NECC Professor Mike Cross will present on The Science of Sunshine (Sept. 18) and Radioactivity in Your Life (Nov. 13) at Nevins Library in Methuen.

This fall, Northern Essex Community College and Nevins Memorial Library in Methuen are partnering on a speaker series exploring science related topics, including the Science of Sunshine, The Science of Happiness, and Radioactivity in Your Life.

The presentations are on Monday evenings from 7 to 8 pm and are free and open to the public.  They will be held in the Garden Room, Nevins Memorial Library, 305 Broadway, Methuen, MA.

Northern Essex Chemistry Professor Mike Cross will kick off the series on Monday, September 18 with his presentation on “The Science of Sunshine”.  Over exposure to sun can be concerning but the sun can be good for your health, according to Cross.  Learn about healthy doses of sun and the benefits of more sun exposure, from Cross, who has a PHD in organic chemistry from the University of Utah and is known on campus for incorporating games and magic tricks into his teaching.

On Monday, October 23, Lizzie Casanave, professor of philosophy at Northern Essex, will speak on “The Science of Happiness and How to Be Happier”.  As Casanave explains, many people think they will feel happier as a result of something, such as finding a new job, finishing a project, or losing 10 pounds.  She says that psychologists and neurologists are now realizing that happiness can be more readily achieved through changing the way we think.  During her presentation, she will explain this concept and provide practical tools for achieving a new happier mindset.  Casanave has a bachelor’s in philosophy/religion and world perspectives and a master’s in critical and creative thinking, and she has been teaching philosophy for more than ten years.

NECC Professor Lizzie Casanave will present on the Science of Happiness at Nevins Library in Methuen on Oct. 23.

Professor Cross will return again on November 13 for a talk on “Radioactivity in Your Life.”  Each of us faces radioactivity in our lives from common things such as smoke detectors, cigarettes, and even table salt.  Cross will discuss the many ways we encounter radiation and share what should be of concern.

This series is funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services designed to promote public libraries as a science resource center, and supported by the Northern Essex Community College Speakers Bureau.

For more information, contact Sarah Sullivan, head of reader serivces, Nevins Memorial Library,  ssullivan@nevinslibrary.org or 978 686-4080, ext. 20.

For more information on the speakers’ bureau, visit the speakers’ bureau page on the college’s website or contact Ernie Greenslade, director of public relations, at 978-556-3862 or egreenslade@necc.mass.edu