Ithacans can now enjoy a drink alongside space science education thanks to the efforts of five graduate students in Cornell’s astronomy department.
The students are spearheading an “Astronomy on Tap” chapter in Ithaca, branching from an international public event series where attendees can socialize and learn about space sciences while enjoying beverages at local establishments.
Astronomy on Tap Ithaca will occur at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at Liquid State Brewing Company.
Each Astronomy on Tap session will last about an hour, with enough time for two speakers to shed light on their expertise, audience members to ask questions and drinkers to ask for a refill. Presentations will cover a range of space-related topics, from cosmology to engineering, geology and biology.
“[Astronomy on Tap] is supposed to be a fun, light-hearted and informal event, which is a very stark contrast to the typical, stereotypical, kind of stuffy, maybe boring, science conversations that people assume science talks are,” said Alexia Kubas grad, an Astronomy on Tap Ithaca organizer.
With an atmosphere more casual than typical colloquiums, Astronomy on Tap Ithaca hopes to reach members of the public who do not normally engage with astronomy.
Article by Laine Havens
Filmed by Marian Caballo, Laine Havens
Produced by Laine Havens, Marian Caballo