Virtual Events
The Einstein Papers Project
Beginning shortly after Albert Einstein's death in 1955, the Einstein Papers Project aims to publish all of his papers, both personal and scientific. Located at Caltech since 2000 under the editorial direction of Diana Kormos-Buchwald, the collection has grown to more than 80,000 documents, uncovering new insights into science and life at the Institute, in Pasadena, and beyond.
Molecular Robots
Emerging technology may endow non-living physical systems with intelligent behaviors similar to biological systems. Lulu Qian, professor of bioengineering, takes inspiration from principles in biology and conceptual frameworks in computer science to develop methods for constructing artificial molecular "machines." Her work is proving that rudimentary brain-like behavior can exist in test tube chemistry.
Solving Chemical Riddles
Any invention that involves the artificial creation of a molecule, whether it be a new drug to treat cancer or a new designer molecule for an LED screen, has synthetic chemistry at its core. Sarah Reisman, Bren Professor of Chemistry and the Norman Davidson Leadership Chair in the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, is working on new methods to make small molecules with big impact.
The History of Space Junk
Since the beginning of the Space Age, communities worldwide have viewed outer space as a place that could be polluted. Whether they languish in orbit, crash into each other, or fall back to Earth, the byproducts of the space industry pose significant risks. Assistant professor of history and William H. Hurt Scholar Lisa Ruth Rand explores how space junk became an environmental problem.
The Cell's Gatekeeper
Every cell in the human body contains a nucleus—a "vault" that holds the cell's genetic information. The nuclear pore complex functions as a "gatekeeper" to the nucleus, and its dysfunction contributes to human illness. André Hoelz, the Mary and Charles Ferkel Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, is working to understand cellular architecture and functions, which could lead to new disease therapies.
Climate Change in the Northern Forests
The R. Stanton Avery Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and Environmental Science and Engineering Paul Wennberg presents two vignettes: one considering the effects of climate change on the growth of northern (boreal) forests; and one that examines canopy coverage closer to home, here in urban Los Angeles and how the distribution of trees influences the exposure of Angelenos to heat.
The Italian Peninsula: From Celestial Bodies to the Atomic Nucleus
Modern science owes much to the labors of great Italian scientists. Rob Phillips, the Fred and Nancy Morris Professor of Biophysics, Biology, and Physics, explores examples ranging from the unity of art and science in Leonardo da Vinci's studies of turbulent fluids to the curiosity that led Galileo to grapple intellectually with nearly everything he encountered.
How Violence Became Criminal
In the modern West, we tend to assume that most, if not all, acts of violence are criminal. Warren C. Brown, professor of history, reveals why it is no accident that the word violence emerged into English in its modern, all-encompassing meaning at the point when all personal acts of destructive force not sanctioned by kings, while formerly licit, became defined as crimes.
Beyond Skin Deep
New technologies employ a combination of optical and ultrasonic waves to provide harmless, high-resolution imaging beneath the skin. Lihong V. Wang, Bren Professor of Medical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, Andrew and Peggy Cherng Medical Engineering Leadership Chair, and Executive Officer for Medical Engineering, explains this technology and its potential benefits.