UCLA Extension Science Specials in Physics and Astromomy

Posted by UCLA Extension on 3/18/08

More | Report Post

Join UCLA Extension as we present new one-day programs on
Physics and Astronomy in April and May 2008.

What's New in Physics 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
9 am to 5 pm
Fee: $65

UCLA Campus
1425 Physics & Astronomy Bldg.
405 Hilgard Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90024

Join four prominent scientists as they explore questions
and issues at the fascinating frontiers of research in
modern physics, including:

-What will the universe look like 150 billion years from
now?

-How did we learn about the composition of the universe?

-How does the inner ear detect minute mechanical signals?

-What is the first step in the processing of auditory
information?

-Why is Antarctica a special place to perform physics and
astronomy research?

-How do accelerated electrons see what has not been seen
before?

-Can one recreate the Big Bang in a laboratory?

From dark matter to the study of high-energy cosmic
particles to research at the interface of physics and
neurophysiology, research teams in the UCLA Department of
Physics and Astronomy are at the forefront of our
exploration of the fundamental nature of our universe.

Program Coordinator:
Ferdinand Coroniti, Professor/Chair, Department of Physics
and Astronomy, UCLA

Program and Speakers
-The Dark Side of the Universe: Dark Matter and Dark Energy
with Alexander Kusenko, PhD, Professor, Department of
Physics and Astronomy, UCLA;

-Working in Antarctica: An Astrophysicist's Journey with
David Saltzberg, PhD, Professor, Department of Physics and
Astronomy, UCLA;

-Biophysics of Hearing with Dolores Bozovic, PhD, Assistant
Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA;

-Accelerator Physics: New Light Sources and Medical Imaging
Techniques with James Rosenzweig, PhD, Professor,
Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA.

UCLA Astronomy Homepage Images
http://www.astro.ucla.edu/graphics/site/rotation/index.shtm
l
-----

New
Extremophiles to Exoplanets: Life in the Universe

Saturday, May 17, 2008
9 am to 5 pm
Fee: $65

UCLA Campus
147 Dodd Hall
405 Hilgard Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90024

Join four prominent scientists working at the cutting edge
of their respective fields as they examine the search for
life within the solar system and throughout the galaxy.

Consider these questions:

-Could there be life underneath the icy crust of Jupiter's
moon, Europa? Perhaps under the surface of Saturn's moon,
Titan?

-How is our study of extremophile life forms on Earth
affecting our search for life "out there"?

-What life forms exist under extreme environments on Earth
and how do they survive?

-What fascinating possible abodes for life are being
discovered by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope?

-How does the near-daily discovery of extra-solar planets
influence our views of the likelihood of extra-solar life?

Program Coordinator
Kevin Grazier, PhD, Investigation Scientist, Cassini
Mission to Saturn and Titan, Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Caltech.

In addition to his JPL duties, Dr. Grazier teaches several
university astronomy courses, and has served as a science
advisor for the Sci-Fi Channel, CNN, and PBS;

Michelle Thaller, PhD, Research Scientist, Spitzer Space
Telescope, Caltech. Dr. Thaller not only performs research
based upon Spitzer observations, she also is a highly
sought-after astronomical outreach speaker;

Kenneth Nealson, PhD, Wrigley Professor of Geobiology at
USC. An expert on extremophile life forms, Dr. Nealson
studies organisms that live in extreme environments and
develops techniques both for in situ life detection and
analysis of samples returned from Mars in future missions;

William I. Newman, PhD, Professor in Physics and Astronomy,
Earth, and Space Sciences, and Mathematics at UCLA. Dr.
Newman is an expert in planetary dynamics, teaches
astrobiology, and has written professional publications
with the late Carl Sagan on the plausibility of
extraterrestrial life.

Extremophiles
an organism adapted to living in conditions of extreme
temperature, pressure or chemical concentration, as in
highly acidic or salty environments. Many extremophiles
are unicellular organisms knows as archea.

Exoplanets
an extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet beyond the
Solar System. As of December 2007, 270 exoplanets have been
detected. The vast majority were detected through various
indirect methods rather than actual imaging. Most of them
are massive giant planets likely to resemble Jupiter.

Enter the UCLA Campus at Westholme and Hilgard. Parking
at UCLA costs $8. Visit www.uclaextension.edu or call 310-
825-7093.