Cornerstones of Science and Curtis Memorial Library are pleased to announce the 2014 Fall Science Read is “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot. The book tells the story of a poor African-American woman whose cells – taken without her knowledge in 1951 – became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping and more. During the month of October, facilitated discussions will be held on Wednesdays at 12noon in the library’s Morrell Meeting Room.

Here is the schedule of presentations:

October 1: Professor Barry Logan, Bowdoin College Biology Department: “The Biology of Cancer”

October 8: Dr. Thomas Keating, Oncologist, Maine Center for Cancer Medicine: “The Physician’s Perspective”

October 15: Viewing of BBC film “Cancer Cell Research: The Way of All Flesh”

October 22: Rita Heimes, Attorney, Director of Center for Law and Innovation, “Intellectual Property Rights and Genetics”

October 29: Professor Dana Waring, Educational Director and Cofounder of the Personal Genetics Education Project, “Social and Legal Implications of Personal Genetics”

All programs are free and do not require registration. The Fall Science Read is sponsored by Cornerstones of Science, a science literacy initiative that provides funding for excellent science books and programming for adults and children. For more information, visit http://www.curtislibrary.com/cornerstones of-science/ or call 725- 5242 X510.

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