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Spring 2024

Saturday February 24 — "The Secret Language of Nature's Tiny Communicators"

• Presented by: Professor Orit Peleg, Department of Physics and Computer Science, University of Colorado С����Ƶ
• 2:30 p.m.
• Abstract:��Imagine a world where communication doesn't depend on words, but on flashes of light, scents, and movement. In the extraordinary world of insects, this is a daily reality. This talk will take you on a journey into the secret lives of fireflies and bees, exploring how they convey information through visual and chemical signals. Drawing on concepts from physics, mathematics, and computer science, we will uncover the universal rules that insects obey to make their communication efficient and effective. We'll investigate fireflies, whose twinkling lights allow them to "speak" over vast distances, and bees, who use scents to tell the story of their queen's location. Through a mix of real-world observation and innovative computational techniques, we'll unravel the mysteries behind these intriguing forms of dialogue.

Saturday March 16��— "Quantum computing: what is it and how far along are we?"

• Presented by: Daniel Slichter, NIST, University of Colorado С����Ƶ
• 2:30 p.m.
• Abstract:��Imagine if the act of looking at an object caused it to move – or imagine you had a pair of dice that always rolled doubles, but of different numbers each roll. These counterintuitive phenomena are commonplace in the realm of quantum mechanics, which describes systems that are generally very small, very cold, and/or very isolated from the rest of the world. Over the past 40 years, scientists have developed ideas for harnessing the strange features of quantum mechanics to build “quantum computers”, machines where information storage and computation is carried out by objects that behave quantum mechanically. A large-scale quantum computer would in principle be able to perform certain kinds of computations that would be impossible on even the largest classical (i.e. non-quantum) supercomputers. I will describe some of the basics of quantum mechanics and quantum computing, including why it is so technically challenging to build a “useful” large-scale quantum computer. I will also give some perspective on where things stand in the quest for quantum computers that will provide an advantage over existing computing technology.

**Postponed to Fall 2024** Saturday April 27��— "Rare earth and other critical elements - their physics, resources, and geopolitics"

• Presented by: Professor Markus Raschke, University of Colorado С����Ƶ
• 2:30 p.m.
• PLEASE NOTE: This lecture has been postponed due to unforseen scheduling issues.
• Abstract: The rare earth elements, hidden at the bottom of the periodic table and long neglected, have risen to prominence at the end of the 20th century. Their unique electronic configuration form the basis for a variety of lasers, photonic applications, strong and exotic magnetism, defining many modern technologies. I will tell a story connecting from the basic science of the geology of Colorado and rare earth and other rare element mineralogy, to our technological and societal dependence and questions of strategic element security.��

Fall 2023��

Saturday October 28��— "Enabling Innovation with Measurement Science"

• Presented by: Dr. Marla L. Dowell, Director, NIST С����Ƶ Laboratory
• 2:30 p.m.
• Abstract:��From the communications and electronic health records to atomic clocks, advanced nanomaterials and computer chips, innumerable products and services rely in some way on technology, measurement and standards provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. What do semiconductor manufacturing, welding, and photodynamic therapy have in common? They all rely on laser measurements for their underlying processes to be effective. We’ll discuss the role of lasers and laser measurements in these different applications. We’ll touch on why a career in physics is a great choice for curious people who like solving technical problems that impact their daily lives.

Saturday November 18��— "The C-PhLARE Project: One Thousand Students vs. the Paradox of the Sun"

• Presented by: Professor Colin G.��West, University of Colorado С����Ƶ
• 2:30 p.m.
• Abstract:��It is likely both intuitive and familiar that, as you walk further from a campfire, you feel less of its heat. And yet the same is not true for the great fireball in the sky: our sun. In fact, the Sun’s corona is millions of kelvin hotter than its photosphere, despite being much further away from the center of the star. From 2020 through 2021 a team of over a thousand undergraduate students at CU С����Ƶ painstakingly analyzed the X-ray emissions of hundreds of individual solar flares in search of evidence to help resolve this mystery. We'll discuss their findings and conclusions, as well as the novel circumstances that led to this unique collaboration, and the publication of a paper with the most co-authors in the history of The Astrophysical Journal.

**Cancelled** Saturday December 2��— "The Secret Language of Nature's Tiny Communicators"

• Presented by: Professor Orit Peleg, Department of Physics and Computer Science, University of Colorado С����Ƶ
• 2:30 p.m.
• Abstract:��Imagine a world where communication doesn't depend on words, but on flashes of light, scents, and movement. In the extraordinary world of insects, this is a daily reality. This talk will take you on a journey into the secret lives of fireflies and bees, exploring how they convey information through visual and chemical signals. Drawing on concepts from physics, mathematics, and computer science, we will uncover the universal rules that insects obey to make their communication efficient and effective. We'll investigate fireflies, whose twinkling lights allow them to "speak" over vast distances, and bees, who use scents to tell the story of their queen's location. Through a mix of real-world observation and innovative computational techniques, we'll unravel the mysteries behind these intriguing forms of dialogue.

Fall 2023

Saturday February 25��— "The Big Bang: The Universe, Past, Present and Future"

• Presented by: Professor Paul Beale, Department of Physics, University of Colorado С����Ƶ
• 2:30 p.m.
• Abstract:��Science is a human endeavor. The discovery that the universe began abruptly 13.8 billion years ago is one of the great scientific stories of the last century. We will explore the empirical evidence of the Big Bang, the scientific framework that allows us to infer with considerable certainty what happened in the first moments of the universe, the scientists that solved the puzzle of how that led to our existence, and what the future holds.

Saturday March 11��— "Black Holes: a Virtual Voyage"

• Presented by: Andrew Hamilton, Professor, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences and Physics, University of Colorado С����Ƶ
• 2:30 p.m.
• Abstract:��Black holes have��become famous in both science and pop culture for their unique gravitational power. But what really happens in the mysterious interior of a black hole? Join Professor Hamilton on a virtual voyage inside a black hole using a real-time, interactive, general relativistic Black Hole Flight Simulator.

Saturday April 15��— "An Airline Crash Investigation: Physics vs Lawyers"

• Presented by: Michael Dubson, Department of Physics, University of Colorado С����Ƶ
• 2:30 p.m.
• Abstract:��On July 26, 2002, FedEx flight 1478 crashed on landing at the Tallahassee Regional airport. The crew of three survived, but were fired by FedEx. The pilots contested their firing and I was hired to investigate. I was able to show experimentally that the runway lighting very likely failed due to condensation on the projection system. Yet the pilots' lawyers decided that my testimony would not help their clients, and my results were not presented. I will present the physics and sociology of this curious case.

2020-2021 Schedule

Saturday February 13 — "Can you Count to One Quadrillion in a Second?"

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• Presented by: Professor Scott Diddams, NIST and Department of Physics, University of Colorado С����Ƶ
• Webinar at 1:30 PM
• Abstract:��Metrology is the framework behind modern science and technology. For most of us, our first experience with metrology might have been counting fingers and toes.��But how do you measure the oscillations of a beam of light—the fastest thing in the universe?��This talk will tell you about new metrology tools that are used to count the cycles of a wave of light and how that is being used to build ultraprecise optical atomic clocks.��Interestingly, the same light measurement tools are also being applied to quantify the composition of the air we breathe and find exoplanets around nearby stars.

Saturday March 13 — "The Field of Medical Physics: A Primer"

• Presented by: Professor Moyed Miften, Professor and Chief Physicist, Deptartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado School of Medicine
• Webinar at 1:30 PM
• Abstract:��Medical Physics is a professional and academic field that specializes in the application of concepts and methods of physics to the diagnosis and treatment of human disease.����The role of a medical physicist is to bridge physics and medicine and work as a part of the medical team.����Medical Physics has three major disciplines: Radiation Oncology Physics, Diagnostic Imaging Physics, and Medical Nuclear Physics.����Working in these three fields are rewarding as the medical physicist applies the principles of physics to medicine in order to solve challenging problems, develops new technologies for medical applications and patient care advancements, and actively contributes to the care of patients in the clinic.����In this presentation, we will review the medical physics disciplines in medicine and their role in patient care, discuss the medical physicist areas of responsibility, present medical physics career pathways (including medical physics graduate program requirements), and discuss medical physics professional credentialing.

Saturday April 17 — "Atomic Clocks: The Greatest Rulers of Time"

• Presented by: Professor Ana Maria Rey, JILA, NIST, and Department of Physics, University of Colorado С����Ƶ
• Webinar at 1:30 PM
• Abstract: The best clock in the world has no hands, no pendulum, no face or digital display. It is made of ultra-cold Strontium atoms trapped in crystals of light.��The clock is so precise that, had it begun ticking when Earth formed billions of years ago, it would not yet have gained or lost a second. These ultraprecise atomic clocks not only can serve as the state-of-the-art timekeepers, but also they could help us unveil the mysteries of the quantum world, which is ruled by the bizarre concept of entanglement or “spooky action at a distance”. In fact, the new generation of atomic clocks are paving the ground for the construction of quantum computers with computational powers beyond that of any imaginable classical machine. A quantum computer should be able solve otherwise intractable problems, with far-reaching applications to cryptology, material design and fundamental physical sciences.��Can we make the clock even better? Regardless of their impressive precision and accuracy, current atomic clocks still operate with independent atoms which are fundamentally fuzzy. Interestingly, this fuzziness could be reduced if we entangle them. So atomic clocks are a win-win business, not only the current generation of clocks will help us to better understand the quantum world, but the gained understanding will in turn allow us to build the most incredible quantum rulers of time in the future.

September 28��— "Rocky Mountain High: The Physics of Baseball at Elevation"

• Presented by: Professor John Bohn
• Location: DUAN G1B30
• Abstract:��From the beginning, Coors Field has been tagged as a hitter’s ballpark, with home runs flying out at an incredible rate and pitchers unable to cope.����This is, at least partly, due to the thin air a mile above sea level, and is a result of influences whose physics can be understood.����In this talk I address the physics of baseball in Denver, including the effect the famous Coors Field humidor has had on the game.��

October 19��— "Lunar Exploration: 50 Years After the Historical Apollo 11 Landing"

• Presented by: Professor Shijie Zhong
• Location: DUAN G1B30
• Abstract:��This presentation is about the Apollo 11 landing, Apollo mission, and its impact on our understanding of the Moon and Earth-Moon system.��Historical events surrounding the Apollo mission and landings will be recounted. Post-Apollo lunar missions by both US and other countries��will also be discussed, together with a brief future outlook.��

November 2 — "Harnessing the Power of Plasma to Build the Particle Accelerators of the Futur