Science, Religion, and Art will often intersect. Artists find inspiration from religious sources, religions draw on art to convey theological ideas, and science frequently uses art to render abstract concepts tangible, while artists aspire to the elegance found in nature. Sometimes these three modes of engaging with the world combine at once, such as when mathematical equations or the patterns found in nature become elegant works of art. At this year's annual holiday lecture, our speakers will explore the rich ways in which science, religion and art intersect.

The Brown Bag Lunch Series draws from the knowledge and expertise of Westshore faculty members within the social sciences, humanities and physical sciences.

During this Brown Bag Lunch, attendees will learn how to use powerful mental tools to help master tough subjects, learn invaluable learning techniques used by experts in art, music, literature, math, science, sports, and many other disciplines, and learn about the how the brain uses two very different learning modes and how it encapsulates (“chunks”) information. 

Join our distinguished faculty member Todd Williams as he shares his rich experiences while addressing topics of current interest. The series is designed to bring the Westshore college community – and the community-at-large - together to discuss timely and diverse topics in a casual interactive setting.

What do the scientists who pioneered forensic DNA testing and human trafficking scholars think should be done to identify the thousands of unaccompanied migrant children crossing into the U.S. from Latin America? With firsthand accounts from immigrants who crossed as children and who were kidnapped, stripped naked, smuggled in with coyotes and crossed through the desert, we see the human side of the complex problems of identifying the dead and preventing human trafficking.

Mark S. Frankel (AAAS) will give opening remarks. The film will be followed by a discussion panel, moderated by Jessica Wyndham (AAAS), and a light reception.

To accommodate the needs for high detection accuracy and high throughput in a measurement system, Dr. Sakairi and his group have been developing real-time mass spectrometry (RTM) and have deployed and implemented it in environmental measurement systems and physical security systems. Japanese Customs uses the physical security systems in inspection areas to detect smuggling of explosives and illegal drugs. Although advancements in physical measurement technologies have led to the birth of a giant industry, we have now almost reached their performance limits. Now research is moving toward creating a measurement technology modeled after the olfactory system of living organisms for accurately recognizing and distinguishing a vast array of odorant molecules.

Cultural heritage is the physical manifestation of a people’s history and forms an important part of their identity. Deliberate heritage destruction, which attempts to remove all traces of the past, is often used as a tool of ethnic and sectarian violence. Unfortunately, this type of damage is an ongoing part of the conflict in Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere across the globe. It constitutes an established human rights violation. In addition, archaeological site looting during periods of social and political unrest causes extensive damage to ancient centers. Scientific methods and technological tools can be employed to document, investigate, and ultimately understand heritage loss in order to create more effective humanitarian and policy responses and to develop preventative measures. This exhibition highlights cutting-edge scientific methods, new technologies, and current research projects that are underway to reveal this cultural tragedy.