2013-2014 Physics & Astronomy Colloquia

13 Sept. Physics and Astronomy Social Hour
TPL 314, Student Common Room
20  Sept. Physics and Astronomy Faculty
Title:  ”All About Graduate School”, TPL 314, Student Common Room
27  Sept. Joshua Spitz – MIT
Title:  “Closing in on the Neutrino”
4 Oct. Ashley Carter – Amherst College
Title: “Reshaping our Genetic Future”
25 Oct. Combined Physics, Astronomy and Computer Science Colloquium
Catherine McGeoch – Amherst College
Title:  ”Experimental Evaluation of an Adiabatic Quantum Computer for Combinatorial Optimization”
Thompson Chemistry Lab Room 202
8 Nov. Eric Heller – Harvard University
Title:  “What I Learned About Quantum Mechanics by Studying Acoustics and Vice-Versa”
15 Nov. Catherine Hirshfeld Crouch ’90 – Swarthmore College
Title:  “Physics and Cell Biology:  Physical Models and Techniques for Studying Why Cell Membranes Bend”
20 Nov. Dava Sobel – author and writer in residence – Smith College
Title:  “Copernicus’s Search for A More Perfect Heaven”
Bronfman Auditorium at 8PM
17 Jan. Honors Thesis Students
Thesis Progress Talks, TPL 205, 1:30 PM
7 Feb. Physics and Astronomy Faculty
Title:  ”Quick Introductions to Physics and Astronomy Research Opportunities at Williams”
19 Feb. Paul Schechter – MIT
Title: “The dark matter content of elliptical galaxies measured from
the static gravitational micro-lensing of multiply imaged quasars”
TPL 205 at 4:30 PM
28 Feb. Alexi Arango – Mount Holyoke College
Title:  “Next-generation photovoltaics utilizing unconventional semiconductors for low-cost, large-scale electricity generation from the sun”
6 Mar. Jennifer Yee – Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Title:  “Extraordinary Extrasolar Planets”
Public Talk:  8PM, TPL 203
7 Mar. Jennifer Yee – Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Title:  “Microlensing:  Beyond Planet Detection”
14 Mar. Kamen Kozarev ’05 – Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Title: “Solar Mass Ejections, Coronal Shock Waves, and Energetic Particle Acceleration”
11 Apr. Matthew LaHaye – Syracuse University
Title:  “Mechanical Quantum Systems”
18 Apr. Brian Anderson – Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland
Title:  “Quantum Control and Tomography in a Large Hilbert Space”
25 Apr. Evan Couzo ’05 – MIT
Title:  “Atmospheric models:  Why you should never ever ever trust them, why some people do, and why you will, too”
1 May Shelby Kimmel ’08, MIT, Center for Theoretical Physics
Title:  “Problems with Multiple Oracles”
TPL 205 at 4:30 PM
2 May Paul Hess ’08, Harvard University Physics Dept.
Title:  “How round is the electron?  ACME’s improved limit on the electron’s dipole moment”
9 May Kathy Aidala, Mount Holyoke
Title:  “Manipulating Magnetic States in Nanorings:  The future of
data storage?”
19 May Physics and Astronomy Honors Thesis Students – Williams
Title:  Honors Thesis Talks
1:40 PM, TPL 205