Brains, Bacteria and Black Holes

Peer through X-ray eyes at Jupiter’s powerful aurorae. More than just pretty lights, find out how this vivid display offers clues about the dynamic relationship between Jupiter and the Sun, black holes and potentially habitable worlds.

Speech interaction is central to our society. To communicate effectively, speakers naturally adapt their language and tone to suit their interlocutor. While this adjustment comes natural to many people, others may struggle. One of the challenges is finding the right balance in this adaptation. This talk will explore research on how our brains navigate this delicate balance, discussing whether and how these adaptations are helpful.

While everyone knows that we share our world with a host of microbial organisms, few people are aware of what this microscopic world really looks like. Single cells in liquids or on surfaces are vulnerable to predation, drying out and harmful chemicals, making them relatively easy to get rid of when we don't want them around. For this reason most microbes live in complex, multicellular communities called biofilms where they use extracellular molecules to construct a slimy structure called the matrix, protecting them from the environment and allowing them to stick to surfaces like your teeth. Here you will learn more about how biofilms form, why we should care.

Our precious metals like gold and platinum can only be formed by the most extreme explosions in space. We believe most of these metals are created when neutron stars collide. Neutron stars weigh as much as the sun but are the size of the earth. When these stars collide, an enormous amount of energy is released, heavy elements are created and a bright flash of light is produced. My job is to simulate these collisions and the light emitted so that we can better understand the physics of how heavy metals are created.