Winter 2007

02/10/2007 | Weapons of Mass Destruction: Biological Weapons -- Phil Hanna (U-M Microbiology and Immunology)

The impact of infectious agents has influenced societies and affected the lives of every generation for all of human history. That some of these microbial agents now might be used, deliberately, as weapons of terror shocks sensibilities and challenges researchers and governments to develop new policies and build practical countermeasures. We will cover the nature and medicine of bioterror agents, their history and social impact and discuss some current thinking surrounding our desires to live safely in a world where germs might be used as weapons.  

02/17/2007 | Chemical Agents as Triggers of Neurological Disease -- Rudy J. Richardson (U-M School of Public Health)

Lethal "nerve gases" have been known since the 1930s and their mode of action is well documented. We know far less about neuropathic agents--chemical cousins of the nerve gases that produce neurodegenerative disease instead of death. However, research thus far has led to new methods of detection and opened up new avenues for understanding neurological disease.  

03/10/2007 | Weapons of Mass Destruction: Nuclear Weapons -- Mike Sanders (U-M Physics)

We will survey the history of the proliferation of nuclear weapons since the end of World War II, emphasizing recent events. One important technical change has been the development of the ultra-centrifuge as a (relatively) inexpensive route to the production of fissionable material.  

03/17/2007 | The Physics Behind Music Part 1 -- Christopher Monroe (U-M Physics)

Rolling ripples of water on the surface of a pond, the brilliant colors of a deep rainbow, and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony all come to us in the form of waves. While we all appreciate the beauty of these experiences in life without caring about the underlying physics, they become even more beautiful when we dive into the simple physical and mathematical description of such waves. The first lecture will probe the salient physics behind the most accessible form of waves -- music.  

03/24/2007 | The Physics Behind Music Part 2 -- Christopher Monroe (U-M Physics)

Rolling ripples of water on the surface of a pond, the brilliant colors of a deep rainbow, and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony all come to us in the form of waves. While we all appreciate the beauty of these experiences in life without caring about the underlying physics, they become even more beautiful when we dive into the simple physical and mathematical description of such waves. The second lecture will continue the journey into the strangest and most universal wave phenomena of all -- quantum mechanics.  

03/31/2007 | The Electronics Revolution -- Cagliyan Kurdak (U-M Physics)

Unlike metals, the electrical properties of semiconductors are dominated by the impurities or the dirt in them. Thus, the emergence of semiconductors as a material of choice for the electronics industry was most surprising. This lecture will explore the remarkable scientific breakthroughs in semiconductors that made the growth of the electronics industry possible.  

04/14/2007 | Future of Electronics -- Cagliyan Kurdak (U-M Physics)

As the size of transistors approach atomic scales, the electronic industry is facing various physical limitations. In the second lecture, I will discuss how this industry will respond to these challenges as well as emerging opportunities for semiconductors.  

04/21/2007 | Earth’s Changing Climate – What’s in Store for the Future? -- Henry Pollack (U-M Geological Sciences)

No other scientific topic has been in the spotlight more over the past two decades than global climate change. Professor Henry Pollack will guide us through the evidence for a changing climate, and address the causes and consequences of climate change.