College of Science Lecture Series
Surprise Twists That Transformed Science | 2024 Lecture Series
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2024 College of Science Lecture Series! We hope you enjoyed the four talks from College of Science speakers as we highlighted the twists and turns scientific research can bring. If you missed any of the lectures, you can find recordings on the UAZScience YouTube channel.
We look forward to seeing you in 2025! Information about the upcoming series will be announced soon.
February 7, 2024 | Sam Gralla
Surprised By Gravity: Black Holes and Their Shocking Implications
For most of history, humans conceptualized the cosmos as calm and orderly. When the first cracks in this viewpoint emerged in the early 20th century, nobody could imagine the wild extremes that would be discovered over the next hundred years. Join Dr. Gralla as he tells the story of black holes: bizarre objects just barely conceivable – and still challenging physics today – which nevertheless populate our universe in untold numbers, underlying some of the most spectacular astronomical displays. Click here for a recording of Dr. Gralla's lecture.
February 14, 2024 | Charlotte Pearson
Put A Ring On It: Dating Trees, Volcanoes, and the Sun
When tree-ring scientists 'put a ring on it' they apply an exact calendar date to a band of tree growth. This band can be unpacked and used as a dated time-capsule through history where we can explore past events and make future predictions. Explore the inside of a tree with Dr. Pearson of the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research and discover the surprising twists that emerged from the development of tree-ring science at the University of Arizona. Click here for a recording of Dr. Pearson's lecture.
February 21, 2024 | Sarah Moran
Strange New Worlds: Steamy Planets, Crystal Clouds, and the Seeds of Life
Since the first discovery of extrasolar planets in the 1990s, we have learned that the eight worlds of our solar system are just a few drops in a vast ocean of thousands of planets. Dr. Moran will discuss some of the strangest worlds out in the galaxy, and the bizarre materials that make up their atmospheres. With over a year of James Webb Space Telescope observations, we now know more than ever before about what makes these planets tick. Click here for a recording of Dr. Moran's lecture.
February 28, 2024 | Jeff Pyun
From Fossil Fuels Refining to Sustainable Plastics: A Surprising New Chemistry Twist
Will we ever change the way we make plastics? While plastics are ubiquitous in every day life, nearly a century has past with the same processes and materials, which are now accumulating and polluting the world around us. In this talk, Dr. Pyun will discuss his recent invention utilizing alternative waste feed stocks from the petroleum refining industry to create a transformative new class of advanced plastics. This process was invented at the University of Arizona and has quickly changed the way companies and academics think about plastic production. Click here for a recording of Dr. Pyun's lecture.
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History of the College of Science Lecture Series
In spring 2006, the UArizona College of Science launched its first public lecture series on the topic of Evolution. Bringing together educators and researchers from inside the College, this inaugural series was received by audiences that have grown in size and passion ever since. Since that time, the College of Science has provided an annual lecture series on a wide range of science topics that impact our community. Topics have included cosmology, neuroscience, transformative science, life science, evolution and climate change.
Spring 2024: Surprise Twists That Transformed Science
Spring 2023: Myth Busting Science
Spring 2020: Catalysts of Change
Spring 2019: Searching for Certainty
Spring 2018: Humans, Data and Machines
Spring 2017: Rethinking Reality
Spring 2016: Earth Transformed
Spring 2015: Life in the Universe
Spring 2014: The Evolving Brain
Spring 2013: Genomics Now
Spring 2012: Living Beyond 100
Spring 2011: Cosmic Origins
Spring 2010: Mind and Brain
Spring 2009: Science that Transforms
Spring 2008: The Edges of Life
Fall 2006: Global Climate Change
Spring 2006: Evolution