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Get Outta This World With Our Mars Book Club Events

Get Outta This World With Our Mars Book Club Events

illustrated stack of books with text "scifri book club"

This is a part of our spring Book Club conversation about ‘The Sirens of Mars: Searching for Life on Another World.’ Want to participate? Join our online community space or record a voice message on the Science Friday VoxPop app.

The Science Friday Book Club is back this spring! This time, we are exploring the past, present and future of the search for life on Mars (and the author’s place within that history as an environmental geoscientist) with Sarah Stewart Johnson’s The Sirens of Mars: Searching for Life on Another World. The book follows the history of humanity’s fascination with Mars, and what we discovered about its history—and ourselves—when we finally got the chance to see its surface clearly.

The Spring 2022 season kicks off on February 25. Check out and RSVP for all the upcoming events below.

Join us for a SciFri Zoom call-in, where attendees can listen in as the Science Friday team records an interview with science experts. Attendees could be selected to ask their questions live with our guests! 

Virtual Event – Gadgets in Space: The Tech That Could Detect Otherworldly Life

  • When: Wednesday, March 9, 2022 at 6:00pm ET
  • Where: Science Friday’s Zoom webinar
  • Tickets: Free with RSVP

What does it take to send a microscope and a Petri dish full of microbial life safely to the ISS—and, one day, to Mars? How might COVID-19 research help us understand how to best capture bioaerosols jettisoned into space form Saturn’s moon, Enceladus? What exactly is remote infrared spectroscopy, anyway?

Hear about this amazing technology from our guest experts, L. Miché Aaron, Ph.D. student at Johns Hopkins University who researches sulfates in Martian craters using remote spectroscopy, and Jay Nadeau, associate professor at Portland State University who studies nanoparticles and the development of scientific instruments to detect life elsewhere in the Solar System.

RSVP for March 9

Virtual Event – Under An Ochre Sky: Writing The Sirens of Mars With Sarah Stewart Johnson

  • When: Tuesday, March 22, 2022 at 6:00pm ET
  • Where: Science Friday’s Zoom webinar
  • Tickets: Free with RSVP

Join producer Christie Taylor in conversation with Sarah Stewart Johnson, author of this spring’s Book Club choice, whose work explores how to detect evidence for past or present life, especially those we might find off-world. We’ll talk about planetary geology, what it’s like to work on rovers before they set out into space and after they reach Mars, and the process of writing about another planet—and we’ll take your questions.

RSVP for March 22

Want to meet other SciFri Book Club members, talk about the book so far, and find more resources for deeper learning—all without leaving your home? Our community meetings are the place for you!

Community Meeting: The First Explorers Of Mars

  • When: Monday, March 14, 2022 from 7:30–8:30pm ET
  • Where: Science Friday’s Zoom meeting
  • Tickets: Free with RSVP

This discussion meeting will focus on themes and topics from the first half of The Siren of Mars, or Chapters 1-6. You’re welcome to join us no matter your reading progress—come chat with other science-interested folks about Mars!

RSVP for March 14

Community Meeting: The Sirens of Mars Are Calling

  • When: Monday, March 28, 2022 from 7:30–8:30pm ET
  • Where: Science Friday’s Zoom meeting
  • Tickets: Free with RSVP

This discussion meeting will focus on themes and topics from the second half of The Siren of Mars, or Chapters 7-11. You’re welcome to join us no matter your reading progress—come chat with other science-interested folks about Mars!

RSVP for March 28

Don’t forget to listen to Science Friday from 2:00–4:00pm ET every week! We’ll be hosting five conversations about this season’s pick throughout the spring.

On Air: The SciFri Book Club On Science Friday

  • When:
    • Friday, February 25, 2022 between 2:00–4:00pm ET
    • Friday, March 4, 2022 between 2:00–4:00pm ET
    • Friday, March 11, 2022 between 2:00–4:00pm ET
    • Friday, March 18, 2022 between 2:00–4:00pm ET
    • Friday, April 2, 2022 between 2:00–4:00pm ET
  • Where: Your local radio station (or on our website!)
  • Tickets: Always free!

Book Club Captain Christie Taylor will be on Science Friday, discussing science topics with experts related to our book choice, throughout the season. Tune into your local radio station, listen live on our website, or download the episode wherever you get your podcasts to hear our interview!

Listen Here

Looking for something that’s the perfect blend between entertainment, education, and interaction? Our gatherings offer something a bit different and are perfect for getting together with family and friends.

SciFri Trivia Night: Book Club Edition

  • When: Wednesday, March 30, 2022 at 8:30pm ET
  • Where: Science Friday’s YouTube livestream
  • Tickets: Free with RSVP

SciFri Trivia is a weekly gathering that’s part science-y facts, part dance party, and part pop culture romp, and it’s for anyone looking to bring together teams (or bravely play solo) to win ultimate bragging rights. It’s not all science trivia—and this time, we’ve diving into the topics and ideas explored in this spring’s Book Club pick, The Sirens of Mars: Searching for Life on Another World.

If you haven’t read the book, you are still welcome to test your Mars knowledge with other space nerds! The winning team will be sent a box full of SciFri merch—plus, we’ll send you copies of our next Book Club pick!

RSVP for March 30

The Sirens of Mars: An Evening Skygazing with the Denver Public Library and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science

  • When: Monday, April 4, 2022 from 7:30–9:30pm MT
  • Where: The Denver Museum of Nature and Science
  • Tickets: Free with RSVP; capacity is limited

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Denver Public Library are teaming up for a literary look at the red planet, Mars! This outdoor event will feature a presentation on Mars by astrobiologist Dr. Graham Lau and a preview of The Sirens of Mars by Denver Public Library staff. Once night falls, take a look at the skies through telescopes (weather permitting).

RSVP for April 4

Meet the Writer

Diana Montano

About Diana Montano

Diana Montano is the Outreach Manager at Science Friday, where she creates live events and partnerships to delight and engage audiences in the world of science.

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Beijing 2022 world reference of organizing sport events – Cuban expert

HAVANA, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) — The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics have demonstrated the high capacity of the Chinese government and its people in organizing international sports events, a Cuban senior sports official has said.

“The Cuban sports movement ratifies its strong commitment to the current Winter Games and voices confidence in the Chinese authorities’ vast experience and ability to successfully conclude this event in the coming days,” said Silvano Merced, president of Cuba’s Manuel Fajardo University of Physical Culture and Sports Sciences, in an interview with Xinhua.

The Olympiad sends a message of peace and fraternity to the world amid the complex social, economic and political scenario humankind is going through, he said.

“The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics are helping nations build bridges as clear proof of the importance of the sports practice to improve the human condition and promote unity among the peoples,” said Merced.

Our academic center, he said, stands with the Cuban Olympic Committee and Cuba’s Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation in its unwavering support to the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The official said that China has become a world reference in organizing sports events, particularly when it comes to “infrastructure of sports facilities, logistics and recruitment of volunteers.”

“Despite the failed attempts to politicize the sports event, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics have undeniably succeeded,” he said.

In addition, he said, China has imposed stringent COVID-19 protocols to guarantee the safety of athletes, coaches and officials attending the Games.

“China has done exemplary work in handling the sanitary emergency caused by the novel coronavirus,” he said, adding the Chinese management of the COVID-19 crisis has become a role model for the world over.

“Aside from the spectacular opening ceremony, and the impressive use of technology and robotics as a pandemic prevention tool, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics have shown once more the strong resolution of China on the road to victory,” he added. ■

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Events delayed as heavy snow hits Yanqing and Zhangjiakou

Volunteers clear the course as the start of the women's slopestyle qualification has been delayed due to weather on February 13.
A worker spraying disinfectant at the Secret Garden Genting Grand, at the Beijing Olympics.
A worker spraying disinfectant at the Secret Garden Genting Grand, at the Beijing Olympics. (Dan Hodge/CNN)

The corridors of the Secret Garden Genting Grand in Zhangjiakui seem like any other hotel in a ski resort — but of course, the resort hosting the Beijing 2022 mountain sports is not just any other hotel.

Being within the “closed loop” that separates Olympic athletes and participants from the Chinese public means there are a few quirks to contend with. 

You’re joined in the corridors by dozens of hazmat-suited staff, one of whom is spraying a “disinfectant solution” that smells a lot like bleach from a hose attached to his Ghostbuster-style backpack. They pass through with their sprays at least three times a day, covering mainly the carpet in their mist.  

Relentless disinfectant seems to be a theme across the Games, with white spray marks adorning everything from the airport information booths on arrival, the PVC screen separating us from our closed loop drivers, to stains on black shoes from a freshly sprayed carpet. 

iFLYTEK Jarvisen, an AI smart translator developed in China used by staff and restaurant servers at the Beijing Olympics.
iFLYTEK Jarvisen, an AI smart translator developed in China used by staff and restaurant servers at the Beijing Olympics. (Dan Hodge/CNN)

Breaking the language barrier for lunch: In the mountain resort of Zhangjiakou, the hotels have restaurants ranging from Chinese food and Western-style diners to chain brands like KFC and Pizza Hut.

But one thing they all have in common is the language barrier between the primarily English-speaking clientele and our Mandarin-speaking hosts. In an (almost) Google-less China, there might be an app for that, but some of these restaurants are opting to use other hardware.

The tech that at first glance resembles a cellphone from the early 2000s is in fact the iFLYTEK Jarvisen – an AI smart translator developed in China. Our experience with the tech has been a pleasant one, certainly making mealtimes less stressful. 

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Germany captures sixth gold medal in Olympic sliding events, as Canada’s Mirela Rahneva finishes fifth in skeleton

Germany captures sixth gold medal in Olympic sliding events, as Canada’s Mirela Rahneva finishes fifth in skeleton

Germany’s Hannah Neise competes in heat 3 of women’s skeleton on Feb. 12, 2022.THOMAS PETER/Reuters

Hannah Neise has never won a World Cup medal. Or a medal at the world championships. Or a medal from the European championships.

She’s got an Olympic medal now.

And it’s the one that everybody wants.

Skeleton has a new champion, and she was a bit of a surprise winner. Neise, the 21-year-old who won the junior world title last year, became the first German woman to capture the gold medal in Olympic skeleton by rallying in the final two heats at the Beijing Games on Saturday.

Her four-run time was 4 minutes, 7.62 seconds. Jaclyn Narracott of Australia — the midpoint leader of the event — won the silver in 4:08.24 and World Cup overall champion Kimberley Bos of the Netherlands took the bronze in 4:08.46.

Neise’s win might have been a bit of a stunner, but at this point, nothing Germany does on this track should be that surprising. After six sliding events at the Beijing Games — four in luge, two in skeleton — the Germans have captured six gold medals.

Oh, and all they have in the four remaining bobsled races — two for men, two for women — are the reigning Olympic champion drivers in Francesco Friedrich and Mariama Jamanka.

Tina Hermann of Germany was fourth and Mirela Rahneva of Canada, the first-run leader, was fifth.

Canada’s Mirela Rahneva after her run in heat 4 of the women’s skeleton event on Feb. 12, 2022.EDGAR SU/Reuters

Neise’s win capped a year that was unpredictable in women’s skeleton from the outset. There were eight World Cup races leading up to the Olympics, with five different winners and 11 different medalists — Neise not being one of them.

But there was a big hint that she could contend at the Olympics. There was a preseason race at the Yanqing Sliding Center after three weeks of international training this fall, and Neise was second in that event.

Clearly, she figured some things out about the new track faster than most everyone else did.

Katie Uhlaender, racing in her fifth Olympics, was the top American and finished sixth in 4:09.23. Uhlaender strained a muscle in her side before competing Saturday and still moved up two spots from where she was after Friday’s first two runs of the competition.

Kelly Curtis, the other U.S. slider in the field, was 21st.

This was the first time in six Olympic women’s skeleton competitions that a woman from Britain didn’t find her way to the podium. Alex Coomber won bronze in 2002, Shelley Rudman won silver in 2006, Amy Williams took gold in 2010, Lizzy Yarnold won gold in both 2014 and 2018 and Laura Deas captured bronze four years ago as well.

Deas was the top British slider in this race, placing 20th.

Narracott’s medal, though, had a very British feel — and that has nothing to do with Queen Elizabeth II remaining the head of state in 15 Commonwealth countries, including Australia. Narracott spends the season traveling and training with the British team, and her husband is retired British skeleton athlete and 2018 Olympic bronze medalist Dom Parsons.

Narracott was great.

Neise was just better. And the world’s most accomplished nation in sliding just continues to dominate the Beijing Games.

Our Olympic team has a daily newsletter that lands in your inbox every morning during the Games. Sign up today to join us in keeping up with medals, events and other news.

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Infantino says World Cup will be health ‘benchmark’ for global sporting events

Infantino says World Cup will be health 'benchmark' for global sporting events

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Doha (AFP) – FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Thursday this year’s World Cup finals in Qatar will become a “benchmark” for holding future global sporting events during a health crisis.

The Qatari organisers of the 32 nation event that starts November 21 and runs till December 18 said they are “cautiously optimistic” it will be the first mass gathering of sports fans for a global sports event since the coronavirus pandemic erupted two years ago.

Spectators have largely been forbidden from attending last year’s Tokyo Summer Olympics — save for a few events outside the Japanese capital — and the ongoing Winter Olympics in China.

FIFA announced this week that requests have been made for 17 million tickets for the first World Cup in the Arab region and sought to reassure fans about safety measures during an online health conference organised by the Qatar authorities.

Football has a duty “to make sure this not only the best World Cup ever but also the healthiest World Cup ever,” Infantino said in a recorded statement for the event.

He added that the health and security standards will be “a benchmark for future sporting events of this scale.”

The same message was given by World Health Organisation director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus who highlighted the “unique challenges” faced by organisers because of the pandemic.

WHO has been working with the Qatar government on health security, infectious diseases, food safety, co-ordination and communication during the World Cup.

“The lessons learned from Qatar’s experience in this World Cup will help us all in designing health and safety measures for other large scale events,” Tedros added.

Neither FIFA nor the Qatar organisers, who have spent billions of dollars preparing for the event, have said what would happen if a new coronavirus wave threatens the event.

But Hassan Al Thawadi, director general of the government’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, said: “While the pandemic is still very much here with us, we can now see real light at the end of the tunnel.

“In our eyes, the pandemic has given Qatar 2022 a new significance. Our World Cup may well be the first time that the world can properly come together to celebrate its passion for football.

“We are cautiously optimistic that we may be the country that hosts the first true gathering of global fans since the start of the crisis,” added Thawadi.

© 2022 AFP

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World Athletics targets new events to boost revenue – SportsPro

World Athletics targets new events to boost revenue - SportsPro
  • World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon reveals organisation is “exploring possible ideas” around events, products and data
  • Governing body not looking to sell existing rights

World Athletics is seeking to put on new events which it says will help boost income for the global governing body and its athletes.

The Times reports that World Athletics has turned to sports marketing agency Two Circles and Oakwell Sports Advisory – which advised CVC Capital Partners on its UK£365 million (US$495 million) Six Nations rugby union investment – as part of efforts to generate new revenue streams.

Speaking to The Times, World Athletics chief executive Jon Ridgeon said there was no plan for the organisation to sell any of its existing rights and, instead, would be looking to create new opportunities.

“This is in the early stages and it will start by exploring possible ideas,” Ridgeon said. “We are not doing this because we are in any trouble as an organisation. Financially we are doing pretty well.

“But we now need to look at ways to take the sport forward at a time when we have so many major events coming up. It’s about looking at new events, new products, utilising data – and hopefully providing more money to more athletes.”

World Athletics had already revealed its intention to expand its calendar when it announced China’s Wanda Group as the title partner of the Diamond League series in September 2019. The ten-year agreement, which is reportedly worth more than US$100 million, included provision for a new annual Diamond League meeting in China organised by Wanda Sports.

Also included in the contract was a media rights agreement for a secondary international athletics series, the World Athletics Continental Tour, which replaced the World Challenge competition. So far, the new tour is set to hold 130 meetings in 2022.

This year’s World Athletics schedule is headlined by the World Athletics Championships, which will be held in Eugene, Oregon, from 15th to 24th July. Other notable competitions in 2022 include the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Serbia from 18th to 20th March and the World Athletics U20 Championships in Columbia from 1st to 6th August.