Skeptics Society Lecture: Jonathan Kirsch
Jonathan Kirsch, book author, Los Angeles Times columnist, and attorney, will give a talk on his latest publication, The Grand Inquisitor's Handbook: A History of Terror in the Name of God, at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 14, in Baxter Lecture Hall. The event is free for members of the Caltech/JPL community. Donation is $8 for non-Caltech students and Skeptics Society members, and $10 for nonmembers. For tickets and information, call 794-3119 or e-mail skepticmag@aol.com. A book signing will follow the lecture.

Convocation 2008
Caltech's annual convocation ceremony will take place from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. on Sunday, September 21, in Beckman Auditorium. The event offers a formal welcome and introduction to the Institute for new undergraduate students and their parents, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars. The program will include greetings from President Jean-Lou Chameau and speeches by Judith Goodstein, faculty associate in history; Scott Fraser, Rosen Professor of Biology and professor of bioengineering; and John Hall, professor of civil engineering and dean of students.

Scientists Find Our Eyes Evolved for 'X-Ray' Vision
The advantage of using two eyes to see the world around us has long been associated solely with our capacity to see in three dimensions. Now, a new study by scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York and Caltech has uncovered a truly eye-opening advantage to binocular vision: the ability to see through things.