Reader Report: Science Salon digs deep into world’s issues

Around 30 bright minds, including professors, engineers, astrophysicists, psychologists, attorneys, organic chemists, a professor of geology, a brain surgeon and an immunologist, meet twice a month to discuss topics pulled from Scientific American magazine.

They call themselves the Science Salon and they gather from 10 a.m. to noon on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at the Laguna Beach Community and Susi Q Center, 380 Third St.

They sit at tables positioned around the periphery of a large room at the center and present topics from the magazine and offer additional information garnered either from personal research or knowledge they already had from their own expertise. Lively discussions enrich these talks.

Part of the two hours is spent on “postscripts” — follow-up knowledge adding to previous discussions. “Practically everything is a postscript,” said Chairman Ron Williams, who founded the group with Alison King. “We’ve already covered so many topics.”

There have been discussions on the latest medical breakthroughs in sleep apnea and Alzheimer’s, cosmological developments in astronomy and astrophysics, global warming, miniaturization of computer chips, plus a lot on social science, psychology and evolution.

It is not all serious with these minds who show off a wicked sense of humor to make everybody laugh.

There is a sense of responsibility among these members, some of whom are in the process of writing letters about climate change and other important topics to politicians. The Salon members hope to make science more accessible and relevant ,and maybe even cool, to the community.

MARGOT ROSENBERG is a Laguna Beach resident.