For Wednesday

Lessons from Bridge Engineering

In the wake of Washington's numerous bridge collapses—most recently, that of the Skagit River Bridge— UW Professor John Stanton will give a lecture on what we've learned from those bridge failures, and we can do with today's technology to improve tomorrow's bridges.

The lecture is part of UW's 2013 Engineering Lecture Series, exploring the future of local and national infrastructure.

Spanning the Gap: Lessons in Engineering Bridges, Wed, October 30, 7–9pm, University of Washington's Kane Hall (room 120), free.

For Tuesday

Center City Connector Open House

To improve north-to-south transit mobility in Seattle's core, an area with high ridership potential, the city has developed a Center City Connector project connecting the First Hill and South Lake Union streetcars through First Ave downtown. 

After two potential transit routes were established, the City analyzed the benefits and consequences of each. Learn how they could effect your transportation when the project team and Mayor McGinn share these results at tonight's open house.

Center City Connector Transit Study, Tue, October 29, 5–7pm, Elliot Bay Room in Pike Place Market (third floor of Market’s Economy Building), free.

For Monday

Learning about I-522

Washington voters will have to decide on next week's ballot if they'd like to see genetically modified foods labeled when they vote on I-522, the initiative to label GMO foods.

If the initiative passes, Washington will be the third state (after Connecticut and Maine) to have GMO labeling laws, but the first to implement these laws with no strings attached. (Connecticut and Maine require neighboring states to pass similar laws before GMO labeling takes effect.)

So what would labeling entail? How would it effect consumers and the market? Find out at a panel discussion tonight featuring: two UW grad students studying genome science and public health genetics; a UW microbiology professor; former Republican state senator (and chair of the Washington State Republican Party) Luke Esser, speaking in favor of I-522; and a representative from the "No on I-522" campaign.

Labeling Genetically Modified Foods: Should you be concerned?, Mon, October 28, 5:30–7pm, UW Husky Union Building (HUB) room 332, free.