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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Aomawa L. Shields (UC Irvine)
DTSTART:20200921T190000Z
DTEND:20200921T200000Z
DTSTAMP:20260422T212526Z
UID:GaTechPhysics/1
DESCRIPTION:Title: Recipe for a Habitable Planet\nby Aomawa L. Shields (UC Irvine)
as part of Georgia Tech School of Physics Colloquium\n\n\nAbstract\nThe d
iscovery of numerous small exoplanets has brought the search for life beyo
nd the Solar System into sharp focus on many potentially habitable worlds
where life may exist. However\, many factors and processes can affect plan
etary climate and habitability\, most of which are currently unconstrained
by observations\, and their effects must be understood to accurately dete
rmine a planet's habitability potential and prioritize planets for observa
tional follow-up. Professor Shields will describe the methods used by her
research group to quantify the effects on planetary climate of a range of
factors important for planetary habitability\, and share recent results f
rom this work\, which demonstrates how the unique interactions between a s
tar and a planet’s atmosphere and surface can produce either a recipe of
successful ingredients for habitable surface conditions\, or one that rev
eals less favorable planetary prospects for life.\n
LOCATION:https://researchseminars.org/talk/GaTechPhysics/1/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Jim Sethna (Cornell)
DTSTART:20200928T190000Z
DTEND:20200928T200000Z
DTSTAMP:20260422T212526Z
UID:GaTechPhysics/2
DESCRIPTION:Title: Sloppy models\, differential geometry\, and why science works\nb
y Jim Sethna (Cornell) as part of Georgia Tech School of Physics Colloquiu
m\n\n\nAbstract\nModels of systems biology\, climate change\, ecology\, co
mplex instruments\, and macroeconomics have parameters that are hard or im
possible to measure directly. If we fit these unknown parameters\, fiddlin
g with them until they agree with past experiments\, how much can we trust
their predictions? We have found that predictions can be made despite hug
e uncertainties in the parameters – many parameter combinations are most
ly unimportant to the collective behavior. We will use ideas and methods f
rom differential geometry and approximation theory to explain sloppiness a
s a ‘hyperribbon’ structure of the manifold of possible model predicti
ons. We show that physics theories are also sloppy – that sloppiness may
be the underlying reason why the world is comprehensible. We will present
new methods for visualizing this model manifold for probabilistic systems
– such as the space of possible universes as measured by the cosmic mic
rowave background radiation.\n
LOCATION:https://researchseminars.org/talk/GaTechPhysics/2/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Andrew Zangwill (Georgia Tech)
DTSTART:20201012T190000Z
DTEND:20201012T200000Z
DTSTAMP:20260422T212526Z
UID:GaTechPhysics/3
DESCRIPTION:Title: A Mind Over Matter: The Life and Science of Philip W. Anderson\n
by Andrew Zangwill (Georgia Tech) as part of Georgia Tech School of Physic
s Colloquium\n\n\nAbstract\nI present a biographical survey of the life an
d science of Philip W. Anderson. I discuss his upbringing in the American
Midwest during the Great Depression\, his education at Harvard University\
, his wartime service\, and his subsequent career as a physicist at Bell
Laboratories\, Cambridge University\, and Princeton University. I sketch t
he back story for some of his best-known scientific achievements and also
for some of his forays into national and scientific politics. A few remar
ks about his activities as a public intellectual and his personal life rou
nd out the presentation.\n
LOCATION:https://researchseminars.org/talk/GaTechPhysics/3/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Peter Hirschfeld (U Florida)
DTSTART:20201019T190000Z
DTEND:20201019T200000Z
DTSTAMP:20260422T212526Z
UID:GaTechPhysics/4
DESCRIPTION:Title: On the Remarkable Superconductivity of FeSe and Its Close Cousins (p
reliminary title)\nby Peter Hirschfeld (U Florida) as part of Georgia
Tech School of Physics Colloquium\n\nAbstract: TBA\n
LOCATION:https://researchseminars.org/talk/GaTechPhysics/4/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Julia M. Yeomans (University of Oxford)
DTSTART:20201026T190000Z
DTEND:20201026T200000Z
DTSTAMP:20260422T212526Z
UID:GaTechPhysics/5
DESCRIPTION:Title: Self-propelled Topological Defects\nby Julia M. Yeomans (Univers
ity of Oxford) as part of Georgia Tech School of Physics Colloquium\n\n\nA
bstract\nActive materials such as bacteria\, molecular motors and eukaryot
ic cells continuously\ntransform chemical energy taken from their surround
ings to mechanical work. Dense active matter shows mesoscale turbulence\,
the emergence of chaotic flow structures characterized by high vorticity a
nd self-propelled topological defects. I shall describe the physics of act
ive defects\, discussing active microfluidics\, the formation of defect la
ttices and examples of topological defects in biological systems.\n
LOCATION:https://researchseminars.org/talk/GaTechPhysics/5/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Michael Brenner (Harvard)
DTSTART:20201116T200000Z
DTEND:20201116T210000Z
DTSTAMP:20260422T212526Z
UID:GaTechPhysics/8
DESCRIPTION:Title: Machine Learning for Partial Differential Equations\nby Michael
Brenner (Harvard) as part of Georgia Tech School of Physics Colloquium\n\
n\nAbstract\nI will discuss several ways in which machine learning can be
used for solving and understanding the solutions of nonlinear partial diff
erential equations. Most of the talk will focus on learning discretization
s for coarse graining the numerical solutions of PDEs. I will start with e
xamples in 1d\, and then move on to advection/diffusion in a turbulent flo
w and then the Navier Stokes equation.\n
LOCATION:https://researchseminars.org/talk/GaTechPhysics/8/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Taekjip Ha (John Hopkins)
DTSTART:20200831T190000Z
DTEND:20200831T200000Z
DTSTAMP:20260422T212526Z
UID:GaTechPhysics/9
DESCRIPTION:Title: Revisiting and Repurposing the Double Helix\nby Taekjip Ha (John
Hopkins) as part of Georgia Tech School of Physics Colloquium\n\n\nAbstra
ct\nDNA is an iconic molecule that forms a double helical structure\, prov
iding the basis for genetic inheritance\, and its physical properties have
been studied for decades. In this talk\, I will present evidence that seq
uence and methylation dependent physical properties of DNA such as flexibi
lity and self-association may be important for biological functions [1\,2]
. In addition\, I will present a new application of DNA where mechanical m
odulations of cell behavior can be studied at the single molecule level us
ing rupturable DNA tethers [3]. We found that cells can change their behav
ior dramatically in response to just two molecules strongly tugging on the
m [4].\n \nReferences:\n \n[1] R. Vafabakhsh and T. Ha\, “Extreme bendab
ility of DNA less than 100 base pairs long revealed by single molecule cyc
lization”\, Science 337\, 1097-1101 (2012). \n[2] T. Ngo\, Q. Zhang\, R.
Zhou\, J. G. Yodh and T. Ha\, “Asymmetric unwrapping of nucleosomes und
er tension directed by DNA local flexibility”\, Cell 160\, 1135-1144 (20
15). \n[3] X. Wang and T. Ha\, “Defining Single Molecular Forces Require
d to Activate Integrin and Notch Signaling”\, Science 340\, 991-994 (201
3). \n[4] M. Roein-Peikar\, Q. Xu\, X. Wang and T. Ha\, “Ultrasensitivit
y of cell adhesion to the presence of mechanically strong ligands\,” Phy
sical Review X (2016).\n
LOCATION:https://researchseminars.org/talk/GaTechPhysics/9/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Philip Kim (Harvard)
DTSTART:20200914T190000Z
DTEND:20200914T200000Z
DTSTAMP:20260422T212526Z
UID:GaTechPhysics/10
DESCRIPTION:Title: Stacking atomic layers: quest for new materials and physics\nby
Philip Kim (Harvard) as part of Georgia Tech School of Physics Colloquium
\n\n\nAbstract\nModern electronics heavily rely on the technology to confi
ne electrons in the interface layers of semiconductors. In recent years\,
scientists discovered that various atomically thin van der Waals (vdW) lay
ered materials can be isolated. In these atomically thin materials\, quant
um physics allows electrons to move only in an effective 2-dimensional (2D
) space. By stacking these 2D quantum materials\, one can also create ato
mic-scale heterostructures with a wide variety of electronic and optical p
roperties. We demonstrate the enhanced electronic and optoelectronic perfo
rmances in the vdW heterostructures\, suggesting that these a few atom thi
ck interfaces may provide a fundamental platform to realize novel physical
phenomena. In this talk\, we will discuss several research efforts to rea
lize unusual quasiparticle pairing mesoscopic devices based on stacked vdW
interfaces between 2-dimensional materials.\n
LOCATION:https://researchseminars.org/talk/GaTechPhysics/10/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:William D. Phillips (Joint Quantum Institute\, NIS and UM)
DTSTART:20210222T200000Z
DTEND:20210222T210000Z
DTSTAMP:20260422T212526Z
UID:GaTechPhysics/11
DESCRIPTION:Title: A new Measure: The Revolutionary Quantum Reform of the Metric Syste
m\nby William D. Phillips (Joint Quantum Institute\, NIS and UM) as pa
rt of Georgia Tech School of Physics Colloquium\n\n\nAbstract\nOn 20 May 2
019\, World Metrology Day\, the international metrology community implemen
ted revolutionary changes to the International System of Units (the SI\, o
r Metric System) wherein all of the base units of measure are now defined
by fixing the values of constants of nature. The SI is now firmly based on
quantum concepts. The talk will discuss why we needed such a reform and h
ow we achieved it.\n
LOCATION:https://researchseminars.org/talk/GaTechPhysics/11/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Ruth Murray-Clay (UC Santa Cruz)
DTSTART:20210301T200000Z
DTEND:20210301T210000Z
DTSTAMP:20260422T212526Z
UID:GaTechPhysics/12
DESCRIPTION:Title: The Tip of the Planetary Iceberg: How Observed Planets May Differ f
rom their More Distant Cousins\nby Ruth Murray-Clay (UC Santa Cruz) as
part of Georgia Tech School of Physics Colloquium\n\nAbstract: TBA\n
LOCATION:https://researchseminars.org/talk/GaTechPhysics/12/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Daniel Arovas (UC San Diego)
DTSTART:20210412T190000Z
DTEND:20210412T200000Z
DTSTAMP:20260422T212526Z
UID:GaTechPhysics/13
DESCRIPTION:Title: Quantum Magnetism from the Iron Age to Today\nby Daniel Arovas
(UC San Diego) as part of Georgia Tech School of Physics Colloquium\n\n\nA
bstract\nThe quantum theory of magnetism has provided many durable paradig
ms for quantum phases of matter\, including intrinsically quantum disorder
ed states\, symmetry-protected topological phases\, and quantum spin liqui
ds. It also served as a birthing ground for many important developments i
n the theory of quantum phase transitions. In this lecture\, I will revie
w some of the history and highlights of this very rich field.\n
LOCATION:https://researchseminars.org/talk/GaTechPhysics/13/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Andrea Liu (University of Pennsylvania)
DTSTART:20210329T190000Z
DTEND:20210329T200000Z
DTSTAMP:20260422T212526Z
UID:GaTechPhysics/14
DESCRIPTION:Title: How Materials Can Learn How to Function\nby Andrea Liu (Univers
ity of Pennsylvania) as part of Georgia Tech School of Physics Colloquium\
n\n\nAbstract\nHow does learning occur? In the context of neural networks\
, learning occurs via optimization\, where a loss function is minimized to
achieve the desired result. But physical networks such as mechanical spri
ng networks or flow networks cannot minimize such a loss function by thems
elves—they need the help of a computer.\nAn alternative is to encode loc
al rules into those networks so that they can evolve under external drivin
g to develop function. For example\, if the springs in a mechanical networ
k have equilibrium lengths that grow if the springs are stretched\, and sh
rink when the springs are compressed\, the network will naturally evolve u
nder applied stresses.\nI will describe how both of these strategies—glo
bal minimization of a loss function as well as training by local rules--ca
n be used to teach materials how to perform functions inspired by biology\
, such as the ability of proteins (e.g. hemoglobin) to change their confor
mations upon binding of an atom (oxygen) or molecule\, or the ability of t
he brain’s vascular network to send enhanced blood flow and oxygen to sp
ecific areas of the brain associated with a given task.\n
LOCATION:https://researchseminars.org/talk/GaTechPhysics/14/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Predrag Cvitanović (School of Physics\, Georgia Tech)
DTSTART:20220922T150000Z
DTEND:20220922T160000Z
DTSTAMP:20260422T212526Z
UID:GaTechPhysics/15
DESCRIPTION:Title: Recurrent solutions and dynamics of turbulent flows\nby Predrag
Cvitanović (School of Physics\, Georgia Tech) as part of Georgia Tech Sc
hool of Physics Colloquium\n\n\nAbstract\nIn the world of moderate\, every
day turbulence of fluids flowing across planes and down pipes\, a quiet re
volution is taking place. Applied mathematicians can today compute 'exact
coherent structures'\, i.e. numerically precise 3D\, fully nonlinear Navie
r-Stokes solutions: unstable equilibria\, traveling waves\, and (relative)
periodic orbits. Experiments carried out at Georgia Tech today yield meas
urements as detailed as the numerical simulations\; our experimentalists m
easure 'exact coherent structures' and trace out their unstable manifolds.
What emerges is a dynamical systems theory of low-Reynolds turbulence as
a walk among sets of weakly unstable invariant solutions.\n\nWe take you o
n a tour of this newly breached\, hitherto inaccessible territory. Mastery
of fluid mechanics is no prerequisite\, and perhaps a hindrance: the talk
is aimed at anyone who had ever wondered why - if no cloud is ever seen t
wice - we know a cloud when we see one? And how do we turn that into mathe
matics?\n\nrequest Zoom Passcode early from predrag.cvitanovic@physics.gat
ech.edu\n
LOCATION:https://researchseminars.org/talk/GaTechPhysics/15/
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