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National Academies host spring season of Distinctive Voices programs in Irvine, Calif.

IRVINE, Calif. – A new season of public events at the National Academies' Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center will explore the science and technology behind today's hottest topics. Distinctive Voices@The Beckman Center highlights innovations, discoveries, and emerging issues in an engaging forum, providing a unique opportunity to learn from some of the brightest scientific minds in the world -- including members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.

The public programs will be held on weeknights, followed by a dessert reception with the speaker. The Beckman Center is located at 100 Academy Drive, Irvine, Calif. Admission and parking is free; advance registration is required. For more information, visit www.voicesatbeckman.org or call 949-387-6622. A list of programs follows.

• If You Didn't Test It, It Doesn't Work
  Wednesday, April 4 – 7 p.m.
  Hear about the role of engineering failure in the advancement of technology, from one of the technology pioneers of our time. Robert Colwell directed the architecture team that designed and produced the Intel P-6, the most successful microprocessor in history. Named an Intel Fellow in 1996, Dr. Colwell is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

• Disparities in Health: How Does Wealth Buy Better Health?
  Tuesday, April 10 – 7 p.m.
  With each step up the social ladder, health and longevity appear to improve. Learn why this happens, and how health disparities can be reduced. Nancy E. Adler is professor of psychology in the departments of psychiatry and pediatrics; vice chair of the department of psychiatry; and the director of the Center for Health and Community at the University of California, San Francisco. She is also a member of the Institute of Medicine.

• Tech Myths: What You Think You Know That Isn't True
  Wednesday, April 18 – 7 p.m.
  By revealing the myths and multifaceted stories behind everyday objects, William Hammack will illuminate the hidden side of our technological world. Dr. Hammack is professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. An award-winning commentator on technology, he can be heard on public radio's Marketplace .

• The New Industrial Revolution
  Wednesday, May 2 – 7 p.m.
  Is "environmentally sound manufacturing" an oxymoron? Learn how global competition is changing the way goods are made, and the new developments, alliances, and technologies making this revolution possible. Gordon Forward is chairman emeritus of the U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development and a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

• Bridging the Gap
  Wednesday, May 16 – 7 p.m.
  In 2002, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake on the Denali fault rattled the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Had the pipeline not been designed to withstand 18 feet of direct fault displacement, the results would have been an environmental catastrophe. Lloyd Cluff, a world-renowned expert in earthquake geology and champion of earthquake safety, will show gripping photos and explain how disaster was averted. Cluff is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

• Global Health: Big Problems, Small Successes
  Wednesday, May 23 – 7 p.m.
  In the 20th century, life expectancy increased by 30 years, smallpox was eradicated, and polio became nearly nonexistent. Still, 2.5 billion of the world's people have not benefited from such remarkable medical advances; their lives remain short and scarred by communicable diseases. Nassim Assefi, an internist specializing in women's health and global medicine, will discuss which countries have had some success and what else can be done to advance health around the world.

• Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion
  Wednesday, June 6 – 7 p.m.
  Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection accounts for the design of organisms, but imperfections and worse exist in nature; defects, dysfunctions, oddities, waste, and even sadism are pervasive. Francisco J. Ayala will discuss how this could not be the product of a benevolent intelligent designer. Dr. Ayala is University Professor and Donald Bren Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. He has published more than 900 scholarly articles, authored or edited 30 books, and was awarded the National Medal of Science by President George W. Bush in 2002.

Distinctive Voices@The Beckman Center is supported by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Fund of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering.

The National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council perform an unparalleled public service by bringing together committees of experts in all areas of scientific and technological endeavor. These experts serve pro bono to address critical national issues and provide advice to the federal government and the public.

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