REU pizza seminars
Physics REU site arranges traditional pizza seminar series for summer undergraduate research students.
The seminars are aimed at multidisciplinary audience and aim to expose the participatins students of different majors to various areas of modern science.
Unless email announcement states otherwise, the seminars will take place every Wednesday during June and July in room PHYS 238. Refreshments (pizza+drinks) will be ready at 11:45 AM, and it is expected that the students will finish their food by the beginning of the talk at about 12:05. Talks last for about one hour.
2012 seminar schedule
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June 6
Prof. Jay Melosh, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences & Department of Physics; University Distinguished Professor.
"Protecting the Earth from alien invaders: Practical problems of Planetary Quarantine"
Abstract: One of my current projects focuses on concerns that material returned from Mars by future sample return missions might contain potentially harmful microscopic lifeforms. This reports an effort initiated by the joint NASA and European Space Agencies to examine whether material returned from Mars' inner moon Phobos might also contain material recently launched from the surface of Mars by large impacts. Microbes, if there are any beneath the surface of Mars, may well have survived the conditions of launch and landing on Phobos: We already possess some 50 meteorites that traveled from Mars to Earth under conditions that could have allowed imbedded microbes to remain viable upon landing. It is practical because sample return missions from Phobos are currently in the planning stage and the question is what level of sample quarantine (if any!) is required to keep Earth safe.
I will mainly discuss the evidence for launch of intact surface material from Mars and the probability that some of it has ended up on Phobos.
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June 13
Prof. Arden Bement, Department of Nuclear Engineering; Director of the Global Policy Research Institute
Purdue University's international activities of the Global Policy Research Institute and the Global Council.
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June 20
Prof. Erica Carlson, Department of Physics
A Fractal Nematic Superconductor
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June 27
Prof. Nick Giordano, Department of Physics; Hubert James Distinguished Professor of Physics and Department Head
Physics of the piano
Abstract
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July 11
Prof. Sergei Savikhin, Department of Physics.
"Catching sunlight: lessons from photosynthesis"
Abstract: We will discuss the physics of early processes in photosynthesis revealed by ultrafast laser spectroscopy.
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July 18
Prof. Wallace Tyner, James and Lois Ackerman Professor of Agricultural Economics, Department of Agricultural Economics.
"Higher Energy Costs May Be Good for Your Health: Economic and Policy Choices for our Energy Future"
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July 25
Prof. Daniela Bortoletto, Department of Physics; Edward M. Purcell Distinguished Professor of Physics
TBA
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August 1
TBA
Past year seminars
2011 seminar schedule
2010 seminar schedule