Smarty Pints

Smarty Pints is a celebration of science and beer!

Usually the third Monday of every month, 6:30pm. Clever people tell us about their work. Sometimes scientists, sometimes engineers, sometimes artists!

Are you a clever person who would like to present a 30 minute talk on what you do? Reach out at smartypints@burkegilmanbrewing.com.

Check out previous Smarty Pints topics here.

Upcoming Smarty Pints Topics

September 21

Smarty Pints flyer: Mary Fontana, Author, Strangers in the Province of Joy: Practicing Radical Hospitality on the US–Mexico Border — How We Broke the BorderSmarty Pints flyer: Jakob von Moltke, UW Immunology — How is a worm like a peanut?

Mary Fontana

Author, "Strangers in the Province of Joy: Practicing Radical Hospitality on the US–Mexico Border"

“How We Broke the Border”

Immigration is a polarizing issue today–but sixty years ago, the concept of "illegal immigration" didn't even exist. Join local author Mary Fontana for a guided tour of US immigration history, illustrated by personal stories from her work with a migrant hospitality house on the US-Mexico border. We'll trace the origins of our militarized border and its current dysfunction, and end with policy solutions that could make our immigration system more efficient, economically sound, and humane.

Prof. Jakob von Moltke

UW Immunology

“How is a worm like a peanut?”

It may not seem that a parasitic worm and a common allergen (like peanuts) have anything in common, but it turns out our immune system can't tell the difference. The immune response that evolved to protect us from worm infections is also the response that makes us suffer from allergies. UW Associate Professor Jakob von Moltke will discuss the work that his lab is doing to understand how our immune system first detects worms and allergens and how studying this process could eventually help to prevent allergies.

October 19

Prof. Karen Levy

UW Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences

“Water and sanitation”

Ellen Kuwana

Principal Science Writer/Editor, Kuwana Consulting, LLC

“AI environmental concerns and ethical considerations”

November 16

Alyssa Sargent

PhD candidate, UW Biology/Burke Museum

“Mighty and tiny: the territorial world of hummingbirds”

Jim Keany

Wildlife ecologist

“Biodiversity of Madagascar”

December 14

Nora Lee

PhD student, UW Biology/Burke Museum

“Hummingbird coloration and behavior”