Science Seminars is a weekly list of science-related seminars sponsored by colleges, research institutes, and other organizations throughout Penn State. Science Seminars is published by the Penn State Eberly College of Science as a service to Penn State and its surrounding communities

Science Seminars

12 to 18 November 2007

MONDAY, 12 NOVEMBER

"Why are Antennae Important in Photosynthesis and Why Do I Study Them?" Sergei Savikhim, Purdue University, 12:10 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, host: John Golbeck, Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Biology (865-1163).

"Huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum) Dispersal and Colonization at Mount St. Helens," Suann Yang, Penn State, 1:00 p.m., 118 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Intercollege Graduate Program in Ecology (863-3371).

"Physical Chemistry of Silica-Based Organic-Inorganic Hybrids: A Perspective," Ulrich Wiesner, Cornell University, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Harry R. Allcock, Department of Chemistry (865-3527).

"Impact of Ultrafine Aerosol on Cloud-Condensation Nuclei," Jeffrey Pierce, Carnegie Mellon University, 3:30 p.m., 529 Walker Building, Department of Meteorology (863-8566).

"Phytophthora Species in Forest Ecosystems and Their Role in Tree Health," Yilmaz Balc, West Virginia University, 3:30 p.m., 112 Buckhout Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology (865-6761).

(title to be announced), Leonid Berlyand, Penn State, 3:35 p.m., 216 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Border Security: Cell-Envelope Stress Responses in Gram-Negative Bacteria," Sarah Ades, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Richard Frisque, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-1851).

"Smoke and Mirrors: Is Geoengineering a Solution to Global Warming?" Alan Robock, Rutgers University, 4:00 p.m., 112 Walker Building, Earth and Environmental Systems Institute (863-7091).

"Targeting Heterocyclic Natural Products at 4,700 Feet Above Sea Level," Jon Rainier, University of Utah, 4:00 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Steven Weinreb, Department of Chemistry (863-0189).

TUESDAY, 13 NOVEMBER

"A Connection with Everything," Garrett Lisi, Foundational Questions in Physcis &?Cosmology (FQxi), 10:00 a.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

(title to be announced), Erin Boland, Penn State, 10:00 a.m., 301 Steidle Building, Department of Materials Science and Engineering (865-4992).

"The Impact of Nuclear War on Climate," Alan Robock, Rutgers University, 10:00 a.m., 541 Deike Building, Earth System Science Center (865-0478).

"Cherry Award Lecture: Teaching as an Art," George Andrews, Penn State, 1:00 p.m. (refreshments at 12:30 p.m.), 114 McAllister Building, Penn State Department of Mathematics and Baylor University (865-7527).

(title to be announced), Ben Davis, Saint Mary's College of California, 2:30 p.m., 315 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

(title to be announced), Peter Cholak, University of Notre Dame, 2:30 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Growth Rate of Periodic Orbits for Geodesic Flows on Surfaces with Regions of Positive Curvature," Bryce Weaver, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., 216 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

(title to be announced), David Little, Penn State, 3:35 p.m., 315 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Fascinating Features of the Honey-Bee Genome," Christine Elsik, Georgetown University, 4:00 p.m. (refreshments at 3:45 p.m.), 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Howard Fescemyer, Department of Biology (863-2957).

"Population Synthesis of Double Compact Objects: Short Gamma-Ray-Burst Progenitors," Chris Belczynski, Los Alamos National Laboratory, 4:00 p.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"Volcanism and Magmatism in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica," Bruce Marsh, Johns Hopkins University, 4:00 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Department of Geosciences (865-2622).

What is KAM Theory and Arnold Diffusion?" Mark Levi, Penn State, 5:00 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

WEDNESDAY, 14 NOVEMBER

"Gems and Minerals: The Ultimate Rock Video" (video), 12:15 p.m., 105 Deike Building, Earth and Mineral Sciences Library (863-7073).

"Physical Properties of Functional and Dysfunctional Lung Surfactants," Nils Petersen, University of Alberta (Canada), 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Erin D. Sheets, Department of Chemistry (863-0044).

"Estimates From Below for the Spectral Function and for the Remainder in Weyl's Law on Negatively-Curved Surfaces," Dmitry Jakobson, McGill University (Canada), 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

ADDED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
?"Ca Signaling and Gene Expression in Lymphocytes," Anjana Rao, Harvard University, 4:00 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Technology Building, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences (863-0340 or email: cas75@psu.edu).

"Living with a Red Dwarf: Possibilities for Life on Hosted Planets," Edward Guinan, Villanova University, 4:00 p.m., 538 Davey Laboratory, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics (865-0418).

"The RNA World in Neural Development and Function," Yue Feng, Emory University, 4:00 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, host: Doug Cavener, Penn State Neuroscience Institute (865-9790).

THURSDAY, 15 NOVEMBER

"Materials Science: Engine for the Nuclear-Energy Renaissance," Steven Zinkle, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 10:10 a.m., 26 Hosler Building, Department of Materials Science and Engineering (865-4992).

"The Mechanism of Proton Transport in Ice: A Nuclear-Magnetic-Resonance (NMR) Study," Burkhard Geil, University of Dortmund (Germany), 12:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, hosts: Alan Benesi and Karl Mueller, Department of Chemistry (865-0941 or 863-8674).

"Electrophoresis in Periodically Varying Geometries," Kevin Dorfman, University of Minnesota, 1:00 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering (863-1375).

ADDED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"Explosions in Accreting White Dwarfs: From Novae to Supernovae," Lars Bildsten, University of California, 1:30 p.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"A Glimpse of Several Complex Variables," Steven Krantz, American Institute of Mathematics, 2:30 p.m., 113 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Beyond ‘Moore's Law’: First Steps Toward New Disruptive Technologies" (Lannin lecture), Ben Shanabrook, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4:00 p.m., 117 Osmond Laboratory, host: Moses Chan, Department of Physics (863-9759).

"Hurricanes and Global Warming," Kerry Emanuel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 4:00 p.m., 112 Walker Building, Department of Meteorology (863-8566).

(title to be announced), Peter LaFemina, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 202 Research West Building, Department of Geosciences (865-7965).

(title to be announced), Steve Krantz, American Institute of Mathematics, 4:00 p.m., 114 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

FRIDAY, 16 NOVEMBER

"Reduced Phase-Space Quantization for Loop Quantum Gravity and Algebraic Quantum Gravity," Kristina Giesel, Albert Einstein Institute, 11:00 a.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"Pulmonary Response to Ozone in Cigarette Smokers and Non-Smokers," Melissa Bates, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 127 Noll Laboratory, Intercollege Graduate Program in Physiology (865-3453).

"Organic-Waste Recycling in the European Union: A Model for Pennsylvania," Ashlee Dere, Penn State, 12:20 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (865-6541).

"Microbial Molecular Evolution: Part Two," (speaker to be announced), Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 341 Deike Building, Penn State Astrobiology Research Center (865-4074).

"Mathematical Approaches to Some Image Processing and Computer-Vision Problems," Tony Chan, National Science Foundation, 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"The Evolution of Human Skin Color: Meeting Place of Geography and Physiology," Nina Jablonski, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 112 Walker Building, Department of Geography (865-3433).

SATURDAY, 17 NOVEMBER and SUNDAY, 18 NOVEMBER

(none)

 

************
Cancellations and additions will be noted on weekly Science Seminar listings on the Web at
< www.science.psu.edu/scisem/scisem.htm > or
< www.events.psu.edu/cgi-bin/cal/webevent.cgi?cmd=opencal&cal=cal250& >.

************
Science Seminars is a weekly list of science-related seminars sponsored by colleges, research institutes, and other organizations throughout Penn State. Science Seminars is published by the Penn State Eberly College of Science as a service to Penn State and its surrounding communities.

For more information about Science Seminars, or for instructions on how to SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE, visit the links at http://www.science.psu.edu/scisem/scisemData.htm

Reporters for Science Seminars and the areas they cover are as follows: [agriculture: Kay Moore] [agronomy: Madeline Laubach] [anthropology: Alan Walker] [astrobiology: Linda Decker] [astronomy and astrophysics: SherryDawn Jackson and Christine Selders] [biochemistry and molecular biology: Tamara Housel] [biology: Paula Farwell and Stephanie Gookin] [gravitational physics and geometry: Randi Neshteruk] [ceramic science and engineering: April Benson] [chemical engineering: Sandra Brown and Kathy Peters] [chemistry: Amanda Royer] [computer science and engineering: Beth Kennedy and Karen Alise Corl] [dairy and animal science: Lila Conklin ] [earth and mineral sciences: Debra Lambert] [energy: Kelly Jo Rhoades] [entomology: Thelma Brodzina] [life sciences: Janice Kennedy and Julie Brenneman] [mathematics: Flossie Dunlop and Mari Royer] [nanoscale science: Patricia Doroschenko] [neural engineering: Steven J. Schiff and Jean Brooks] [nutrition: Judy Jones] [physical and mathematical sciences library: Nancy Butkovich and Emily L. Rimland ] [physics: Teri Spence] [physiology: Jenny Edwards] [plant physiology: Janice Kennedy] [poultry science: Lila Conklin and Robert Elkin] [Vice President for Research: Emily Rowlands and Katie Feeney] [science, technology, and society: Karen Snare] [statistics: Bonnie Cain] [veterinary science: Cathy Schreckengast].

NOTICE: PRESS RELEASES AVAILABLE
Press releases occasionally are written for some of the lectures sponsored by the Eberly College of Science. If you would like to receive copies of these press releases in the future, you may SUBSCRIBE yourself to the Listserv list for Science Lectures by sending a blank note from your preferred e-mail address to: < SCIENCE-LECTURES-SUBSCRIBE-REQUEST@LISTS.PSU.EDU >.
If your e-mail address does not end with "psu.edu," send a note requesting a subscription to: <SCIENCE@PSU.EDU>.

This publication is available in alternative media on request.

Penn State is an affirmative action, equal opportunity university. Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact the office in charge of the seminar in advance of your attendance. U.Ed. SCI 08-73.

This issue of SCIENCE SEMINARS was produced by Barbara K. Kennedy and Kristen Devlin.