DATES: 10:30-11:30 a.m., Feb. 2, 9, 16; March 8, 15, 29; April 5, 12, 2008

EVENT: The winter 2008 Saturday Morning Physics talks.

A U-M tradition since 1995, this lecture series lets physicists discuss their work in easy-to-understand, non-technical terms. The lectures include multimedia presentations, hands-on demonstrations, slides, videos, and computer simulations. Audiences will explore the universe through current theoretical answers to questions about the galaxies, string theory, cosmology, cosmic rays, and dark energy. Audiences will hear a lecture by the distinguished 1976 Nobel Laureate Professor Samuel C. C. Ting, who was a graduate student in the U-M Physics Department. The season will end with the physics of roller coasters.

The schedule includes:

Feb. 2

Professor August Evrard, Physics (U-M)

“Adventitious Machinery: Our Heritage as Amplified Noise”

The Earth is in a seemingly ordinary disk galaxy lying in a strand of a cosmic web that stretches as far as the telescopically-aided eye can see. How was this web imprinted in our universe? How did the structures in it, like black holes, stars and galaxies, form and evolve? Professor Evrard will explain how recent developments in theory, observation and numerical simulation are revealing answers to these far-reaching questions. In short, current evidence paints a picture in which we are essentially amplified noise.

Feb. 9

Professor Sera Cremonini, Physics (U-M)

“What is String Theory Anyway?”

What are the basic building blocks of nature? What holds the key to unifying the four fundamental forces of nature? Learn the basics of string theory, the leading candidate for a theory of quantum gravity.

Feb. 16

Professor Sera Cremonini, Physics (U-M)

“String Theory: What is It Good For?”

In this talk we will explore some of the most exciting recent developments in string theory. What have we learned about the connection between large scales and small scales, between Einstein’s theory of gravity and quantum mechanics? What has string theory taught us about black holes and the early moments of the universe?”

March 8

Dr. Elena Rasia, Physics (U-M)

“Modeling the Cosmos?Observations and Simulations”

Cosmology has been “the study of the universe in its totality”. Both sky observations and simulations have taken huge steps forward in the recent past. Professor Rasia will explain the most important successes achieved in our understanding of the universe and its main components: dark matter and dark energy. She will discuss the future of this field, and U-M’s involvement in one of the biggest future sky surveys.

March 15

Professor Samuel C. C. Ting, 1976 Nobel Laureate (MIT)

“Encounters with Modern Physics”

March 29

Emeritus Professor Lawrence W. Jones, Physics (U-M)

“Cosmic Rays”

Cosmic rays are nuclear particles from outer space. We will review the discovery, study, and understanding of these particles, as well as the unknown problems and challenges in this lively field of study. Some current (mountain elevation) and future (satellite) research activities will be described.

April 5

Professor Dragan Huterer, Physics (U-M)

“Dark Energy and the Accelerating Universe”

The discovery that the expansion of the universe is speeding up has generated waves in the field of cosmology and presents us with a grand mystery: what is the origin and nature of dark energy, the stuff that causes the accelerated expansion?

April 12

Professor David Gerdes, Physics (U-M)

“Taking the Plunge: The Physics of Roller Coasters”

Roller coasters are thrill factories: the heart-stopping plunge, the g-forces that press you into your seat, the feeling that you will float away as you crest the hill, the rush as you circle the loop-the-loop. This talk will describe how the thrills you experience at the amusement park originate with Newton’s laws of motion, and how the physiological limits of the human body govern the design of the rides.

PLACE: The lectures are held in rooms 170 and 182 of the Dennison Building, 500 Church St., on the U-M Central Campus, Ann Arbor.

SPONSOR: The winter 2008 series is sponsored by the University of Michigan Department of Physics and friends of the department.

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