Mechanics ReView
Prof. Dave Pritchard
Mon-Fri, Jan 12-16, 20-23, 26-29, 02-04:00pm, 8-329
Enrollment limited: advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 08-Jan-2009
Limited to 50 participants.
Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)
Prereq: Contact Stephaine at jakoblic@mit.edu by noon 1/8/09
Mechanics ReView– Prof. Dave Pritchard
Start: Jan 12, Monday
End: Jan 29, Thursday
Building on Newtonian Mechanics at the 8.01 level, we will offer a unified view of how to solve real world mechanics problems that involve several concepts at once. We will emphasize several themes: modeling reality, making sense of the answer, approximations/estimation, how to approach problems and decompose them into simpler pieces, and a teacher-authored and student-modified WIKI on problem solving using models.
Limited enrollment – sign up by Noon Thursday Jan. 8 with Stephaine, jakoblic@mit.edu
Contact: Monica Wolf, 4-315, x3-4855, mwolf@mit.edu
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Nuclear Weapons: Physics, History, and Abolition?
Prof. Aron Bernstein, Prof. Kosta Tsipis
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)
Prereq: None
Overview of the history and physics of nuclear weapons, their devastating effects including nuclear winter, initial scientist’s discussions about controlling their use and spread, cold war history of weapons deployment, treaties which limited their use, nuclear proliferation and non-proliferation treaty, and the current discussion about abolition of nuclear weapons. There will be time for questions and discussion.
Contact: Prof. Aron Bernstein, 26-419, 253-2386, bernstein@LNS.MIT.EDU
Cosponsor: Science,Technology & Society
Prof. Aron Bernstein, Prof. Kosta Tsipis
Overview: physics history, history of weapons numbers in the cold war, outlook for reduction and elimination.
by Prof. Aron M. Bernstein
Wed Jan 21, 03-04:30pm, 26-414
Prof. Aron Bernstein, Prof. Kosta Tsipis
Physics of weapons and delivery systems: by Prof. Kosta Tsipis
Thu Jan 22, 03-04:30pm, 26-414
Prof. Aron Bernstein, Prof. Kosta Tsipis
Nuclear weapons effects including nuclear winter: by Prof. Kosta Tsipis
Mon Jan 26, 03-04:30pm, 26-414
Prof. Aron Bernstein, Prof. Kosta Tsipis
Nuclear Proliferation Treaty Outlook for Nuclear Weapons Policy in the Obama Administration: by Prof. Aron M. Bernsein
Wed Jan 28, 03-04:30pm, 26-414
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Physics Lectures for the General MIT Community
Physics Faculty, Researchers and Guests
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)
MIT professors, researchers and guest speakers will talk about the exciting and dynamic world of Physics. Look below for the dates, times, speakers and topics that peak your interests, then join us for a stimulating hour of Physics.
Contact: Monica Wolf, 4-315, x3-4855, mwolf@mit.edu
"Shedding Light on the Dark Universe"
Prof. Gabriella Sciolla
Prof. Sciolla will discuss how particle physicists search for Dark Matter interactions using extremely sensitive detectors located deep underground.She will focus on a new experimental technique that she and her colleagues are developing at MIT.This technique will allow them to measure the direction of motion of Dark Matter particles, and shed light on the distribution of Dark Matter in our Galaxy.
Mon Jan 5, 01:30-02:30pm, 6-120
"Looking for the First Stars with a New Radio Telescope Array"
Prof. Jackie Hewitt
The most distant structures observed are primordial density fluctuations in the Cosmic Microwave Background. These fluctuations later collapsed to form the first stars. Characteristic 1.4 GHz radio emission from hydrogen gas in these stars should now be redshifted to a frequency near 100 MHz. Radio astronomers, some at MIT, are building a novel radio telescope to search for these hydrogen signals from the first stars.
Wed Jan 7, 01:30-02:30pm, 6-120
"Black Holes, Cold Atoms and String Theory"
Prof. Allan Adams
Physical systems often get more interesting when the interactions get strong -- indeed, entirely new phases of matter can appear. A basic theoretical challenge is to find useful effective descriptions of strongly interacting systems. Remarkably, for many condensed matter toy models, an effective description is naturally given in terms of black holes in higher-dimensional gravity. We'll use string theory to see why.
Thu Jan 8, 01:30-02:30pm, 6-120
"Women in Physics: International View"
Prof. Yevgeniya Zastavker - Olin Professor
Although progress has been made, the global scientific workforce still under-utilizes the available female talent pool. Globally, the percentage of women in physics decreases with each step up the career ladder. Women physicists in the upper echelons are still scarce. I will discuss these and many other issues in the light of the 3rd International Conference on Women in Physics.
Mon Jan 12, 01:30-02:30pm, 6-120
"Games Microbes Play: The Game Theory Behind Cooperative Sucrose Metabolism in Yeast"
Dr. Jeff Gore
Understanding the conditions required for the evolution of cooperative behaviors is an enduring challenge in evolutionary biology. How can cooperators ensure that they are not taken advantage of by cheaters? In this talk, I use ideas from game theory to explain recent experiments studying how yeast cells cooperatively break down and consume the sugar sucrose.
Wed Jan 14, 01:30-02:30pm, 6-120
"Fiat Lux: The Making of the First Stars and Galaxies""
Prof. Rob Simcoe
New and coming telescopes may give astronomers a direct signal from the very first stars in the universe. This lecture describes what we hope and expect to see. Along the way, we will explore the physical mechanisms which transform the universe from a featureless sea of gas to the complex cosmic web of of stars, galaxies, and intergalactic matter that we see today.
Thu Jan 15, 01:30-02:30pm, 6-120
"Seeing the Ultra-Small and Capturing the Ultra-Fast"
Prof. Nuh Gedik
To understand properties of materials, understanding of the events taking place at the atomic scale is necessary. The problem however is that the atomic world is too small and events take place too fast for us to see them by conventional means.We will discuss methods of capturing these ultra-fast events by using very short laser pulses to make movies with atomic scale spatial resolution and ultra-fast temporal resolution.
Tue Jan 20, 01:30-02:30pm, 6-120
"Expanding the Opportunities for Women in Physics"
Prof. Millie Dresselhaus
During the past decade the participation of women in physics research and in careers has continued its steady advance. In my talk, an overview will be presented about what we learn from statistics on women in physics. I will then use my own career to illustrate one example of a woman in physics. In conclusion, I will look to the future of women in physics at this special time in our history.
Wed Jan 21, 01:30-02:30pm, 6-120
"Black Holes and Their Companions"
Dr. Paola Rebusco
"What are black holes? How do we observe them if they are black? ...Do black holes exist? Few objects in the Universe are as fascinating and puzzling as black holes. We will start with a pinch of General Relativity and discover some theoretical aspects of black holes. Then we will discuss the observational achievements attained in the last century and we will graze the fundamental mysteries that need to be solved."
Thu Jan 22, 01:30-02:30pm, 6-120
"Neutrinos vs. the Standard Model: Because Goliath Lost!"
Prof. Janet Conrad
Over years, physicists developed a "Standard Model" of particle physics which describes the data very well. It correctly predicted the results of nearly all particle physics experiments. Now we think the tiniest matter particle, the neutrino, shows a chink in the Standard model. This talk describes the discovery of neutrino mass and discusses the next steps in neutrino physics world-wide and at LNS.
Mon Jan 26, 01:30-02:30pm, 6-120
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Quantum Mechanics for Non-Physicists
Prof. Allan Adams
Mon Jan 5 thru Fri Jan 9, 11am-12:00pm, 4-237
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)
This class will give you a precise and modern introduction to Quantum Mechanics, from the axioms to Bell's Inequality. The first lecture has no prerequisites; the rest will require some linear algebra and single-variable calculus -- 18.02 and 18.06 or equivalents should more than suffice. No physics beyond high-school mechanics will be assumed. Based on lectures given at the Canada/USA MathCamp.
Contact: Prof. Allan Adams, 6-405, 253-4866, awa@MIT.EDU
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The Feynman Films
Andy Neely
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)
Prereq: None
This series of films by Richard Feynman is open to the MIT community.
Contact: Andy Neely, 6c-207, 253-6841, aneely@mit.edu
The Law of Gravitation
Andy Neely
Mon Jan 5, 12-01:30pm, 6-120
The Best Mind Since Einstein
Andy Neely
Wed Jan 7, 12-01:30pm, 6-120
The Relation of Mathematics to Physics
Andy Neely
Thu Jan 8, 12-01:30pm, 6-120
The Great Conservation Principles
Andy Neely
Mon Jan 12, 12-01:30pm, 6-120
Symmetry in Physical Law
Andy Neely
Wed Jan 14, 12-01:30pm, 6-120
The Last Journey of a Genius
Andy Neely
Thu Jan 15, 12-01:30pm, 6-120
Take the World from Another Point of View
Andy Neely
Tue Jan 20, 12-01:30pm, 6-120
The Distinction of Past and Future
Andy Neely
Wed Jan 21, 12-01:30pm, 6-120
Probability and Uncertainty
Andy Neely
Thu Jan 22, 12-01:30pm, 6-120
Seeking New Laws
Andy Neely
Mon Jan 26, 12-01:30pm, 6-120
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