UBC Reports | Vol. 48 | No. 4 | Feb. 21, 2002

Week to spotlight research

Range of arts, science research to be celebrated in March

The cosmic connections between art and astronomy will be revealed in the first presentation of UBC's Celebrate Research lecture series to be held March 11 as part of Research Awareness Week (RAW) March 9-15.

Jaymie Matthews, associate professor of Physics and Astronomy and English Prof. Dennis Danielson will explore "The Arts and Science of the Cosmos" in a one-hour lecture at 4 p.m. in Main Library's Dodson Room, one of many events being held on- and off-campus during the week.

"This lecture series fits in well with the spirit and purpose of research awareness week," says Indira Samarasekera, vice-president, Research, who will host the series. "We want to demonstrate the breadth and excellence in research and scholarship across campus and stimulate dialogue across disciplines."

Conveying abstract ideas is one of the important connections between astronomy and literature, says Matthews. In addition, concepts such as perspective and vanishing points, usually associated with arts, are also used in astronomy to measure distance to star clusters.

Danielson edited the anthology The Book of the Cosmos: Imagining the Universe from Heraclitus to Hawking. It was one of Amazon.com's top 10 science books for 2000.

Other RAW activities include the launch of a series of health policy forums at UBC at Robson Square. Roy Romanow, head of the National Royal Commission on Medicare will present "Medicare, Then and Now" at 12 noon on March 13 in an event co-hosted by UBC's Continuing Studies Dept.

"University research helps to influence and inform different kinds of policy locally, nationally and internationally," says Sid Katz, RAW organizer and UBC's executive director, Community Affairs. "We're pleased to present this aspect of research to the community."

The downtown campus is also the site of a transportation public symposium at 12 noon on March 11. Organized by the Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration, a discussion moderated by Commerce Dean Dan Muzyka features a panel of Lower Mainland transportation experts.

University Killam Professors Zoology Prof. Peter Hochachka and English Prof. William New will discuss their books at 12:30 p.m. in Main Library's Dodson Room on March 13, part of UBC Author's Week which coincides with RAW.

Hochachka has written Biochemical Adaptation which looks at how animals survive in extreme conditions.

New has written two books published in 2001: A History of Canadian Literature and Stone/Rain:Poems.

Also at the library will be a showcase of recent productions by UBC filmmakers on Thursday, March 14 from noon to 1 p.m.

A tour of UBC's Wine Research Library, located in the basement of the Food and Nutritional Sciences Building, will be held March 15, starting at noon.

Visitors will learn about wine faults -- errors in production that yield distinctive odours -- and will be given an opportunity to sniff out some faulty vintages.

A gala invitational event, Celebrate Research, will be held at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts March 14. The evening honours the achievements of UBC's researchers. For more information on RAW check the Web site at www.research.ubc.ca/RAW.htm.