“Sense of Space” will be presented by St. Lawrence University Assistant Professor of Psychology Elyssa Twedt at the next Clarkson University Science Cafe at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 2, at the Best Western University Inn Rushton Room, 90 E. Main St. in Canton, N.Y., and at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 3, at the St. Lawrence Valley Roasters & Jernabi Coffeehouse, 11 Maple St. in Potsdam, N.Y.
Where are my keys? How far away is that stop sign? Do I turn right or left at the intersection? Our ability to answer these questions depends on our spatial reasoning skills – that is, how we visually perceive, remember, and navigate through space. Differences in sex, body size, topography, and expertise are among the factors that affect if people have a strong or weak “sense of space”. In this talk, Prof. Twedt will summarize evidence of individual differences in spatial abilities and discuss ways in which spatial abilities can be improved or impaired.
Science Cafes bring together engineers, scientists, and townspeople in a relaxed, informal setting, such as coffeehouses and pubs. The speaker makes a short presentation about a topic in his or her field and then opens up the floor to discussion.
Find out more about Clarkson’s Science Cafe at http://www.clarkson.edu/sciencecafe.
