COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
SCIENCE SUNDAYS AT OHIO STATE
2018-2019
A student works in one of the Department of Physics’ laser labs, where highintensity short-pulse lasers are used to study matter under extreme pressure.
Contents About Science Sundays – 4 Upcoming Events – 5 SEPT. 16: Michael A. Neblo OCT. 14: Bharat Bhushan NOV. 18: Michael W. Gray DEC. 2: Naomi Ehrich Leonard JAN. 13: Nadya Mason FEB. 17: Harvey J. Miller MARCH 17: Robert M. Hazen APRIL 14: Laurie E. Cutting
Sponsoring Centers – 14 asc.osu.edu/science-sundays
About Science Sundays Science Sundays is a FREE public lecture series offered and supported by The Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences and its sponsoring science centers. Speakers are leading experts in their fields dedicated to making their work interesting and accessible for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Science Sundays brings leading-edge work directly to the public with lectures covering diverse topics in science, arts and technology that touch our everyday lives. SPONSORING CENTERS • • • • • • • •
Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design (ACCAD) Center for Applied Plant Sciences (CAPS) Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging (CCBBI) Center for Cosmology and Astro-Particle Physics (CCAPP) Center for Emergent Materials (CEM) Center for RNA Biology (CRB) Decision Sciences Collaborative (DSC) Mathematical Biosciences Institute (MBI)
These centers are dynamic national hubs focused on solving critical global problems in energy and the environment; safe food production; health and wellness; and exploring vibrant, meaningful connections between art and science. They are dedicated to improving life on our planet by producing critical, innovative information; discovering viable new “smart” materials, energy sources, and drug therapies; and building collaborative partnerships among disciplines worldwide. 4
Upcoming Events General Event Information
Each lecture is followed by a free, informal reception.
Time Lecture: 3-4 p.m. Reception: 4-5 p.m. Lecture Venue Ohio Union U.S. Bank Conference Theatre Reception Venue Ohio Union Ohio Staters Traditions Room For more information on SCIENCE SUNDAYS visit: asc.osu.edu/science-sundays 5
September 16, 2018
Michael A. Neblo Politics With the People Citizens and scholars alike worry about the health of representative democracy around the world today. They worry about resurgent nationalism across the globe as well as accusations of “democratic deficits” against technocrats. In the United States, public approval of Congress remains near its all-time low, with populist challenges roiling both major parties. This talk explores some realistic reform proposals based on Neblo’s research into what ails democratic politics in the U.S. today. Michael A. Neblo is an associate professor of political science, philosophy and public policy, and the director of the Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability (IDEA) at The Ohio State University. 6
October 14, 2018
Bharat Bhushan Lessons from Nature: Bio-inspired Surfaces for Green Science and Technology Over billions of years, nature has developed materials, objects and processes that function from the macroscale to the nanoscale. Many organisms — including bacteria, plants and animals — possess properties of commercial interest. The emerging field of biomimetics involves mimicking biology or nature to develop eco-friendly nanomaterials, nanodevices and systems with desirable properties. Bhushan presents an overview of biomimetics and biologically inspired surfaces. Bharat Bhushan is an Ohio Eminent Scholar and the Howard D. Winbigler Professor at The Ohio State University College of Engineering, where he also serves as director of the Nanoprobe Laboratory for Bio- & Nanotechnology and Biomimetics. Bhushan holds two master’s degrees, a PhD in mechanical engineering/mechanics, an MBA and four honorary doctorates. 7
November 18, 2018
Michael W. Gray What Do We Really Know About the Origin of the Cell’s Powerhouse? Mitochondria — the so-called “powerhouse of the cell” — have a vital function in eukaryotic cells. Evidence has accumulated over the past half century that points to the mitochondrion originating from a bacterium closely related to a specific group, the α-Proteobacteria. However, the actual processes by which this occurred remain controversial. Gray discusses what we really know about the origins of the cell’s powerhouse. Michael W. Gray is a professor emeritus of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada. 8
December 2, 2018
Naomi Ehrich Leonard Flock Logic: The Art and Engineering of How Groups Move What can explain the stunning behavior of flocking birds, schooling fish and swarming honeybees? How do performance instructions shape collaborative improvisation when dancers make composition choices on the fly? How should we design decisionmaking for a team of robots to perform environmental monitoring and search and rescue? Leonard presents a unifying framework to explore these and related questions on the dynamics of groups. Naomi Ehrich Leonard is the Edwin S. Wilsey Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University. She studies the principles and design of collective dynamics in nature and robotics. 9
January 13, 2019
Nadya Mason Going Through the Quantum Tunnel... Quantum mechanics seems to be everywhere, from superhero movies to Fortune 500 companies. But what makes quantum mechanics so different and special? How can it be used (and can objects really pass through barriers)? Mason bridges the divide between popular imaginations of quantum and real quantum mechanical devices, covering the basics of quantum mechanics; how solid-state quantum devices are measured; and how quantum mechanics creates both limits and promises for computer processing. Nadya Mason is a professor of physics at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign and director of the Illinois Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (I-MRSEC). Her research focuses on experimental studies of nanoscale electronic materials. 10
February 17, 2019
Harvey J. Miller Mobility Matters: Why Sustainable Transportation is Essential for our Future Modern humans enjoy mobility levels that are unprecedented in history. While this has benefits, it also has enormous social, health and environmental costs. Miller discusses how resolving these costs is crucial if civilization is to survive the 21st century — a world that will see 10 billion people, most of whom will crowd into cities. Harvey J. Miller is the Reusche Chair in Geographic Information Science, director of the Center for Urban and Regional Analysis (CURA) and professor of geography at The Ohio State University. His interests include geographic information science, transportation and mobility data analytics. 11
March 17, 2019
Robert M. Hazen The Story of Earth: How Life and Rocks Have Co-Evolved The grand and intertwined tale of Earth’s living and non-living spheres is just now coming into focus. Hazen clues us into our planet’s 4.5-billion-year saga of dramatic transformations driven by physical, chemical and biological processes, and he explains how the coevolution of life and rocks unfolded in an irreversible sequence of evolutionary stages. Robert M. Hazen is staff scientist at the Carnegie Institution of Washington and Clarence Robinson Professor of Earth Sciences at George Mason University. With degrees from MIT and Harvard, he studies mineral evolution and the coevolution of the geosphere and biosphere. 12
April 14, 2019
Laurie E. Cutting Educational Neuroscience: How the Brain Supports Learning in Children and Adolescents Educational neuroscience draws upon cognitive neuroscience, education and psychology with the goal of examining neurobiological processes related to education. Cutting provides an overview of this emerging field and the insights it can offer, using reading development as an exemplar and examining how neurobiological approaches inform and refine our understanding of how to identify and treat reading difficulties. Laurie E. Cutting is the Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor at Vanderbilt University; associate director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center; and a senior scientist at Haskins Laboratories. Her work focuses on brain-behavior relations in children and adolescents. 13
Sponsoring Centers The world-class Ohio State centers on the following pages are proud sponsors of Science Sundays. Each center brings together teams of experts who form worldwide collaborations and partnerships within and across disciplines to tackle some of the most important problems and questions of our time. They teach and train the next generation of researchers; encourage creativity and innovation; and share their discoveries with the public. They are supported by major funding from federal granting agencies, the university and the College of Arts and Sciences.
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Art Meets Technology. ADVANCED COMPUTING CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND DESIGN (ACCAD) Many contemporary computer animation artists and scientists get started at ACCAD — one of the world’s first computer animation research centers. Using visualization technologies, ACCAD researchers can re-imagine 60,000-year-old dinosaurs; reveal a choreographer’s thinking about movement patterns; and enable audiences to travel to ancient ruins through interactive learning experiences. View the magic: accad.osu.edu 15
Greening the World. CENTER FOR APPLIED PLANT SCIENCES (CAPS) A partnership between the College of Arts and Sciences; College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; College of Engineering; and the Office of Research bridges the gap between basic research and potential applications. Crossdisciplinary research teams are finding ways to support a bio-based economy and enhance sustainable crop production. Watch them grow: caps.osu.edu
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CENTER FOR COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL BRAIN IMAGING (CCBBI) This new frontier in cognitive neuroscience uses brain imaging to “see� individual differences in cognitive capacities and social emotional processing to explore relationships between the human brain and behavior. These differences can be responsible for debilitating psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders and autism. Get an inside look: ccbbi.osu.edu
Seeing the Brain.
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CENTER FOR COSMOLOGY AND ASTRO-PARTICLE PHYSICS (CCAPP) CCAPP researchers combine physics with astronomy, theory with computation, and experiments with observation to tackle the universe’s biggest secrets: dark matter holding galaxies together; dark energy accelerating them apart; and the high-energy cosmic rays created by violent explosions of massive stars. Be amazed: ccapp.osu.edu
Probing the Universe.
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Building Our Future. CENTER FOR EMERGENT MATERIALS (CEM) AN NSF-FUNDED MATERIALS RESEARCH SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING CENTER
Materials researchers are inventing the future today, manipulating matter on a nanoscale to address critical issues. Imagine “smart” materials using magnetism, electricity, light and heat, doing more and performing better while using less energy — producing smarter devices, faster computers and much more. Imagine the future: cem.osu.edu 19
At the Heart of Life. CENTER FOR RNA BIOLOGY (CRB) SUPPORTED BY ASC, OFFICE OF RESEARCH, COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
RNA, the most ancient form of nucleic acid, is a “multi-tasker.” Unlike DNA, it acts as both carrier of genetic information and functional entity in its own right. RNA is a powerful tool used by biologists, mathematicians, physicists, chemists, and medical and agricultural researchers to answer many important questions. Feel the power: rna.osu.edu
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DECISION SCIENCES COLLABORATIVE (DSC) Ohio State faculty and graduate students from across the university teach and actively engage in basic and applied research at the forefront of decision sciences and within each of Ohio State’s Discovery Themes. Our mission is to foster collaborative programs for research and teaching and to serve the public by promoting more effective, evidence-based decision making and solutions to critical societal problems. Generating smart decisions: decisionsciences.osu.edu
The Science of Deciding. SHARE MY LIFE? PROTECT MY PRIVACY? KEEP MY JOB? LOOK FOR NEW JOB? SAVE? SPEND? PAPER? PLASTIC?
MEDICATION? SIDE EFFECTS? THINK HARD? FLIP A COIN? VENTI? GRANDE? BUY? SELL?
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Inventing New Solutions. MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES INSTITUTE (MBI) SUPPORTED BY NSF, ASC, DEPARTMENTS OF MATH AND STATISTICS
MBI researchers use and develop mathematical, statistical and computational tools to probe the biological and health sciences, from examining cholera dynamics in Haiti, to understanding circadian rhythms in sleep disorders, to studying cancer growth and more. MBI also runs one of the largest postdoctoral training programs in the mathematical sciences in the country. Do the math: mbi.osu.edu 22
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asc.osu.edu/events
Image courtesy of the Department of Dance