September 3, 10, 17, 24 (Tuesdays) 9:30-11:30 a.m.Attend in person at ISU’s Alumni Center, 1101 N. Main St., Normal            ORWatch Online via ZoomFEES:$35 for Senior Professional members (includes all four sessions)$45 for non-members (includes all four sessions)For in-person participation, pricing is per person.For Zoom participation, pricing is one registration per household.Price includes:Four 2-hour sessions (one Academy of Seniors class).$15 single-session option available for in-person attendance (pay at door).Register online at seniorprofessionals.illinoisstate.edu or call (309) 438-2160.Zoom participants will receive a Zoom link a week prior to the start of the class(es) and again on the day of each session.Class DescriptionIn the 17th century, few scientific debates reached the fever pitch of debates around heliocentricity. Galileo Gallilei and his trials with the Catholic Church became the centerpiece of this intellectual battle. The communications between scientists, church officials, and aristocracy were riddled with scandal, corruption, and secrets.Historians now refer to this episode as the Galileo Affair. During these four lectures, Nathan Kapoor will explore the events, both real and imagined, of the affair and reflect on their historical significance and resonance.Nathan Kapoor, Assistant Professor of History, Illinois State University

For additional information contact School of Music (309) 438-7631

This is a regular Civil Service Council meeting. Please note we have moved to Zoom meetings. All meetings are open to the public and available to attend via Zoom.

If you are thinking about attending graduate school, attend this first session of the Graduate School Series. Learn how to research graduate schools, identify which is the best for your field, and how to finance your graduate school education.Access sessionAccess session via Zoom at: https://illinoisstate.zoom.us/j/98002087639Other sessions of the Graduate School SeriesStudents are invited to attend any session.Life of a Grad Student, October 25Admission Secrets – Make Your Application Stand Out, November 5This session is hosted by Career Services in collaboration with Illinois State University’s Graduate School.If you need special accommodations in order to participate, contact Career Services at (309) 438-2200.

Join us for the Physics Fall 2024 Colloquium Series. All events will be held on Tuesdays from 4-5 p.m. in room 214, Moulton Hall.Please see schedule below: September 3 – Mike Hildreth, University of Notre Dame“The “God Particle”: a story of Big Science, Big Data, and Human Ingenuity”September 10 – Joe Kozminski, Lewis University“Getting the Facts Out About Physics Teaching”September 17 – Emily Leiner, Illinois Institute of TechnologyTBA – Asteroseismology/Stellar ModelingSeptember 24 – Lili Xia, Rutgers University“Nuclear Winter”October 1 – Tina Cordova, Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium (TBDC)“Cancers from Nuclear Weapons Testing Fallout”October 8 – Fred Lamb – University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign“Ballistic Missile Defense”October 15 – Ian Low, Northwestern University“Particle Theory/Dark matter”October 22 – Stewart Prager, Princeton University“Nuclear Fusion”October 29 – TBANovember 12 – TBANovember 19 Nate Terry, USAFTBA – Government LabFall-2024-Colloquium-scheduleDownload

The Twelve Thousand Bombs seminar series on nuclear weapons will continue this fall with four eminent scholars and public figures speaking at ISU. The series, sponsored by the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, was inaugurated in 2023 and aims to raise awareness of nuclear weapons issues in the Bloomington-Normal community.“Nuclear weapons will be on everyone’s radar this election cycle as Americans assess the fitness of the candidates to exercise the president’s nuclear authority,” according to Dr. Matt Caplan, the series organizer and professor in the ISU physics department. “With the U.S. preparing to spend $1.5 trillion modernizing its arsenal, nuclear weapons policy may be a defining feature of the next president’s administration. This is not an issue that can be overlooked this election.”Dr. Lili Xia—Assistant Research Professor, Rutgers UniversityProfessor Xia is a climatologist studying the impact that nuclear war would have on the global climate, and how atmospheric aerosols produced by a nuclear war can initiate a “nuclear winter.” Her 2022 Nature Food article shows how even a “small” nuclear war between nations like India and Pakistan can cool the planet enough to cause a global famine lasting years, potentially killing billions.