Smarty Pints! Malarial Mosquitoes and King County Coal

Nothing says summer like mosquitoes and tropical swamps! And that’s what we’re bringing you for the next Smarty Pints on July 20. Don’t miss Zach Pratt (@pnwadventurequest) and Cassandra Fieldson (@bio.cass.ification) IRL as they deep dive into Black Diamond’s prehistoric swamps and historic coal mines, and why mosquitoes are so deadly and how to raise (and dissect!) them. See you at 6:30pm at Burke-Gilman Brewing!

⛏️ Zach Pratt
Docent and Lecturer, Black Diamond Historical Society

“From Swamps to Shafts: The Geology and History of Black Diamond”

Discover how the tropical world of the past laid the foundation for Black Diamond’s industrial rise. This talk will dig deep into the geology and history of South East King County, exploring the unique story of the Puget Group coal seams and the specific challenges they presented to early miners. Join us to learn how the geology beneath our feet directly shaped the culture, economy, and legacy of this historic mining town and powered the story of Western Washington.  

🦟 Cassandra Fieldson
Malaria Researcher and Science Educator, Seattle Children’s Research Institute

“Mosquitoes, Malaria, and the Science Behind the Buzz!”

Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal in the world and are estimated to have killed 52 BILLION people in human history (keep in mind that only 117 Billion people have ever lived). What makes mosquitoes so deadly is their ability to transmit mosquito borne illnesses like malaria, dengue, west nile virus and many others. My research team looks at liver stage malaria, cerebral malaria, and cell death. But I also focus on understanding the mosquito side of the problem through developing robots to dissect mosquitoes and understanding what it takes to raise them! I will talk about common misconceptions about mosquitoes, the mosquito and malaria life cycles, what the process is like to raise so many mosquitoes and then give a live demonstration of a mosquito dissection!