Professor of Physics Hal Haggard and Colleagues Receive Buchalter Cosmology Prize for Black Hole Research
Bard College Assistant Professor of Physics Hal Haggard and his fellow researchers were awarded a 2019 Buchalter Cosmology Prize at the 235th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Honolulu, Hawaii, on January 6.
Professor of Physics Hal Haggard and Colleagues Receive Buchalter Cosmology Prize for Black Hole Research
Bard College Assistant Professor of Physics Hal Haggard and his fellow researchers were awarded a 2019 Buchalter Cosmology Prize at the 235th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Honolulu, Hawaii, on January 6. The annual prize series, created by Dr. Ari Buchalter in 2014, seeks to reward new ideas or discoveries that have the potential to produce a breakthrough advance in our understanding of the origin, structure, and evolution of the universe. Professor Haggard and his colleagues were recognized for research testing the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of black holes.
The $5,000 Second Prize was awarded to Professor Haggard, of Bard College and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, and colleagues from the Pennsylvania State University: Eugenio Bianchi, Anuradha Gupta, and B. S. Sathyaprakash (also of Cardiff University). The judging panel recognized their paper, “Quantum Gravity and Black Hole Spin in Gravitational Wave Observations: a Test of the Bekenstein-Hawking Entropy,” as “a remarkable test of the thermodynamic character of black holes, predicting the spin characteristics of an initial primordial population of black holes that thermalize in the early universe, and which could be detectable by current and near-future gravitational wave detectors.”
Haggard’s work is part of an ongoing scientific revolution in the study of black holes. Last year, scientists captured the first direct image of a black hole, less than four years after measuring, for the first time, the gravitational waves created by the collision of two black holes circling one another at nearly light speed. These waves directly oscillate space and time. Contrary to initial expectations, pairs of black holes crashing into each other give rise to most of the gravitational waves we can currently measure. Advanced facilities like the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) are now observing and measuring black hole collisions about once a week.
Previously, scientists only knew about two main types of black holes: X-ray binary systems, which often contain one active star and a black hole, in the range of five to 15 times the mass of our sun, that “siphons off” mass from the donor star; and supermassive black holes, a class that includes the black hole imaged in 2019, which measures about 6.5 billion solar masses.
Prior to LIGO, physicists did not expect that the main class of binary collisions measured would be of two black holes, or that those black holes would have masses in the range of 20 to 80 solar masses. Most surprising of all, it now appears possible that most of the black holes measured through gravitational waves aren’t spinning at all before they collide. Scientists had thought that the majority of black holes were formed in the gravitational collapse of a rotating star.
Haggard and his colleagues’ paper shows that black holes formed in a different way, as part of the hot primordial soup of the early universe, could naturally have zero spin. The authors also find that these black holes would be expected to have masses of 10 to 100 times the mass of our sun. Their arguments are based on understanding how entropy and temperature determine the physical characteristics of a black hole, for example its spin.
“I’m delighted about this paper because it brings together so many of the strands of my work,” says Haggard. “Gravitational wave measurements are an exciting probe of the rich interplay between gravitational thermodynamics, black holes, and the early history of the cosmos. It is a rare point of contact between the ideas that go into a quantum theory of gravity, like black hole entropy, and experimental observations that are happening right now.”
The $10,000 First Prize was awarded to Jahed Abedi and Niayesh Afshordi for their work entitled “Echoes from the Abyss: A Highly Spinning Black Hole Remnant for the Binary Neutron Star Merger GW170817.” The $2,500 Third Prize was awarded to José Beltrán Jiménez of Universidad de Salamanca and colleagues for their work entitled “The Geometrical Trinity of Gravity.”
Dr. Buchalter, a former astrophysicist turned business entrepreneur, established the prize series in the belief that significant breakthroughs in the field of cosmology still lie ahead but might require challenging and breaking with accepted paradigms. “The 2019 prizewinners represent bold thinking that can help open up new frontiers in our understanding of physics and of the universe,” said Dr. Buchalter. The judging panel for the annual prizes is made up of leading theoretical physicists noted for their work in cosmology. The 2019 panel included Justin Khoury and Mark Trodden of the University of Pennsylvania and Lee Smolin of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. Learn more at buchwaltercosmologyprize.org.
Ethan Richman ’20 led a team of undergraduates working in the labs of Bard Chemistry Professor Chris LaFratta and Physics Professor Paul Cadden-Zimansky to pioneer a potentially cleaner and faster way of slicing graphene at the nanoscale.
Underwater Laser Slicing of the World’s Thinnest Material
Bard Faculty and Students in Chemistry and Physics Collaborate on Newly Published Research
In recent years, scientists have developed a new set of techniques to thin down certain materials into sheets that are only a few atoms thick—the most famous example being graphene, a one-atom thin layer of graphite that holds the title of world’s thinnest material. Graphene and its thin cousins hold promise both for being implemented in new technology and in helping physicists understand the quantum properties of materials. In making prototype devices from them, researchers often need to shape these sheets into particular patterns with features measured in nanometers.
Noting that conventional methods for doing this require multistep processes that can damage the materials, Ethan Richman ’20 led a team of undergraduates working in the labs of Bard Chemistry Professor Chris LaFratta and Physics Professor Paul Cadden-Zimansky to pioneer a potentially cleaner and faster way of slicing graphene at the nanoscale by using a high-powered laser beam focused into a microscope. While a handful of other research groups around the world have tried using lasers for graphene slicing, the Bard researchers noticed that laser cuts in air can damage the graphene at the atomic level. Taking a cue from techniques used in industrial laser cutting, Richman tried modifying the cutting technique by submerging the graphene in water and found this improved both the quality and efficiency of the cutting. Their results are published in Optics Materials Express, with Cadden-Zimansky, LaFratta, and eight student collaborators as coauthors.
The Bard Summer School on Quantum Gravity brought 52 students from more than 20 countries to Annandale. Bard College students on campus for the Summer Research Institute also participated. This program for undergraduate and graduate students features canonical and covariant approaches to quantum gravity and quantum cosmology.
Bard Hosts Quantum Gravity Summer School for Students and Scholars from U.S. and Abroad
With Public Lecture “What Is Time?” by Carlo Rovelli, World-Renowned Scientist and Best-Selling Author, on Thursday, June 13
The Bard Summer School on Quantum Gravity takes place from June 9 to June 16. Fifty-two students from more than 20 countries will participate, plus Bard College students on campus for the Summer Research Institute. This program for undergraduate and graduate students features canonical and covariant approaches to quantum gravity and quantum cosmology. One unique feature of the program is an afternoon computing lab in which students learn a computational technique in cosmology or one in quantum gravity from scratch.
The Bard Summer School on Quantum Gravity provides free tuition and housing on the Bard College campus. The school received generous support from the Center for Gravitation and the Cosmos at Pennsylvania State University; the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics; the University of Waterloo; the Division of Science, Mathematics, and Computing at Bard College; the Dean of Bard College; and the Bard Physics Program.
The eight faculty members are scholars at the top of their fields: Ivan Agullo, Louisiana State University; Boris Bolliet, Jodrell Bank Center for Astrophysics, The University of Manchester; Pietro Doná, Pennsylvania State University; Edward Wilson-Ewing, University of New Brunswick; Maïté Dupuis, University of Waterloo and Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics; Laurent Freidel, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics; Carlo Rovelli, Centre de Physique Théorique, Aix-Marseille Université and Université de Toulon; and Sebastian Steinhaus, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.
Students in the Quantum Gravity Summer School at Bard College.
Carlo Rovelli, world-renowned scientist and best-selling author, will give a public lecture, “What Is Time?,” in Olin Hall on Thursday, June 13, at 7:00 p.m. as part of the weeklong program. Rovelli is a member of the faculty at Centre de Physique Théorique de Aix-Marseille Université et Université de Toulon, France. Rovelli writes of his upcoming lecture:
Time is a mystery that does not cease to puzzle us. Philosophers, artists and poets have long explored its meaning while scientists have found that its structure is different from the simple intuition we have of it. From Boltzmann to quantum theory, from Einstein to loop quantum gravity, our understanding of time has been undergoing radical transformations. Time flows at a different speed in different places, the past and the future differ far less than we might think, and the very notion of the present evaporates in the vast universe.
The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Reserve a seat by emailing Hal Haggard (hhaggard@bard.edu). Doors open at 6:30 p.m. This event is sponsored by the Physics Program.
— Further Reading —
Jim Bardeen, Hal Haggard, and Carlo Rovelli, faculty members in the Bard Summer School on Quantum Gravity, weigh in on “White Holes: Black Holes’ Neglected Twins,” in Space.
Bard Alum, Physics PhD Candidate Ingrid Stolt ’15 on the Magic of Magnets
At age seven, Bard alum Ingrid Stolt ’15 fell in love with the magnets on her parents’ refrigerator: “I used to pretend that one magnet was a magic wand that was causing the other to move back and forth and rotate through supernatural powers. Magnetism seemed magical because it was so mysterious, yet I wanted to understand how it worked.” Today, she's a fourth-year doctoral student in physics, helping to develop practical uses for superconductivity at Northwestern's Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Laboratory.
The Opportunity Cost of Animal-Based Diets Exceeds All Food Losses, Says New Study Coauthored by Bard Professor Gidon Eshel
Extending the definition of food loss to include inefficient dietary choices, a new study quantifies the benefits of plant-based diets versus animal-based diets for food security. The study, published in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), is coauthored by Bard College Research Professor Gidon Eshel. Animal based foods require more resources per unit product (gram, calorie, or gram protein) than plant-based foods. Since resources allocated to feed production for livestock yield less human food compared with what they could have yielded if they were instead used for plant-based food production, allocating resources to animal-based food production constitutes an effective food loss. Alon Shepon and colleagues quantify this “opportunity cost” by estimating the amount of food that could be produced if animal-based items were replaced by nutritionally at least comparable plant-based items in the U.S. diet.
The authors found that plant-based replacements could produce 2- to 20-fold more protein per acre than beef, pork, poultry, dairy, or eggs. The authors further estimate that replacing all animal-based products in the mean American diet with plant-based alternatives would allow increased food production sufficient to feed approximately 350 million additional people, or 110 percent of the current U.S. population. This putative added food availability handily exceeds potential food availability gains by elimination of conventional food losses, mostly spoilage, leaky supply chains, or post-retail waste.
Gidon Eshel is research professor in environmental science and physics at Bard College. He earned a BA from Haifa University and MA, MPhil, and PhD degrees from Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University.
Professor of Physics Matthew Deady Awarded Inaugural 2016 Michèle Dominy Award for Teaching Excellence
The Michèle Dominy Award was established in 2015 to honor Professor Dominy’s 14 years of service as the dean of the college. Professor Deady, the first recipient of the award, is described in the letter of nomination as “an exemplar of Bard’s intellectual mission and dedication.”
Hegeman 10712:00 pm – 1:00 pm Saquib designs interactive technology and wearable sensors, and is always looking for ways to merge powerful ideas from different fields. Significant projects include the invention of drawing-based mathematics, gesture-based storytelling in augmented reality, shoe-based sensor network helping social learning for children, and simulation software for particle accelerators. His works were featured in NHK World TV, Boston Globe, Edsurge etc., and funded by Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative and Omidyar Network, among others, for startup ventures. He studied Physics and Liberal Arts at Bard College, Scientific Computing & Applied Math (MS) at University of Utah, Media Arts & Sciences (MS) at MIT Media Lab, and is currently a PhD Candidate at the MIT Media Lab.
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Hegeman 107
3/13
Friday
Friday, March 13, 2020 Leila Makdisi, ’09 Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago Hegeman 10712:00 pm – 1:00 pm Leila Makdisi, ’09 will discuss how scientific practices and thought are applied in informal settings through her work as an Educator at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago.
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Hegeman 107
4/10
Friday
Friday, April 10, 2020 Joshua Smith California State University, Fullerton
Hegeman 10712:00 pm – 1:00 pm Albert Einstein predicted gravitational waves in 1916, as a consequence of his general relativity theory. A century later, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) began observing these waves from merging systems of black holes and neutron stars. These observations cemented relativity theory and inaugurated an era of gravitational-wave multi-messenger astronomy.
LIGO and its partners are just sensitive enough to measure the strongest gravitational waves. Cosmic Explorer (CE) is a next-generation ground-based gravitational-wave observatory envisioned to begin operations in the 2030s. With its spectacular sensitivity, CE will observe gravitational-wave sources across the history of the universe. Sources that are barely detectable by today’s instruments will be resolved with incredible precision.
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Hegeman 107
5/01
Friday
Friday, May 1, 2020 Djordje Minic, Virginia Tech Hegeman 10712:00 pm – 1:00 pm
A place to work on math homework, study with classmates, or speak to a math tutor.
Friday, November 15, 2019
Abigail Stevens ’11 Michigan State University Hegeman 10712:00 pm – 1:00 pm One of the best laboratories to study strong-field gravity is the inner 100s of kilometers around black holes and neutron stars in binary systems with low-mass stars like our Sun. The X-ray light curves of these binary systems show variability on timescales from milliseconds to months — the shorter (sub-second) variability can appear as quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs), which may be produced by general relativistic effects. My research looks at QPOs from black holes and neutron stars (as well as coherent X-ray pulsations from neutron stars) by fitting the phase-resolved energy spectra of these signals to constrain their physical origin and track their evolution in time. In this talk, I will introduce why black holes and neutron stars are interesting and discuss state-of-the-art “spectral-timing” analysis techniques for understanding more about them. I will also highlight open-source astronomy research software and the importance of mental wellbeing among students and early-career researchers.
A place to work on math homework, study with classmates, or speak to a math tutor.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Campus Walk Above Kline9:30 am – 1:00 pm In a rare occurrence, the planet Mercury will pass in front of the Sun on the morning of November 11. However, this is not a celestial event that one can view by looking to the heavens with an unaided eye, since
a) Mercury is very small compared with the Sun, and
b) You shouldn't look directly at the Sun.
In order to view the transit (clouds permitting) the Physics Program will have a telescope with a solar filter set up on Campus Walk, just up the hill from Kline. Drop by anytime from 9:30am until the transit ends at 1pm to check out this planetary alignment for yourself.
Note the next chance to view a Mercury transit from Bard will be on May 7, 2049.
A place to work on math homework, study with classmates, or speak to a math tutor.
Friday, November 8, 2019
Trevor LaMountain, Northwestern University Hegeman 10712:00 pm – 1:00 pm Interactions between light and matter underlie a variety of everyday technologies. Typical examples include solar cells, where light is absorbed and converted to electronic energy, and LEDs, where the opposite occurs. By embedding semiconductors in between two mirrors, we can greatly enhance the light-matter interaction, giving rise to much more exotic effects than just absorption or emission. Under certain conditions these systems can form hybrid quantum states known as “polaritons,” which exhibit properties of both light and matter. In a different regime, off-resonant light can cause the electronic energy levels to shift with negligible absorption. Known as the optical Stark effect, this feature provides a way to precisely control the energy levels of semiconductors using only light. In this talk, I will introduce the closely-related physics that describes both polariton formation and the optical Stark effect. I will then discuss some interesting features of both of these phenomena in atomically-thin semiconductors. Finally, I will present resent results that combine both of these regimes by demonstrating the optical Stark shift of exciton-polaritons in atomically-thin semiconductors.
A place to work on math homework, study with classmates, or speak to a math tutor.
Friday, October 18, 2019
Aldo Riello • Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics Hegeman 10712:00 pm – 1:00 pm General relativity and quantum mechanics are at the foundations of our understanding of space, time, gravity, and matter. Yet, it is not clear how they can fit into a consistent, encompassing framework, generically named a theory of “quantum gravity.” In this talk, I will paint in broad strokes the fundamental ideas underlying general relativity and quantum mechanics as well as some of the issues that arise when trying to combine their precepts. I will then present a possible way forward in the form of a theory of quantum geometro-dynamics, of which I will discuss the main characteristics. Curiously, we find that the way quantum space is supposed to evolve in a fictitious two-dimensional world (where the geometro-dynamics is well understood and solvable) is closely related to certain models of surface growth, known as solid-on-solid models (SoS).
A place to work on math homework, study with classmates, or speak to a math tutor.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Bard Physics Program Faculty Hegeman 10712:00 pm – 1:00 pm The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to two separate discoveries that broadened our understanding of the Universe. One half of the prize was given to Jim Peebles “for contributions to our understanding of the evolution of the universe” and the other half to Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz “for the discover of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star.” Both of these works fundamentally changed our view of our universe and our place in it. Faculty of the Physics Program will expand on the ideas behind the discoveries and emphasize their significance.
A place to work on math homework, study with classmates, or speak to a math tutor.
Friday, October 4, 2019
Bruce Partridge, Haverford College Hegeman 10712:00 pm – 1:00 pm The cosmic microwave background (CMB) is the heat left over from the hot Big Bang of the early universe. Careful studies of the CMB have greatly enriched our understanding of the history and properties of the universe—and what it was like very early on. In this talk, I will focus on the basic science of the CMB, and how this intertwined with the “discovery” of the CMB. I'll start with this proposition: the very early universe was dense, hot, and very, very simple.
A place to work on math homework, study with classmates, or speak to a math tutor.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Jan Borchert, Current Hydro Hegeman 10712:00 pm – 1:00 pm Jan Borchert will be bringing the Annandale project design drawings, presenting a local site assessment, and talking about the Current Hydro 8-inch GV model that was developed over the last year with Bard students.
A place to work on math homework, study with classmates, or speak to a math tutor.
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
A Film Screening and Discussion with Robert Stone and Michael Robinson Olin Hall8:00 pm – 9:30 pm Of this summer's many commemorations of the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing, the Los Angeles Times deemed the Robert Stone's 6-hour PBS documentary Chasing the Moon to be the "most all-encompassing . . . deep and thorough, detailed but never dull." Chasing the Moon reveals the unknown stories of the fascinating individuals whose imaginative work across several decades culminated in America’s momentous achievement. More than a story of engineers and astronauts, the Moon landing grew out of the dreams of science fiction writers, filmmakers, military geniuses and rule-breaking scientists. After screening excerpts of the documentary, writer-producer-director Stone will be interviewed by historian of exploration and podcaster Michael Robinson, followed by a question and answer session with the audience. Weather permitting after the event, the Bard Physics Program and members of the Mid-Hudson Astronomical Association will have telescopes set up outside the auditorium to view the rising full moon and other celestial objects. The event is free and open to the public.
Note that the full documentary can currently be streamed here through the end of August.
Robert Stone is an Oscar and Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker, who's works such as Radio Bikini, Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst, Oswald’s Ghost, and Pandora's Promise, have appeared in theatrical release, CNN, PBS, and the Sundance Film Festival. He wrote, produced, and directed the 6-hour Chasing the Moon documentary, which premiered on PBS's American Experience this summer, and co-authored a companion book of the same title.
Michael Robinson is a professor of history at Hillyer College, University of Hartford who studies the role of exploration in science and culture, both through his award-winning academic books (The Coldest Crucible: Arctic Exploration and American Culture, The Lost White Tribe: Scientists, Explorers, and the Theory that Changed a Continent) and his popular weekly podcast Time to Eat the Dogs (named for certain eventualities in many Arctic expeditions).
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Carlo Rovelli, Centre de Physique Théorique de Aix-Marseille Université et Université de Toulon Olin Hall7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Time is a mystery that does not cease to puzzle us. Philosophers, artists, and poets have long explored its meaning while scientists have found that its structure is different from the simple intuition we have of it. From Boltzmann to quantum theory, from Einstein to loop quantum gravity, our understanding of time has been undergoing radical transformations. Time flows at a different speed in different places, the past and the future differ far less than we might think, and the very notion of the present evaporates in the vast universe.
The presentation is free and open to the public. However, we ask that attendees from outside the Bard community reserve a seat by emailing Hal Haggard (hhaggard@bard.edu). Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Reem-Kayden Center3:30 pm – 4:30 pm Come meet your fellow summer researchers and have some snacks!
Thursday, May 16, 2019
Reem-Kayden Center6:00 pm – 7:30 pm Join our seniors in presenting their Senior Project research!
Friday, May 10, 2019
Eduardo Rozo, University of Arizona Hegeman 10712:00 pm – 1:00 pm Cosmological parameter inferences based on Planck’s measurements of the cosmic microwave background are currently in tension with various measurements of the late-time universe. I will introduce the currently standard LCDM cosmological paradigm, and discuss the evidence against it, presenting my own take on how everything might fit together at the end of the day. Hopefully one thing will be clear by the end: we’re in the middle of one of the most interesting periods in cosmology of the past 15 years!
Friday, April 19, 2019
Frank Stortini, ’13 Hegeman 10712:00 pm – 1:00 pm Frank Stortini will report on his experience working as an engineer in industrial gas production.
Friday, April 12, 2019
Recent Results from the Event Horizon Telescope Hegeman 10712:00 pm – 1:00 pm Since Einstein first explained that gravity could be thought of as the bending of space and time, this theory has been used to make numerous surprising predictions. One of these is the existence of black holes, regions of space and time where mass has been so compacted that gravity’s pull has become inexorable. The evidence that black holes are part of nature has grown steadily over the last 45 years, but we have never been able to look at a black hole and its vicinity directly. Two years ago a team of astronomers and physicists took data on a networked collection of radio telescopes distributed over several continents and turned the entire earth into an interferometer. The resulting telescope is so sensitive that it could image an orange on the moon if it emitted radio waves. On Wednesday, April 10, at 9am EDT, the Event Horizon Telescope team will announce their results in a web conference. We will explain the history and setup of the measurement and discuss the recently reported results of this exciting experiment.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Hegeman 1079:00 am – 10:00 am We will be live streaming the following press conference tomorrow morning in Hegeman 107: On April 10th 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration will present its first results in multiple simultaneous press conferences around the world, and many satellite events organized by its stakeholder and affiliated institutions.
These results may include the first direct images ever taken of a black hole. Even if they do not, this should be a fun and exciting time to gather and hear about what this collaboration has been doing. There will be a follow up seminar, that will discuss the results on Friday, April 12th at noon in Hegeman 107.
Friday, April 5, 2019
A. Douglas Stone – Yale University Hegeman 10712:00 pm – 1:00 pm Einstein is well known for his rejection of quantum mechanics in the form it emerged from the work of Heisenberg, Born and Schrodinger in 1926. Much less appreciated are the many seminal contributions he made to quantum theory prior to his final scientific verdict: that the theory was at best incomplete. In this talk I present an overview of Einstein’s many conceptual breakthroughs and place them in historical context. I argue that Einstein, much more than Planck, introduced the concept of quantization of energy in atomic mechanics. Einstein proposed the photon, the first force-carrying particle discovered for a fundamental interaction, and put forward the notion of wave-particle duality, based on sound statistical arguments 14 years before De Broglie’s work. He was the first to recognize the intrinsic randomness in atomic processes, and introduced the notion of transition probabilities, embodied in the A and B coefficients for atomic emission and absorption. He also preceded Born in suggesting the interpretation of wave fields as probability densities for particles (photons), in the case of the electromagnetic field. Finally, stimulated by Bose, he introduced the notion of indistinguishable particles in the quantum sense and derived the condensed phase of bosons, which is one of the fundamental states of matter at low temperatures. His work on quantum statistics in turn directly stimulated Schrodinger towards his discovery of the wave equation of quantum mechanics. It was only due to his rejection of the final theory that he is not generally recognized as the most central figure in this historic achievement of human civilization.
Friday, March 29, 2019
Chad Orzel Union College Hegeman 10712:00 pm – 1:00 pm Modern social media technologies provide an unprecedented opportunity to engage and inform a broad audience about the practice and products of science. Such outreach efforts are critically important in an era of funding cuts and global crises that demand scientific solutions. In this talk I'll offer examples and advice on the use of social media for science communication, drawn from seventeen years of communicating science online.
Friday, March 15, 2019
Jonathan Zrake, Columbia University Hegeman 10712:00 pm – 1:00 pm Gamma-ray bursts are the most powerful explosions in the universe. We know today that many come from the violent deaths of massive stars, and others from the collision of two neutron stars. However, just five decades ago their origins were a confounding mystery. I will present an overview of how gamma-ray bursts, which began as a government secret, have evolved into one of our most valuable tools for studying the cosmos. This story is still unfolding, having in the past two years coalesced with another—that of the first detections of gravitational waves, made possible by the LIGO and Virgo facilities. These discoveries have initiated a shift to “multimessenger astronomy,” which means that astronomers are beginning to observe cosmic events like gamma-ray bursts with telescopes, while at the same time “listening” to their space-time vibrations.
Thursday, March 14, 2019
A Hands-On Physics Buffet! Outside Hegeman9:30 am – 5:00 pm Come sample this buffet of HANDS-ON advanced laboratory experiments, including instruments that once led to Nobel Prizes!
Come aboard TeachSpin’s 44-foot trailer outfitted with a wide variety of advanced physics experiments, all powered up and ready to take measurements. Get a sense of the exciting opportunities available for students and faculty in a modern advanced experimental physics course.
Friday, March 8, 2019
Karen Dow, Laboratory for Nuclear Science, MIT Hegeman 10712:00 pm – 1:00 pm What do you do with an undergraduate major in physics and mathematics from a liberal arts college? I’ll talk about my career path, from graduate school in physics, to staff scientist at a national user facility, to scientific administrator. I’ll also present some of the research I’ve been involved in, and the various research projects going on today at MIT’s Laboratory for Nuclear Science.
Discover Physics at Bard
Paul Cadden-Zimansky, Director Physics Program Bard College | PO Box 5000 Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504 paulcz@bard.edu | 845-758-7584
