SDCC 2024: Where Pop Culture Meets Science

It's a bird, it's a plane—it's the SDCC 2024 Fleet panel lineup! Get to know the incredible panelists who will discuss the natural science behind some of your favorite pop culture titles and join your fellow Fleetsters for great discussion. 

For All Mankind – Historic Fiction, Real Science
Saturday, July 27, 6 to 7 p.m.
Room 23ABC

With stations on the moon and missions to Mars, humanity is entering another era of the space race. Local scientists look at the imagined history in Apple TV’s For All Mankind and explore the science behind the upcoming space missions. What does it take to live on the Moon? Is medicine ready to keep astronauts healthy and fit on long-range missions to Mars? When can we expect to use cryo-sleep technology to explore even more of our galaxy? And what does another space race mean for humanity? Join the Fleet Science Center, Kokila Shankar (Ph.D. Neuroscience and Biomedical Sciences), Laine D’Augustine (DMSc, MBA, PA-C, Space Exploration), Laura-Isobel McCall (PhD, Associate Professor, San Diego State University, Microbiology), Juan Pablo Pardo-Guerra (Associate Professor in Sociology, UCSD), Adam Burgasser (PhD, Professor Astronomy & Astrophysics UCSD) and Lisa Will (PhD, Professor in Physic San Diego City College, Resident Astronomer Fleet Science Center) and moderator Andrea Decker (Scientist Engagement Manager, Fleet Science Center) to geek out with local scientists over For All Mankind and its science.

Panelists:

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Kokila Shankar - PhD Candidate at the Scripps Research Institute

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Laine D'Augustine – PhD, Assistant Chief and Principal Aviation Engineer 

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Laura-Isobel McCall, PhD – Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biology at SDSU

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Adam Burgasser, PhD – Professor of Astronomy & Astrophysics UCSD 

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Juan Pablo Pardo-Guerra – Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, UCSD

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Lisa Will, PhD – Professor for Physics, San Diego City College and Fleet Science Center’s Resident Astronomer

 

Asimov’s Foundation: Math, Morality and Making Humans
Friday, July 26, 4 to 5 p.m.
Room 25ABC

Asimov’s science fiction classic Foundation, brought to the screen by Apple TV, is set in a world where cloning is possible and humanity has spread throughout the universe. While we are not yet living in such a world, gene editing and research in longevity are making significant strides. Local scientists will explore math's role in understanding our world and the advances in science that could lead to a longer life. We’ll answer questions like “Have there been similar revelations in mathematics?” and “Where do biologists and medical professionals see the most advancements in the next decades?” and “What is the cautionary tale in Asimov’s story?” Join the Fleet Science Center,  Jorge Urresti (Ph.D. Stem Cell Expert and Sci-Fi Enthusiast), Uduak George (PhD, Associate Professor Department of Mathematics and Statistics, SDSU), Sanchit Sabhlok (Physics Graduate Student with specialization in astronomy at UCSD), John Evans (PhD, Professor and Associate Dean of Social Sciences, UCSD), Caroline Kumsta (PhD, Assistant Professor Development, Aging and Regeneration Program at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute) and moderator Steven Snyder (PhD, Physicist, President & CEO, of Fleet Science Center) to geek out with local scientists over Foundation and its science.

Panelists:

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Jorge Urresti, PhD – Stem Cell Expert and Sci-Fi Enthusiast

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Uduak George, PhD – Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, SDSU

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Sanchit Sabhlok – Physics Graduate Student with a specialization in astronomy at UCSD

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John Evans, PhD – Professor, Tata Chancellor’s Chair in Social Sciences, Associate Dean of Social Sciences; Co-Director of the Institute for Practical Ethics, UCSD

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Caroline Kumsta, PhD – Assistant Professor, Development, Aging and Regeneration Program at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

 

For the full panel and event lineup, check out our latest blog!