In the wild world around us, everything is connected. Curious Connections in Nature is a new exhibition at the CU Museum of Natural History that delves into these connections through hands-on activities, multimedia displays and specimens from the museum’s collection.

The exhibition highlights symbiosis in our bodies, our backyards and beyond.
 
Discover the role of the prairie dog in Colorado’s grasslands. Learn about the microbes we host in our bodies. Explore the amazing world of lichens, diatoms and much more. The scientists who study these animals are profiled in the exhibit, and you can learn about their work.
 
Now open in the Changing Gallery. The CU Museum of Natural History is located in the Henderson Building, open every day. For more information and upcoming programs call 303-492-6892 or visit the museum online.

Cannabis: A Visual Perspective features a juried selection of botanical illustrations presented by the Rocky Mountain Society of Botanical Artists rendered in watercolor, colored pencil, print and mixed media. The exhibit examines three species and seven subspecies of the genus Cannabis and spotlights the groundbreaking research conducted at CU Boulder. 
 
The CU Museum of Natural History is located in the Henderson Building at 15th Street and Broadway, open every day. Admission is free. For more information and upcoming programs call 303-492-6892 or visit the website.
 
Photo: Botanical illustration, Cannabis sativa by Ida Pemberton, circa 1940. Courtesy of the CU Museum of Natural History.

Enjoy the splendor of Boulder in the fall! Join Facilities Operations Arborist Vince Aquino to learn about the unique history and features of different species of trees located on the CU Boulder campus. 

The tour will meet at the south entrance of the CU Museum of Natural History, rain or shine. 

Wednesday, Oct. 25, 5 p.m.
CU Museum of Natural History

Join the CU Museum of Natural History Oct. 24 for a free lecture, "Combating the Black Death: Mitigating Sylvatic Plague in the Western United States."

The word plague is used to describe a multitude of biological events with negative consequences for humans. Speaking strictly, however, there is one plague–-the zoonotic disease caused by Yersinia pestis, a flea-borne bacterium that infects mammal hosts, including humans. Plague is arguably best known for causing the Black Death in Europe, the greatest public health disaster in history. However, plague persists mostly in wildlife and can infect mammals of at least 73 genera and more than 200 species globally. 

This presentation will summarize research on the ecology of plague in the Western U.S. Controlled experiments demonstrate that plague is causing chronic problems in populations of many mammals, including threatened and endangered species. Moreover, several lines of evidence suggest plague is disrupting ecosystem functions, for instance when the disease suppresses populations of keystone or foundation species. Case examples will be presented, and a proposal will be extended for a greater emphasis on the conservation ramifications of plague.

Tuesday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m.
CU Museum of Natural History

43rd annual Austin W. Scott, Jr. Lecture "Essentially a Mother"

Join the University of Colorado Law School Dec. 1 for this year's Austin W. Scott, Jr. Lecture featuring Professor Jennifer S. Hendricks.

When employer-provided health insurance covers contraception, is that sex equality, special benefits for women, or something else? What about workplace accommodations for breastfeeding? 

Historically, U.S. courts would have called these sorts of benefits "special rights," not required—and perhaps even suspect—under legal guarantors of equality. In recent years, however, public debates and court decisions have shifted toward treating "women's unique biology" as something that must be accommodated in order to attain sex equality. Is this progress, or does it stereotype women as mothers and hinder their advancement?

In her talk, Hendricks will discuss these questions and more and provide insight on how the law and feminist legal theory have struggled to reconcile biological sex differences with principles of equality.

A reception for registered guests will follow the lecture. Please visit the event page for more information and to register. RSVP by Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Thursday, Dec. 1, 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Wolf Law Building, Wittemyer Courtroom

The Cognitive Development Center in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience is looking for children age birth to 12 years old who are interested in playing games that will help teach us about self-control, language and cognitive strategies. 

A visit, scheduled at your convenience, lasts about 60 minutes. Babysitting is available for siblings. Parents are compensated for travel, and kids receive a fun prize.

To sign up, please visit our website; email cogdevctr@colorado.edu with your child’s name, gender, date of birth and parent contact information (address/phone number/email address); or call us at 303-492-6389.

For more information, feel free to check out our Facebook page.

Interested in your moods and thoughts? Participate in a paid study on emotion and mood here on campus in the CU Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. 

Earn up to $200 to participate in studies involving answering questions about your feelings and thoughts, watching brief films, playing computer games and keeping a log of your emotions and activities.

The study includes two separate visits and pays $10 per hour in cash (first visit is 2-3 hours, second is 4 hours). There is an option for paid follow-up phone interviews in addition.

For more information, please complete the screening survey. If you have questions, email gruberpeplab@gmail.com or visit our website.
 

Please join Jimin Kim, deputy consul general of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco, for a free, public talk titled "Enduring Korea-U.S. Alliance and Partnership: Linchpin of Peace and Security and Driving Force for Prosperity."

Forged in blood during the Korean War 1950–53, the alliance between the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States has served as a linchpin for peace and security of the Korean Peninsula, the Asia-Pacific Region and beyond, laying the foundation for the ROK to become one of the most vibrant democracies and advanced economies in the world.

Meanwhile, North Korea continues to pose threats with its nuclear and missile programs despite the urging of the international community including a series of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Against this background, Kim will talk about the latest developments in the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia and also the future prospect of the ROK-U.S. alliance and partnership under the new ROK government.

CAS Event
Thursday, Nov. 2, 5 p.m.
Eaton Humanities, room 250

Are you a CU Boulder student? Would you like a $10 Amazon gift card in exchange for about 60 minutes of your time? The University Libraries are studying e-books to understand how students use them and what they like or dislike about them. 

If you are interested in participating in this study, occurring in Norlin Library, please fill out the form.

Tom Lemieux will offer an exclusive free tour of the Biology Greenhouse highlighting some of the important and interesting plants. The greenhouse is for research and teaching and is not typically open to the public. 

Tours fill quickly! Please make sure to call and RSVP by Oct. 20 if you would like a spot. Make sure to specify your reservation for either the 11 a.m. tour or the 2 p.m. tour. Also, please be aware we will not be accepting reservations for more than two people! If you do not get a spot on the tour, you will be added to a wait list and contacted if a spot opens up before the tour begins.

We will be meeting at the 30th Street greenhouse. Please arrive 15 minutes early and take care with transportation. Parking at the greenhouse lot is by permit only. The best option is to take public transportation, ride a bike or walk.

Please call 303-492-6892 to reserve your spot for a tour or for any questions you might have. 

Thursday, Oct. 26, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Biology Greenhouse, 1380 30th St.

The Children’s Auditory Perception Laboratory is currently recruiting children between 2 and 7 years old for a research study to help us learn more about how children hear.

During the testing, your child will sit in a sound-treated room and listen to sounds presented over a speaker or through headphones. Your child will be asked to indicate when they hear sounds by playing games, such as putting a block in a bucket. The sounds used are not loud.

Two visits to the laboratory are required. Each visit lasts about one hour. You will receive $10 per hour, and, if you drive to the lab, parking costs will be covered.

If you are interested please email childhear@colorado.edu or call 303-735-6252.

The principal investigator for this research study is Angela Yarnell Bonino, PhD, Department Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. All testing will be completed at the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) building on the CU Boulder Main Campus.

Join the Museum of Natural History for a free lecture Tuesday, Oct. 17. 

Daniela Vergara will talk about some of our results on the diversity in multiple cannabis varieties, including the variation we see in the whole genome, in the chemotypes (phytochemicals produced by the cannabis plant) and in the genes related to cannabinoid production.

This program is in conjunction with the exhibition "Cannabis: A Visual Perspective," currently on display in the BioLounge.

About the speaker: Vergara is an evolutionary biologist researching cannabis genomics at CU Boulder. In addition to her multiple publications in Cannabis, she founded and directs a non-profit organization, the Agricultural Genomics Foundation (agriculturalgenomics.org), which aims to make cannabis science available to a broad public.

Tuesday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m.
CU Museum of Natural History

Please join Thomas D. Cook, Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University, for two talks Friday, Oct. 13.

Policy talk, 10:30 a.m. to noon
The evidence about evidence-based policy: How consistent are different clearinghouses on the standards for what warrants acceptable evidence? 

Technical talk, 1:30–3 p.m.
When quasi-experimental designs reliably reproduce estimates from randomized experiments on the same topics: Evidence from within-study comparisons, Regression Discontinuity Designs, Interrupted Time Series and other nonequivalent control group designs.

Cook is an internationally known scholar in the design and analysis of evaluation research, whole school reform and contextual factors that influence adolescent development,
particularly for urban minorities. He has published numerous books and articles on evaluation methodology and has served on or chaired multiple workgroups focused on program evaluation and methodology.

RSVPs are appreciated but not required. Please email pamela.buckley@colorado.edu.

Friday, Oct. 13
Institute of Behavioral Science, room 155

Please join Sydney-based foreign correspondent and writer Madeleine O'Dea for a talk about her new book The Phoenix Years: Art, Resistance, and the Making of Modern China.

The riveting story of China's rise from economic ruin to global giant in four decades is illuminated by another narrative beneath its surface―the story of the country's emerging artistic avant-garde and the Chinese people's ongoing struggle for freedom of expression.

By following the stories of nine contemporary Chinese artists, The Phoenix Years shows how China's rise unleashed creativity, thwarted hopes and sparked tensions between the individual and the state that continue to this day.

O'Dea has been an eyewitness for over 30 years to the rise of China, the explosion of its contemporary art and cultural scene, and the long, ongoing struggle for free expression. The stories of these artists and their art mirror the history of their country. The Phoenix Years is vital reading for anyone interested in China today.

Center for Asian Studies Event
Wednesday, Oct. 25, 5 p.m.
Eaton Humanities, room 1B80

Botanical Illustrator Marjorie Leggitt will be performing a pen-and-ink demonstration on illustrating a formal botanical plate from an herbarium specimen Thursday, Oct. 12.

The workshop will include an overview of scientific and botanical illustration as well as the role of the artist in this process. We will discuss the different uses of herbarium specimens and how they are important to scientific illustration. Participants will have the chance to draw alongside the instructor. 

Thursday, Oct. 12, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
CU Museum of Natural History