STEMulating Conversations (formerly First Fridays) are casual but totally nerdy conversations with several STEM faculty in a semi-public forum with students and anyone else who wants to join in. Themes include current science related topics that are relevant to what's happening in the world now!
Submit suggestions for discussion topics.
Information and recordings from past sessions:
2025-2026
- 10/17/2025 - "MiraCosta's Natural Disasters" with Rica French, Eric Snortum, Marina Argueta, Sasha Carter and David Palomino Full Recording
- 11/7/2025 - "Waves Edition" with Rica French, Eric Snortum, Marina Argueta and Shawn Firouzian Full Recording
- 2/27/2026 - Coming Soon
- 3/27/2026 - Coming Soon
- 4/24/2026 - Coming Soon
2022-2023
- October 7 - Whaaat?! (Exclamation made by astronomers all summer long) with Jeff Ihara and Rica French: Flyer and Recording Link
2021-2022
- 5/6/2022: "Bolides and Isotopes and Superplumes (oh my?)"Full recording and Information
- 4/1/2022: "Lubb, Dubb, Oink?"Full recording and Information
- 2/4/2022: "Tachyons & Wormholes are Real?!"Full recording and Information
- 12/3/2021: "Extinction and milder catastrophes" Full Recording and Information
- 11/5/2021: "Language runs hot and cold, up, down, and sideways."Full Recording and Information
- 10/20/2021 - ACP Vaccination Panel - Full Recording and Information
- 10/1/2021 - "Darwin vs. Turing - Natural Selection meets Machine Learning" Full recording and Information
- 9/3/2021 - "What do the Mars Perseverance Rover and the Coronavirus Delta variant have in common" Full recording and Information
2018-2019
- 5/3/2019 - "Navigating the Maize of Quantum Computing"
- Faculty: Professors: Jeff Ihara, Joe Salamon
- Full Video Recording Link: https://youtu.be/OqJg_VfgrGY
- 4/5/2019 - "Sci-Fi or Sci-Lie?" Evaluating the Science in Popular Movies
- Faculty: Professors: Jeff Ihara, Joe Salamon, Kaitlin Fisher, and Tina Johnson
- Full Video Recording Link: https://youtu.be/71eKbld-BzA
- 2/1/2019 - "What's New in Science Update"
- Faculty: Professor Jeff Ihara, Professor Joe Salamon and Professor Rica French
- Full Video Recording Link: https://youtu.be/BCGjXLm8DtQ
- 12/7/2018 - "Donald Duck in Mathemagic Land"
- Faculty: Professor Rachid Atmai, Professor Jeff Ihara, Professor Joe Salamon and Professor Jonathan Cole
- Full Video Recording Link: https://youtu.be/6SY4qTn9yMU
- 11/2/2018 - "Four Scientists Walk into a Bar" - Questions from the Audience
- Faculty: Professor Ihara (Biology), Professor Salamon (Physics), Professor Cole (Physics) and Professor French (Astronomy).
- Full Video Recording Link: https://youtu.be/dxuGyUWrWHE
- 10/5/2018 - "Not Just a Bleeping Message: Why RNA is H.O.T."
- Faculty: Professor Jeff Ihara, Professor Joe Salamon, Professor Pedro Morgado, Professor Barbara Juncosa
- 9/7/2018 - "The Mysteries and Wonder of the Electron: a Physicist, a Chemist, a Biologist,
and a Poet Take On Everybody's Favorite Lepton."
- Faculty: Professor Joe Salamon, Professor Jeff Ihara, Professor Kaitlin Fisher and Professor Pedro Morgado
2017-2018
- 5/4/2018 - “Black Holes & Spaghettification: A Noodle-y Tour of Spacetime”
- Faculty: Professor Jeff Ihara and Professor Joe Salamon
- Full Video Recording Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvMnhiDGHHs
- 4/6/2018 - "Have You Considered a Trans-poo-sion and Other Microbiome-related Questions?"
- Faculty: Professor Himgauri Kulkarni and Professor Joe Salamon
- Full Video Recording Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oZeGLhA1Yo
- 3/2/2018 - "HACKING THE PLANETS"
- Faculty: Professor Jonathan Cole, Professor Jeff Ihara, and Professor Joe Salamon
- Full Video Recording Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCQp8SYFVdg
