FAU Announces 2020 ‘Frontiers in Science’ Public Lecture Series
Geographer, glaciologist, National Geographic Emerging Explorer and TED Fellow M Jackson, Ph.D.
Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science will host its 2020 “Frontiers in Science” series with seven different lectures on Fridays, beginning Jan. 17 through April 3. All lectures are free and open to the public.
‘How Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are Redefining Neuroscience’ with Michael Smirnov, Ph.D.
Friday, Jan. 17 at 4 p.m.
FAU General Classroom North, Room 102
Michael Smirnov, Ph.D., is a neutral data scientist at the Max Plank Florida Institute. Over the past decade, new image analysis tools have emerged for studying the networks, circuits, and synaptic connections in the brain. As data volume grows exponentially, manual analysis becomes an impossible task on researchers looking to shed insight on the structure and function of subcellular brain regions. In order to tackle this big data struggle, novel analyses leveraging the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning are being developed and applied around the world.
‘The Secret Lives of Glaciers’ with M Jackson, Ph.D.
Friday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m.
FAU General Classroom North, Room 102
*Ticket registration required*
Geographer, glaciologist, National Geographic Emerging Explorer and TED Fellow M Jackson, Ph.D., studies and writes about glaciers, people and climate change. In this talk, Jackson will explore the fascinating geography of glaciers on this planet. Based on more than a decade of research in the Arctic, she shares many localized stories of what happens to an Icelandic community as their local glaciers disappear. Jackson’s talk shows how ice influences people just as much as people influence ice – and what all of us can do to move into a future with healthy glaciers and healthy communities.
RSVP for tickets at faumjackson.eventbrite.com.
‘From Fast to Ultra-Fast: The Biological World of Extreme Movement’ with Sheila Patek, Ph.D.
Friday, Feb. 7 at 4 p.m.
FAU General Classroom North, GN 102
Sheila Patek, Ph.D., is a biologist who works at the interface of evolution and physics. Many mantis shrimp end their raptorial strikes with nanosecond-scale, imploding cavitation bubbles that emit heat equivalent to the surface of the sun. However, in order to get to that energetic feat, they begin their raptorial strike with a slow and forceful muscle contraction that lasts hundreds of milliseconds. Each stage of energy transformation – from muscle contraction to implosion – span durations equivalent to the order of magnitude difference between one year and one second. The extraordinary cascade of energy flow and control in mantis shrimp strikes has accompanied their evolutionary diversification to capture fish and crush snails, as well as their ritualized behaviors to ensure non-lethal fights. The biomechanical, behavioral, and evolutionary insights from these strikes have stimulated a vibrant interdisciplinary field of materials and robotics, as well as considerable interest from the public because of the dynamism of these animals. This talk will address the intersection of biological discovery with interdisciplinary and accessible research and foster general discussion about the impacts and adventures of discovery science.
‘Digital Dinosaurs and Diseases’ with Ryan Carney, Ph.D.
Friday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m.
FAU General Classroom North, GN 102
Join us as professor and National Geographic Explorer Ryan Carney, Ph.D., shares his work using innovative 3D technologies to research and teach about dinosaurs and diseases, from Archaeopteryx to Zika. Carney’s work brings flying dinosaurs “back to life” using X-ray imaging, computer animation, and virtual and augmented reality. His lab also develops digital tools for predicting and preventing outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases. Stick around after the talk to check out some exciting items like the HoloLens AR headset and a slide of mummified dinosaur skin.
‘Mathematical Modeling – From Combating Cancer to Mixing Materials’ with Suzanne Weekes, Ph.D.
Friday, March 6 at 4 p.m.
FAU General Classroom North, GN 102
Mathematical and computer modelling play an important role in many fields that we may not readily think about. Suzanne Weekes, Ph.D., takes us behind the curtain to peek at interesting ways that mathematical and computer modeling are used in the real world - from making computer animation more art-directable to experimenting with theories of cancer growth to designing materials that can be later engineered.
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