Dr.
Mercedes Richards (July 14th) -
Professor of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State
University
"From
CAT Scans to Astrotomography"
The technique of tomography has been applied to several scientific
disciplines. This simple mathematical idea was developed
in 1917 by a mathematician named Johann Radon to
calculate three-dimensional images from information contained
along lines that pass through an object. I will show examples
of how tomography has been used in medicine, geophysics,
oceanography, archaeology, and astronomy.
Dr.
Donald St. P. Richards (July 21st) - Professor
of Statistics, Pennsylvania State University
"Random Walks and the Quest for Jack or Jill"
In a mythical society which values sons more than daughters,
couples continue to have children until they have a son.
Then they
retire from the child-bearing business. What are the
consequences of this practice? Will there be more boys
than girls? How
many children will
there be in the average family? How do these numbers
change if we vary from 50% the probability that a randomly
chosen
birth results in a boy? This talk will answer these questions
using ideas from elementary probability theory.
Suppose the society forces each family to continue to have children
until the number of boys in each family first exceeds the number of girls.
We will ask the same questions as before. Using probabilistic ideas related
to the study of random walks, we will see that the society is in for
interesting times.
The talk will also relate these child-rearing schemes to the famous
gambler's ruin problem: Two gamblers, A and B bet on the outcomes of
successive tosses of a coin. On each toss, if the coin shows heads then
A collects one dollar from B; if the coin shows tails then A pays one
dollar to B. If A starts the game with $100 and B starts with $200 then
what is the probability that B ends up with all $300? How long will it
take for A to be ruined? We will apply the results of this study to the
case in which you are A, and B is Las Vegas so that, for all practical
purposes, B has infinite assets; we shall see that you are in for an
interesting time.
Dr.
Andreas Albrecht (July 23rd) - Professor
of Physics, University of California, Davis
"What do we know about the Universe?"
We are in the midst of a "Golden Age of Cosmology".
Experimentalists are using modern technology to produce stunning new
data sets. Bold theories that probe profound questions of the origin
of the Universe and the fundamental nature of matter are being put to
the test. I will review this exciting field and give the audience a feeling
for the great insights we have recently gained about the Universe, and
for the big unanswered questions that drive us to seek even greater accomplishments
in the future.
Dr.
Colin C. Adams (July 28th) - Francis
Christopher Oakley Third Century Professor of Mathematics,
Williams College
"Real Estate in Hyperbolic Space: Investment
Opportunities for the New Millennium"
By Mel Slugbate, Slugbate and Mossbutter Real Estate Agency (brother-in-law
to Colin Adams, Math Department, Williams College)
Have you found the new investment climate a bit on the
chilly side? Nervous about stocks, bonds and mutual funds? Afraid
of risky investments in Euclidean space? Then real estate in
hyperbolic space is for you. We will discuss the enormous potential
of this new investment opportunity and describe the many fascinating
properties of hyperbolic space that make it
such an attractive place to live. This is the financial equivalent
of the 1990's tech stock boom. Don't miss it. Bring your checkbook
and credit references!
No previous math or real estate background assumed! Recommended for students
and faculty alike! Roger Ebert says, "Two fingers up!"
Dr.
Geerat Vermeij (August 4th) - Distinguished Professor
of Geology, University of California, Davis; UC Davis Faculty Research
Lecturer
Award, 2004 Recipient; Recipient of
the Daniel
Giraud Elliot Medal by the National Academy of Sciences; MacArthur
Award Recipient
"Natural History & Human History: What Fossil Shells
Tell Us About the Past and Our Future"
The word economics is based on the Greek oikos, meaning house. The major
principles underlying the study of human economics are identical to those
governing the interactions of nonhuman living things, including molluscs.
The shells of molluscs are houses, whose architecture and patterns of
growth teach us a great deal about the conditions in which the animals
that built them lived and evolved. We can therefore track these changing
conditions through time, and therefore discern large historical patterns.
The history chronicled by shells is surprisingly similar to the history
of humanity. Common principles explain a great deal about history, and
inform likely directions of change for the future.
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