Winter 2008

02/02/2008 | Adventitious Machinery: Our Heritage as Amplified Noise -- Gus Evrard (U-M Physics)

The Earth is in a seemingly ordinary disk galaxy lying in a strand of a cosmic web that stretches as far as the telescopically-aided eye can see. How was this web imprinted in our Universe? How did the structures in it, like black holes, stars and galaxies, form and evolve? Professor Evrard will explain how recent developments in theory, observation and numerical simulation are revealing answers to these far-reaching questions. In short, current evidence paints a picture in which we are essentially amplified noise.  

02/09/2008 | What is String Theory Anyway? -- Sera Cremonini (U-M Physics)

What are the basic building blocks of nature? What holds the key to unifying the four fundamental forces of nature? Learn the basics of string theory, the leading candidate for a theory of quantum gravity.  

02/16/2008 | String Theory: What is it Good For? -- Sera Cremonini (U-M Physics)

In this talk we will explore some of the most exciting recent developments in String Theory. What have we learned about the connection between large scales and small scales, between Einstein's theory of gravity and quantum mechanics? What has String Theory taught us about black holes and the early moments of the Universe?"  

03/08/2008 | Modeling the Cosmos: Observations and Simulations -- Elena Rasia (U-M Physics)

Cosmology has been "the study of the Universe in its totality". Both sky observations and simulations have taken huge steps forward in the recent past. Dr. Rasia will explain the most important successes achieved in our understanding of the Universe and its main components: dark matter and dark energy. She will discuss the future of this field, and UM’s involvement in one of the biggest future sky surveys.  

03/15/2008 | Encounters with Modern Physics -- Samuel C. C. Ting (MIT)

Physics is an experimental science. A theory, however elegant, is only meaningful if it can be verified by experiment. Experiments can disprove theories but theories can never disprove experiments. Advancements in physics occur when experimental results contradict a prevailing theory creating a new theory. In this talk I will tell five stories about my personal encounters with experimental physics since I left Michigan.  

03/29/2008 | Cosmic Rays -- Lawrence W. Jones (U-M Physics)

Cosmic rays are nuclear particles from outer space. We will review the discovery, study, and understanding of these particles, as well as the unknown problems and challenges in this lively field of study. Some current (mountain elevation) and future (satellite) research activities will be described.  

04/05/2008 | Dark Energy and the Accelerating Universe -- Dragan Huterer (U-M Physics)

The discovery that the expansion of the Universe is speeding up has generated waves in the field of cosmology and presents us with a grand mystery: what is the origin and nature of Dark Energy, the stuff that causes the accelerated expansion?

04/12/2008 | Taking the Plunge: The Physics of Roller Coasters -- David Gerdes (U-M Physics)

Roller coasters are thrill factories: the heart-stopping plunge, the g-forces that press you into your seat, the feeling that you will float away as you crest the hill, the rush as you circle the loop-the-loop. This talk will describe how the thrills you experience at the amusement park originate with Newton's laws of motion, and how the physiological limits of the human body govern the design of the rides.