Open night lectures are usually on topics in the geosciences related to the current research of the faculty, staff and students at SUNY Stony Brook. These presentations are intended for:

• those interested in new developments in the sciences
• earth science high school students and teachers
• undergraduate and graduate students in geosciences
• professional geologists on Long Island

You may also be interested in Astronomy Open Night

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There will be Refreshments and Demonstrations after the Presentations.

Admission is Free!!

 

Prof. Martin Schoonen 
and 
Mr. Glenn Richard

7:30 to 8:30 p.m. 
Friday September 29, 2000

"Steam, water and roar:
How do geysers really work?"

While geysers are among the most dynamic and popular geologic phenomena, most people have only a vague idea of how they work. For a geyser to occur a unique set of conditions must be present. Most of the geysers on Earth are located in Yellowstone National Park. Prof. Martin Schoonen, who has conducted research in Yellowstone National Park for years, will explain how geysers work. The presentation will be followed by a demonstration of an interactive program that allows people to explore the workings of geysers. This program developed by three undergraduate students (Penny Youngs, Anthony Riccardi and Tracy Smith) as part of a course in describing geological phenomena will become part of a renovated visitor center in Yellowstone National Park. The program is a work in progress and we hope to obtain some useful suggestions from the public through presentations like this.

Link to GEO 327: Computerized Modeling of Geological Phenomena 
which gives descriptions of geysers and the modeling.

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Prof. Curtis Marean

7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Friday October 27

"Zooarchaeology 
and the
 Origins of Modern Humans"

Hominids inhabiting Eurasia and Africa during the cold end of the Middle Pleistocene faced widely differing subsistence challenges.  The end result was the evolution of two distinct species: Neanderthals in Eurasia and anatomically modern people in Africa, sometime around 200,000 years ago. Neanderthals and modern humans co-existed in different areas of the Old World until about 40,000 years ago, and then something changed.  Modern humans rapidly migrated out of Africa, and within a short time Neanderthals were extinct. Paleoanthropologists are thus faced with several questions. Why did it take modern people 160,000 years to leave Africa and its nearby border regions?  Why did Neanderthals go extinct?  What are the main behavioral differences between these two species.  We will examine the latest evidence for these, and other, dilemmas.

LINKS

General information about archaeology and all its subdisciplines: http://archnet.uconn.edu/ 

About zooarchaeology in general with links to other sites: http://borealis.lib.uconn.edu/zhp/ 

A good website for information for teachers interested in Human Evolution: http://www.natcenscied.org/heenhm.htm 

Another good site with many links about human evolution: http://www.indiana.edu/~origins/ 

This site has a great interactive 3D gallery of primate fossils including our 
hominid ancestors (requires the Shockwave plugin): http://www.anth.ucsb.edu/projects/human/ 

Another interesting interactive site (requires Shockwave): http://www.wwnorton.com/college/anthro/humev/welcome.htm

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Prof. Richard Reeder

7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Friday November 17

"Environmental Contaminants: 
Minerals make a difference"

 

 

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In-service credit available for teachers

• six Geology Open Nights
• eight Astronomy Open Nights
• three Long Island Geologists Dinners

We will offer up to 7.5 hours for each of the Long Island Geologists field trips.