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

5 to 11 February 2007

MONDAY, 5 FEBRUARY

"Touch(in)g Plants," Simon Gilroy, Penn State, 12:10 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, host: Daniel Cosgrove, Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Biology (863-3892).

"Adhesion Timeline of Phakopsora pachyrhizi Urediniospores to Soybean Leaves," Maria Velez-Climent, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., 112 Buckhout Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology (865-3761).

"Freshwater Ecosystems and Climate Change: Impacts on Lake Ice, Fishes, and Hydrology," John Magnuson, University of Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Intercollege Graduate Program in Ecology (863-2962).

(title to be announced), Wei Zhu, Rice University, 3:30 p.m., 216 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Computational Simulation of Blast Effects on Structural Components," Dan Linzell, Penn State, 3:35 p.m., 203 Sackett Building, host: Lyle N. Long, Department of Aerospace Engineering (865-1172 or www.ics.psu.edu/springsem.html).

"Social Demography and Adolescent Obesity," Michelle Frisco and Molly Martin, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., S-209 Henderson Building, Graduate Program in Nutrition (865-3448).

"Energy-Driven Pattern Formation" (Chemerda lecture #1 of 4), Robert Kohn, New York University, 8:00 p.m., 114 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

TUESDAY, 6 FEBRUARY

"Initiated Chemical-Vapor Deposition of Fluoropolymer Coatings for the Surface Modification of Complex Geometries," Malancha Gupta, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 10:00 a.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering (863-1375).

"Dynamics and Its Working Tools: Principal Results and Methods in Non-Uniform Hyperbolicity, Part One," Yakov Pesin, 3:30 p.m., 216 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Bounds on Coarsening Rates With Examples from Materials Science and Image Processing" (Chemerda lecture #2 of 4), Robert Kohn, New York University, 4:00 p.m., 114 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Detecting Gene-Regulatory Signals from Genome-Wide Chip-Chip Experiments and Sequence Data: Towards Developing a Strategy with Increased Statistical Power," Hongkai Ji, Harvard University, 4:00 p.m., 201 Thomas Building, Department of Statistics (865-1348).

"How to Kick a Hole and Other Eccentric Stories," Nico Yunes, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"Interactions of Copper with Prion Protein in the Formation of the Pathogenic Protein Isoform," Christal Lee, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, hosts: Mary Beth Williams and Erin Sheets, Department of Chemistry (865-8859).

"Message in a Bottle: The Role of Dispersal in the Ecology and Reef Corals," Iliana Baums, Penn State, 4:00 p.m. (refreshments at 3:45 p.m.), 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Doug Cavener (863-0278).

"The Early Anthropogenic Hypothesis: Challenges and Responses," Bill Ruddiman, University of Virginia, 4:00 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Department of Geosciences (865-2622).

WEDNESDAY, 7 FEBRUARY

"Climate Change in the Ocean: Regional Perspectives," Lynne Talley, University of California, 12:00 noon, 541 Deike Building, Office of the Dean of the Graduate School and Worldwide Universities Network (863-1274).

"Perilous Beauty: The Hidden Dangers of Mount Rainier" (video), 12:15 p.m., 105 Deike Building, Earth and Mineral Sciences Library (863-7073)

"Soft-Collinear Effective Theory (SCET): An Introduction," Adam Leibovich, University of Pittsburgh, 2:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: John Collins, Department of Physics (865-7533).

"Neuroscience/Neural Engineering 2007: Songbirds and Synfire Chains," Henry Greenside, Duke University, 4:00 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, host: Steven Schiff, Department of Neurosurgery + Department of Engineering Sciences and Mechanics + Department of Physics (863-4210 or 321-4884).

"The Evolution of a Crystalline Surface Below the Roughening Temperature" (Chemerda lecture #3 of 4) Robert Kohn, New York University, 4:00 p.m., 114 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

THURSDAY, 8 FEBRUARY

"Kinetics, Mechanism, and Site Requirements for Dimethyl-Ether Carbonylation on Acidic Zeolites," Aditya Bhan, University of California, 10:00 a.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering (863-1375).

"Mechanistic Analysis of the Iron-II/Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Monooxygenase/Chlorinase CytC3 Involved in Nonribosomal Peptide Synthesis of the Antitumoral Agent Cytotrienin A," Gretchen Koch, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Marty Bollinger, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-5707).

"The Internal Structure of a Cross-Tie Wall: An Example of Magnetic Pattern Formation" (Chemerda lecture #4 of 4), Robert Kohn, New York University, 2:30 p.m., 114 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Interdisciplinary Panel Discussion: Teaching Wisdom/Teaching Knowledge—Epistemologies Ancient and Modern," Erica Brindley + Christopher Long + Jonathan Marks, Penn State, 3:00 p.m., 301 Steidle Building, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences + Rock Ethics Institute + Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence + Science, Technology, and Society Program (863-2599).

"Are Changes in Tectonic Styles Reflected in Ocean Chemistry?" Jim Kasting, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., Research West Building, Department of Geosciences (865-7965).

"Functional Genomics and Proteomics of Stem Cells," Kent Vrana, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, host: Gong Chen, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences + Eberly College of Science + College of Liberal Arts + College of Health and Human Development + Department of Biology + Department of Chemistry + Department of Physics + Department of Psychology + Department of Biobehavioral Health + Department of Kinesiology + Department of Nutrition (865-2488).

"Spline-Backfitted Kernel Smoothing of Additive Models in Time Series," Li Wang, Michigan State University, 4:00 p.m., 201 Thomas Building, Department of Statistics (865-1348).

"The Tipping Point: How Does a Little Noise Make a Big Difference?" Daniel Stein, New York University, 4:00 p.m., 117 Osmond Laboratory, host: Milton Cole, Department of Physics (865-7533).

(title to be announced), Darin Toohey, University of Colorado, 4:00 p.m., 112 Walker Building, Department of Meteorology (863-8566).

FRIDAY, 9 FEBRUARY

"The Quantum Nature of Spacetime Singularities," Gravity Discussion Group, 11:00 a.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in Molecular Mycology: Endophytes, Toxic Alkaloids, and Alfalfa Root Rot," Carolyn Young, Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Inc., 12:20 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, host: Mary Ann Bruns, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (863-1601 or 863-0779).

"Exploring Space: The Quest for Life" (video), 3:30 p.m., 211 Davey Laboratory, Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library (865-7617 or www.libraries.psu.edu/pams/filmseries.html).

(title to be announced), Richard Brower, Boston University, 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"The Outreach of Knowledge: Extending Specialized Expertise to the Non-Specialist—NetWeaver," Michael Saunders, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Department of Geography (865-3433).

"Game Theory: Part Two," Leonid Vaserstein, Penn State, 4:40 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

SATURDAY, 10 FEBRUARY

"Serotonin and the Misbehaving Brain: Unraveling the Biology of Anxiety and Depression" (Frontiers lecture #3 of 5), Anne M. Andrews, Penn State, 11:00 a.m., 100 Thomas Building, Eberly College of Science (863-0901 or www.science.psu.edu/alert/frontiers).

SUNDAY, 11 FEBRUARY

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Additions or cancellations will be noted on weekly Science Seminar listings on the Web.

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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. Click here for additional information about Science Seminars, or for instruction on how to SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE.

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This issue of SCIENCE SEMINARS was produced by Leta A. Krumrine and Kristen Devlin.