Fox Valley Science Society
First Wednesday of Each Month
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6:00 pm
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First Wednesday of Each Month | 6:00 pm |
The Fox Valley Science Society is a community for curious minds—whether you’re a scientist by training, a lifelong nerd, or just someone who likes asking good questions and following where they lead.
We host informal talks, discussions, and events centered around science, critical thinking, and curiosity about the world. Topics range widely and accessibly, with an emphasis on learning together rather than lecturing at one another. No lab coat required.
This is a welcoming, inclusive, and neurodivergent-friendly space where it’s okay to get excited, go deep, ask “wait, how does that actually work?”, and occasionally nerd out a little too hard. All backgrounds, identities, and levels of expertise are welcome—as long as you come in good faith and with respect for others.
If you like science, conversation, and community (and maybe a beverage while you’re at it), you’ve found your people.
Can’t make it in person? We’ve got you. . . starting March 2026, we have them recorded. Find the recordings in the online shop.
May Speaker
May 6, 2026 | Presentation starts at 6pm
The Science of accents | You betcha it’s interesting
For our May speaking event, we’re excited to welcome our friends from Badgers on Tap back to the bookbar. Badgers on Tap brings UW–Madison expertise into pubs, breweries, and community spaces like ours, connecting real research with real community conversations.
The Badgers on Tap presentation follow a bit of a different format from our local speakers. A Badgers on Tap event features 2–3 rapid-fire “flash talks,” plus Q&A, trivia, bingo, and a few chances to win something fun.
This month, we’ll dive into accents!
We’re surrounded by accents, but how do they work? With lots of conversation and famous Wisconsin examples, we’ll talk about how we produce different accents, how we hear them and how they develop.
Speaker Bio:
Joe Salmons is the Lester W.J. “Smoky” Seifert Professor of Linguistics. He is Vice President and President Elect of the American Dialect Society. His research focuses on language change and linguistic theory, especially as it bears on sound systems. He is the author of Sound Change (Edinburgh University Press, 2021) and Dialect (forthcoming), and co-editor, with Jeroen Darquennes and Wim Vandenbussche, of Contact Linguistics (volume 2, de Gruyter Handbooks, 2025). He also works to integrate research in linguistics with teaching and outreach beyond the university. With Jim Leary, he co-founded the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures and (co-)directed it until 2022.
Note: The originally scheduled presenter on the Edmund Fitzgerald was rescheduled to September.
No tickets, no pre-registration, just show up. Seating is first come, first served, so come early if you want a good spot and a shorter wait for your drink.
If you’re able, we do encourage donations to help keep these events going. Give what feels right, especially if you enjoy having your brain pleasantly expanded over a beverage.
September Speaker
September 2, 2026
The Edmund Fitzgerald Storm | A case study in improved weather forecasting
About the speaker:
Steve Ackerman is a professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, is an expert in the area of satellite meteorology, a field largely invented at UW–Madison. He is well known as an accomplished researcher, teacher and communicator of the science of weather and climate. He previously served as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research in the Physical Sciences. Steve attained his PHD in Atmospheric Science from Colorado State University.
Recordings of Presentations
Science of Paint Drying - It’s more fascinating than it sounds!
The materials that combine to give us great works of art have another story to tell. From the optical properties of the varnish, to the pigments that produces the vivid colors, I will lead you through a discussion on the different chemical properties of oil paintings. I spent last year watching paint dry, and I assure you, it is quite a fascinating endeavor!
About the speaker:
Allison McFleshman, Associate Professor of Chemistry Lawrence University, earned her Bachelor’s of Physics and PhD in Chemistry from the University of Oklahoma. Teaches classes in thermodynamics and quantum mechanics, as well as the chemistry of art. Research interests include studying fluid dynamics on a molecular level and investigating pigments from medieval manuscripts. She also co-owns McFleshamn’s Brewing Co with her husband.
After purchasing, you will be provided a QR code link to view the presentation. Thank you for your support!
Andy Weir has become famous for his meticulously researched speculative fiction that features competent, but very human, scientists working seemingly impossible problems, all while hewing as closely as possible to known science and technology. In his latest book, Project Hail Mary, Weir has raised the stakes from saving a single stranded astronaut (The Martian) to an interstellar long shot mission to save the Earth—and our stellar neighbors. The heart of the story is two explorers, Dr. Ryland Grace of Earth and Rocky from 40 Eridani A, and their missions to tau Ceti. Along the way, Weir leans into what we know and what we might guess about the cosmos, and how competence and curiosity are universal.
Meg’s talk focuses on the astronomy and physics of Project Hail Mary, which range from well-known and exciting discoveries in science and technology to the more speculative leaps in imagination.
If you missed the live presentation in April, this recording is a great way to be part of the community conversation.
After purchasing, you will be provided a QR code link to view the presentation.
About the speaker:
Dr. Megan Pickett is an associate professor of physics and chair of the Physics Department at Lawrence University. She earned her BA in Physics at Cornell University in 1988 and MA and PhD in Astrophysics in from Indiana University in 1995. After IU, she was a National Research Council Fellow at NASA’s Ames Research Center until 1999, when she began her teaching career at Valparaiso University, Purdue University, and ultimately Lawrence University. She has written more than two dozen papers on the origins of Solar Systems and Gas Giant planets, as well as receiving several NASA and NSF grants. While at Lawrence, she has been awarded the First Year Studies Teaching Award, the Early Career Teaching Award, The Award for Teaching Excellence, and the Honors Faculty Convocation Award, which was later adapted into a TED talk (https://youtu.be/eYC93oQURPc). A native of Madison, she has worked in New York, Indiana, California, Washington, Munich, and Yorkshire.
Past Presentations
