In the hundreds of walks that you’ve taken this past year, to get out of the house and flee from screens, have you noticed things around you that you have questions about but don’t have the tools to answer? Maybe you’ve wondered how exactly that mushroom got there or thought again about the mysterious migratory patterns of birds. Join New York Times bestselling author and world-renowned scientist and autism spokesperson Dr. Temple Grandin to hear about her newest book The Outdoor Scientist: The Wonder of Observing the Natural World. Indulging our curiosity about the natural systems at work around us, Dr. Grandin will introduce us to scientists from fields of study such as geology, astrophysics, and oceanography to explain how they research their own curiosities and what tools we can use to discover more ourselves. Bring the whole family and learn many ways you can conduct scientific research together!

Following her presentation, Dr. Grandin will join ISB President Dr. Jim Heath for a conversation and will answer questions from the audience.

Dr. Temple Grandin is one of the world’s most accomplished and well-known adults with autism. She has a PhD in animal science from the University of Illinois and is a professor at Colorado State University. She is the author of twelve books on autism and animal behavior, including the national bestsellers Calling All Minds, Thinking in Pictures, and Animals in Translation. Dr.Grandin was inducted in the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 2018 she was made a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She lectures to parents and teachers throughout the U.S. on her experiences with autism, and her work has been covered in the New York Times, People, National Public Radio, and 20/20. The 2010 HBO movie based on her life, starring Claire Danes, received seven Emmy Awards.

Dr. Jim Heath is a chemist and the president and professor of Institute of Systems Biology. He also has the position of Professor of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology at UCLA, and he has directed the National Cancer Institute-funded NSB Cancer Center since 2005.

Presented by Town Hall Seattle and KUOW.