SOL SPEAKER LIASIONS
SOL Speaker Liaisons will be assisting in bringing in speakers from their Regions and helping us bridge the time zone gap.
CAPT Pam Kingsley – USS Mercia, Region 20. Europe, Ireland and Great Britain
CMDR Ronel du Preez – USS Dauntless, Region 8. Bloemfontein; Free State; South Africa
Call out: Looking for Regional Sol Liaisons worldwide. Regional Sol Speaker Series Liaisons – STARFLEET (sfi.org)
We are seeking Regional Sol Liaisons to assist with bringing speakers in from around the world and making our events more accessible to everyone regardless of the time zone differences. Contact sfsci-director@sfi.org if you are interested or would like more information!
Welcome to the Sol Speaker Series sponsored by STARFLEET Sciences, a monthly online event free to SFI members! We provide interesting and inspiring presentations on a variety of science topics and you have an opportunity to ask questions of our guests at the end of their talks. All events are posted on SFI’s YouTube Channel.
NEXT EVENT
April 26th, 5:00pm EST Project Earth Day Special Presentation
“Humpbacks: The Star Trek Whales”
Speaker: Mark Palmer, Assistant Director of the International Marine Mammal Project Earth Island Institute.
In Star Trek IV, Kirk & Spock go back into the past to rescue two humpback whales. Why did they choose the humpback whale over other whales? As noted in the film, humpback whales were decimated by commercial whaling, almost to the point of extinction before they were protected in the mid-1960s from most whaling. (Also noted in the film, there have been “pirate” whalers in the past who ignore international protections for whales.). The good news is that today humpback whales have made a tremendous comeback, increasing in numbers in many areas of the world, and one can visit them from a number of ports in Hawaii, and both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.
Mark J. Palmer is Associate Director of Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project, focusing on protecting whales and dolphins, with emphasis on strategic planning, legislative advocacy, legal research, grassroots organizing, and media relations. Palmer graduated with a BA in Zoology from the University of California at Berkeley, and spent two years of graduate work at San Francisco State University in the Department of Biology. While at UC Berkeley, Palmer founded and led the Endangered Species Committee of California.
Palmer joined the staff of Earth Island in 1995, spearheading efforts in Congress and federal court to protect and maintain the integrity of the Dolphin Safe label for tuna, which protects the lives of 90,000+ dolphins annually. He helped block a major industrial salt operation in Mexico’s San Ignacio Lagoon, a birthing ground for gray whales and part of the El Vizcaino Wildlife Refuge, the largest in Latin America. He has worked since 2004 on the Save Japan Dolphins Campaign, which has seen worldwide attention to the problem of dolphin slaughters in Japan. He was a consultant for the Academy Award-winning documentary The Cove and appears in the Animal Planet series Blood Dolphin$. He coordinated Russian and international efforts to convince the Russian government to release 97 orcas and beluga whales, held in the notorious Whale Jail, back to their home waters instead of selling them to aquariums in China.
UPCOMING EVENTS
A Special Presentation for the Region 20 Summit in Edinburg, Scotland!
May 17th, noon BST, 11:00 GMT, 7am EST
“Flagship Species: How Cheetah Conservation Drives Biodiversity”.
Speaker: Owen Swart
This Sol event is part of the Region 20 Summit in Edinburgh Scotland and is scheduled for 7am EST.
It will be streamed live at the Summit on Zoom.
This talk explores how focusing conservation efforts on a single species can drive broader ecological benefits, from habitat protection to public education and fundraising. By protecting cheetahs, we safeguard entire ecosystems—demonstrating that saving one species can mean saving many.
Admiral Owen Swart is a lifelong Star Trek scholar and a dedicated advocate for biodiversity and wildlife conservation. He works hands-on in cheetah conservation, focusing on ambassador animals, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, and public education. Inspired by Star Trek’s vision of cooperation and sustainability, he applies these principles to protecting endangered species and promoting coexistence between humans and wildlife.
Charismatic megafauna like cheetahs capture the public’s imagination, making them powerful ambassadors for biodiversity.
PAST SPEAKERS 2024
January 18 2024 – Star Trek Star Charting: It All Fits Now! ~ Larry Nemecek, Author of Star Trek: Stellar Cartography
Feb 15 2024 – Astronomical Highlights 2024 and Beyond ~ John French, Abrams Planetarium, Michigan State University.
March 21 2024 – Bound for Space! We Are Go for Grow! ~ Dianea Phillips, Aerospace Educator
April 18 2024 – Astrophotography: Yes, You Can! ~ Commodore Mike Calhoun, Director of STARFLEET Sciences
May 16 2024 – The History of Astro-Imaging ~ Dr. Ron Brecher, Astrophotographer
June 20 2024 – We are not alone. The quest to search for life from Socrates to Webb and Beyond ~ Salem Emara, NASA JPL Space Ambassador
July 18 2024 – Models for How Space/Time Travel Could Work
– Matthew Szydagis, UAlbany SUNY
Aug 15 2024 – Physiology and Space Exploration, Phyllis Friello, Johnson Space Center
Sep 19 2024 – Artemis: From the Earth to the Moon, Sharife Gacel, Analog Astronaut
Oct 17 2024 – Black Holes – Arjun Ayyangar, NASA Solar System Ambassador
Nov 22 2024 Protecting the Final Frontier – Major Sam McEvoy, UK Space Command
Jan 16 2025 – The Universe Through Geordi’s VISOR, Dr Alfredo Carpineti
Feb 20 2025 – Power generation and warp drive, Douglas Johnston
Mar 8 – From the Depths of the Ocean to the Edges of the Cosmic Shore, Sarah Treadwell
YOUTUBE LINKS TO SOL EVENTS ON THE SFI YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Promo – https://youtu.be/m5SeRIfs3Lk?si=tMtcvSMqKKCfODPy
Jan 2024 event – Larry Nemecek https://youtu.be/tgcqzrmbn9k?si=tdXDPB2z8-nNI0fM
Feb 2024 event – John French https://youtu.be/DmetwemXgrQ?si=5b6-aXj8Lj6vUFZv
Mar 2024 event – Dianea Phillips https://youtu.be/fGR3-HGMeQA?si=16tQj2m8dEZOE5c9
Apr 2024 event – Mike Calhoun https://youtu.be/TnZZyCjkTTs?si=XTpcnAiQP9wEzTag
May 2024 event – Ron Brecher https://youtu.be/2SbcEfc-580?si=JxHfLz2O1rpdv1k0
June 2024 event – Salem Emara. https://youtu.be/oS7Ymz5HAaM?si=owFYw_JccUv_nbv
July 2024 event – Matthew Szydagis. https://youtu.be/p9vE4Gw9bqU?si=vguXmbd1k2UL7AXs
August 2024 event – Phyllis Friello. https://youtu.be/jHX8cRHmnoI?si=ciuhuQEGLI6qBuId
Sept 2024 event – Sharife Gacel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK4tlkWAgcw
Oct 2024 event – Arjun Ayyangar https://youtu.be/m3OV67gbB3U?si=GU6EviR1rlBVBnX9
Nov 2024 event – Major Sam McEvoy https://youtu.be/6UH-6kElrDI?si=TKIYm-oKbJOpLRuY
Jan 2025 event – Dr Alfredo Carpineti https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0An-xVdFp8
Feb 2025 event – Douglas Johnston https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfEm9HK3EME
Mar 2025 event-Sarah Treadwell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmthVs1wheA
Suggest a subject for the Sol speaker series: sfsci-director@sfi.org