MDI Science Café — Mapping the Chemosphere: Understanding the Chemicals in Our Environment

Joseph R. Shaw, Ph.D., an associate professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, will talk about the “Mapping the Chemosphere” initiative to gain greater insight into the worldwide health threat posed by manufactured chemicals at an MDI Science Café on Monday, July 10, at the MDI Biological Laboratory in Bar Harbor.

Instead of addressing chemical threats as they arise, the initiative embraces 21^st century technologies to proactively reveal which chemicals are prevalent in our environments, how we are exposed to them and how they affect our health. Shaw is project leader of the international collaborative project.

“Current approaches resembles a game of chance whose outcome can leave us guessing whether chemicals are safe or not,” Shaw says. “Our initiative breaks from outdated methods that force us to react to chemical threats. We aim to create a system that not only protects human and environmental health, but also enables industries to innovate toward safer and more sustainable products.”

MDI Science Cafés are offered in fulfillment of the MDI Biological Laboratory’s mission to promote scientific literacy and increase public engagement with science. The popular events offer a chance to hear directly from speakers about trends in science. Short presentations delivered in everyday language are followed by lively, informal discussion.