November 11, 2003 - 7:30pm
Professor Edward Wright
Department of Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles
"Observing the Origin of the Universe"
Professor Wright has worked extensively in experimental cosmology -
the study of the origin and eventual fate of our universe. His observations
have been made with orbiting satellite telescopes which measure light
that was created mere minutes after the Big Bang. Professor Wright will
describe what we now know from direct observation about the earliest
times in our universe, and what we think that implies for our future.
Professor Wright's lecture will be at 7:30pm on Tuesday, November 11
in Van Allen Hall Lecture Room #2. The entrance is located at the
corner of Linn and Iowa Streets.
Listen
to an interview Professor Wright gave on the WSUI AM910 "Talk
of Iowa" radio program on November 11 about the origin of the
universe.
February 3, 2004 - 7:30pm
Professor Donald Gurnett
Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Iowa
"The Search for Water at Mars"
The possibility of life on Mars has long fascinated human observers. Of the many unanswered questions concerning the possible existence of life at Mars, none is more important than the presence of water. In this talk Prof. Gurnett will discuss the history of the search for water at Mars, starting with Lowell's early 20th century ideas of "canals" and intelligent beings on Mars, extending through the modern era of robotic spacecraft exploration, and ending with a discussion of possible human flight to Mars.
Professor Gurnett has provided instrumentation for over 30 major spacecraft
projects, the most recent of which is a radar on the Mars Express spacecraft
to search for sub-surface water at Mars, and has received many awards
for his teaching and research. In 1994 he received the Iowa Board of
Regents Award for Faculty Excellence, and in 1998 he was elected to
the National Academy of Sciences.
Listen
to an interview Professor Gurnett gave on the WSUI AM910 "Talk
of Iowa" radio program on February 3 about Mars and space exploration.
March 23, 2004 - 7:30pm
Dr. Jill Tarter
SETI Institute
"Life, the Universe, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
in a Nutshell"
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Another summer, another "blockbuster" movie about aliens... but do
they really exist? The real scientific search for evidence of life,
and particularly intelligent life, elsewhere in the cosmos is just as
exciting as the "reel" version, and a lot more logical. So far, we have
only life-as-we-know-it to guide our speculations and observations.
But new technologies, a new appreciation of the tenacity of life and
a growing respect for the world of microbes, new spacecraft and missions,
and new observatory facilities are rapidly expanding our viewpoint and
surprising us. We can expect more surprises. In the next few decades
we will take a much closer look at the places within our solar system
where liquid water (even vast oceans) may exist and harbor life. We
will probe the closest stars to see if other 'Earths' and 'biospheres'
exist. SETI will broaden its strategies and extend its range out into
the galaxy, looking for evidence of someone else's technology. We don't
know what we will find; that's part of the excitement.
Jill Tarter holds the Bernard M. Oliver Chair for SETI (Search for
Extraterrestrial Intelligence) and is Director of the Center for SETI
Research at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California. Tarter
received her Bachelor of Engineering Physics Degree with Distinction
from Cornell University and her Master's Degree and a Ph.D. in Astronomy
from the University of California, Berkeley. She served as Project Scientist
for NASA's SETI program, the High Resolution Microwave Survey, and has
conducted numerous observational programs at radio observatories worldwide.
She has published scores of technical articles, has been elected to
many professional societies, and has served on a number of scientific
advisory committees. Tarter's work has brought her wide recognition
in the scientific community, including the Lifetime Achievement Award
from Women in Aerospace, two Public Service Medals from NASA, Chabot
Observatory's Person of the Year award (1997), Women of Achievement
Award in the Science and Technology category by the Women's Fund and
the San Jose Mercury News (1998), and the Tesla Award of Technology
at the Telluride Tech Festival (2001). She was elected an AAAS Fellow
in 2002 and a California Academy of Sciences Fellow in 2003.
Tarter is deeply involved in the education of future citizens and scientists.
In addition to her scientific leadership at NASA and SETI Institute,
Tarter is the Principal Investigator for two curriculum development
projects funded by NSF, NASA, and others. The first, the Life in
the Universe series, created 6 science teaching guides for grades
3-9 (published 1994-96). Her second project, Voyages Through Time,
is an integrated high school science curriculum on the fundamental theme
of evolution in six modules: Cosmic Evolution, Planetary Evolution,
Origin of Life, Evolution of Life, Hominid Evolution and Evolution of
Technology. National field tests were conducted in 28 US states during
academic year, 2001-2002 (published 2003). Tarter is a frequent speaker
for science teacher meetings and at museums and science centers, bringing
her commitment to science and education to both teachers and the public.
Many people are now familiar with her work as portrayed by Jodie Foster
in the movie Contact.
April 13, 2004 - 7:30pm
Professor Daniel Ralph
Department of Physics, Cornell University
"Nano-Science and Technology: A Progress Report"
Nanoscience and nanotechnology are the study and application of phenomena at the extremely small length scales of 1 nanometer to 100 nanometers. These length scales lie in between the typical distance separating atoms in a solid (about 1/3 nanometers) and the length of a wave of visible light (500 nanometers). Several dramatic advances in nanometer-scale science and technology have been achieved over the last few years, including the control of single electrons in electrical circuits, extremely rapid miniaturization of computer memories, and the manipulation of single molecules. Astounding claims for both the usefulness and the danger of nano-devices are now pervasive. Prof. Ralph will discuss some of the technical advances and the new ideas at the root of this field. He will describe examples of recent progress in some promising research areas, and distinguish between real advances and outrageous claims.
May 4, 2004 - 7:30pm
Professor Mary Hall Reno
Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Iowa
"Neutrinos: Messengers from the Biggest Explosions in the Universe"
Several hundred trillion elementary particles called neutrinos are
produced in the Sun, travel to Earth and pass through our bodies each
second. How can neutrinos, which hardly ever interact, help us understand
stars, supernova explosions and other features of our Universe? Why
is it better to look for neutrinos from deep in mines rather than from
the surface of the Earth? A theoretical particle physicist specializing
in neutrinos, Professor Mary Hall Reno will talk about how neutrinos
are "seen" experimentally and what it takes to build a neutrino
telescope. She will describe recent discoveries by teams using neutrino
telescopes and prospects for the future.
Mary Hall Reno is a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy
at The University of Iowa. Professor Reno received her Bachelor of Arts
degree in physics from Reed College and her Ph.D. in physics from
Stanford University. She has conducted research on neutrinos for 20
years, specializing in theoretical calculations important for neutrino
telescope efforts.
