Welcome back to Columbia and to Science Fair, Bwog’s weekly roundup of science events happening around campus. I hope you have a lovely and restful Thanksgiving break. As always, email science@bwog.com if you want your event featured.

Quantum Networks: A Classical Perspective

• Monday, November 24, 11:40 am to 12:40 pm.
• Computer Science Building, Room 451. Registration not required.
• Hosted by Columbia’s S@CU Distinguished Lecture Series, this talk will feature Don Towsley discussing quantum network architecture and operations. Prof. Towsley will argue that quantum network design can borrow significantly from classical network principles, comparing two-way and one-way quantum network architectures and introducing a “connectionless” two-way architecture that adapts ideas from classical networks. The talk will cover distributed entanglement generation, resource allocation, and operation in noisy environments. More information.

Scalable Tools for High-Content, Organ-Scale 3D Spatial Biology and Drug Discovery

• Monday, November 24, 12:00 pm to 1:15 pm.
• Fairchild Hall, 1212 Amsterdam Ave., Room 601. Registration not required.
• Hosted by Columbia University’s Department of Biological Sciences, this seminar will feature Associate Professor Raju Tomer discussing the development of high-content 3D spatial biology tools that deliver subcellular resolution across entire intact organs. Prof. Tomer will showcase applications including drug-induced brain-wide network mapping, nanoscale brain structure imaging, high-throughput 3D phenotypic screening, and scalable 3D histopathology systems, as well as the development of complex 3D neuronal microphysiological systems for modeling neuropsychiatric network dysfunctions.

“Good” Doctors Online All the Time? How Online Medical Platforms Transform Healthcare Delivery in China

• Monday, November 24, 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm.
• In person at Knox Hall, Room 501D, and online via Zoom. Registration required.
• This dissertation talk will investigate the rise of online medical platforms (OMPs) in China using a mixed-methods approach. Yingzhe Zhu will examine how OMPs have surged in popularity over the past decade, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, enabling virtual doctor consultations and digital health services. The presentation will introduce theoretical concepts—contextualized utilization, mediated and diluted authority, and digital re-stratification—to illuminate the complex relationships among human actors, digital platforms, and socio-medical environments, offering insights on establishing a more equitable, accessible, and efficient digital health system. More information.

McDonald Annual Lecture: After Landscape

• Wednesday, November 26, 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm (lecture at 5:00 pm GMT).
• Yusuf Hamied Centre, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Christ’s Church, Cambridge. Attend virtually via Zoom.
• Hosted by the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, this annual lecture will feature Dr. Zoë Crossland from Columbia University exploring how archaeologists might rethink the study of place through postcolonial and posthumanist critiques of traditional landscape concepts. Using the historical reshaping of rice landscapes in highland Madagascar as a case study, Dr. Crossland will examine the 18th century king’s assertion that “rice is my friend and my equal” to offer alternative perspectives on the politics and histories of place in contemporary archaeological research. More information.

Science Fair via Madeline Douglass