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Physics is a fundamental science and provides the foundations for solving both cosmic mysteries and practical problems. In 1995, the University of Michigan Department of Physics began sharing some of the latest ideas in the field with the public in the Saturday Morning Physics lecture series. Designed for general audiences, the lectures are an opportunity to hear physicists discuss their work in easy-to-understand, non-technical terms. The multimedia presentations include hands-on demonstrations of the principles discussed, along with slides, video, and computer simulations.

The Winter 2008 Saturday Morning Physics series is sponsored by the Physics Department and gifts from friends of the program. For ways to view the talks after the lecture date, please click here.

We regret to announce that Dr. M. Lois Tiffany passed away on Monday, December 25, 2006. More information about her life and love of physics can be found here.

You may view Saturday Morning Physics talks on-line by visiting the Web Lecture Archive Project website.

Various presentations from previous SMP talks including the Fall 2007 talks may be found on the Previous Years section of this website.

Each talk begins at 10:30 A.M. in 170 Dennison
All lectures are free and open to the public
Please see the updated important information section for more details
including parking procedures.
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Upcoming Events for 2008: Saturday Morning Physics

Saturday Morning Physics A Panel Discussion of Complicite’s “A Disappearing Number” Location: Power Center, 121 N. Fletcher St. 9/13/2008; 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM Kicking off the Saturday Morning Physics season, the University Musical Society (UMS) and Saturday Morning Physics will convene math, science, theatre and humanities professors to discuss the play, “A Disappearing Number.” Audience participation is invited. Click on event for PARKING and TIME details.

Saturday Morning Physics A Physicist Looks at Brain Tumors Location: 170 & 182 Dennison 9/20/2008; 10:30 am to 11:30 am Speaker: Professor Leonard Sander, Physics & MCTP (UM) Highly malignant brain tumors spread through the brain by invasion, the migration of single cancer cells. This process is devastating for the prospects of curing patients. The biomechanics of the invasion process is little understood, but is central for making progress towards control of the disease. Professor Sander will present a number of studies which tackle the issue.

Saturday Morning Physics Superstring Cosmology or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Inflation Location: 170 & 182 Dennison 9/27/2008; 10:30 am to 11:30 am Speaker: Professor Scott Watson, Physics (UM) In its earliest moments the Universe experienced a very rapid period of accelerated expansion known as cosmological inflation. Inflation leads to a number of observational signatures that can be used to test our theories of the early Universe. One example of such a theory is Superstring theory. Recent theoretical advances not only provide testable string models of inflation, but may even allow us to ask what happened before the “Big Bang”. Most excitingly, many of these ideas will be tested in the near future by experiment. After a general overview of inflationary cosmology Professor Watson will discuss some of the new ideas arising from String theory and how many of them will be scrutinized in upcoming experiments.

Saturday Morning Physics Revealing the Building Blocks of Our Universe Location: 170 & 182 Dennison 10/4/2008; 10:30 am to 11:30 am Speaker: Professor Aaron Pierce, Physics (UM) Particle physicists try to answer some fundamental questions. What is the universe made of? How do these basic constituents interact? The Large Hadron Collider, set to start taking data this fall, should provide the data that will help answer these mysteries.

Saturday Morning Physics A Current Perspective on Great Lakes Water Levels Location: 170 & 182 Dennison 10/11/2008; 10:30 am to 11:30 am Speaker: Dr. Frank H. Quinn, (Consulting Research Hydrologist) Dr. Quinn will give an overview of the Great Lakes system from a water quantity perspective, a discussion of the types of water level fluctuations, water supply parameters and variability, glacial isostatic adjustment, anthropogenic changes to the system, and end up with current issues involving lake levels.

Saturday Morning Physics The Large Hadron Collider: The World’s Most Powerful Particle Accelerator Location: 170 & 182 Dennison 10/18/2008; 10:30 am to 11:30 am Speaker: Professor Homer Neal, Physics (UM) The world’s most powerful accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), will be inaugurated in Geneva on October 21, 2008. This huge accelerator, eighteen miles in circumference, will permit scientists to explore some of the most intriguing questions of our time, such as, what is the origin of mass, what are the basic symmetries of Nature, and what are the properties of the smallest building blocks of matter. The University of Michigan has one of the largest research groups involved with the LHC and Professor Neal will review the University’s role in this project, the status of the accelerator, and the plans for the initial experiments.

Saturday Morning Physics Buddhism and Science Location: 170 & 182 Dennison 10/25/2008; 10:30 am to 11:30 am Speaker: Professor Donald Lopez, Asian Languages and Cultures (UM) In debates on the relationship between religion and science, some have argued that among the world’s religions, Buddhism is the most compatible with science. In this lecture, Professor Donald Lopez will provide a brief history of the association of the Buddhism with science.

Saturday Morning Physics Tricks with Light: How Microscopy Reveals the Biological World Location: 170 & 182 Dennison 11/1/2008; 10:30 am to 11:30 am Speaker: Professor Jennifer Ogilvie, Physics (UM) From the first observation of cellular structures, light microscopy continues to shape our understanding of biology. This lecture will examine several important properties of how light interacts with matter, and explain how these interactions are exploited in the light microscope. Touching on several established microscopies, we'll also explore recent progress that is pushing the frontiers of spatial and chemical resolution, providing us with a richer view of the biological world.

Saturday Morning Physics What Physics has to do with Brain Function Location: 170 & 182 Dennison 11/8/2008; 10:30 am to 11:30 am Speaker: Professor Michal Zochowski, Biophysics (UM) Why are physicists studying the brain? What new angle can they bring to the table? Finally, what did we learn about different aspects of brain function using our research approaches? These are the questions Professor Zochowski will address in connection to brain structure, brain dynamics and brain function.

Saturday Morning Physics Non-Euclidean Sports and the Geometry of Surfaces Location: 170 & 182 Dennison 11/15/2008; 10:30 am to 11:30 am Speaker: Professor Richard Canary, Mathematics (UM) There are three “nice” two-dimensional geometries: spherical, Euclidean and hyperbolic. In order to understand hyperbolic geometry, Professor Canary will discuss its impact on various sports. He will examine the classification of surfaces and their natural geometries. Lastly, he will conclude with a brief look at recent progress on the geometrization of 3-dimensional spaces.