Town Hall Seattle Science Series

What comes to mind when you think of the Pacific Northwest? You might think of land forms like the Cascade Mountains, Olympic Peninsula, and the Willamette Valley, or of the Coast Salish and other Indigenous peoples who lived here since time immemorial. Or perhaps you’d think of urban centers like Vancouver, Seattle, or Portland, and the city-dwellers who call them home. And don’t forget the iconic flora and fauna that live and grow here –– lush ferns and mosses, huckleberries, salmon, orcas, and the mountain beaver. These, and so much more, define our region as a unique and special place found nowhere else on earth. This is Cascadia, stretching from Southeast Alaska to Northern California and from the Pacific Ocean to the Continental Divide. In a collection of art, poetry, and stories just as diverse as the region itself, the Cascadia Field Guide brings together scientific, sensory, and cultural knowledge to celebrate this unique corner of North America. Editors Derek Sheffield, CMarie Fuhrman, and Elizabeth Bradfield bring together dozens of authors and artists to describe 13 communities (from Tidewater Glacier to Shrub-Steppe) and 128 beings (from cryptobiotic soil to the giant Pacific octopus) that fill Cascadia with wonder. Ranging from comic to serious, colloquial to scientific, urban to off-the-grid, and narrative to postmodern, the Cascadia Field Guide offers any reader, local or visitor, a new way of connecting -– with heart and mind and body -– to place. Derek Sheffield grew up in the Willamette Valley and on the shores of the Salish Sea. He is the author of four books, including Not for Luck, winner of the Wheelbarrow Books Poetry Prize, and his poems have appeared in High Country News, Poetry, and Orion. For the past 20 years, he has taught nature writing at Wenatchee Valley College. The poetry editor of Terrain.org, he lives with his family near Leavenworth, Washington. CMarie Fuhrman is the author of Camped Beneath the Dam and her writing has appeared in many journals and anthologies. Fuhrman is the Director of Poetry for Western Colorado University’s MFA in Creative Writing Program where she also teaches nature writing. She lives in West Central Idaho with her partner, Caleb, and their dogs, Carhartt and Cisco. Elizabeth Bradfield is the author of five books, and her poems have appeared in The New Yorker, Poetry, The Atlantic Monthly, Orion, and elsewhere. A Stegner Fellow and Audre Lorde Prize winner, she is the founder of Broadsided Press, teaches at Brandeis University, and has worked as a naturalist in Cascadia and beyond for the past twenty-some years. Bradfield grew up in Tacoma and attended the University of Washington; she lives on Cape Cod. The Cascadia Field Guide Mountaineers Books

Children are encountering technology at younger and younger ages, which leads many parents to ask: how do children engage with technology at each stage of development and how can they best be supported? From toddlers who are exploring their immediate environment, to twentysomethings who are exploring their place in society, technology inevitably and profoundly affects human development. What happens to the little ones, the tweens, and the teenagers when technology — ubiquitous in the world they inhabit — becomes a critical part of their lives? Katie Davis, Associate Professor at the UW Information School, brings much-needed clarity to what we know about technology’s role in child development, as well as guidance for how to help children of all ages make the most of their digital experiences. In her new book Technology’s Child, Davis draws on her expertise in developmental science and design research to describe what happens when child development and technology design interact, and how this interaction is complicated by children’s individual characteristics and social and cultural contexts. Critically, she explains how a self-directed experience of technology — one initiated, sustained, and ended voluntarily — supports healthy child development, especially when it takes place within the context of community support. Children’s experiences with technology — their “screen time” and digital social relationships — have become an inescapable aspect of growing up. Davis identifies the distinctions between different ages and stages and how they engage with technology, offering invaluable guidance for parents and teachers navigating the digital landscape, and for technology designers charting the way. Katie Davis is an Associate Professor at the University of Washington Information School, where she is a founding member and Co-Director of the UW Digital Youth Lab. She is the co-author of The App Generation: How Today’s Youth Navigate Identity, Intimacy, Imagination in a Digital World (with Howard Gardner) and Writers in the Secret Garden: Fanfiction, Youth, and New Forms of Mentoring (with Cecilia Aragon). Technology's Child Third Place Books

Is Seattle having a “Mushroom Moment?’” As research into the therapeutic use of psychedelics increases, we are learning about how the many findings benefit seniors. This lively and informative panel includes Dr. Nathan Sackett, an addiction psychiatrist, and focuses on the intersection between substance use and psychiatric disorders; Jane Adams, Ph.D., journalist, coach, and psychologist whose writing about psychedelics has been published in Psychology Today, Next Avenue, and Post Alley; and Mike Moon, who offers an in-depth and informed point of view on legalities, microdosing, macrodosing, and the spectrum of psychedelics and plant medicines. Nathan Sackett, MD, MS, RN is trained as an addiction psychiatrist, focusing on the intersection between substance use and psychiatric disorders. Clinically, he works primarily outpatient seeing a range of patients with primary psychiatric issues and substance use disorders. His research focuses on the use of psychedelics to treat substance use disorders with a particular interest in how psychedelics can augment the psychotherapeutic process and facilitate behavioral change. Jane Adams is a writer, coach, and psychologist who has been reporting on how people and families respond to social change in twelve books and countless columns, essays, and articles since the earliest days of the Seattle Weekly, where she was a founding editor. Her current writing about psychedelics has been published in Psychology Today, Next Avenue, and Post Alley. Mike Moon is an enthusiastic supporter of the responsible and intentional use of psychedelics for healing and personal growth. He helped launch the Decriminalize Nature movement in Seattle which led to the passage of Council Resolution 32021 (and some measure of progress towards sane and compassionate drug laws). A serious student of the topic, Mike offers an in-depth and informed perspective on legalities, microdosing, macrodosing, underground guides/sitters, the spectrum of psychedelics and plant medicines, ethics, for-profit psychedelic services, and harm reduction. Presented by Town Hall Seattle and Northwest Center for Creative Aging.

The news about wildlife is dire — more than 900 species have been wiped off the planet since industrialization. Against this bleak backdrop, however, there are also glimmers of hope and crucial lessons to be learned from animals that have defied global trends toward extinction. Bear in Italy, bison in North America, whales in the Atlantic. These populations are back from the brink, some of them in numbers unimaginable in a century. How has this happened? What shifts in thinking did it demand? Drawing on compelling personal stories from the researchers, Indigenous people, and activists who know the creatures best, writer and professor Christopher Preston weaves together a gripping narrative of how some species are taking back vital, ecological roles. Observing different landscapes — farms, prairies, rivers, forests, oceans — Preston offers a philosophical shift in how humans ought to think about animals, passionately advocating for the changes in attitude necessary for wildlife recovery. Tenacious Beasts touches on different facets of ecological restoration from Indigenous knowledge to rewilding practices, and offers a road map — and a measure of hope — for a future in which humans and animals can once again coexist. Christopher J. Preston is a writer and professor based in Missoula, MT. His work at the University of Montana centers on wildlife, technology, and climate change. His new book, Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife Recoveries That Change How We Think About Animals investigates a number of species back from the brink of extinction. He meets the scientists, indigenous leaders, and activists responsible for their return and uncovers what these tenacious species have to teach. Christopher has written for The Atlantic, Smithsonian Magazine, Discover, The Conversation, Aeon, Slate.com, and the BBC. His award-winning book, The Synthetic Age: Outdesigning Evolution, Resurrecting Species, and Reengineering Our World, has been translated into six languages. He also gives talks in state parks, libraries, and breweries across Montana to campers and other audiences interested in conservation and technology. In early 2023, he won an annual award from the International Society for Environmental Ethics for his work as a public philosopher. Tenacious Beasts Third Place Books

Are the autonomous digital forces jolting our lives – as uncontrollable as the weather and plate tectonics – transforming life, society, culture, and politics? David Auerbach’s exploration of the phenomenon he has identified as the meganet begins with a simple, startling revelation: There is no hand on the tiller of some of the largest global digital forces that influence our daily lives: from corporate sites such as Facebook, Amazon, Google, YouTube, Instagram, and Reddit to the burgeoning metaverse encompassing cryptocurrencies and online gaming to government systems such as China’s Social Credit System and India’s Aadhaar. As we increasingly integrate our society, culture, and politics within a hyper-networked fabric, Auerbach explains how the interactions of billions of people with unfathomably large online networks have produced a new sort of beast: ever-changing systems that operate beyond the control of the individuals, companies, and governments that created them. Meganets, Auerbach explains, have a life of their own. Actively resisting attempts to control them, they can produce spontaneous, unexpected social groups and uprisings that could not have even existed twenty years ago. Constantly modifying themselves in response to user behavior, which can result in collectively authored algorithms no one can control, these enormous invisible organisms seem to be the new minds of the world, increasingly commandeering our daily lives and inner realities. David B. Auerbach is a writer, technologist, and software engineer who worked at Google and Microsoft after graduating from Yale University. His writing has appeared in the Times Literary Supplement, MIT Technology Review, The Nation, n+1, Tablet, The Daily Beast, and Bookforum, among many other publications. He was Slate’s technology columnist from 2013 to 2016, and he was nominated for a National Magazine Award for his coverage of the HealthCare.gov hearings. He teaches the history of computation at the New Centre for Research and Practice and is a frequent guest at their events. He has lectured around the world on technology, literature, and philosophy and, in addition, has done scholarly research on James Joyce, William Shakespeare, and artificial intelligence. His first book, Bitwise: A Life in Code, was published by Pantheon in 2018. Meganets Third Place Books

For twelve years the Golden State Killer terrorized California, stalking victims and killing without remorse. Then he simply disappeared, for the next forty-four years, until an amateur DNA sleuth opened her laptop. In I Know Who You Are, Barbara Rae-Venter reveals how she went from researching her family history as a retiree to hunting for a notorious serial killer — and how she became the nation’s leading authority on investigative genetic genealogy, the most dazzling new crime-fighting weapon to appear in decades. Rae-Venter, leads readers on a vivid journey through the many cases she tackled, often starting with little more than a DNA sample. From the first criminal case she ever solved— uncovering the long-lost identity of a child abductee — to the heartbreaking story of the Billboard Boy, whose skeletal remains were discovered along a highway, to the search for the Golden State Killer, Rae-Venter shares accounts of how she helped solve some of America’s most chilling cold cases in the span of just three years. Rae-Venter’s story is one of relentless curiosity, of constant invention and reinvention, and of human beings striving to answer the most elemental questions about themselves: What defines identity? Where do we belong? And are we truly who we think we are? Barbara Rae-Venter will be in conversation with Steve Broback for this event. Barbara Rae-Venter is a New Zealand–born American investigative genetic genealogist, biochemist, and retired patent attorney best known for her work helping the FBI and other investigators identify Joseph James DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer. She earned a Ph.D. at the University of California at San Diego and later a law degree at the University of Texas at Austin Law School. Rae-Venter is a founder and the president of Firebird Forensics Group, a not-for-profit corporation. Her investigative work earned her a place on the Time 100 list of most influential people in 2019, and she was recognized by the journal Nature as one of “10 People Who Mattered in Science in 2018.” Steve Broback is the co-founder of Dent the Future an organization that produces events and experiences focused on science, innovation, and entrepreneurship. On various Dent stages, he has had the opportunity to interview Barbara and other noteworthy authors. These include Cady Coleman (NASA astronaut), LeVar Burton (actor and director), Alvy Ray Smith (co-founder of Pixar), and Brian Boitano (Olympic gold medalist). Steve was born in Seattle and earned his degrees in economics and finance at the University of Washington. I Know Who You Are: How an Amateur DNA Sleuth Unmasked the Golden State Killer and Changed Crime Fighting Forever The Elliott Bay Book Company

While many would think art and science are two vastly different disciplines, one common driver often motivates them both – curiosity. Ginny Ruffner – who currently has a retrospective exhibition open at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art on the topic of “What if?” – has worked at the intersection of art and science for decades. Her curiosity around biological concepts has propelled her to invent answers to “what if?” questions about the nature of the world around us. The experimental works she creates often involve the use of technology and mixed media to create new and imaginative experiences. Her creations are fueled by collaboration and camaraderie with scientists such as ISB President Dr. Jim Heath. Join us in person at Town Hall Seattle for a conversation with internationally renowned artist Ginny Ruffner and ISB President Dr. Jim Heath. Together, they will explore the opportunities and striking similarities that lie at the intersection of art and science. Ginny Ruffner is a pioneering American glass artist based in Seattle. She is known for her use of the lampworking technique and for her use of borosilicate glass in her painted glass sculptures. Many of her ideas begin with drawings. Her works also include pop-up books, large-scale public art, and augmented reality. Ruffner was named a Master of the Medium by the James Renwick Alliance in 2007. She received The Glass Art Society’s Lifetime Award in 2019. Ruffner currently has a retrospective exhibition open at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art on the topic of “What if?” Dr. Jim Heath is President and Professor at Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle. Heath also has the position of Professor of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology at UCLA. Formerly, he directed the National Cancer Institute-funded NSB Cancer Center, was the Elizabeth W. Gilloon Professor of Chemistry at Caltech, and served as co-director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at UCLA until 2017. Presented by Town Hall Seattle and the Institute of Systems Biology. Our community partner for this event is the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.

How much does the general public really trust tech? Despite increased scrutiny and critique of digital platforms, renowned tech policy scholar Orly Lobel defends digital technology, including AI, as a powerful tool we can harness to achieve equality and a better future. Lobel recognizes the criticism of big data and automation, and she does not refute the many challenges that technology presents — but at the same time, Lobel encourages us to improve it. We cannot stop technological development, Lobel argues, but we can direct its course according to our most fundamental values. In The Equality Machine: Harnessing Digital Technology for a Brighter, More Inclusive Future, Lobel presents evidence that digital technology frequently has a comparative advantage over humans in detecting discrimination, correcting historical exclusions, subverting long-standing stereotypes, and addressing some of the world’s complex problems: climate, poverty, injustice, literacy, accessibility, speech, health, and safety. Lobel offers insights in each chapter that tackle everything from labor markets to dating markets, revealing just how much of our lives can be changed — and in her view, improved — via technology. Through analysis and storytelling, The Equality Machine promises to add to the robust, ongoing debate about technology and serves as a call to restore human agency over our own values. Orly Lobel is the Warren Distinguished Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Employment and Labor Policy at the University of San Diego. She is the recipient of prestigious research grants, member of the American Law Institute, a former Israeli military data analyst and Supreme Court clerk, and regularly consults governments and industry on law and technology. An award-winning writer, she is the author of You Don’t Own Me and Talent Wants to Be Free. Beverly Aarons is a writer, artist, and game developer. She works across disciplines exploring the intersections of history, hidden current realities, and imagined future worlds. She is the winner of the Guy A. Hanks & Marvin H. Miller Screenwriting Award, Community 4Culture Fellowship, Artist Trust GAP Award, 4Culture Creative Consultancies Award, and the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture smART Ventures grant. She’s currently publishing in-depth artist profiles at Artists Up Close on Substack. The Equality Machine: Harnessing Digital Technology for a Brighter, More Inclusive Future (Hardcover) Elliott Bay Books

The brain has fascinated scientists and philosophers alike for thousands of years. What’s really going on up there? Just ask neuroscientist, Eric H. Chudler. As the executive director of the Center for Neurotechnology at the University of Washington in Seattle, Chudler is poised to help you get to know your brain. His latest book on the subject, Neuropedia: A Brief Compendium of Brain Phenomena, is less of a textbook and more of a beautifully illustrated, alphabetic meandering through all things brain. Through his cataloging of concepts and the people working in neuroscience, Chudler journeys into the mysteries and marvels of the enigmatic three pounds of tissue between your ears. He’s developed a new kind of tour of the nervous system that explores the structure and function of the brain and covers topics such as the spinal cord and nerve cells, methods of neuroscientific research, and the visionary scientists who have dedicated their lives to understanding what makes each of us who we are. Chudler also guides readers through a variety of rare and common neurological disorders such as alien hand disorder, Capgras syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke, and discusses the latest brain-imaging methods used to diagnose them. While we know a lot more about the brain than we did in centuries past, it still holds plenty of mystery. Chudler’s accessible approach helps put into context our current understanding of neuroscience, while also providing a glimpse into where it’s headed in the future. Chudler aims to stimulate your curiosity about your own brain and follow in the footsteps of the scientists and philosophers throughout the ages — by continuing to learn more. Eric H. Chudler is executive director of the Center for Neurotechnology and a neuroscientist at the University of Washington in Seattle. His books include Brain Bytes: Quick Answers to Quirky Questions about the Brain and The Little Book of Neuroscience Haiku.

Have you ever wished that animals or plants could talk to us? As it turns out, they can. The natural world is teeming with conversation, though many of it is beyond human hearing range. Scientists are using groundbreaking digital technologies to uncover these sounds, revealing vibrant communication in the Tree of Life. In The Sounds of Life: How Digital Technology Is Bringing Us Closer to the Worlds of Animals and Plants, Karen Bakker, Professor and director of the Program on Water Governance at the University of British Columbia, shares fascinating stories of nonhuman sound, interweaving insights from technological innovation and traditional knowledge: We learn how artificial intelligence can decode these sounds, and meet the researchers building dictionaries in East African Elephant and Sperm Whalish. We explore digitally mediated dialogues with bats and honeybees. We are introduced to the innovative minds who are using sound to protect and regenerate endangered species from the Great Barrier Reef to the Arctic and the Amazon. We are presented with shocking facts regarding the impact of noise pollution on both animals and plants. At a time where the natural and tech worlds are often presented as mutually exclusive, Dr. Bakker’s book challenges that idea, calling upon interdisciplinary research that reveals more about the interconnectedness of it all and advising us to listen, not just look. After this talk, you may never see outdoor adventures the same way again. Karen Bakker, an award-winning professor at the University of British Columbia, earned her Ph.D. from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. A tech entrepreneur and former Annenberg Fellow at Stanford University, she studies environmental governance and digital transformation. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Radcliffe Fellowship. An avid gardener and the mother of two daughters, she lives in Vancouver. Sally James is a writer and journalist who covers science and medical research. She has written for The Seattle Times, South Seattle Emerald, Seattle and UW Magazines, among others. For the Emerald, she has been focusing during the pandemic on stories about health and access for communities of color. In the past, she has been a leader and volunteer for the nonprofit Northwest Science Writers Association. For many years, she was a reviewer for Health News Review, fact-checking national press reporting for accuracy and fairness. She is most pithy on Twitter @jamesian. The Sounds of Life: How Digital Technology Is Bringing Us Closer to the Worlds of Animals and Plants (Hardcover) Third Place Books