Physical sciences
Studying the Surface of Asteroids by Investigating Powder in the Lab – Dr Daniel D Durda, Southwest Research Institute
Space scientist Dr Dan Durda and his team at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, are working to understand how the planets in our Solar System evolved. The team is searching for practical ways to exploit nearby asteroids, through investigating how...
Creating the Eagle Nebula Pillars in the Lab – Drs Marc Pound, Jave Kane, Bruce Remington, David A. Martinez
The ‘Pillars of Creation’ is one of the most iconic images ever taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, but the processes that formed these colossal tendrils of the Eagle Nebula are still not entirely understood. To test emerging theories, Drs Marc Pound, Jave Kane,...
Finding Water in the Moon’s Shadows – Dr Craig Hardgrove, Arizona State University
The Moon’s poles are enriched in hydrogen, a key component of water-ice, but there’s still much to learn. Dr Craig Hardgrove and his colleagues at Arizona State University are leading the Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper (LunaH-Map) mission, which aims to discover how much...
Hope for Humanity in the Energy Crisis: Astronomical Jets in a Lab – Professor Setthivoine You, University of Washington
If we consider Earth as a closed box in which humanity has only ever lived, the second law of thermodynamics says that in the end, inevitably, the box will reach a state of maximum disorder. So, in the long run, there are two important ways in which our species might...
Calling in the Bioelectrician – Dr Andrew K. Udit, Occidental College
In the world of chemistry, the search for new and improved catalysts is of great importance. Inspired by a family of vital biological molecules, cytochrome P450 catalysts could be the way of the future for industry – if only they could be made to work better. Dr...
Actively Learning Chemistry Blended Classes for First Year College Students – Dr Lisa B. Hibbard, Spelman College
Flipped learning is an exciting new educational strategy aimed at maximising learning by delivering the content of courses online, while focusing classroom time on student-centred active learning tasks. Dr Lisa Hibbard at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA has been...
Literal Sun Jars Shrinking Stars for Energy Production – Professor Michael Brown, Swarthmore College
Science is the pursuit of knowledge – a search for an understanding. Sometimes that knowledge is simply collected and catalogued away for future reference (the laser was discovered in this manner) but, often, it is searched out vehemently to achieve something of...
Refining the Theories of Planet Formation – Dr Melissa A. Morris, State University of New York at Cortland
Science and philosophy are two of the most important pillars of human civilisation. But when it comes to the important questions, is there really much difference between them? Where do we come from? What is the meaning of life? Answers to such philosophical questions...
The Unexpected Spirals of Electron Density – Dr Jasper van Wezel, University of Amsterdam
Spirals are an intriguing shape to find in the natural world because they have handedness – turning either to the left or right as you move along them – and it’s this property that makes the work of Dr Jasper van Wezel and his team at the University of Amsterdam...
Using Noise to Control Micromechanical & Macromechanical Systems – Professor Balakumar Balachandran, University of Maryland
Micromechanical oscillators are components of many electronic systems that keep track of signal processing and ensure data is moved around without becoming jumbled up. Professor Balachandran and his team at the University of Maryland are exploring how noise can be...
Understanding Particle-Fluid Interaction Dynamics in Turbulent Flow – Dr Lian-Ping Wang, University of Delaware
Almost every aspect of the global water cycle involves a mixture of fluids and particles – raindrop formation, ocean currents and water percolation through the soil. This mixture of gas and liquid or liquid and solid causes behaviour that is important to understand,...
Falling in Love with Statistics Shaping Students’ Relationships with Data – Prof Lisa C. Dierker, Wesleyan University
Statistical data analysis is a cornerstone of the sciences and operates as a shared language across disparate fields, from neuroscience to astronomy. However, current curricula often result in disengaged and stressed students who struggle to connect the concepts of...
TICAL Aims for Paradigm Shift in PET Imaging – Professor Paul Lecoq, CERN
In an ongoing effort to increase the accuracy and sensitivity of current PET (positron emission tomography) scanners, Prof Paul Lecoq and his team at CERN research various elements of this particular imaging technique. Inspired by particle physics detectors, the team...
Understanding the Early Solar System Through Isotopic Fingerprints – Dr François Robert, Institut de minéralogie, de physique des matériaux
During the early stages of the solar system formation, the development of molecular organic and inorganic structures occurred through poorly documented mechanisms such as photochemistry or nuclear reactions. Directly probing such phenomena in the laboratory is almost...
The Exotic Chemistry of the Heaviest Elements – Professor Thomas E. Albrecht-Schmitt, Florida State University
Relatively little is known about the chemical reactivity of radioactive elements, as using them in the lab requires heroic efforts. However, Professor Thomas Albrecht-Schmitt and his group at Florida State University have successfully been able to investigate the...
Monitoring and Controlling the Delivery of Single Molecules through Nanopores – Drs Daniel Burden and Lisa Burden, Wheaton College
Monitoring and controlling molecules as they are transported in and out of nanometre-sized compartments is no easy task. Dr Lisa Burden, Dr Daniel Burden and their colleagues at Wheaton College have made significant contributions to understanding these processes by...
Putting the Universe in a Computer – Dr Romeel Davé, University of the Western Cape
Galaxy formation theorist Dr Romeel Davé and his team at the University of the Western Cape use high-performance supercomputer simulations to answer basic questions about the evolution of galaxies and our visible Universe. ...
Hypersonic Laser Tagging A New Way of Understanding Fluid Mechanics – Professor Richard B. Miles, Texas A&M University
Fluid mechanics is the study of the flows within liquids, gases and plasmas, and the forces that act upon them. Applications involving fluid mechanics are vast, ranging from chemical engineering to astrophysics, and so an accurate understanding is essential for future...
Count Down to the Future – Meg Cheng-Campbell, Ryan T. Scott, Samantha Torres, Matthew Murray, Eric Moyer – NASA Ames Research Center
At the NASA Ames Research Center in California, the next generation of space biologists are working to understand the effects of long duration space flight on model organisms, and are developing ways to protect the health of future astronauts. [lbg_audio2_html5...
Mapping P-adic Spaces with Height Pairings – Professor Amnon Besser, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Professor Amnon Besser of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and his colleagues are exploring p-adic numbers – one of the most difficult areas of number theory – in order to solve long-standing open problems bridging several fields of mathematics. [lbg_audio2_html5...
In Silico Chemistry Modelling the Reactions of Heavy Elements – Dr Kirk A. Peterson, Washington State University
Is it possible for computational modelling to become sufficiently accurate as to replace experiments? This is one of the many questions that Dr Kirk Peterson and his team at Washington State University are working towards answering. As a world-leader in developing...
Cleaning Up a Catastrophe – Professor Peter H. Santschi, Texas A&M University
Professor Peter Santschi and his team at Texas A&M University are dedicated to investigating the consequences of the release of radioactive substances into the environment. Incorrect storage of nuclear waste or power plant accidents can cause radioactive material...
Exploring How the Lower Atmosphere Influences Space Weather – Prof Jeffrey M. Forbes, University of Colorado
Professor Jeffrey Forbes and his team at the University of Colorado use data from multiple satellites and global modelling to determine how terrestrial weather affects the near-Earth space environment.
Somewhere outside the rainbow – Kimberly Kowal Arcand
NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory orbits high above the earth, beaming back images of the high-energy universe impossible to obtain from the ground. Bringing this data to the world is Kimberly Arcand, Visualisation Lead for the project. Here we go into detail on some...