FOR IMMEDIATE MEDIA RELEASE
Tuesday, July 31, 2012

CWRU, CMNH and WVIZ/PBS Present Second Season of Lecture Series

Topics range from the origins of atoms to dogs

Thanks to an ongoing partnership between Case Western Reserve University, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History and WVIZ/PBS ideastream, television viewers in Northeast Ohio will once again have a chance to connect with some leading local scholars of the origins sciences. Seven new presentations that were recorded in the spring at Case Western Reserve’s Institute for the Science of Origins’ “Origins Science Scholars Program” lecture series will air in August and September on the WVIZ/PBS World channel.

WVIZ/PBS World is one of ideastream’s digital television channels. Over-the-air, WVIZ/PBS World can be seen on digital televisions on Channel 25.3. On Time Warner Cable, WVIZ/PBS World can be found on Channel 991. (For other cable channel assignments, check with local cable company lineups.)

WVIZ/PBS World will air a new lecture every Thursday at 9 p.m. beginning August 2 with “From Atoms to Quarks” presented by Glenn Starkman, Ph.D., Director of the Institute for the Science of Origins, Case Western Reserve University.  Starkman follows the historical evolution of our view of the fundamental particles of matter, starting from the Periodic Table of the Elements and concluding with the modern picture of quarks and leptons. 

“The Standard Model: Fundamental Forces and the Origins of Mass” (Thursday, August 9 at 9 p.m.) Cyrus Taylor, Ph.D., Albert A. Michelson Professor in Physics and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, describes how the fundamental particles of matter — quarks and leptons — interact with each other and with the vacuum.

“Beyond the Standard Model” (Thursday, August 16 at 9 p.m.). Drs. Taylor and Starkman discuss why some physicists believe that the Standard Model cannot be the ultimate theory of everything. String theory and large extra dimensions, two examples of possible physics beyond the Standard Model, are discussed.

“The Origins of Disease” (Thursday, August 23 at 9 p.m.) is presented by Neil Greenspan, Ph.D., professor of pathology, Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Greenspan discusses how the immune system fights disease.

“The Origins of Immunity” (Thursday, August 30 at 9 p.m.) is also presented by Dr. Neil Greenspan, who shares how the immune system fights disease.

“Pandemic Influenza” (Thursday, September 6 at 9 p.m.) is presented by Robert Salata, M.D., chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Dr. Salata discusses influenza as an example of ongoing and rapid evolution.

Finally, “On the Origin of Dogs” (Thursday, September 13 at 9 p.m.) presented by Patricia Princehouse, Ph.D., who teaches Evolutionary Biology and the History & Philosophy of Science at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Princehouse discusses how the many breeds of dog that we know today emerged from wild ancestors.

Previously broadcast episodes of The Science of Origins series will encore on WVIZ/PBS World beginning on Thursday, September 20, at 9 p.m.

The Origins Science Scholars Program, produced with the generous support of Richard Morrison, is designed to engage community members with each other and with leading scholars of the origins sciences to investigate a wide range of topics. For more information about the Institute for the Science of Origins and its Origins Science Scholars Program, visit case.edu/origins.

Case Western Reserve University’s College of Arts and Sciences and MediaVision Production group partnered with ideastream to create the broadcast series, which began airing in January 2012.

Case Western Reserve University is one of the country’s leading private research institutions. Located in Cleveland, we offer a unique combination of forward-thinking educational opportunities in an inspiring cultural setting. Our leading-edge faculty engage in teaching and research in a collaborative, hands-on environment. Our nationally recognized programs include arts and sciences, dental medicine, engineering, law, management, medicine, nursing and social work. About 4,200 undergraduate and 5,600 graduate students comprise our student body. Visit case.edu to see how Case Western Reserve thinks beyond the possible.

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, incorporated in 1920, is one of the finest institutions of its kind in North America. It is noted for its collections, research, educational programs and exhibits. The collections encompass more than 5 million artifacts and specimens, and research of global significance focuses on 11 natural science disciplines.

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