Morehead Planetarium and Science Center

Messengers of Time & Space
2026-05-15 15:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-22 15:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-29 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)

One Sky, Many Eyes
2026-05-15 16:30 - 17:30, 2026-05-22 16:30 - 17:30, 2026-05-29 16:30 - 17:30

Teen Science Cafe: The Social Impacts of AI
2026-05-15 18:00 - 19:30 | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States
The Social Impacts of AI with Dr. Francesca Tripodi

Please join us at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center for the last Teen Science Cafe of the school year! In this session, we’ll be discussing the social impacts of AI with Dr. Francesca Tripodi.

Open to teens ages 13-18, our monthly cafes include exciting activities, engaging talks from expert speakers, and even free food! Plus, we cover a variety of different topics, ranging from cell biology to deep space galaxies, making it a one-of-a-kind spot for high school students to explore new ideas, interact with each other, and have fun!

Doors will open at 6:00 pm for pizza and conversation. The cafe will start at 6:30 pm and wrap up around 7:30 pm.

Learn more about Teen Science Cafe

About Dr. Tripodi

Dr. Tripodi is a sociologist and information scholar whose research examines the relationship between technology and society. She is an Associate Professor at the School of Information and Library Science at UNC-Chapel Hill and the Founder of the Search Prompt Integrity and Learning Lab. She has twice testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee (April 10, 2019 and July 16, 2019), to explain how search engines are gamed to spread conspiratorial logic and sow political polarization.

Along with her Co-PIs at MIT and Stanford, Dr. Tripodi received a National Science Foundation Accelerator Award in 2021 to study how people find information and build tools to enhance and enable search literacy. In recognition of her impact, Dr. Tripodi received the Award for Impact and Excellence in 2023 from the Center for the Informed Public at the University of Washington. In December 2023, Dr. Tripodi was a featured guest on an episode of Meet the Press to discuss the dangers of online education tools like PragerU. Her work has also been highlighted on All Things Considered (NPR), the Financial Times, and the Associated Press. She has also written about her work in Wired, Slate, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. In addition to these featured segments, Dr. Tripodi’s research is regularly cited by esteemed publications like The Washington Post, The New York Times, TIME, and The Guardian. In recognition of her impact, Dr. Tripodi received the Award for Impact and Excellence in 2023 from the Center for the Informed Public at the University of Washington.

Program Schedule

6:00 pm: Arrive and check in. We will gather inside the west, main entrance of Morehead.

6:00 – 6:30 pm: Pizza social. The pizza social will take place in our classrooms, located on the 2nd floor.

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Discussion. May’s discussion will take place in the Science Stage.

Please Note: Depending on scheduled activities, the program may end between 7:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.

Magic Tree House Space Mission
2026-05-16 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-05-23 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-05-30 10:30 - 11:30

Star Families: Your Place in Space
2026-05-16 12:00 - 13:00

Astronaut
2026-05-16 13:30 - 14:30, 2026-05-23 13:30 - 14:30, 2026-05-30 13:30 - 14:30

Mars: The Ultimate Voyage
2026-05-16 15:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-23 15:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-30 15:00 - 16:00

Carolina Skies
2026-05-16 16:30 - 17:30, 2026-05-17 16:30 - 17:30, 2026-05-23 16:30 - 17:30, 2026-05-24 16:30 - 17:30, 2026-05-30 16:30 - 17:30

We Are Stars
2026-05-17 13:30 - 14:30, 2026-05-24 13:30 - 14:30

Supermassive Black Holes
2026-05-17 15:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-24 15:00 - 16:00

Skywatching: Views from The Durham
2026-05-19 20:30 - 22:30 | The Durham Hotel, 315 E. Chapel Hill St, Durham, North Carolina, 27701, United States
Join us on the Roof of The Durham Hotel for a free night of skywatching!

Yoga Under The Stars
2026-05-20 18:00 - 19:00

Cosmic Colors
2026-05-23 12:00 - 13:00

From Earth to the Universe
2026-05-30 12:00 - 13:00
