Explore Ultracold Plasmas and Quantum Physics With Steve Rolston! Until fairly recently, a “cold” plasma – a gas of ionized atoms – was anything cooler than 10,000 Kelvin. (Kelvin being the absolute unit of measurement for thermodynamic temperature used in chemistry, physics and other physical sciences.) But within the last 15 years, atomic physicists have… Learn more
Using the Power of Biophysics to Understand Pain and Other Medical Conditions Pain. The word itself is enough to make one cringe. But to bioengineer Siddhartha Sikdar, pain — especially chronic pain, the biophysics of it and how to devise technology to localize and treat it at key trigger points — is a major focus… Learn more
Combating Hackers and Network Attacks: Keeping the Cyber World More Secure Through Computer Science Issues like internet privacy, computer hacking and other forms of cyber security have become serious everyday concerns among the public and the U.S. government, making the research and expertise of computer scientists, such as Micah Sherr, even more important. At Georgetown… Learn more
Exploring the Formation of the Earth at its Core With Geologist Anat Shahar The Earth formed some 4.6 billion years ago in an extremely chaotic environment and has evolved significantly over that time, but exactly how the Earth and its solar system came to be and what went into its creation continues to be a… Learn more
Exciting Insights Into How the Brain Makes Decisions and Pays Attention What guides and influences us in the decisions we make? Past research indicates that our choices, both voluntary and involuntary, are separate processes in the brain. But, studies by cognitive neuroscientist Sarah Shomstein show that these processes are linked and decisions are ultimately made… Learn more
Parallel Universes, Warped Space and Other Mysteries: Get Insights From Noted Physicist, Raman Sundrum Raman Sundrum, one of the world’s most prominent particle theorists, works in the fascinating world of parallel universes, warped space-time dimensions, the structure of the Higgs boson and other mysteries in the realm of physics. Currently a Distinguished University Professor at the… Learn more
Revealing the Secrets to Delicious Cooking Through Chemistry! Ever wonder what the secret is to making perfect ice cream? Or how to make a delectable macaroni and cheese dish, or to-die-for jellies and jams? No, you don’t have to go to culinary school to learn. Try attending ¨The Chemistry of Cooking¨, a wildly popular undergraduate… Learn more
Smithsonian Anthropologist Joshua Bell: How the Cell Phone Stands to Change Us as Humans No question about it: The cell phone, since introduced in 1973 by engineer Martin Cooper, has revolutionized our everyday lives, literally becoming an indispensable technological appendage for us all –from the jet-setting business professional to the elementary school child. The phenomenal growth… Learn more
Dr. Robert Hufnagel is a clinician-scientist in the Ophthalmic Genetics and Visual Function Branch of the National Eye Institute. This branch of the National Institutes of Health plans and conducts clinical and laboratory research of gene expression, molecular genetics, cell biology, and molecular interactions important to the eye, and applies clinically relevant research findings to… Learn more
Exploring the Depths of Neutron Stars and Black Holes! Neutron stars, true to their name, are formed almost entirely of neutrons, which can pack tightly into the densest form of matter known to exist without forcing the star to collapse into a black hole. But some theories suggest neutron stars could squish down even further… Learn more
