don’t miss out on the physics colloquium – Dr. Kip Thorne was executive producer of the movie Interstellar (as well as a Nobel Prize winner in physics!!!)

We’re back with Science Fair, Bwog’s weekly curated list of interesting STEM-related talks, symposiums, and events happening on campus. For science and non-science majors alike, our list will bring you events that will satisfy your scientific curiosity for everything from astronomy to zoology, and everything in between.

For anyone, related-majors and non-majors alike:

  • “New Horizons: Understanding Pluto,” Columbia Astronomy Outreach Event hosted by Briley Lewis (Friday, April 20, 8pm, Pupin Hall)
    • “Pluto, formerly the solar system’s ninth planet, is more than just a ball of ice. In this talk, we’ll set out on a grand tour of the Pluto system, showing what we’ve learned from NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto and proving that it is an interesting object whether or not we call it a ‘planet’” – free lectures followed by guided stargazing with telescopes (weather permitting)
  • Ronald Breslow Memorial (Wednesday, April 18, 1:30-5pm, Low Memorial Library Rotunda)
    • “Columbia University and Department of Chemistry commemorate the life and passing of Ronald Breslow, hosting former students and colleagues sharing their memories of Professor Ronald Breslow.”
  • Physics Colloquium by Dr. Kip Thorne, Caltech (Monday, April 16, 4:15pm, 428 Pupin)
    • “Kip is the recipient of the The Nobel Prize in Physics 2017 and also the scientific consultant and executive producer of the movie Interstellar. Thorne’s research has focused on Einstein’s general theory of relativity and on astrophysics, with emphasis on relativistic stars, black holes and especially gravitational waves. He was cofounder (with R. Weiss and R.W.P. Drever) of the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory) Project, with which he is still associated.”
  • Transforming Public Transport in African Cities: Data, Informality and Access (Tuesday, April 17, 3-5pm, International Affairs Building Room 1510 – RSVP at link)
    • “Currently, transportation investment and infrastructure development are taking place without adequate public transport data, exacerbating politics and making more holistic planning difficult. Drawing on work from Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Cairo, eThekwini, and Cape Town, this talk provides an overview of this critical but contentious politics around transforming public transport in African cities.”
  • Surviving the Cycle (Medical Admissions), Hosted by the Charles Drew Pre-Medical Society (Thursday, April 19, 8-10pm, Hamilton 703)
    • “Are you applying to medical school in this cycle? Nervous about the process or still have remaining questions? Let Dr. Hutcherson calm your nerves! Dr. Hilda Hutcherson is the Senior Associate Dean for Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs at Columba P&S and will be answering any questions students have about the quickly approaching application cycle.”

For more advanced students of the given subject:

  • The Grandpierre Lecture: Ti-Catalyzed Nitrene Transfer Reactions: Harnessing the TiII/TiIV Redox Couple for New Organic Methods – Presented by Dr. Ian A Tonks, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities (Thursday, April 19, 4:30-5:30pm, 209 Havemeyer)
    • “Titanium is an ideal metal for green and sustainable catalysis—it is the 2nd most earth-abundant transition metal, and the byproducts of Ti reactions (TiO2) are nontoxic… In this talk, our latest synthetic and mechanistic discoveries related to Ti nitrene transfer catalysis will be discussed”
  • Environmental Science Annual Senior Poster Session (Thursday, April 19, 4:30-6:30pm, The Diana Center Event Oval)
    • “Discover cutting-edge research in the areas of environmental science, environmental biology, environmental policy, and sustainability through innovative presentations by Barnard and Columbia students.”
  • Climate Change & SIDS: Navigating Resilience in Place in an Age of Retreat (Thursday, April 19, 6:30-8:30pm, Jerome Greene Hall – RSVP at link)
    • “Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are a group of countries that face unique sustainable development challenges; one such challenge is their vulnerability to climate change and susceptibility to natural disasters… The question thus lies – should whole populations of SIDS retreat, in/out-of-country migration, or can they create resilience strategies in order to adapt in place to the challenges they face?”

interstellar movie poster via feedfad.com