Winter 2018

02/03/18 | The Great American Eclipse of 2017 -- David Gerdes (U-M Physics)

The total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 was seen by millions of people from coast to coast and may have been the most anticipated, most photographed celestial event of all time. My own journey to this eclipse began 39 years ago, when as a high school student I witnessed the last North American total eclipse with a group of friends and our remarkable science teacher. I'll describe how we all reunited last summer as part of a nationwide team of citizen scientists, collecting data that will add to our knowledge of our nearest star. I'll also discuss the next North American total eclipse in 2024—you won't have to travel far from Ann Arbor to see it!

02/10/18 | The Physics of Complex Systems -- Mark Newman (U-M Physics)

This talk will describe how we use ideas from physics to understand a wide range of complex systems, including traffic patterns, random processes, social networks, and the spread of diseases. Using a combination of computer simulations, math, and experimental observations, physics can shed light on questions as diverse as why traffic jams occur, how coral grows, or how the flu spreads around the world.

02/17/18 | Detection for Nuclear Nonproliferation -- Sara Pozzi (U-M Nuclear Engineering)

Since the discovery of fission, nuclear chain reactions, and nuclear weapons, preventing the spread of nuclear weapons has become a top priority for our nation and the world. Several international treaties have been put into place to curb the expansion of nuclear capabilities. Nevertheless, there are states that may be pursuing elements of an overt or covert nuclear weapons program. New science and technology developments are needed to verify the existing or proposed treaties in this area and to ensure that nuclear weapons are never used again.

03/10/18 | Spins, Magnetism, and Computers -- Vanessa Sih (U-M Physics)

How do computers work, and what is a hard drive? There has been tremendous progress in making computers faster and smaller, but what comes next? In this talk, Professor Vanessa Sih will describe the role that spin and magnets play in today's computers and in proposed future technology.

03/17/18 | Using Physics to FIsh for Cells -- Brandon McNaughton (U-M Center for Entrepreneurship)

The separation and detection of cells, DNA, and proteins from blood samples is essential for testing diseases, drug development, and biological research. This talk will discuss how physics is being used to separate cells and will include emerging approaches that range from magnetics to microbubbles. Dr. McNaughton will also include several demos of these technologies.

03/24/18 | Sounds, Shapes, and Photosynthesis: Physics is Everywhere -- Chrisy Xiyu Du, Veronica Policht, and Brian Worthmann (U-M Physics and Applied Physics)

Entropy, Shape, and Phase Transition - Chrisy Xiyu Du (U-M Physics)
Using Femtosecond Spectroscopy to Illuminate Photosynthesis - Veronica Policht (U-M Physics)
Photosynthesis powers life on Earth. Following the initial absorption of light, the primary energy conversion steps in photosynthesis occur incredibly rapidly (10^-12 s), making it particularly challenging to study. We'll discuss how carefully timed sequences of ultrafast laser pulses enable us to take real-time snapshots that improve our understanding of this critical process.

The Sound Heard 'Round the World' - Brian Worthmann (U-M Applied Physics)
In everyday life, we as humans are used to sounds traveling anywhere from a few feet for a quiet conversation, up to a few miles for some of the loudest sounds. But in the ocean, a fascinating combination of physics allows sound to travel significantly much, much further. We'll talk about how sound travels in air, why it's different in the ocean, and why this fact was a closely guarded secret during the Cold War.

04/07/18 | Saturday Morning Physics Lite: Now with 40% Less Facts -- Nicholas Arnold, James Detlefs, and Monika Wood (U-M Physics Demonstration Laboratory)

Do you ever wonder if what you observe in the world around you is real or just a trick of the mind? Let the professionals guide you through a maze of physical demonstrations that will test your confidence in your understanding as we try to trick your mind to see if you can spot the not!

04/14/18 | Bees Do It: Can Humans? Realizing our Collective Intelligence -- Scott Page (U-M Complex Systems)

Bees and other social insects generate collective intelligence in which the colony collective finds solutions to difficult problems. Many social and scientific phenomena -- the obesity and opiod epidemics, economic inequality, fusion, gene environment interactions, and stock price movements -- are too complex for any one person to understand, so we too must rely on collective intelligence. How do we achieve it? And how much smarter can the whole be than the parts?