Presentations | Science Unwrapped

Investigating the Quantum Scale with Physicist Dr. Charlie Torre

Nearly sixty years ago, renowned physicist Richard Feynman invited scientists to enter the emerging field of atomic-scale physics with the rousing invitation, “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom.” “Scientists began studying nature at distances corresponding to atomic sizes and smaller years before Feynman’s urging and it is tempting to suppose that nature behaves at those length scales more or less the same as it does at other scales in everyday life,” says Utah State University physicist Charlie Torre.  Is that really the case? “Nothing could be further from the truth,” Torre says. Torre, a professor in USU’s Department of Physics, will explore the amazing atomic scale with the talk “Quantum” at USU’s Science Unwrapped program Friday, April 12.

Exploring the Ångström Scale with Biochemist Sean Johnson

Born in Sweden in 1814, Anders Ångström was a physicist, solar astronomer and a pioneer in the field of spectroscopy. He was among the first scientists to identify hydrogen in the Sun’s atmosphere and to examine the spectrum of the Aurora Borealis.  To express the wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, Ångström used a unit of length equal to one hundred-millionth of a centimeter, which was later called “ångström” or “angstrom” in his honor. “Ångström” is the topic for Utah State University’s Science Unwrapped program Friday, March 22, with featured speaker Sean Johnson, associate professor in USU’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and associate dean in the College of Science. “We’re going to examine the atomic world,” says Johnson, who specializes in structural biology and x-ray crystallography. “We’ll take a look ‘under the hood’ to investigate structures of this scale.”

How Big Is The Earth, Really?

USU geologist Carol Dehler was featured speaker for Science Unwrapped Friday, Nov. 30. Dehler, an associate professor in USU’s Department of Geology, was recently named a Fellow of the Geological Society of America. Her research interests include early Earth systems and the “Snowball Earth” hypothesis. Her teaching interests include physical and historical geology, stratigraphy and sedimentology.

Cosmologic: Are We Alone in the Cosmos?

USU physicist Tonya Triplett was featured speaker for Science Unwrapped Friday, Oct. 26. The gathering began at 7 p.m. in the Emert Auditorium, Room 130 of the Eccles Science Learning Center on campus.

Sharks: Guardians of Our Oceans

Though sharks often evoke fear, USU marine ecologist Trisha Atwood says they deserve greater credit for their role in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Why the World Needs Big Trees

“I think that I shall never see, a poem as lovely as a tree.” Many of us share poet Joyce Kilmer’s appreciation for trees, but we know little about the world’s really big trees. USU forest ecologist Jim Lutz sheds light on these natural wonders and why they’re important.  

Hiding In Plain Sight

Could scientists actually create an invisibility cloak like Harry Potter’s surprise Christmas gift? What if the U.S. Air Force could make fighter jets disappear like the Romulans’ Bird of Prey aircraft in the Star Trek TV series? Could operatives really sneak into a high-security building using optical camouflage like that depicted in Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol?

Dancing With The Stars: The Unheard Symphony of Gravity

Physicist Sydney Chamberlin often refers to dead stars as ‘zombie stars’ for comedic effect, but her research on these stars, gravitational waves and other cosmic phenomena is ‘dead serious.’ The Utah State University Honors alum will discuss her out-of-this-world research as featured speaker at Science Unwrapped Friday, Oct. 14. A postdoctoral fellow at the Pennsylvania State University, Chamberlin presents “Dancing with the Stars: The Unheard Symphony of Gravity” at 7 p.m. in the Eccles Science Learning Center Emert Auditorium, Room 130, on campus.

Water and People: Friends or Foes?

Water and people share an uneasy alliance. On the one hand, people can’t survive without water. But too much water destroys lives and property. People love water, but are we loving this precious resource to death? Utah State University’s Science Unwrapped explores this extraordinary relationship Friday, Nov. 6, with USU water scientist Michelle Baker. She presents “Water and People: Friends or Foes?” at 7 p.m. in the Eccles Science Learning Center Emert Auditorium, Room 130, on the Logan campus.

Keepers of the Water

Science Unwrapped, the public outreach program of Utah State University’s College of Science, meets at the confluence of art and science as it welcomes environmental artist Betsy Damon as featured speaker Friday, Oct. 9. “Quality of water has to equal quality of life,” says Damon, founder of the internationally renowned, Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Keepers of the Waters organization. “If we degrade water, we degrade our quality of life.”