Category: Podcasts

High-power laser systems are becoming ubiquitous in manufacturing as they often prove to be faster and cheaper than traditional methods. The development and design of these industrial laser processes require very careful and accurate measurements of phenomenon during the interaction of the intense light with the material. A great example of an important industrial process is laser welding where a focused light beam is used to join two pieces of metal. Using light to melt metal may seem strange as most are pretty reflective. However, in a short amount of time an intense laser light can turn even the shiniest metals into a highly absorbing swirling cavity of metal. At the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, I measure and observe this transformation to better understand the process in order to help industry know how to make better laser welds. During this talk, I will describe the physical process of how intense laser light melts metal and the novel measurements used to observe the process.

Speaker Bio

Brian moved to Golden in 2006 to pursue a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from the Colorado School of Mines. This was awarded in 2012 for studies of defects in nanostructured silicon solar cell materials. Not wanting to stray too far from the mountains, he then completed a postdoctoral appointment at the University of Utah where he developed novel laser processes for cadmium telluride solar cells. In 2014, Brian was able to move back to Golden when he joined the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a National Research Council postdoctoral fellow; he is currently a staff physicist at NIST. Brian spends most of his free time rock climbing and skiing with his lovely wife Mary.

In our increasingly busy and technologically intense lives, we are forgetting some of our heritage, history and connection with the land.  Living historians, at places like Bent’s Old Fort in southeastern Colorado, try to re-create and portray these earlier eras in as accurate a manner as possible.  Rex Rideout has been immersed for over 30 years in understanding how 19th-Century Americans obtained their food, shelter, and entertainment.  The history of music is his particular passion and he approaches this subject as a historian, consulting manuscript materials, diaries and journals, early sheet music, historic photographs, vintage recordings and oral sources.  Rex will describe how he conducts his research, share some of his findings, and perhaps perform a song or two.

Speaker Bio

Rex sings of the American West–from the times of the early explorers, the fur trade, the Civil War and the cattle drive era to the end of the 19th century– by re-creating documented music of the 19th and early 20th centuries. He approaches music as an historian, consulting manuscript materials, diaries and journals, early sheet music, historic photographs, vintage recordings and oral sources. Rex has worked with interpreters of historic sites, humanities councils and theatres in presentation of the life of the first cowboys.

Joyce Tannian is Founder of Water is Life Kenya, (WILK) a non-profit organization. While working as a volunteer in Kenya in 2006, Joyce saw the glaring need for clean, accessible, dependable water in rural communities in southern Kenya. Water is Life Kenya’s 16 major water projects provide water to nearly 50,000, transforming the lives of women, men and children.

An innovator and creator, Joyce and her team developed WILK’s Livestock as a Business program, which increases incomes by training farmers in improved livestock keeping. Higher incomes, along with effective local water management committees trained by WILK, ensure consistent water supply,

Water is Life Kenya’s Fair Trade Certified beaded handicrafts business brings income to dozens of families, while profits fund WILK’s clean water projects.

Speaker Bio

Before the “Kenyan Chapter” of Joyce’s life, she worked at HBO in New York while pursuing a freelance singing career, performing in opera, oratorio and recitals. In Kenya, Joyce appears regularly as mezzo soprano soloist.

Adrian Miller delves into the fascinating history of presidential chefs. He’ll share stories from his latest book, The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families from the Washingtons to the Obamas. You’ll learn more about these unique cooks were celebrated culinary artists, First Family confidantes, civil rights advocates and more.

If you want a copy of Adrian’s book, please pre-order here: https://blackchefswhitehouse.wordpress.com/about/about-the-book/

The Pawnee and Comanche National Grasslands of Colorado provide the public with opportunities to explore one of the most imperiled ecosystems on the continent. The shortgrass prairies of Colorado offer a bounty of unique wildlife, as well as recreational opportunities unlike those afforded anywhere else in the state. But the prairies face many challenges, ranging from energy exploration to incompatible land uses to controversial wildlife management. This presentation will give a brief history of the National Grassland system in the United States and highlight some of the incredible opportunities that are present on the two National Grasslands in Colorado. It will conclude with a discussion of the challenges facing the Colorado prairies and what we can do to protect these incredible places. This presentation will be given by Trevor Pellerite, the President of the Colorado Prairie Initiative, a Fort Collins-based nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring and conserving the prairie and grassland ecosystems of Colorado.

Trevor Pellerite is an attorney and conservation advocate living in Boulder, CO. After growing up in Minnesota, Trevor moved to Colorado to attend law school at CU-Boulder. During his time at CU, Trevor developed a passion for the wide open landscapes of the Colorado prairies, and started the Colorado Prairie Initiative to advocate for its continued protection and conservation. In his spare time, Trevor enjoys fishing, hunting, and bird watching.

Topic – Forecasting Natural and Human-Caused Earthquakes

Learn about how the United States Geologic Survey forecasts potential earthquake hazard and impact. With an emphasis on recent human-caused quakes, this talk will provide a brief history of this phenomena, discuss Colorado’s scientific role and finish with a focus on recent quake activity in Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas.

Daniel McNamara is a Research Geophysicist with the USGS Geologic Hazards Science Center, currently working in the National Seismic Hazard Modeling Project on induced earthquake forecasts, ground motion modeling and hazard forecast validation. In addition, Dan works on improving earthquake and tsunami monitoring at the USGS National Earthquake Information Center, using the global network on permanent seismic stations.

Topic – Peaks to Plains

The 65-mile Peaks to Plains Trail will one day connect the 2.5 million residents of the Denver metro area to the Continental Divide at Loveland Pass via a 10-foot wide trail.  It will bring visitors to the water’s edge, meander along a steep canyon walls and raging rapid in a one -of-a-kind experience.

The area is home to the federally protected Preble’s meadow jumping mouse, cliff-nesting raptors, and big horn sheep–but also rafters, kayakers, anglers, gold panners, rock and ice climbers. It is soon-to-be a place where hikers and cyclists will be able to enjoy a world-class recreation experience.

Come learn about the successes and challenges of working in harsh, Colorado-style conditions, to realize a decades-old vision of a trail with an elevation drop of 5,600 feet from the Continental Divide, deep into the densely populated Denver metropolitan area.

Growing Hops and Tomatoes in the Rocky Mountain Region

Tomatoes and hops go together like pizza and beer. But growing them is a challenge for Colorado gardeners—one’s a diva and the other’s a wild child. Join us for a discussion on tips and tricks for getting the most from these plants by giving them what they need.

Speaker Bio:

Carol O’Meara is a gardening enthusiast in Boulder County, where she works as a Horticulture Entomologist for Colorado State University Extension.  Her gardening articles appear in the Boulder Daily Camera, Longmont Times-Call, Boulder County Home and Garden Magazine, and Loveland Reporter Herald.

 This Just In: How to Spot Fake News

Have you heard that Hillary Clinton is part of a pedophile ring? Or that both the Pope and Denzel Washington endorsed Donald Trump? Or get this—there’s proof that scientists have conspired to fake global warming evidence?!

Did you also know that these 3 examples of fake news…?

This talk will focus on what news is, how professionals gather it, the sources to be trusted, how to spot fake news and how to avoid it.

Speaker Bio:

Jim Clarke is the Associated Press regional director for eight states, and has led a wandering life for the news cooperative for the past 24 years.

A Rhode Island native, his time with the AP has taken Clarke from the farthest stretches of the Aleutian Islands to the Deep South and the Utah desert. He has covered the Iditarod, coordinated local efforts for the 2002 Winter Olympics and led the work on the Elizabeth Smart disappearance in Utah, as well as the BTK serial killer case in Kansas.

Before joining the AP in 1993, he worked in Washington, D.C., for The Energy Daily, covering the nuclear power industry and the nuclear weapons complex. He also worked at newspapers in Fairfax, VA and Westerly, RI. He did his undergraduate work at The George Washington University and earned an Masters of Science degree in journalism from Columbia University in 1990.

Clarke lives in Arvada with his wife, Jennifer, and daughters Hope and Grace.