

For more information, logistics, and to register to join this tour, click here.

Image: Block Island Wind Farm. (Ionna22/Wikimedia Commons)

Mark your calendar: The NESW Summer Social

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The New England Science Writers will return to Daedalus Restaurant and Pub in Cambridge for the annual summer social event on August 9 from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Come by to meet up, catch up, and network with your colleagues. We’ve reserved the upstairs bar, and for $15 a head ($20 for non-members) we’ll supply an array of appetizers.

Daedalus is at 45 ½ Mt. Auburn Street near Harvard Square.

RSVP now!

Join us for an up-close look at coastal erosion and sea level rise on Plum Island

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Plum Island Estuary (USGS/Flickr)

Sea level rise and erosion aren’t theoretical problems for Plum Island. Joins us on Saturday, July 23 from 11:oo am to 1:00 pm for a guided hike led by science writer and marine biologist Bill Sargent, and see for yourself some of the changes the barrier island is currently experiencing.

For those interested in spending the full day on the island, there are restaurants for lunch, miles of beaches, kayaking rentals, birding opportunities, and designated fishing areas.

Friends and family (including kids) are welcome.

Make sure to RSVP if you think you might attend, so we can send you information about where to meet and what to bring – and so we know to wait for you before setting out.

Happy solstice: Upcoming NESW summer & fall happenings

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Mark your calendars for these upcoming events from NESW, and stay tuned for more information on each!

Sunday, July 23 – Plum Island hike
Science writer and marine biologist Bill Sargent will lead a community walk along the barrier beach, to demonstrate the effects of coastal erosion and sea level rise on Plum Island.

Wednesday, August 9 – NESW 2017 Summer Social
Our ever-popular summer social will once again be held at Daedalus Restaurant & Pub in Harvard Square. Join us for this fun and casual opportunity to mingle and network with other area science writers.

Monday, September 25 – Block Island Wind Farm Ferry Tour
Join researchers from the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind at the University of Delaware on a special full-day bus-to-ferry tour of the United States’ first offshore wind farm. We need a big group to fill the ferry and are pleased to welcome the Knight Science Journalism fellows, as well as the graduate science writing students from both MIT and Boston University with us. (If you know of other area individuals or groups that might be interested in joining us, email Noelle Swan at noelleswan[at]gmail.com.)

TBA – Inaugural dinner with a scientist
Spend an evening with MIT physicist and gravitational waves expert Scott Hughes. Enrollment will be limited, so keep an eye out for the invitation to reserve your spot.