Yuzhe (Richard) Tang, PhD, an assistant professor in Syracuse University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, will lead a discussion aimed at middle school students about cloud computing from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday, June 17, at the MOST, 500 S. Franklin St., Syracuse.

Cloud computing is essentially a virtual computer that executes commands and stores data when we watch TV, our parents pay the rent online, and we receive medical care. All these convenience factors, however, cannot be taken for granted. With an “evil” nature and a vulnerable system under the hood, a cloud provider such as Amazon can leak or corrupt our personal data. So how can we safely utilize the cloud that cannot be fully trusted?

Junior Café Scientifique is sponsored by the Technology Alliance of Central New York (TACNY), and usually held on the third Saturday of the month during the school year at the MOST. A light breakfast is provided. Participants must be accompanied by an adult. The event is free, but TACNY asks that you RSVP to jrcafe@tacny.org. After the event, participants are welcome to explore the museum at half-price: $6 for adults and $5 for children 2-11.