Theresa Levitt speaks during Science Cafe at Lusa Cafe on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014. DM Photo I Anna Brigance
Do you have a penchant for coffee, delicious baked goods and intellectual enlightenment? If so, then the monthly Oxford Science Cafe is exactly what you are looking for. The cafe was held last night at Oxford’s famous Lusa Pastry Cafe.
The cafe is essentially a forum for the scientific community of Oxford to educate and inform locals on a wide variety of topics. Marco Cavaglia, the science cafe’s director and associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, said, “It’s a public outreach effort designed to bring science to the community. Sometimes people can be intimidated or afraid of scientific topics and the cafe offers a stress free way for people to interact with some of the complex topics.”
Last night’s lecture featured Ole Miss’s own Dr. Theresa Levitt, associate professor of the history department. Her talk centered on the evolution of the lighthouse, particularly the development of the Fresnel lens by French engineer Augustin Fresnel. This engaging discourse ranged from the primitive lighthouses of antiquity, such as the Colossus of Rhodes, to the much more modern Fresnel lens. Fresnel’s primary contribution to society was to extend the practical range of lighthouses from 5-10 miles across the ocean to well over 20 miles, saving countless lives of mariners with his developments. Levitt’s lecture was part scientific, part historical, part biographical and completely compelling.
Levitt is no stranger to the science cafe, having contributed to an edition on Thomas Edison a few years back. When asked how she came to be involved with the cafe, Levitt said, “I’ve known Marco for years. I’ve worked with him in the past. When he asked me to do another lecture at the science cafe, I jumped at it.”
The lecture was attended by an array of Oxford locals, ranging from permanent citizens to Ole Miss students and professors.
Oxford native Kenyatta Whiteside said he has been attending the lecture series for years.
“I found out about the cafe a few years back by reading a Daily Mississippian article,” Whiteside said. “I don’t have much of a scientific background but the science cafe gives me an opportunity to enlighten myself on a host of topics.”
Other locals were drawn to the cafe by personal interests. Judy Seely, a citizen of Oxford, said she was compelled to attend the lecture because of her affinity for lighthouses.
“I collect miniature lighthouses as a hobby,” Seely said. “When I heard Dr. Levitt would be speaking about lighthouses, I just had to come.”
The next science cafe will be on Feb. 18 and feature Dr. Jonathan Wurtele from the University of California Berkley. His topic will center around the topic of synthesizing, trapping and probing anti-hydrogen.
So if you have a keen interest in science or if you are interested in broadening your horizon, come down to Lusa Pastry Cafe on West Jackson Avenue for the next round of lectures. Free coffee and delicious pastries are provided free of charge by the nice folks at Lusa.
— Michael Prestwich
maprestw@go.olemiss.edu
