Cybersecurity Snapshot: Google, Twitter, and Other Online Databases
Every day, millions of attacks are carried out on the networks and computer systems. In recent years, these numbers have increased dramatically. All it requires is one success for a hacker to gain unauthorized access and data,but for administrators, it is a constant battle to protect what is rightfully theirs. In this presentation, we look into how these attacks have increased, what the studies of various databases and reports say on how and what types of data are being breached, who is breaching them, and how they are breaching the systems. Also, we propose various unconventional ways to prevent these attacks from happening in the future. Furthermore, this presentation lists the top bug-fix times reported in the Google Security Research Project (GSRP). This talk brings to light reoccurring cyber threats, challenges associated with these threats, and emerging trends in the domain of cyber security.
Bharat Rawal

Heavy Metals in Consumer Products: Health Crisis or Sensationalism?
Heavy metals, such as tin, mercury and lead, are known to have adverse effects on the environment and on our health. Still, they are used in the production of a variety of consumer goods, including food and beverage packaging, light bulbs, and dental fillings. Are the risks associated with the use of these metals significant? If so, by what criteria are risk levels determined? Can consumers rely upon current government regulations to protect us or must we be constantly vigilant to protect ourselves? This discussion is directed toward any group—from high school students to senior citizens-seeking answers to these questions and others regarding the environment and consumer products.
Dr. Kevin Cannon

Mammalian Cloning
First came Dolly, the sheep, then other animals followed. How did scientists clone these animals and, perhaps of equal importance, why did they decide to do it? In what ways might mammalian cloning be useful? Is human cloning possible? If it is, should it be done and under what circumstances? Who should make the decision: the government, the medical community, religious institutions, or the populace at large? Consider the answers to these questions and others in this fascinating examination of one of the most controversial procedures of our time. This discussion is suitable for high school, college, and adult audiences.
Dr. Eric Ingersoll

Mathematics and Everyday Life
Mathematics impacts our daily lives in far more ways than most people realize. Consider the following questions: What is the relationship between math and your CD player? Could telephone systems be set up so that if you dial a wrong digit you can still get connected to the right number? What are the chances of getting a false positive result on an HIV test? If intelligent beings exist in space, what are our chances of communicating with them? Learn the answers to these and other questions in this program, which can be adapted for youth or adult audiences.
Dr. Kenneth Johnson

NASA Missions and the Solar System
Join a professor of physics who is also a NASA solar system ambassador for an examination of NASA missions and the solar system appropriate for both adult and family audiences. A variety of topics is available. Take a peek into the Cassini Mission to Saturn, the Juno mission to Jupiter, results of exploration on Mars, or the New Horizon mission to the enigmatic icy Pluto and its neighbors. The historical Voyager missions are still active and are discovering the boundaries of the solar system.
Dr. Ann Schmiedekamp

Stem Cells
Hardly a week goes by when we don’t hear something in the news about stem cells. These cells that have the ability to turn into a wide variety of different types of cells have enormous therapeutic potential, but obtaining them is often difficult and some sources are controversial. How do we obtain stem cells? How do stem cells from an embryo compare with stem cells from an adult? Can we take adult cells and transform them into stem cells? What can we do with stem cells once we have them? Stem cells are currently the most promising therapy for a wide variety of disorders. This presentation will discuss the facts and fiction of stem cells answering all of the above questions, and more. This discussion is suitable for high school, college, and adult audiences.
Dr. Eric Ingersoll

The Internet and Its Future
The Internet has become the foundation of today’s information infrastructure, and has been successfully supporting people’s data communications and computing. However, the Internet has fallen victim to its own stunning success. The current Internet architecture faces many challenges, including both correcting the vulnerabilities that arise from society’s increasing dependence on it, and enhancing the capabilities for supporting new applications. This presentation illustrates how the Internet works, discusses the challenges that the current Internet architecture is facing, and explores possible solutions for the next generation Internet.
Qiang Duan