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March 2023

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EVENT CANCELED

Juggling, Refinements, and Symmetries for Volumes of Flow Polytopes
 

Alejandro Morales, University of Massachusetts

Wednesday, March 1, 2023
12–1 pm

RKC 111
Flow polytopes are an important class of polytopes in combinatorics whose lattice points and volumes have interesting properties and relations to other parts of geometric and algebraic combinatorics. These polytopes were recently related to (multiplex) juggling sequences of Butler, Graham, and Chung. The Chan-Robbins-Yuen (CRY) polytope is a flow polytope with normalized volume equal to the product of consecutive Catalan numbers, one of the most well-known sequences in combinatorics. Zeilberger proved this by evaluating the Morris constant term identity, but no combinatorial proof is known. In this talk we will talk about the connection between juggling and (flow) polytopes and introduce a new refinement of the Morris identity with combinatorial interpretations both in terms of lattice points and volumes of flow polytopes. 

Alejandro Morales is originally from Colombia and got his B.Math. from the University of Waterloo and a Ph.D. from MIT, working with Professor Alexander Postnikov. After postdocs at Université du Québec à Montréal and UCLA, he started a tenure-track position at UMass, Amherst where he is part of the Discrete Mathematics group. Morales works in enumerative and algebraic combinatorics and uses bijections, symmetric functions, and tools from algebra to study several objects including linearizations of posets, polytopes associated to graphs, and factorizations of permutations. Morales' research is funded by grants of the National Science Foundation and is a handling Editor of the mathematician owned journal Combinatorial Theory. You can see videos, slides, code, and conjectures of the work of Morales here: ahmorales.combinatoria.co
 Sponsored by: Computer Science Program; Mathematics Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File
1
  • 12–1 pm EVENT CANCELEDJuggling, Refinements, and Symmetries for Volumes of Flow Polytopes Wednesday, March 1, 2023, 12–1 pm

The History and Philosophy of Biology: What and How and Why?

Kathryn Tabb, Philosophy Program

Thursday, March 2, 2023
12–1 pm

Reem-Kayden Center Laszlo Z. Bito '60 Auditorium
Sponsored by: Biology Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File
2
  • 12–1 pm The History and Philosophy of Biology: What and How and Why?Thursday, March 2, 2023, 12–1 pm

EVENT CANCELED-will be postponed to another date

Singing Exoplanets and the Unmapped Sky: The Joys and Challenges of Low Frequency Radio Astronomy

Mary Knapp, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Friday, March 3, 2023
12–1 pm

Hegeman 107
We have maps of the sky across the electromagnetic spectrum - from high energy gamma rays through UV, optical, and infrared to radio frequencies.  One part of the spectrum is yet unexplored, however - very low frequency radio (< 10 MHz / 30 m).  This part of the spectrum is blocked by the Earth's ionosphere and is challenging to observe due to its very long wavelengths.  If we could access the low frequency radio sky, we could look back in time to the cosmological Dark Ages, study the plasma and magnetic fields that fill the spaces between stars, track solar storms as they barrel toward Earth, and listen for the radio signatures of exoplanetary magnetic fields. In this talk, I'll discuss low frequency radio science and past, present, and future efforts to build telescopes that can observe the low frequency sky.  I will describe the AERO-VISTA mission, which will map Earth's auroral radio environment.  I will also discuss future telescope concepts on the Moon and in space that seek to unveil this hidden part of the EM spectrum.Sponsored by: Physics Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File
3
  • 12–1 pm EVENT CANCELED-will be postponed to another dateSinging Exoplanets and the Unmapped Sky: The Joys and Challenges of Low Frequency Radio AstronomyFriday, March 3, 2023, 12–1 pm
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A Gentle Overview of Quantum Computing

James Marshall, Sarah Lawrence College

Wednesday, March 8, 2023
12–1 pm

RKC 111
Since the 1920s, physicists and philosophers have been trying to understand the strangeness of the subatomic world as revealed by quantum theory, but it wasn't until the 1980s that computer scientists first began to suspect that this strangeness might represent a source of immense computational power. This realization was soon followed by key theoretical advances, including the discovery of algorithms that harness the quantum phenomena of superposition and entanglement, enabling quantum computers in principle to solve certain problems far more efficiently than any conventional computer. Around the same time, researchers built the first working quantum computers, albeit on a very small scale. Today the multidisciplinary field of quantum computing lies at the intersection of computer science, mathematics, and physics, and is one of the most fascinating areas in science, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the future. In this talk I will give an overview of the basic mathematical ideas behind quantum computing, and use them to illustrate two particularly interesting results: the quantum search algorithm, and quantum teleportation.Sponsored by: Computer Science Program; Mathematics Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File
8
  • 12–1 pm A Gentle Overview of Quantum ComputingWednesday, March 8, 2023, 12–1 pm

What is Public Health? A Former Biologist Explains

Helen Epstein, Human Rights Program

Thursday, March 9, 2023
12–1 pm

Reem-Kayden Center Laszlo Z. Bito '60 Auditorium
Sponsored by: Biology Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File

The Local and Global in Psychological Service: A Case of Crisis Center for Women in Post-Socialist Kyrgyzstan

Elena Kim, Psychology Program

Thursday, March 9, 2023
4–5:30 pm

Reem-Kayden Center Laszlo Z. Bito '60 Auditorium
What does psychological counseling look like in the Global South? What shapes professional practice in a post-Soviet country? How is psychological intervention regulated in contemporary Central Asia? Guided by these questions, I conducted a qualitative inquiry in a crisis center for women in Kyrgyzstan, making use of a feminist-inspired methodological tool of Institutional Ethnography (Smith, 1987; 2005).  In this presentation, I share my findings demonstrating how the global standards of human rights protection inform what happens in the offices of the Kyrgyz crisis psychologists as they carry out their frontline work with survivors of domestic violence.  I found that adherence to these global frameworks, through discourses and textual work, might be at odds with the women’s actual obtainment of protection. Puzzled by this contradictory outcome, I explored and analytically mapped the institutional processes and activities which accounted for it. Following the tradition of critical, international and feminist psychology, I hope to demonstrate how the mental health needs of the minority may be routinely overlooked even within programs with the most benevolent agendas.Sponsored by: Psychology Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File
9
  • 12–1 pm What is Public Health? A Former Biologist ExplainsThursday, March 9, 2023, 12–1 pm
  • 4–5:30 pm The Local and Global in Psychological Service: A Case of Crisis Center for Women in Post-Socialist KyrgyzstanThursday, March 9, 2023, 4–5:30 pm

The Role of the Amazon River Outflow and Tropical Instability Waves in Controlling Phytoplankton Biomass in the Tropical Atlantic Ocean
 

Ajit Subramaniam, Columbia University

Friday, March 10, 2023
12–1 pm

Hegeman 107
The Tropical and Equatorial Atlantic Ocean has been well studied by physical oceanographers and meteorologists because of its importance to ocean circulation, deoxygenation, and rainfall in the Sahel but less is known about how the physics of this region controls biological processes.  The Tropical Atlantic is thought to have enhanced biological productivity and play an important role in global carbon flux - Longhurst (1993) estimated that the tropical Atlantic Ocean (10N – 10S) contributed more to global carbon fixation than the entire North Atlantic open ocean including the well-studied Spring Bloom.  The Equatorial upwelling process is widely accepted as being seasonal and is evident in satellite observations as lower monthly sea surface temperature and concomitant higher monthly chlorophyll concentrations between June and September of each year.  We will discuss the role of physical forcing factors such as the Amazon River outflow, the position of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, and Tropical Instability Wave activity in controlling the availability of nutrients and consequently, the phytoplankton community structure from cruises we participated in this region.
 Sponsored by: Physics Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File
10
  • 12–1 pm The Role of the Amazon River Outflow and Tropical Instability Waves in Controlling Phytoplankton Biomass in the Tropical Atlantic Ocean Friday, March 10, 2023, 12–1 pm
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Teach-In: The Earthquake in Turkey & Syria

Tuesday, March 14, 2023
3:30–4:30 pm

Olin, Room 102
Please join us on Tuesday, March 14, from 3:30–4:30 pm in Olin 102 for a teach-in to take stock of the earthquake(s) and their continued devastation in various parts of Turkey and Syria. 

Panelists include Lara Fresko Madra (Fellow at OSUN Center for Human Rights and the Arts), Pinar Kemerli (Assistant Professor of Political Studies), and Ziad Abu-Rish (Associate Professor of Human Rights and Middle Eastern Studies; CHRA MA Director).

Topics include:
—The nature and scope of the earthquake(s).
—The differential devastation across various regions and communities.
—The local, regional, and international dynamics of responding.
—Political legacies and fallout surrounding this and past earthquakes.

We will distribute a sample list of places to donate and/or keep up with the relevant news during the event and make it available to share via email for those that cannot attend.

This teach-in is supported by the OSUN Center for Human Rights and the Arts, the Human Rights Project, and the Middle Eastern Studies Program.Sponsored by: Human Rights Project; Middle Eastern Studies Program; OSUN Center for Human Rights and the Arts.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File
14
  • 3:30–4:30 pm Teach-In: The Earthquake in Turkey & SyriaTuesday, March 14, 2023, 3:30–4:30 pm

Do Circles Really Have Unique Centers? An Introduction to P-adic Numbers

Rylan Gajek-Leonard, '16, Union College

Wednesday, March 15, 2023
12–1 pm

RKC 111
We all have an intuitive notion of 'distance' between two numbers. For example, we might say that the distance between the numbers 3 and 5 is 2, and the distance between -5 and 1 is 6. But what do we really mean by 'distance'? Are there other ways to measure numbers? It turns out that the answer is yes: for every prime number p, there is a way to measure numbers in terms of their divisibility by p. In doing this, we are led to the world of "p-adic numbers", a strange place where all triangles are isosceles and where every point in a circle is its center. The theory of p-adic numbers permeates nearly all aspects of modern number theory. In this talk, we will define and gain intuition for the p-adic numbers and see some of their applications to problems in number theory.

Rylan completed his bachelor's degree in mathematics and music performance at Bard College, where he was also a cellist in the conservatory. He obtained a master's degree from the University of Cambridge, where he also performed with the Cambridge Philharmonic, and a PhD from UMass Amherst. Rylan currently teaches at Union College in Schenectady, New York. His research is in algebraic number theory and arithmetic geometry.Sponsored by: Computer Science Program; Mathematics Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File
15
  • 12–1 pm Do Circles Really Have Unique Centers? An Introduction to P-adic NumbersWednesday, March 15, 2023, 12–1 pm

Who Does Society Need to be Doctors and What You Can Do Once You Are One

Sharon Ostfeld-Johns, Yale University

Thursday, March 16, 2023
12:10–1:10 pm

Reem-Kayden Center Laszlo Z. Bito '60 Auditorium
Sponsored by: Biology Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File
16
  • 12:10–1:10 pm Who Does Society Need to be Doctors and What You Can Do Once You Are OneThursday, March 16, 2023, 12:10–1:10 pm

Singing Exoplanets and the Unmapped Sky: The Joys and Challenges of Low Frequency Radio Astronomy (copy)

Mary Knapp, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Friday, March 17, 2023
12–1 pm

Hegeman 107
We have maps of the sky across the electromagnetic spectrum - from high energy gamma rays through UV, optical, and infrared to radio frequencies.  One part of the spectrum is yet unexplored, however - very low frequency radio (< 10 MHz / 30 m).  This part of the spectrum is blocked by the Earth's ionosphere and is challenging to observe due to its very long wavelengths.  If we could access the low frequency radio sky, we could look back in time to the cosmological Dark Ages, study the plasma and magnetic fields that fill the spaces between stars, track solar storms as they barrel toward Earth, and listen for the radio signatures of exoplanetary magnetic fields. In this talk, I'll discuss low frequency radio science and past, present, and future efforts to build telescopes that can observe the low frequency sky.  I will describe the AERO-VISTA mission, which will map Earth's auroral radio environment.  I will also discuss future telescope concepts on the Moon and in space that seek to unveil this hidden part of the EM spectrum.Sponsored by: Physics Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File
17
  • 12–1 pm Singing Exoplanets and the Unmapped Sky: The Joys and Challenges of Low Frequency Radio Astronomy (copy)Friday, March 17, 2023, 12–1 pm
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Birth Defects Epidemiology: Assessing the Impact of Medication Use During Early Pregnancy

Meredith Howley, NYS Department of Health

Thursday, March 30, 2023
12:10–1:10 pm

Reem-Kayden Center Laszlo Z. Bito '60 Auditorium
Sponsored by: Biology Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File

Dyadic Interventions: Involving significant others in suicide prevention
 

Alexis May, Wesleyan University

Thursday, March 30, 2023
4–5:30 pm

Reem-Kayden Center Laszlo Z. Bito '60 Auditorium
Over the last two decades the frequency of suicidal thoughts, behaviors, and deaths has risen in the United States and remains high. This crisis has spurred the rapid development of interventions to prevent suicide. A common element across these interventions is their sole focus on the suicidal individual. This is in stark contrast to the critical role interpersonal connections play in suicide risk – a role highlighted by suicide theory, empirical data, complementary evidence, and best practice recommendations. However, including loved ones in treatments for suicidal individuals also presents unique challenges – suicidal individuals fear stigma, poor response to their disclosure and being a burden to others. Allies of suicidal individuals are hindered by misinformation, limited self-efficacy in helping, and high stress levels. The presentation will explore what contemporary suicide theories suggest about the role of significant others in suicide prevention and describe emerging interventions that involve significant others. The presentation will take a deep dive in to the couples crisis response plan, a novel single session suicide prevention intervention currently being tested among psychiatrically hospitalized service members and Veterans. Sponsored by: Psychology Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File
30
  • 12:10–1:10 pm Birth Defects Epidemiology: Assessing the Impact of Medication Use During Early PregnancyThursday, March 30, 2023, 12:10–1:10 pm
  • 4–5:30 pm Dyadic Interventions: Involving significant others in suicide prevention Thursday, March 30, 2023, 4–5:30 pm

Expanding Our Gravitational View of the Universe with Quantum Interferometry

Victoria Xu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Friday, March 31, 2023
12–1 pm

Hegeman 107
From atom interferometry to laser interferometry, experiments are leveraging quantum mechanics to expand our gravitational view of the Universe. In atom interferometry, we have realized ultra-long coherence times for atoms in spatially-separated superpositions, which can be used for precision table-top tests of exotic physics and gravity. In laser interferometry, as one of the most sensitive instruments ever built, the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (Advanced LIGO) operates at the limit of quantum noise to detect gravitational waves (GWs) from cataclysmic cosmic events, such as the mergers of black hole and neutron star binaries. Already, the detectors inject quantum light (“squeezed” vacuum) to reduce the high-frequency quantum noise from shot noise. Major upgrades have now been commissioned to additionally reduce the excess low-frequency quantum noise from opto-mechanical backaction. This involves coupling our squeezed light source to a 300-m long, narrow-band, optical “filter” cavity, which rotates the squeezing quadrature below 100 Hz to evade low-frequency quantum noise in the astrophysically-critical band. This low-frequency squeeze rotation will at last configure the LIGO interferometers for optimal sensing, capable of exceeding the standard quantum limit to our measurement sensitivity. In the next observing run of Advanced LIGO, our quantum-enhanced sensitivity will expand the observable horizon of GW astronomy by 70%, expected to bring GW detection from a near-weekly to near-daily occurrence just 9 years after the dawn of GW astronomy.Sponsored by: Physics Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File
31
  • 12–1 pm Expanding Our Gravitational View of the Universe with Quantum InterferometryFriday, March 31, 2023, 12–1 pm
 

all events are subject to change

close

EVENT CANCELED

Juggling, Refinements, and Symmetries for Volumes of Flow Polytopes
 

Alejandro Morales, University of Massachusetts

Wednesday, March 1, 2023
12–1 pm

RKC 111
Flow polytopes are an important class of polytopes in combinatorics whose lattice points and volumes have interesting properties and relations to other parts of geometric and algebraic combinatorics. These polytopes were recently related to (multiplex) juggling sequences of Butler, Graham, and Chung. The Chan-Robbins-Yuen (CRY) polytope is a flow polytope with normalized volume equal to the product of consecutive Catalan numbers, one of the most well-known sequences in combinatorics. Zeilberger proved this by evaluating the Morris constant term identity, but no combinatorial proof is known. In this talk we will talk about the connection between juggling and (flow) polytopes and introduce a new refinement of the Morris identity with combinatorial interpretations both in terms of lattice points and volumes of flow polytopes. 

Alejandro Morales is originally from Colombia and got his B.Math. from the University of Waterloo and a Ph.D. from MIT, working with Professor Alexander Postnikov. After postdocs at Université du Québec à Montréal and UCLA, he started a tenure-track position at UMass, Amherst where he is part of the Discrete Mathematics group. Morales works in enumerative and algebraic combinatorics and uses bijections, symmetric functions, and tools from algebra to study several objects including linearizations of posets, polytopes associated to graphs, and factorizations of permutations. Morales' research is funded by grants of the National Science Foundation and is a handling Editor of the mathematician owned journal Combinatorial Theory. You can see videos, slides, code, and conjectures of the work of Morales here: ahmorales.combinatoria.co
 Sponsored by: Computer Science Program; Mathematics Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File

The History and Philosophy of Biology: What and How and Why?

Kathryn Tabb, Philosophy Program

Thursday, March 2, 2023
12–1 pm

Reem-Kayden Center Laszlo Z. Bito '60 Auditorium
Sponsored by: Biology Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File

EVENT CANCELED-will be postponed to another date

Singing Exoplanets and the Unmapped Sky: The Joys and Challenges of Low Frequency Radio Astronomy

Mary Knapp, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Friday, March 3, 2023
12–1 pm

Hegeman 107
We have maps of the sky across the electromagnetic spectrum - from high energy gamma rays through UV, optical, and infrared to radio frequencies.  One part of the spectrum is yet unexplored, however - very low frequency radio (< 10 MHz / 30 m).  This part of the spectrum is blocked by the Earth's ionosphere and is challenging to observe due to its very long wavelengths.  If we could access the low frequency radio sky, we could look back in time to the cosmological Dark Ages, study the plasma and magnetic fields that fill the spaces between stars, track solar storms as they barrel toward Earth, and listen for the radio signatures of exoplanetary magnetic fields. In this talk, I'll discuss low frequency radio science and past, present, and future efforts to build telescopes that can observe the low frequency sky.  I will describe the AERO-VISTA mission, which will map Earth's auroral radio environment.  I will also discuss future telescope concepts on the Moon and in space that seek to unveil this hidden part of the EM spectrum.Sponsored by: Physics Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File

A Gentle Overview of Quantum Computing

James Marshall, Sarah Lawrence College

Wednesday, March 8, 2023
12–1 pm

RKC 111
Since the 1920s, physicists and philosophers have been trying to understand the strangeness of the subatomic world as revealed by quantum theory, but it wasn't until the 1980s that computer scientists first began to suspect that this strangeness might represent a source of immense computational power. This realization was soon followed by key theoretical advances, including the discovery of algorithms that harness the quantum phenomena of superposition and entanglement, enabling quantum computers in principle to solve certain problems far more efficiently than any conventional computer. Around the same time, researchers built the first working quantum computers, albeit on a very small scale. Today the multidisciplinary field of quantum computing lies at the intersection of computer science, mathematics, and physics, and is one of the most fascinating areas in science, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the future. In this talk I will give an overview of the basic mathematical ideas behind quantum computing, and use them to illustrate two particularly interesting results: the quantum search algorithm, and quantum teleportation.Sponsored by: Computer Science Program; Mathematics Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File

What is Public Health? A Former Biologist Explains

Helen Epstein, Human Rights Program

Thursday, March 9, 2023
12–1 pm

Reem-Kayden Center Laszlo Z. Bito '60 Auditorium
Sponsored by: Biology Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File

The Local and Global in Psychological Service: A Case of Crisis Center for Women in Post-Socialist Kyrgyzstan

Elena Kim, Psychology Program

Thursday, March 9, 2023
4–5:30 pm

Reem-Kayden Center Laszlo Z. Bito '60 Auditorium
What does psychological counseling look like in the Global South? What shapes professional practice in a post-Soviet country? How is psychological intervention regulated in contemporary Central Asia? Guided by these questions, I conducted a qualitative inquiry in a crisis center for women in Kyrgyzstan, making use of a feminist-inspired methodological tool of Institutional Ethnography (Smith, 1987; 2005).  In this presentation, I share my findings demonstrating how the global standards of human rights protection inform what happens in the offices of the Kyrgyz crisis psychologists as they carry out their frontline work with survivors of domestic violence.  I found that adherence to these global frameworks, through discourses and textual work, might be at odds with the women’s actual obtainment of protection. Puzzled by this contradictory outcome, I explored and analytically mapped the institutional processes and activities which accounted for it. Following the tradition of critical, international and feminist psychology, I hope to demonstrate how the mental health needs of the minority may be routinely overlooked even within programs with the most benevolent agendas.Sponsored by: Psychology Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File

The Role of the Amazon River Outflow and Tropical Instability Waves in Controlling Phytoplankton Biomass in the Tropical Atlantic Ocean
 

Ajit Subramaniam, Columbia University

Friday, March 10, 2023
12–1 pm

Hegeman 107
The Tropical and Equatorial Atlantic Ocean has been well studied by physical oceanographers and meteorologists because of its importance to ocean circulation, deoxygenation, and rainfall in the Sahel but less is known about how the physics of this region controls biological processes.  The Tropical Atlantic is thought to have enhanced biological productivity and play an important role in global carbon flux - Longhurst (1993) estimated that the tropical Atlantic Ocean (10N – 10S) contributed more to global carbon fixation than the entire North Atlantic open ocean including the well-studied Spring Bloom.  The Equatorial upwelling process is widely accepted as being seasonal and is evident in satellite observations as lower monthly sea surface temperature and concomitant higher monthly chlorophyll concentrations between June and September of each year.  We will discuss the role of physical forcing factors such as the Amazon River outflow, the position of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, and Tropical Instability Wave activity in controlling the availability of nutrients and consequently, the phytoplankton community structure from cruises we participated in this region.
 Sponsored by: Physics Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File

Teach-In: The Earthquake in Turkey & Syria

Tuesday, March 14, 2023
3:30–4:30 pm

Olin, Room 102
Please join us on Tuesday, March 14, from 3:30–4:30 pm in Olin 102 for a teach-in to take stock of the earthquake(s) and their continued devastation in various parts of Turkey and Syria. 

Panelists include Lara Fresko Madra (Fellow at OSUN Center for Human Rights and the Arts), Pinar Kemerli (Assistant Professor of Political Studies), and Ziad Abu-Rish (Associate Professor of Human Rights and Middle Eastern Studies; CHRA MA Director).

Topics include:
—The nature and scope of the earthquake(s).
—The differential devastation across various regions and communities.
—The local, regional, and international dynamics of responding.
—Political legacies and fallout surrounding this and past earthquakes.

We will distribute a sample list of places to donate and/or keep up with the relevant news during the event and make it available to share via email for those that cannot attend.

This teach-in is supported by the OSUN Center for Human Rights and the Arts, the Human Rights Project, and the Middle Eastern Studies Program.Sponsored by: Human Rights Project; Middle Eastern Studies Program; OSUN Center for Human Rights and the Arts.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Read More  |  Save this event: Subscribe / .ics File

Do Circles Really Have Unique Centers? An Introduction to P-adic Numbers

Rylan Gajek-Leonard, '16, Union College

Wednesday, March 15, 2023
12–1 pm

RKC 111
We all have an intuitive notion of 'distance' between two numbers. For example, we might say that the distance between the numbers 3 and 5 is 2, and the distance between -5 and 1 is 6. But what do we really mean by 'distance'? Are there other ways to measure numbers? It turns out that the answer is yes: for every prime number p, there is a way to measure numbers in terms of their divisibility by p. In doing this, we are led to the world of "p-adic numbers", a strange place where all triangles are isosceles and where every point in a circle is its center. The theory of p-adic numbers permeates nearly all aspects of modern number theory. In this talk, we will define and gain intuition for the p-adic numbers and see some of their applications to problems in number theory.

Rylan completed his bachelor's degree in mathematics and music performance at Bard College, where he was also a cellist in the conservatory. He obtained a master's degree from the University of Cambridge, where he also performed with the Cambridge Philharmonic, and a PhD from UMass Amherst. Rylan currently teaches at Union College in Schenectady, New York. His research is in algebraic number theory and arithmetic geometry.Sponsored by: Computer Science Program; Mathematics Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
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Who Does Society Need to be Doctors and What You Can Do Once You Are One

Sharon Ostfeld-Johns, Yale University

Thursday, March 16, 2023
12:10–1:10 pm

Reem-Kayden Center Laszlo Z. Bito '60 Auditorium
Sponsored by: Biology Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
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Singing Exoplanets and the Unmapped Sky: The Joys and Challenges of Low Frequency Radio Astronomy (copy)

Mary Knapp, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Friday, March 17, 2023
12–1 pm

Hegeman 107
We have maps of the sky across the electromagnetic spectrum - from high energy gamma rays through UV, optical, and infrared to radio frequencies.  One part of the spectrum is yet unexplored, however - very low frequency radio (< 10 MHz / 30 m).  This part of the spectrum is blocked by the Earth's ionosphere and is challenging to observe due to its very long wavelengths.  If we could access the low frequency radio sky, we could look back in time to the cosmological Dark Ages, study the plasma and magnetic fields that fill the spaces between stars, track solar storms as they barrel toward Earth, and listen for the radio signatures of exoplanetary magnetic fields. In this talk, I'll discuss low frequency radio science and past, present, and future efforts to build telescopes that can observe the low frequency sky.  I will describe the AERO-VISTA mission, which will map Earth's auroral radio environment.  I will also discuss future telescope concepts on the Moon and in space that seek to unveil this hidden part of the EM spectrum.Sponsored by: Physics Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
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Birth Defects Epidemiology: Assessing the Impact of Medication Use During Early Pregnancy

Meredith Howley, NYS Department of Health

Thursday, March 30, 2023
12:10–1:10 pm

Reem-Kayden Center Laszlo Z. Bito '60 Auditorium
Sponsored by: Biology Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
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Dyadic Interventions: Involving significant others in suicide prevention
 

Alexis May, Wesleyan University

Thursday, March 30, 2023
4–5:30 pm

Reem-Kayden Center Laszlo Z. Bito '60 Auditorium
Over the last two decades the frequency of suicidal thoughts, behaviors, and deaths has risen in the United States and remains high. This crisis has spurred the rapid development of interventions to prevent suicide. A common element across these interventions is their sole focus on the suicidal individual. This is in stark contrast to the critical role interpersonal connections play in suicide risk – a role highlighted by suicide theory, empirical data, complementary evidence, and best practice recommendations. However, including loved ones in treatments for suicidal individuals also presents unique challenges – suicidal individuals fear stigma, poor response to their disclosure and being a burden to others. Allies of suicidal individuals are hindered by misinformation, limited self-efficacy in helping, and high stress levels. The presentation will explore what contemporary suicide theories suggest about the role of significant others in suicide prevention and describe emerging interventions that involve significant others. The presentation will take a deep dive in to the couples crisis response plan, a novel single session suicide prevention intervention currently being tested among psychiatrically hospitalized service members and Veterans. Sponsored by: Psychology Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
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Expanding Our Gravitational View of the Universe with Quantum Interferometry

Victoria Xu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Friday, March 31, 2023
12–1 pm

Hegeman 107
From atom interferometry to laser interferometry, experiments are leveraging quantum mechanics to expand our gravitational view of the Universe. In atom interferometry, we have realized ultra-long coherence times for atoms in spatially-separated superpositions, which can be used for precision table-top tests of exotic physics and gravity. In laser interferometry, as one of the most sensitive instruments ever built, the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (Advanced LIGO) operates at the limit of quantum noise to detect gravitational waves (GWs) from cataclysmic cosmic events, such as the mergers of black hole and neutron star binaries. Already, the detectors inject quantum light (“squeezed” vacuum) to reduce the high-frequency quantum noise from shot noise. Major upgrades have now been commissioned to additionally reduce the excess low-frequency quantum noise from opto-mechanical backaction. This involves coupling our squeezed light source to a 300-m long, narrow-band, optical “filter” cavity, which rotates the squeezing quadrature below 100 Hz to evade low-frequency quantum noise in the astrophysically-critical band. This low-frequency squeeze rotation will at last configure the LIGO interferometers for optimal sensing, capable of exceeding the standard quantum limit to our measurement sensitivity. In the next observing run of Advanced LIGO, our quantum-enhanced sensitivity will expand the observable horizon of GW astronomy by 70%, expected to bring GW detection from a near-weekly to near-daily occurrence just 9 years after the dawn of GW astronomy.Sponsored by: Physics Program.

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
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