Join Cool Science for Science on Tap every 2nd Monday of the month at Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub & Restaurant in downtown Colorado Springs. Presenters begin at 6:30 pm and typically speak for 60-90 minutes including Q&A, with food and drink available beginning at 6:00 pm. A wide variety of fascinating topics are presented by local scientists for informal discussion, and the relaxed atmosphere encourages anyone and everyone to come explore the latest ideas in science and technology. From practical to theoretical, the presentations and group interactions provide a fun and interesting way to gain an understanding of the world around us.
Join Cool Science for Science on Tap every 2nd Monday of the month at Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub & Restaurant in downtown Colorado Springs. Presenters begin at 6:30 pm and typically speak for 60-90 minutes including Q&A, with food and drink available beginning at 6:00 pm. A wide variety of fascinating topics are presented by local scientists for informal discussion, and the relaxed atmosphere encourages anyone and everyone to come explore the latest ideas in science and technology. From practical to theoretical, the presentations and group interactions provide a fun and interesting way to gain an understanding of the world around us.
Next up: Monday, October 13, 2025 at 6:30 pm
To Err is Unavoidable, to Correct is Mathematical: Fixing Communications Failure with Math
Dr. Beth Malmskog, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Colorado College
Summary: Error-correcting codes (ECCs) are mathematical objects that let us build smart redundancy into stored or transmitted information, so that any errors that occur can be detected and corrected. These codes are everywhere in modern, digital life, from UPC symbols to satellites to cloud storage facilities. ECCs use number theory, geometry, and combinatorics to keep our data safe. This talk will introduce error-detecting and correcting codes and touch on some of the most active current research areas in the field, including locally-recoverable codes and code-based cryptography. You will learn to amaze your friends by predicting numbers from UPC symbols, and see some beautiful pictures made possible by error correction. No mathematical background is assumed beyond elementary arithmetic (and a little bit of algebra if you want a challenge).
Beth Malmskog is an associate professor in the department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Colorado College. She studied mathematics as an undergraduate at the University of Wyoming and earned her PhD at Colorado State University. Beth’s research crosses and combines perspectives, including arithmetic geometry, error-correcting codes, Latin squares, graph theory, fair redistricting, and cryptography. She is dedicated to building community and expanding opportunity in and through mathematics, via teaching, research collaboration, and outreach. She and Kathryn Haymaker won the Carl B. Allendorfer award for math exposition in 2020 for their paper “What (Quilting) Circles Can Be Squared?”. Beth’s research has earned an NSA Young Investigator grant and an NSF Launching Early Academic Pathways (LEAPS) award.
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