SMASH 2009
Topics in Current Science Research Project Descriptions and Project Leader Contact Information Session 1: June 23 – July 7 Title:
Exploring Microbial Diversity in Your Fridge!
Proj. Leader: Daniela Goltsman
[email protected] Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management Lab: 113 Hilgard Hall Phone: 510-642-2225 Using microbiological techniques and your favorite spot in the house (or outdoors), you will learn about microbial diversity in our everyday life. The lab experience will be focused on culturing, visualizing and identifying microorganisms from your chosen sampling site. We will also use fluorescent microscopy (FISH) to identify different classes of organisms. The class will use our group’s lab facilities in 113 Hilgard Hall.
Title: How does your immune system manage to keep its cool under constant attack? Meet the key players of your immune system! Proj. Leader: Maria Mouchess
[email protected] Department of Molecular and Cell Biology Immunology Division Lab: 405 LSA #3200 Phone: 510-642-2043 How does your body coordinate the fight against infections? Why are we vulnerable to the flu and bacteria? Using mice as a model system, we will explore what cells coordinate your immune response. We will dissect organs that are critical for your immune defense. We will focus on observing and identifying different cell types that make up your immune system using a powerful technique known as flow cytometry. This class will take place in a immunology research lab in 405 Life Science Addition.
Title:
What is the Shape of (a) Space? An Invitation to Topology
Proj. Leader:
Shawn McDougal
[email protected] Department of Mathematics Lab: 714 Evans Phone: 626-676-3636
Is our universe shaped like a plane, a sphere, or something entirely different? What are the possible shapes of any universe? How do we classify spaces using only data that "inhabitants" have access to? Using tools like the Euler characteristic, we will explore the concepts of dimension, connectivity, and orientability in topology. We will learn how to classify low-dimensional spaces, and, time permitting, explore higher-dimensions and sundry unrelated phenomena. Title:
Floating objects
Proj. Leader:
Jakub Kominiarczuk UC Mathematics and LBNL Mathematics
We will begin by asking a fairly simple question, namely why is it that certain things float when thrown into water. To understand the most important processes involved, we will learn about such concepts as forces, pressure, and potential energy. After that introduction, we will tackle the main question: given a certain object -- and our initial example will be a square -- what will be it's orientation while floating? It turns out that the answer is quite interesting, even for graduate students, but we will find it using just simple algebra. Our initial investigation won't be limited to a square, though, and if the time permits we will perform numerical experiments to see if our analytical calculations were correct. Finally, we might try playing with various other shapes, specifically with a thin, "needlelike" rectangle. While the problem could be solved using somewhat sophisticated mathematics, we will use a simple approach based on high school level algebra. This will allow us to learn about things like forces, pressure, center of mass, and many other concepts which come to us naturally and help explaining much more complicated phenomena, such as why sail ships are stable even though they have very tall masts and are constantly being hit by large waves. As an added bonus, we will try learn how to use LaTeX -- the system used for preparing scientific papers -- and use it to write our project report. Title:
Energy and Sustainability
Proj. Leader:
Kenneth Armijo
[email protected] 1700 Spruce St., Apt 4 Berkeley, CA 94709 Phone: 505-507-5920
In this project, the students will learn about fossil fuel energy sources as well as alternative energy ones. With this the students will then be asked to investigate the
carbon/exergy life-cycle for these from a very broad perspective then evaluate ways that waste thermal energy can be used to produce more electricity. Title:
Spherical projections and map making
Proj. Leader:
Ryan Hynd
[email protected] Department of Mathematics, MS 3840 Phone: 770-335-9979
We will learn various ways to map a sphere onto a plane and hopefully come up with some new ways, too. These constructions will be used to make maps of the globe. Title:
Quantum Tic-Tac-Toe
Proj. Leader:
Chris Herdman
[email protected] 2448 Prospect Street, Berkeley CA 94704 Phone: 510-593-7314
The laws of physics for very tiny things (e.g. atoms, electrons, etc.), called quantum mechanics, are very different from what we experience everyday on human scales. This project will investigate the extraordinary world of quantum physics. We will use computer simulations of both quantum mechanical (very small) objects and human sizes objects and determine the differences and similarities of these two worlds. To better understand how the quantum world works, we will learn and play a version of tic-tac-toe based on the laws of quantum mechanics.
