Caltech Streaming Theater에서는 Caltech에서 1998년 부터 현재까지 개최된 강연이나 학내 행사 등 160여개의 동영상을 무료로 제공하고 있습니다. Caltech에서 지난 10년간 어떤 일들이 일어났는지 우리도 같이 들여다볼까요. 동영상은 크게 3개의 갈래로 나뉘어져 있습니다.
1. 과학 기술 : Watson Lecture Series, the Everhart graduate student lectures 등2. 사회와 문화 : 다큐멘터리영화제작, 투표 관련 기술, 국방, 과학교육의 다양성 등3. 학내 행사 : 졸업식(학위수여식), Mechanical Engineering 72 competitions 등동영상을 보기 위해서는 번거롭지만 Real player를 설치하셔야합니다.
[#M_ 동영상 총목록 보기(클릭) | less.. |
Commencement 2008 6/13/2008[view videos] 126 minutes These tribal rites have a very long history. They go back to the ceremony of initiation for new university teachers in medieval Europe. It was then customary for students, after an appropriate apprenticeship to learning and the presentation of a thesis as their masterpiece, to be admitted to the Guild of Masters of Arts and granted the license to teach.
Jay A. Labinger: Seminar Day 2008: Natural Gas Conversion: A Piece in the Energy Puzzle? 5/17/2008[56k modem] 37 minutes The conversion of methane to liquid fuels or chemicals has been an active topic of both industrial and academic research in recent years, including a program at Caltech. Starting from some basic principles of chemistry, Jay A. Labinger, Faculty Associate in Chemistry and Administrator of the Beckman Institute, explores why this is a challenging problem, the rationale behind Caltech's approach to its solution, and how this technology might fit into a complex network of issues that includes resource utilization, energy security, and global warming.
Hirosi Ooguri: Seminar Day 2008: Black Holes and the Fate of Determinism 5/17/2008[56k modem] 42 minutes When Stephen Hawking discovered that black holes are not completely dark but emit thermal radiation by quantum effects and may evaporate in some cases, he seriously challenged causal determinism, which is a basic tenet of the physical sciences. Physicists' attempts to solve this puzzle have inspired important theoretical innovations toward the unification of general relativity and quantum mechanics. Hirosi Ooguri, Fred Kavli Professor of Theoretical Physics, explains how superstring theory has met the challenge and uncovered surprising properties of quantum black holes.
Mark Davis: Fighting Cancer with Nanoparticle Medicines 5/14/2008[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 55 minutes In a Watson lecture on May 14, Mark Davis, Caltech's Schlinger Professor of Chemical Engineering and a member of the experimental therapeutics program at the City of Hope's Comprehensive Cancer Center, explained how nanoparticle medicines, or nanomedicines, have the potential to change the way cancer is treated. To demonstrate some of the distinguishing features of nanomedicine therapeutics for cancer, Davis presented results from early human clinical trials.
Jim Woolsey: The Need for Energy Independence 5/6/2008[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 94 minutes Former CIA director R. James Woolsey discussed how the end of foreign oil dependency could benefit U.S. national security and the environment. Woolsey is one of the most outspoken advocates for energy independence and has traveled throughout the country educating audiences on the need to end energy dependence by utilizing renewable fuels. He is currently of counsel at the law firm Goodwin Procter LLP in Washington, D.C., and serves as a senior executive adviser to the global consulting firm Booz Allen.
Ding-shyue Yang: Seeing Is Believing: Visualization of Condensed-Matter Structures 5/1/2008[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [high resolution] 63 minutes In an Everhart lecture on May 1, Ding-shyue (Jerry) Yang, a Caltech graduate student in chemistry, described recent achievements in the development of time-resolved electron diffraction for the direct probing of structural dynamics in condensed matter. In a talk called "Seeing Is Believing: Visualization of Condensed-Matter Structures," Yang explained how scientists have made use of ultrafast crystallographic snapshots to uncover concealed transitional structures.
Anneila Sargent: CARMA: Raising Our Sites 4/16/2008[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 53 minutes In a Watson Lecture on April 16, Anneila Sargent discussed how Caltech radio astronomers have connected OVRO millimeter-wave telescopes with others from the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland array to create an instrument that will provide new views of the universe. Sargent is director of the Owens Valley Radio Observatory, as well as Caltech's vice president for student affairs and the Rosen Professor of Astronomy.
Ari Stern: Symmetry and Simulation: How Geometry Affects Scientific Computing from the Solar System to your Microwave Oven 4/2/2008[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [high resolution] 61 minutes Ari Stern, a Caltech graduate student in applied and computational mathematics, discussed how scientists model change in physical systems. He explained how solving differential equations allows researchers to make predictions about the future, or even the past. However, since it is impossible or impractical to obtain exact solutions in most complex systems in science and engineering, we must rely on numerical simulation to compute approximate answers.
Yu-Chong Tai: The Next-Generation Neural Implant: Let's Start with Retinal Implant 3/12/2008[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 42 minutes In a Watson Lecture on March 12, Yu-Chong Tai discussed the technology of retinal implants and recent progress in their development. More Americans than ever are facing the threat of blindness from age-related eye diseases including macular disease and retinitis pigmentosa, and retinal implants could provide a solution to this problem. Tai is a professor of electrical engineering and mechanical engineering and executive officer for electrical engineering at Caltech.
DuBridge Distinguished Lecture: A Conversation with Charlie Munger 3/11/2008[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 106 minutes Charles Munger presented the Institute's 2008 DuBridge Distinguished Lecture in Beckman Auditorium on March 11. Munger, the vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., a business partner of Warren Buffett, and one of the richest people in the United States, was joined in conversation by Caltech's Tom Tombrello, chair of the Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, and Kenan Professor and professor of physics.
Jennifer Dionne: A Pinch of Light and a Dash of Negative Refraction: Recipes for Making a Perfect Lens and a Cloak of Invisibility 3/5/2008[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 53 minutes In an Everhart Lecture called "A Pinch of Light and a Dash of Negative Refraction: Recipes for Making a Perfect Lens and a Cloak of Invisibility," Jennifer Dionne, a Caltech graduate student in applied physics, explained the theory and implementation of negative index materials, drawing on advances enabled by the emerging field of plasmonics, and discussed progress toward a sub-diffraction limited optical microscope and an electromagnetic cloak.
Jared Leadbetter: Energy Conversion in the Microbial World 2/29/2008[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 53 minutes Caltech's Jared Leadbetter, an associate professor of environmental microbiology, recently led a team of researchers in uncovering the genetic underpinnings and the roles of microbes in wood digestion by termites. In this lecture, he explained how wood is converted to a product useful to its host and discussed how this knowledge relates to current energy issues.
Words Matter Science Writing Symposium 2/29/2008[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 73 minutes Caltech President Jean-Lou Chameau and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Usha Lee McFarling spoke about the challenges of communicating science to the general public at the sixth annual Caltech Science Writing Symposium. As a civil and environmental engineer and president of one of the world's leading academic institutions, Chameau addresses diverse groups and often must communicate complex issues to audiences with varying ranges of scientific knowledge. And as a former science journalist for the Los Angeles Times, McFarling had to clearly communicate technical concepts to the public.
Enrique Iglesia and John Bercaw: Catalysis for Methane/Hydrocarbon Conversion 2/22/2008[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 67 minutes Chemical engineering professor Enrique Iglesia discussed how he and his colleagues at UC Berkeley are researching methane conversion through heterogeneous catalytic approaches for producing liquid fuels and chemicals. John Bercaw, Centennial Professor of Chemistry at Caltech, explained how his team is tackling this challenge from another angle, through the development of novel, homogeneous catalytic approaches. Both groups aim to facilitate a major reduction in the energy required for conversion, potentially leading to substantially lower emissions of greenhouse gases.
Richard Zurek: Earth Attacks! New Results from the Planet Mars 2/20/2008[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 54 minutes In a Watson Lecture, JPL's Richard Zurek, a project scientist for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, presented detailed images of the red planet's atmosphere, surface, and subsurface, and discussed how missions to Mars have changed our understanding of the planet's climate and history. Starting with the 1996 launches of Mars Pathfinder and Mars Global Surveyor, a diverse range of spacecraft have been placed in Mars's orbit or landed on its surface, including the still-operating Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance orbiters, the Mars Exploration Rovers, and Europe's Mars Express orbiter.
Yet-Ming Chiang: Impact of Materials Advances on Batteries for the Coming Electric Vehicle Revolution 2/15/2008[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 67 minutes Yet-Ming Chiang, a professor of ceramics at MIT, gave a status report on real-world applications for rechargeable lithium batteries, which are now widely considered to be a technology that is critical for enabling the widespread implementation of electrified vehicles. He also discussed the underlying materials science and explained his lab's work on lithium transition metal olivine compounds, which underpin much of the new battery technology.
William Burchill: The U.S. Nuclear Renaissance and the Challenges It Presents 2/8/2008[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 91 minutes William Burchill, adjunct professor of nuclear engineering at Texas A&M University, discussed the factors that are producing the renaissance of nuclear power in the United States and the current status of that renaissance. He also explained potential challenges, including reestablishing the United States nuclear infrastructure, addressing concerns about proliferation, building public confidence, licensing the Yucca Mountain High Level Waste Repository, and closing the nuclear fuel cycle.
Robert Goldston: Nuclear Fusion and Plasma Physics 2/1/2008[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 54 minutes Robert Goldston, professor of astrophysical sciences at Princeton University, explained how magnetic fusion can be an abundant, safe, and reliable source of energy, making it an attractive, practical alternative for the long term. He also described challenges and advances in the field—in the United States and abroad—and discussed how and when the use of nuclear energy can become a reality.
Fritz Prinz: Oxygen-ion Conducting Fuel Cells 1/25/2008[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 57 minutes In a lecture called "Oxygen-Ion Conducting Fuel Cells," Stanford's Fritz Prinz, a professor and chair of the School of Engineering, discussed the possibility of using fuel-cell technology for energy conversion as a more efficient and economical alternative to traditional engines. Prinz and his colleagues are currently researching mass-transport phenomena across thin membranes including oxide films and lipid bi-layers.
Joann Stock: The Pacific-North American Plate Boundary 1/23/2008[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 46 minutes Caltech's Joann Stock, a professor of geology and geophysics, presented a Watson Lecture on January 23 called "The Pacific-North American Plate Boundary, Mexican Style." Stock discussed how studies of volcanic and sedimentary rocks in Mexico and southernmost California help scientists understand the slip history of the San Andreas fault system farther north in California. She also explained how dramatic changes in the geology and geography of land and ocean have occurred in the plate-boundary region.
Sossina Haile: Fuel to Electricity via Solid Electrolyte Fuel Cells 1/18/2008[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 60 minutes Sossina Haile, professor of materials science and chemical engineering at Caltech, explained how fuel cells, because of their high efficiency and benign emissions, will likely play an important role in sustainable energy. She and her colleagues aim to develop materials with unprecented properties for ion transport and electrocatalysis, which will ultimately lead to exceptionally high-power output fuel cells.
Nathan Lewis: Sunlight to Fuels 11/30/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 59 minutes Sustainable-energy expert Nate Lewis, Caltech's Argyros Professor and professor of chemistry, described and evaluated possibilities for using solar power as a source for renewable energy. Lewis explained how solar power could be converted and stored as chemical fuel.
James Hansen: Threat to the Planet: Dark and Bright Sides of Global Warming 11/29/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 62 minutes James Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and adjunct professor of earth and environmental sciences at Columbia University, presented the 2007 Harris Distinguished Lecture. In a talk called "The Threat to the Planet: Dark and Bright Sides of Global Warming," Hansen explained how greater understanding of Earth's climate system, carbon cycle, and fossil-fuel reservoirs would lead to a stable climate with cleaner air and water. However, this knowledge has not been pursued with the necessary urgency.
Harry Atwater: Converting Sunlight to Electricity and Heat 11/16/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 67 minutes In this lecture, Harry Atwater, Caltech's Howard Hughes Professor and professor of applied physics and materials science, discussed his research in the field of photovoltaics, the direct generation of electric power from sunlight. In the context of energy supply and need, Atwater explained how photovoltaics is on the cusp between being a niche, expensive technology, and becoming widely deployed and commercialized.
Harry Gray: Inorganic Mimics of Photosynthesis 11/9/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 54 minutes In a talk called "Inorganic Mimics of Photosynthesis," Beckman Professor of Chemistry Harry Gray explained solar-energy conversion and described the quest to create solar fuel through water splitting.
Jed Z. Buchwald: Isaac Newton, Solomon's Kingdom, and the Origins of Civilization 11/7/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 63 minutes In a Watson Lecture on November 7, Jed Z. Buchwald, Caltech's Dreyfuss Professor of History, discussed how Isaac Newton sought to overturn interpretations of the history of civilization by proving that Solomon's kingdom set the pattern for all organized social life. To defend his argument, Newton used some of the earliest known procedures for handling discrepant data.
Frances Arnold: Synthetic Biology and the Race for New Biofuels 11/2/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 55 minutes In an NRG lecture on November 2, Frances Arnold, Caltech's Dickinson Professor of Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry, discussed how new technology and new capabilities developed over the last few years have allowed scientists to consider how to design a microorganism to solve the fuel problem.
Moustafa Chahine: Remote Sensing of CO2 in the Upper Troposphere with the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) 10/26/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 52 minutes AIRS, which has orbited Earth for five years on NASA's Aqua satellite, is currently retrieving data on a wide range of atmospheric parameters, including CO2. Moustafa Chahine, senior research scientist at JPL, explained how scientists are analyzing CO2 distributions in the mid-troposphere between four and 14 kilometers above the surface, and validating the retrieved results with available in situ aircraft data.
Lynn Orr: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The Role of Geologic Storage of CO2 10/19/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 56 minutes In an NRG0.1 lecture called "Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The Role of Geologic Storage of CO2," Lynn Orr, professor of energy resources engineering at Stanford University, explored the potential for the use of large-scale storage of CO2 in porous rocks in Earth's crust. He considered questions including "Can we capture the CO2 efficiently?", "Do we have enough variety of geologic settings for storage?", and "Do we have enough experience with actual operations to undertake storage at scale?"
David Rutledge: Hubbert's Peak, the Coal Question, and Climate Change 10/17/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 52 minutes David Rutledge, Caltech's Tomiyasu Professor of Electrical Engineering, presented a Watson Lecture called "Hubbert's Peak, the Coal Question, and Climate Change." Rutledge discussed whether oil, natural gas, and coal resources will be sufficient in the future, and explained efforts to predict the changes in climate that will result from consuming these fossil fuels.
Doug Rees: Photosynthesis and Bioenergetics 10/12/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 62 minutes Intended to educate a broad cross-section of the campus community, NRG 0.1 Seminars feature discussions by leading scientists on the challenges of energy research and technology, and how scientists from a variety of fields can use their technical expertise to address those challenges. For the second installment in the series, Doug Rees, Caltech's Dickinson Professor of Chemistry, presented a talk called "Photosynthesis and Bioenergetics."
Steve Koonin: Energy Research: What Should Be on the Agenda and Why? 10/5/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 88 minutes NRG 0.1 is new lecture series on energy research and technology that is intended to educate a broad cross-section of the Caltech community. The first session, on October 5, featured speaker Steve Koonin, former provost and professor of theoretical physics at Caltech, and now chief scientist at BP. In a talk called " Energy Research: What Should Be on the Agenda and Why?" Dr. Koonin provided an overview of the challenges of global energy and discussed the need to optimally allocate the limited human and financial resources.
A Conversation with James Watson 9/25/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 55 minutes Fifty years ago, James Watson began the work that would eventually lead to his discovery of the structure of the DNA molecule and earn him a Nobel Prize. On September 25, 2007, Caltech's Seymour Benzer, the James B. Boswell Professor of Neuroscience, Emeritus, joined Watson for a discussion about the significance of this discovery, and to discuss Watson's new book, Avoid Boring People, in which he shares personal lessons gleaned from a career in science.
Caltech Bioforum 2007: Novel Approaches to Cancer Treatment 9/24/2007[view videos] 121 minutes Leading cancer researchers discussed "Novel Approaches to Cancer Treatment" at the 10th California Institute of Technology Biology Forum. The speakers included City of Hope CEO Michael Friedman; David Baltimore, Nobel laureate, Millikan Professor of Biology, and president emeritus of Caltech; and Mark Davis, Caltech's Schlinger Professor of Chemical Engineering. This distinguished group discussed a variety of topics on cancer treatments, including recent findings on new ways to kill tumor cells and prevent metastasis.
Lute Maleki: Alumni College 2007: Photonic Structures as Artificial Atoms and Molecules 9/8/2007[56k modem] 56 minutes Atoms and molecules possess energy level structures that determine their chemical properties and govern the details of their interaction with light. By devising geometries that modify the propagation of light in highly transparent dielectrics, it is possible to trap and manipulate light and observe interesting phenomena. In his talk for the Caltech Alumni Association's Alumni College, Lute Maleki, Senior Research Scientist at JPL, discusses these photonic structures which are known as "whispering gallery mode resonators" and explores the new trends and future prospects of these structures.
Christina Smolke: Alumni College 2007: Foundational Advances in RNA Engineering Applied to Control Biosynthesis and T-cell Proliferation 9/7/2007[56k modem] 64 minutes In her lecture for the Caltech Alumni Association's 2007 Alumni College, Christina Smolke, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, outlines recent progress in developing frameworks for the construction of RNA devices. She highlights the construction of systems for controlling intracellular components in living systems, and shows how researchers engineer T-cell proliferation for more effective immunotherapy strategies.
Commencement 2007 6/8/2007[view videos] 130 minutes These tribal rites have a very long history. They go back to the ceremony of initiation for new university teachers in medieval Europe. It was then customary for students, after an appropriate apprenticeship to learning and the presentation of a thesis as their masterpiece, to be admitted to the Guild of Masters of Arts and granted the license to teach.
Hubert Chen: The High-Energy Universe in Focus: A New Telescope of High-Energy X-Rays 5/24/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 48 minutes Supernovae, black holes, and neutron stars are just a few examples of the many exotic celestial phenomena that produce X-rays. Hubert Chen, Caltech graduate student in physics, presented an Everhart Lecture in which he discussed the significance of high-energy X-rays in observational astronomy and described new technologies for focusing high-energy X-rays, including the High Energy Focusing Telescope (HEFT), which was launched for the first time in May 2005 by Chen and his colleagues.
Erin Schuman: Brain Plasticity during Learning and Memory 5/9/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 57 minutes Information we learn about our environment is stored at neurons, the connections between brain cells. Between neurons are synapses—points of contact and communication. In a recent Watson Lecture, Erin Schuman, professor of biology and executive officer for neurobiology at Caltech, explained how synapses exhibit plasticity by varying in their size, strength, and number. This plasticity contributes to our ability to learn and remember.
Dennis Matson: Cassini-Huygens at Saturn 4/25/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 61 minutes On April 25, NASA project scientist Dennis Matson presented a Watson Lecture called "Cassini-Huygens at Saturn: Discovery of New Worlds, Some Familiar and Some Alien." The Cassini spacecraft is in orbit around Saturn, and the Huygens atmospheric probe is on the surface of Titan, which is the largest of Saturn's moons and the only moon in the solar system with an atmosphere. Matson discussed how the surface of Titan at first seemed familiar to geologists—with stream beds, lakes, and shore lines—but soon scientists discovered that the materials are quite exotic.
Tracy Teal: Stayin' Alive: How Bacteria Survive in Biofilm Communities 4/11/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 39 minutes Bacteria have ruled the planet for billions of years, yet only in the last few years have scientists learned that these organisms spend much of their lives as surface-associated communities, or biofilms. In an Everhart Lecture on April 11, Tracy Teal, a graduate student in computation and neural systems at Caltech, explained how biofilms are resilient to changes in environmental conditions and resistant to antibiotics and antimicrobial agents, allowing bacteria to survive in diverse environments.
John Seinfeld: Global Climate Change 3/7/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 71 minutes In a Watson Lecture on March 7, John Seinfeld, Caltech's Nohl Professor and professor of chemical engineering, discussed global climate, explaining how Earth's temperature results from a balance of incoming and outgoing radiation. Seinfeld's lecture summarized scientists' current understanding of global climate change and articulated how the buildup of so-called greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, leads to increased trapping of Earth's radiation, causing warming of the planet.
Samantha Daly: Metals with Memory 2/22/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 46 minutes Samantha Daly, Caltech graduate student in engineering and applied science, presented an Everhart Lecture called "Metals with Memory: How These Amazing Materials Remember Their Shape." She discussed how as the science of materials has evolved, scientists have gained the ability to make unusual alloys that do not exist in nature but have properties that make them useful for practical applications, particularly in biomedical and small-scale applications.
Fifth Annual Science Writing Symposium 2/20/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 80 minutes Sponsored by the Words Matter program, the Science Writing Symposium featured a panel discussion among prominent science writers and scientists about the importance and challenges of communicating scientific information to the general public. This year's panelists included Robert Lee Hotz, Pulitzer Prize-winning Los Angeles Times science journalist; Richard Murray, Caltech's Everhart Professor of Control and Dynamical Systems; and Michael Shermer, founding director of the Skeptics Society and regular columnist for Scientific American.
Melany Hunt: Booming Sand Dunes 1/17/2007[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 58 minutes Caltech's Melany Hunt, professor and executive officer for mechanical engineering, presented a Watson Lecture on booming sand dunes, a phenomenon in which low-frequency sustained tones accompany the avalanching of sand. Over the years, desert travellers have attributed these sounds to beating drums, harps, voices of spirits, and lost horsemen. Dr. Hunt outlined her recent work, involving field and laboratory measurements of the booming sound, and offered a new explanation of the desert music.
Philip Hoffman: Why Did Europe Conquer the World? 12/6/2006[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 57 minutes On December 6, Philip Hoffman, Caltech's Rosenberg Professor of History and Social Science, presented a Watson Lecture in which he discussed the economic history of the world. He explained how Europe's politics and economics created a comparative advantage in violence, allowing European states to conquer 84 percent of the globe between 1500 and 1914.
A Conversation with Judy Woodruff 11/14/2006[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 91 minutes Television news journalist Judy Woodruff was the featured guest at the 2006 DuBridge Distinguished Lecture on November 14. In an interview conducted by Channel 4 News coanchor Colleen Williams, Woodruff discussed a range of topics including politics, science, and journalism. She also showed a preview of her latest project, a PBS documentary about young people called Generation Next: Stand Up, Be Heard.
Chris Brennen: The Amazing World of Bubbles 11/8/2006[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 48 minutes Chris Brennen, Hayman Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Caltech, explained how bubbles manifest a range of physical effects through their ability to gather, focus, and radiate energy. In some contexts, that focusing of energy can lead to serious technological problems, but when harnessed carefully, it can be put to constructive use.
Kerry Sieh: Natural Disasters: What We Know vs. What We Do 10/18/2006[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 59 minutes In a recent Watson Lecture, Kerry Sieh, Caltech's Sharp Professor of Geology, discussed catastrophic natural events in Western Sumatra, Iran, and New Orleans that provide important illustrations of the disparity between what Earth scientists know about natural hazards and what has been done to mitigate those hazards' effects.
Tapio Schneider: Alumni College 2006: The Dynamics of Climate Changes: Facts, Physics, Forecasts 9/16/2006[56k modem] 58 minutes Tapio Schneider, assistant professor of environmental science and engineering at Caltech, discussed basic climate physics relevant for understanding past and future climate changes. He attempted to explain how changes in the atmospheric circulation affect the stability of climate and how storm intensities change as the climate changes.
Harry A. Atwater Jr.: Alumni College 2006: High Efficiency Photovoltaics for Terawatt-Scale Renewable Energy: Think Potato Chip, Not Silicon Chip 9/15/2006[56k modem] 76 minutes Harry Atwater, Hughes Professor and professor of applied physics and materials science at Caltech, spoke on photovoltaics (PV) technology, which is enjoying substantial growth and investment owing to worldwide sensitivity to the long-term importance of renewable energy. He discussed promising new approaches to ultrahigh-efficient, multi-junction solar cells with microphotonic optical components.
Gary Lorden: CBS Video News Release for "Numb3rs" 7/10/2006[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 2 minutes Gary Lorden, Caltech math professor and math adviser to the CBS television crime drama "Numb3rs," is featured in a video news release produced by Paramount and sent to broadcast media as a way to promote the program. Video provided by CBS Television Network.
Commencement 2006 6/9/2006[view videos] 101 minutes These tribal rites have a very long history. They go back to the ceremony of initiation for new university teachers in medieval Europe. It was then customary for students, after an appropriate apprenticeship to learning and the presentation of a thesis as their masterpiece, to be admitted to the Guild of Masters of Arts and granted the license to teach.
Paul Patterson: Can One Make a Mouse Model of Mental Illness, and Why Try? 5/17/2006[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 71 minutes In a Watson lecture, Biaggini Professor of Biological Sciences Paul Patterson described modeling aspects of mental illnesses in mice based on a known risk factor for schizophrenia and autism--namely, that viral infection in pregnant women increases the incidence of these disorders in their offspring. The finding that respiratory infection of the mother can alter fetal brain development was discussed, as well as the implications for prevention and therapy.
Ming Hsu: Decisions, Decisions: The Ellsberg Paradox and the Neural Foundations of Decision Making under Uncertainty 5/10/2006[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 63 minutes In an Everhart lecture, Caltech graduate student Ming Hsu discussed using data from functional brain imaging and patients with focal brain damage to study the Ellsberg paradox (in which people's choices violate the axioms of standard decision theory). Hsu's study shows that standard decision theory (which precludes agents from taking into account uncertainty about probabilities) is wrong on both the behavioral and neural levels.
Preston McAfee: Why Are Prices So Bizarre? 5/3/2006[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 41 minutes In a Watson lecture, R. Preston McAfee, Johnson Professor of Business Economics and Management, discusses how companies determine prices. Why do grocery stores advertise sale prices on items such as milk, paper towels, and cola, even though the demand and cost of production didn't change. Why are turkeys cheapest just before Thanksgiving, when demand is highest? These paradoxes have a common resolution.
Dianne K. Newman: Bacterial Biofilms: Far More than a Collection of Germs 4/12/2006[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 56 minutes In a Watson lecture, Professor of Geobiology Dianne K. Newman gave an overview of basic facts everyone should know about bacteria, with an emphasis on their metabolic diversity. She also discussed the fascinating inner workings of bacterial biofilms--communities of cells attached to surfaces in a wide variety of contexts.
James Chin-wen Chou: The Quantum Internet: How Einstein's objection to quantum mechanics leads to a whole new field in physics 4/10/2006[cable/DSL] [broadband] 51 minutes In an Everhart lecture, Caltech graduate student James Chin-wen Chou gave an introduction to the concepts of quantum entanglement and teleportation and talked about the effort his group has made to realize a quantum repeater architecture for large-scale quantum networks. Although Einstein never did accept quantum mechanics, quantum entanglement turns out to be the key resource in the new science of quantum information.
4th Annual Science Writing Symposium 4/5/2006[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 89 minutes This symposium brought together science writers and a scientist to address the challenges of communicating technical information to general audiences. Featured were Mike Brown, professor of planetary astronomy, Caltech; Bruce Lewenstein, associate professor of science communication, Cornell University; and Joe Palca, a science correspondent for NPR and the occasional host of its "Talk of the Nation Science Friday."
D. Allan Drummond: Darwin's Dumpster: How cellular sloppiness governs the rate of evolution 3/1/2006[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 47 minutes In an Everhart lecture, Caltech graduate student D. Allan Drummond discussed how the cellular machinery that synthesizes proteins from genes is sloppy, how defective proteins cost dearly, and how the speed of a gene's evolution depends on how costly it is to change. At a time when challenges to Darwinian evolution abound, Drummond's attack on this controversial issue provides an eye-opening view of how evolution science really works.
Michael Brown: Beyond Pluto: Discovery of the 10th Planet 2/22/2006[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 56 minutes In a Watson lecture, Mike Brown, professor of planetary astronomy at Caltech, discussed his and his colleagues' discovery of 2003 UB313, the largest object found in orbit around the sun since the discovery of Nepture in 1846, and the putative 10th planet. In addition, he talked about what constitutes a planet, why the question of planethood is difficult, and what he thinks the answer should be.
Martin Sherwin: Oppenheimer's Legacy: Science and Government in the Shadow of Nuclear Weapons 2/1/2006[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 92 minutes In the 2006 Harris Distinguished Lecture, Tufts history professor Martin Sherwin, coauthor of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, discusses the Caltech physicist's life from his Los Alamos "triumph" to the star chamber "hearing" that concluded he was a security risk. "Father of the atomic bomb," science advisor, and hydrogen-bomb opponent, he was the most prominent victim of the McCarthy era.
Kip Thorne: Einstein's General Relativity, from 1905 to 2005 11/16/2005[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 73 minutes In an Einstein lecture, Kip Thorne, Feyman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech, discussed the theory of general relativity, which Einstein announced 90 years ago in November 1915. Since then, physicists have struggled to understand and test its predictions. This struggle has led to theories about black holes, gravitational waves, and the acceleration of the universe; and at Caltech/JPL, to powerful tools for probing warped spacetime.
Robert F. Bacher Symposium on Reinventing Caltech 11/5/2005[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 39 minutes Robert Christy, Institute Professor of Theoretical Physics, Emeritus, and a former provost at Caltech, introduced a symposium entitled "Reinventing Caltech" with a tribute to the Institute's first provost, Robert Bacher, who worked with President Lee DuBridge to strengthen and advance the postwar Caltech of the 1950s and '60s.
Spirit & Opportunity's Excellent Adventure in Mars Geology 11/2/2005[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 62 minutes In a Watson lecture, Joy Crisp, a geologist and Mars Exploration Rover Project scientist at JPL, summarized the most important science findings from the twin rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, which have been investigating two different areas on Mars since their landings in January 2004.
Commencement 2005 6/10/2005[view videos] 100 minutes These tribal rites have a very long history. They go back to the ceremony of initiation for new university teachers in mediaeval Europe. It was then customary for students, after an appropriate apprenticeship to learning and the presentation of a thesis as their masterpiece, to be admitted to the Guild of Masters of Arts and granted the license to teach.
Nathan Lewis: Powering the Planet: Where in the World Will Our Energy Come From? 5/25/2005[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 67 minutes In a Watson lecture, Nate Lewis, Argyros Professor and professor of chemistry at Caltech, discussed what it would take for the world to turn away from fossil fuels and switch over to renewable energy. He outlined the hurdles that must be overcome in order to power the planet with abundant, clean, inexpensive energy in the 21st century.
Erik Antonsson: Advanced Technology for Space Exploration 5/19/2005[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 67 minutes In the inaugural Victor Wouk Lecture, Erik Antonsson, chief technologist at JPL and professor of mechanical engineering at Caltech, provided an overview of the JPL Strategic Technology Plan, along with highlights of recent successes and future missions.
3rd Annual Science Writing Symposium 5/16/2005[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 88 minutes This annual symposium brought together three prominent science writers to address the challenges of communicating technical information to general audiences. Program featured Christof Koch, Caltech's Troendle Professor of Cognitive and Behavioral Biology and professor of computation and neural systems; Leonard Mlodinow, coauthor with Stephen Hawking of the forthcoming A Briefer History of Time; and Margaret Wertheim, internationally noted science writer and commentator.
Nelly Khidekel: The Sweeter Side of Cell Signaling 5/5/2005[cable/DSL] [broadband] 40 minutes Nelly Khidekel, graduate student in chemistry, talks about her study of chemical modifications of proteins, modifications that play a critical role in regulating their cellular functions. Current investigations concern the dynamic regulation of O-GlcNAc in the brain, in an attempt to understand its role in nerve cell function and neurodegeneration.
John Brewer: Art and Science: A Da Vinci Detective Story 4/13/2005[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 56 minutes In a Watson lecture, John Brewer, Broad Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences and professor of history and literature at Caltech, looked at the changing relationship between technology and the human eye in the task of identifying and attributing great works of art, using a 1920s' law suit regarding the possible fakery of Da Vinci's "La Belle Ferronniere."
Benjamin Lev: The Atom Chip 4/4/2005[cable/DSL] [broadband] 48 minutes Benjamin Lev, graduate student in physics, talks about the atom chip, a device reminiscent of a computer circuit board but designed for cold neutral atoms, and how it is an important new addition to the toolboxes of quantum physics and nanotechnology. Quantum computer hardware and atom laser manipulation are but a few promising atom chip applications.
Michael Werner: Lifting the Cosmic Veil: The Infrared Universe Revealed by the Spitzer Space Telescope 3/9/2005[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 57 minutes In a recent Watson lecture, Michael Werner, project scientist for the Spitzer Space Telescope, described the technical and scientific principles that power the Spitzer and explained Spitzer's images and spectra and the revolutionary scientific results they have produced. Since August 2003, astronomers have used the Spitzer to address such questions as where did we come from and are we alone.
Tanja Bosak: Were Microbes the Architects of Ancient Shorelines? 3/3/2005[cable/DSL] [broadband] 41 minutes Tanja Bosak, graduate student in geological and planetary sciences, discusses how microbes may have contributed to the formation of stromatolities, the cones and domes that dominated cabonate reefs for much of Earth's history and perhaps the oldest macroscopic record of life on Earth. Insights into how microbes shape rocks are critical to the search for microbial biosignatures on the early Earth and other planets.
Gilles Laurent: The Sense of Smell: A Window into the Brain and Memory 2/23/2005[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 70 minutes In a Watson lecture, Gilles Laurent, Hanson Professor of Biology and Computation and Neural Systems at Caltech, summarized some of the recent advances in research on the sense of smell, and showed how old brain circuits may help us understand the neuronal nature of memories.
Paul Dimotakis: The Shuttle Fleet, Columbia, and Present and Future Space Access 1/26/2005[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 69 minutes In a Watson lecture, Paul Dimotakis, Northrop Professor of Aeronautics and Professor of Applied Physics at Caltech, discussed the space shuttle Columbia's fateful final mission and Caltech's involvement in the analysis and accident investigation, as well as present and future alternatives for space access.
Christof Koch: The Quest for Consciousness 11/10/2004[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 71 minutes In a Watson lecture, Christof Koch, Troendle Professor of Cognitive and Behavioral Biology, discussed the tantalizing possibility that we are getting closer to understanding the relationship between the conscious mind and the brain, focusing on the approach that he and Francis Crick have taken to find and characterize the neuronal correlates of consciousness in mice, monkeys, and humans.
Michael H. Dickinson: How Flies Fly 10/27/2004[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 77 minutes In a Watson lecture, Michael Dickinson, Zarem Professor of Bioengineering, discussed how advances in physics, engineering, and biology have increased our understanding of the common fly. Results from studies using wind tunnels, virtual reality simulators, high-speed video, and giant robotic models may lead to the construction of a new class of miniature flying robots.
David Goodstein: Out of Gas: The End of the Age of Oil 10/13/2004[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 58 minutes In a recent Watson Lecture, David Goodstein--Caltech vice provost, professor of physics and applied physics, and Gilloon Distinguished Teaching and Service Professor--discussed his theory that the world will start to run out of cheap, conventionally produced oil much sooner than most people expect, possibly within this decade. He will also explore the likely consequences if he is correct.
David Politzer, Nobel Laureate in Physics 10/5/2004[56k modem] [broadband] 21 minutes Dr. H. David Politzer, professor of theoretical physics at Caltech, is honored at a press conference after being named a 2004 Nobel Laureate in physics. Caltech's President David Baltimore, Provost Paul Jennings, and McCone Professor of High Energy Physics Mark Wise discuss Politzer's prize-winning work.
Commencement 2004 6/11/2004[view videos] 108 minutes These tribal rites have a very long history. They go back to the ceremony of initiation for new university teachers in medieval Europe. It was then customary for students, after an appropriate apprenticeship to learning and the presentation of a thesis as their masterpiece, to be admitted to the Guild of Masters of Arts and granted the license to teach.
Saul Teukolsky: Warping Space and Time 5/11/2004[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 83 minutes Guest lecturer Saul Teukolsky, professor of physics, Cornell University, discussed how the numerical simulations on supercomputers have probed naked singularities in spacetime and discovered toroidal black holes. With an introduction by Caltech's Kip Thorne, Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics.
Shane Ross: The Interplanetary Transport Network 5/5/2004[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 39 minutes Shane Ross, graduate student in control and dynamical systems at Caltech, discussed how to identify and traverse a vast array of low-energy passageways that winds around the sun, planets, and moons that is created by the competing gravitational pull between celestial bodies. Space travel along these corridors would slash the amount of fuel needed to explore and develop our solar system.
Charles Elachi: Challenges and Excitement of Space Exploration 4/28/2004[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 68 minutes In a recent Watson Lecture, Charles Elachi, Caltech vice president and director of JPL, discussed the Lab's space science program, which includes the missions of the Spitzer Space Telescope, GALEX, the coordinated efforts of the Mars rovers and the Mars orbiters, as well as the Stardust, Genesis, and Cassini missions.
Ian McEwan 4/8/2004[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 86 minutes Ian McEwan recently presented a lecture as part of the Voices of Vision series in collaboration with Caltech's Words Matter program and Vroman's Bookstore. McEwan is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished contemporary British writers. His novels and stories have won the Somerset Maugham Award, the Whitbread Prize, and the Booker Prize. His latest book, Atonement, won the 2002 National Book Critics Circle Award.
Richard Murray: The DARPA Grand Challenge 3/31/2004[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 70 minutes Richard Murray, professor of mechanical engineering, discussed the DARPA Grand Challenge desert road race from Los Angeles to Las Vegas that took place in March. Caltech undergraduates modified a 1996 Chevy Tahoe, nicknamed Bob, to autonomously drive the 250-mile course in 10 hours or less for the $1 million grand prize.
Melinda Kellogg: Stalking the Exciton Condensate 3/11/2004[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 50 minutes Melinda Kellogg, a graduate student in physics at Caltech, discussed the creation of Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of stable excitons in neighboring layers of two-dimensional electron gases embedded in highly engineered semiconductor crystals. Observing the superfluid-like flow of these excitons was evidence that the long-sought exciton condensation had finally been achieved.
Insights into the Origins of Human Brain Tumors 2/18/2004[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 41 minutes Houman Hemmati, a graduate student in biology at Caltech, discussed the recent advances in leukemia research that have identified bone marrow-derived stem cells as a source for brain-tumor cancers. Based on this work, scientists have taken a novel approach to identifying the origins of brain tumors. Their findings suggest that targeting tumor-derived stem cells is a promising approach to treating brain tumors.
John Schwarz's "String Theory: Past, Present, and Future" 2/11/2004[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 38 minutes String theory connects the microscopic quantum world of elementary particles to the macroscopic world of gravity and geometry. John Schwarz, Harold Brown Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech, presented this talk with a historical overview of the subject. He also discusses (without the technical details) some of the problems that are yet to be overcome.
Howard Lipshitz, "From Fruit Flies to Fallout: Ed Lewis and His Science" 2/4/2004[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 55 minutes Nobel Laureate and Caltech faculty member and alumnus Edward Lewis, who pioneered the modern understanding of how genes regulate the development of specific regions of the body, was honored at a special celebration with this talk presented by guest lecturer and former Caltech faculty member Howard Lipshitz.
Words Matter, A Science Writing Symposium 1/21/2004[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 87 minutes On January 21, a panel of prominent science writers addressed the challenges of communicating technical information to general audiences as part of the Words Matter Science Writing program. Panelists included K.C. Cole, Los Angeles Times science writer ; Kip Thorne, Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech; and Lord Robert Winston, professor of fertility studies at Imperial College, London.
Earthquakes 101: Media Workshop 1/17/2004[view videos] 156 minutes Where to get information on recent earthquakes, earthquake terminology, and details on why earthquakes occur--these are all topics presented on a web site created for the news media and open to the general public. Earthquakes 101 was a media workshop that brought together seismic and engineering experts to discuss the latest in earthquake research and technology.
Wilmot James: Africa, Genomic Science, and Some Notes on the Evolution of Human Diversity 1/15/2004[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 73 minutes Dr. Wilmot James, Moore Visiting Professor of History and Sociology at Caltech, presented this talk as part of the Caltech Presidential Lecture Series on Achieving Diversity in Science, Math, and Engineering. Executive director of the Human Sciences Research Council in Cape Town, South Africa, Dr. James is one of the co-founders of the Africa Human Genome Initiative. While at Caltech he is conducting research on the human genome sequencing effort.
James Heath: Nanosystems Biology 1/14/2004[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 56 minutes Someday the diagnosis of disease will be done with a tiny collection of cells, rather than with invasive surgery. Caltech professor of chemistry James Heath presents the background, early successes, and the daunting challenges of coordinating the fields of nanotechnology, microfluidics, and systems biology, which may lead to a better understanding of a biological organism.
ME72 Competition 2003 12/4/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 19 minutes Students in the Mechanical Engineering 72 class compete in the annual Engineering Design Contest to determine whose "bag of junk" has been turned into this year's best machine.
Jean Ensminger: Experimenting with Social Norms 11/19/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 48 minutes Caltech professor of anthropology Jean Ensminger presented this lecture as part of the Watson Lecture Series. Social norms instruct much of human social interaction in all societies and they often flavor profound differences across cultures. But where do such norms come from? How and why do they change over time? What impact do they have on economic performance? Ensminger discusses these topics, based on her experience over several decades of research with a nomadic cattle-herding population in East Africa.
Shirley Malcom: Let Nurture Take Its Course: Diversifying the Talent Pool for Science and Engineering 11/11/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 39 minutes Dr. Shirley Malcom, head of the Directorate for Education and Human Resources Programs, American Assoiation for the Advancement of Science, presented this talk as part of the Caltech Presidential Lecture Series on Achieving Diversity in Science, Math, and Engineering. She is nationally recognized for her leadership on issues facing underrepresented minorities and women in the sciences and engineering.
Carver Mead Receives National Medal of Technology at White House 11/6/2003[view videos] 17 minutes Carver Mead, Gordon and Betty Moore Professor of Engineering and Applied Science, Emeritus, received the National Medal of Technology from President George W. Bush at a ceremony on Thursday. The award recognizes Mead for his contributions in microelectronics and information technology, including those that will eventually result in human-machine interfaces.
Thomas Sterling: From PCs to Petaflops—The Future of Really Big Computers 11/5/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 64 minutes Thomas Sterling, a visiting associate in the Center for Advanced Computing Research at Caltech, gave this talk as part of the Watson Lecture Series. Semiconductor technology has had an unprecedented increase in computational power in the last decade. Sterling discussed the range of alternative supercomputer architectures that hold the promise of future breakthroughs in computational science and supercomputing.
David Baltimore: Viruses, Viruses, Viruses 10/15/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 69 minutes Dr. David Baltimore, president and professor of biology, Caltech, discussed the following big questions about the most basic, unadorned form of life we know. Why are we seemingly plagued by viruses we never heard much about before? Is it modern travel or better methods of diagnosis? How can we counter these new and awful critters? What are viruses anyway and where do they come from?
Caltech Bioforum 2003: Alzheimer's Disease 10/14/2003[view videos] 121 minutes A panel of researchers discussed how the latest innovations in imaging techniques for visualizing pathology in the living brains of Alzheimer's disease patients will impact the diagnosis of the disease. They also presented ideas for predicting Alzheimer's in individuals who have not yet shown symptoms. Results of testing the newest methods for treating this disorder, and novel treatments on the horizon, were described.
A Conversation with Jack Valenti 10/2/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 84 minutes Jack Valenti is the former Johnson White House political adviser who for years has been a household name for his leadership role in film and television. As part of the DuBridge Distinguished Lecture Series, he spoke with the Los Angeles Times entertainment industry reporter James Bates in an open-ended conversation.
A Sustainable Future? Environmental Patterns and the Los Angeles Past 9/20/2003[view videos] 510 minutes This interdisciplinary symposium on issues related to growth, governance, and environmental sustainability in greater Los Angeles brought together discussions from varied perspectives, including those of scientists, social scientists, historians, policymakers, architects, developers, and activists. Sponsored by the Haynes Foundation and directed by Haynes Fellow William Deverell.
Caltech Commencement 2003 6/13/2003[view videos] 94 minutes These tribal rites have a very long history. They go back to the ceremony of initiation for new university teachers in mediaeval Europe. It was then customary for students, after an appropriate apprenticeship to learning and the presentation of a thesis as their masterpiece, to be admitted to the Guild of Masters of Arts and granted the license to teach.
Eitan Grinspun: Multiresolution in Graphics and Simulation: From Wrinkles in Valentines Day Balloons to Folds in the Brain 5/22/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 52 minutes Eitan Grinspun, a graduate student in computer science at Caltech, discussed that by bringing together the fields of graphics and simulation, they develop novel multi-res simulation techniques that apply uniformly to a broad class of problems, and most importantly, that the ideas and implementation are simple.
Michael E. Brown: Quaoar & the Edge of the Solar System 5/21/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 59 minutes Michael E. Brown, associate professor of planetary astronomy at Caltech, discusses how the solar system has slowly receded, first with the discovery of Uranus, then Neptune and Pluto. In the past decade, astronomers have realized that even Pluto is not the true edge of the solar system. This is addressed, along with a glimpse into the most recent research into the exploration of the outer solar system.
Michael Dickinson: How Flies Fly: A Systems-level, Integrative Approach 5/15/2003[56k modem] [broadband] 18 minutes Michael Dickinson, Esther M. and Abe M. Zarem Professor of Bioengineering , Caltech, presented this lecture as part of the 9th Annual Industry Day, sponsored by the NSF Center for Neuromorphic Systems Engineering at Caltech.
Yaser Abu-Mostafa: Learning from Very Noisy Data 5/15/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 17 minutes Dr. Yaser Abu-Mostafa, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Caltech, presented this lecture as part of the 9th Annual Industry Day, sponsored by the NSF Center for Neuromorphic Systems Engineering at Caltech.
Mark Tilden: The Relevance of "Living Features" in Commercial Products 5/15/2003[56k modem] [broadband] 65 minutes Mark Tilden, Head Research & Development WowWee, Hasbro Toys, presented this lecture as part of the 9th Annual Industry Day, sponsored by the NSF Center for Neuromorphic Systems Engineering at Caltech.
Pietro Perona: The Emergence of Visual Categories: A Computational Perspective 5/15/2003[56k modem] [broadband] 19 minutes Pietro Perona, Professor of Electrical Engineering; Director for Neuromorphic Systems Engineering, Caltech presented this lecture as part of the 9th Annual Industry Day, sponsored by the NSF Center for Neuromorphic Systems Engineering at Caltech.
Richard Andersen: Neural Prosthetics 5/15/2003[56k modem] [broadband] 13 minutes Richard Andersen, James G. Boswell Professor of Neuroscience, Caltech, presented this lecture as part of the 9th Annual Industry Day, sponsored by the NSF Center for Neuromorphic Systems Engineering at Caltech.
Richard Tapia: Post-Affirmative Action Challenges to Diversity in Higher Education 5/8/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 46 minutes Dr. Richard Tapia, the Noah Harding Professor of Computational and Applied Mathematics and Director of the Center for Excellence and Equity in Education at Rice University, presented this talk as part of the Caltech Presidential Lecture Series on Achieving Diversity in Science, Math, and Engineering. Known for his research in computational and mathematical sciences, Tapia also leads efforts to increase educational opportunities for minorities and women in the math, science, and engineering.
Brian Wernicke: All the Faults in the World: The Cutting Edge of Tectonics 5/7/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 47 minutes Dr. Brian Wernicke, the Chandler Family Professor of Geology at Caltech, discussed how Caltech uses diverse new technologies to observe the earth's movements, both now and in the past, and to determine the physical laws that govern these motions.
A Conversation with James Watson 5/5/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 67 minutes Caltech's President David Baltimore joined Dr. James Watson, for a discussion on the significance of Watson's work and its impact on our lives today. Watson discovered the structure of the DNA molecule, work that earned him a Nobel Prize in 1962.
Ian Swanson: Tangled Physics: Superstring Theory and the AdS/CFT Conjecture 4/24/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 36 minutes Ian Swanson, a graduate student in physics at Caltech, discusses the quantum field theory is known as the Standard Model of particle physics, providing the most accurate physical predictions in the history of science. Physicists must now unite the Standard Model with the tenets of general relativity, and string theory is arguably the most promising candidate of the last 50 years.
Michael Alvarez: Voting: Where We Have Been, Where We are Going 4/23/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 55 minutes Dr. R. Michael Alvarez, professor of political science at Caltech, discussed questions such as: Why can't I vote on the Internet? How do we make a system that will be equally usable and accessible to all? How can we make anonymous and receipt-free transactions secure, a problem with profound implications beyond voting?
Words Matter: Science Writing Symposium 4/6/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 77 minutes The Words Matter Science Writing Symposium was a free public symposium intended for Caltech juniors who write science papers aimed at laypeople, and is a component of the Words Matter project. The project's goal is to foster a culture of literacy at Caltech, cultivate students' interest in writing, and enhance their writing skills.
Sarah Heilshorn: Protein Engineering: A Novel Approach to Creating New Biomaterials 4/3/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 47 minutes Sarah Heilshorn is a graduate student in chemistry and chemical engineering at Caltech. Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in industrialized nations. Currently, the most commonly used materials for synthetic, arterial bypasses do not support cell growth, and often fail within three years of being implanted. In response, protein engineering is being used to design an optimum replacement biomaterial.
Theodore Postol: Science, Technology, and Tactics Relevant to National Missile Defense Systems 4/2/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 50 minutes Dr. Theodore A. Postol, MIT Professor of Science, Technology and National Security Policy, is a leading expert and critic of the National Missile Defense Program. Postol addressed how the program is supposed to operate, and reveals how test results were presented to make a false case that the system could function.
Barry Barish: Catching the Waves with LIGO 3/5/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 60 minutes Dr. Barry Barish, the Ronald and Maxine Linde Professor of Physics and director of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Laboratory at Caltech, presented the LIGO project that is being developed to detect gravitational waves that Einstein predicted the existence of in 1916 as a consequence of the general theory of relativity.
Janet Hering: Clean Water: The Oil of the 21st Century 2/19/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 44 minutes Dr. Janet Hering, professor of environmental science and engineering and executive officer for Keck Laboratories at Caltech, discussed how both the quantity and quality of available water are critical concerns in managing water resources. She examined the factors affecting water quality, technologies for improving it, and possible strategies to meet future water supply needs.
Sossina M. Haile : Fuel Cells: Powering Progress in the 21st Century 1/29/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 51 minutes Dr. Sossina Haile, associate professor of materials science at Caltech, discussed the issues we face in the long-term challenges in meeting our ever-increasing energy demands while maintaining the quality of our natural environment and ensuring our national security. Fuel cells offer a possible solution, but many technical hurdles remain. Haile provides a brief overview of current fuel-cell and associated fuel-delivery technologies, and describes recent breakthroughs at Caltech in materials design and engineering.
Nai-Chang Yeh: Superconductivity: Resistance is Futile 1/15/2003[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 69 minutes Dr. Nai-Chang Yeh, professor of physics at Caltech, reviewed novel properties of high-temperature superconductors, the discovery of a new superconducting material, and promising applications of superconductors in communication technology, energy transmission, quantum computation, and medical and space research.
Christof Koch: CNS/Bi 120. The Neuronal Basis of Consciousness 1/6/2003[view videos] 1089 minutes During the spring 2003 term Dr. Koch, the Troendle Professor of Cognitive and Behavioral Biology and professor of computation and neural systems at Caltech, recorded this course, which discusses what are the correlates of consciousness in the brain, and which provides a framework for addressing this question, using a reductionist point of view.
ME72 Competition 2002 12/5/2002[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 28 minutes Students in Professor Erik Antonsson's Mechanical Engineering 72 class compete in the annual Engineering Design Contest to determine whose "bag of junk" has been turned into this year's best machine.
Edward Stone: The Voyager Journeys to Interstellar Space 11/6/2002[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 50 minutes Dr. Edward Stone, the David Morrisroe Professor of Physics at Caltech, spoke about the two Voyagers, launched twenty-five years ago, as they continue their journeys as the first interstellar probes, searching for the outer boundary of the heliospheric bubble surrounding the Sun that marks the beginning of interstellar space.
Infinite Possibilities 10/31/2002[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 17 minutes The video "Infinite Possibilities" was produced for Caltech's "There's Only One" campaign to help explain why the Institute is worthy of support. It features unrehearsed interviews with the people behind Caltech's unique brand of research and education, who talk about how they developed the passion for science that sustains them through countless hours in the lab.
Christof Koch: How the Mind Arises from the Brain 10/26/2002[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 86 minutes Emmy award-winning television journalist Charlie Rose served as moderator for "A Celebration of Caltech Science" on October 26, 2002, which featured Caltech faculty members. Leading the session on "How the Mind Arises from the Brain" was Dr. Christof Koch, the Troendle Professor of Cognitive and Behavioral Biology and professor of computation and neural systems. Panelists included Dr. Steve Quartz, associate professor of philosophy; Dr. Jean Ensminger, professor of anthropology; Colin Camerer, Axline Professor of Business Economics; and Dr. David Anderson, professor of biology.
Andrew Lange: The Earth and The Universe 10/26/2002[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 74 minutes Emmy award-winning television journalist Charlie Rose served as moderator for "A Celebration of Caltech Science" on October 26, 2002, which featured Caltech faculty members. Dr. Andrew Lange, the Goldberger Professor of Physics, led the session on "The Earth and The Universe," whose panelists included Dr. Kip thorne, Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics; Dr. Anneila Sargent, professor of astronomy and director of Owens Valley Radio Observatory; Dr. Kerry Sieh, Sharp Professor of Geology; and Dr. Paul Wennberg, professor of atmospheric chemistry and environmental science and engineering.
Henry Lester: The Response to Nicotine 10/23/2002[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 57 minutes Dr. Henry Lester, the Bren Professor of Biology at Caltech, presented this talk as part of the Watson Lecture Series. If, as many suspect, smokers are self-medicating with this ancient drug, what does nicotine teach us about our brain? Now we are learning, in atomic detail, how nicotine binds to its receptor proteins; how this activates ion channels; and how this might lead to the activation of genes. Lester describes how scientists exploit these advances to seek medications with some of nicotine's benefits and none of its addictive hazards.
Sally Ride: Encouraging Girls and Women to Pursue Technical Fields 10/17/2002[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 54 minutes Dr. Sally K. Ride, former astronaut, president and CEO of Imaginary Lines, Inc., and professor of physics at UC San Diego, presented this talk as part of the Caltech Presidential Lecture Series on Achieving Diversity in Science, Math, and Engineering. Imaginary Lines creates communities, provides services, and develops products for girls and young women interested in math, science, and technology.
Jack Beauchamp: Countering Terrorism 10/9/2002[56k modem] [cable/DSL] [broadband] 72 minutes Dr. Jack Beauchamp, the Mary and Charles Ferkel Professor of Chemistry at Caltech, presented this lecture as part of the Watson Lecture Series. Beauchamp chaired the National Research Council Committee on Commercial Aircraft Security for four years, and in 1996 he served as a commissioner on the White House Commission for Aviation Safety and Security, chaired by then-Vice President Al Gore.
Kip Thorne: Ph237. Gravitational Waves 9/30/2002[view videos] 3040 minutes During the winter and spring 2002 terms Dr. Thorne, Richard P. Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech, and his guest speakers recorded this course, which discusses the theory of gravitational waves. (If you are a speaker in these lectures and do not wish to have your lecture broadcasted, or wish to send a Notice of Alleged Copyright Infringement, please contact our Designated Agent.)
Caltech Commencement 2002 6/14/2002[view videos] 95 minutes These tribal rites have a very long history. They go back to the ceremony of initiation for new university teachers in mediaeval Europe. It was then customary for students, after an appropriate apprenticeship to learning and the presentation of a thesis as their masterpiece, to be admitted to the Guild of Masters of Arts and granted the license to teach.
General Session Speaker, Gordon Moore. Seminar Day 2002 5/18/2002[56k modem] [broadband] 41 minutes In his talk, Moore examined the development of the powerful technology underlying the semi-conductor industry, and attempts to explain why, counter-intuitively, electronic equipment gets cheaper as it gets more complex.
Sheila Widnall: Digits of Pi: Barriers and Enablers for Women in Engineering 4/16/2002[56k modem] [broadband] 31 minutes Dr. Sheila Widnall, Abby Rockefeller Mauze Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT and former secretary of the air force, presented this talk as part of the Caltech Presidential Lecture Series on Achieving Diversity in Science, Math, and Engineering. She is is internationally known for her research in aeronautics and astronautics, and has been a pioneer in fields traditionally dominated by men. Women, she says, "are going to be a huge force in the solution of human problems."
Earthquakes 101: Media Workshop 1/17/2002[view videos] Where to get information on recent earthquakes, earthquake terminology, and details on why earthquakes occur--these are all topics presented on a web site created for the news media and open to the general public. Earthquakes 101 was a media workshop that brought together seismic and engineering experts to discuss the latest in earthquake research and technology.
JPL Video Feature: Women in Science, a Panel Discussion 1/13/2002[broadband] 60 minutes Twenty-two percent of all American scientists and only nine percent of engineers, are female. Studies show that the interest girls have in math and science equals that of boys in elementary school but declines sharply by the time girls leave middle school. A panel of six female scientists and engineers from JPL, discussed the paths they pursued and the challenges they faced in achieving science-related careers.
The Michelin Distinguished Visitors Lecture Featuring Ken Burns 1/5/2002[56k modem] [broadband] 72 minutes Ken Burns, the visionary behind prize-winning documentaries about distinctly American subjects, is the driving force behind the critically lauded Baseball, The Civil War, and most recently, Jazz, all of which aired nationally on the Public Broadcasting System. The title of his lecture, "American Trilogy," refers to these three epic films that document Americans at play and at war.
Dan Meiron: Large Scale Simulation of Physical Systems 12/14/2001[56k modem] [broadband] 51 minutes Dr. Dan Meiron, Professor of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Computer Science and Associate Provost for Information and Information Technology at Caltech, presented this lecture as part of the 0.1 Seminar series. He highlights the essential role played by both numerical analysis and computer science in taming the complexity of large-scale simulations of physical systems.
The Copenhagen Interpretation: Exploring Science on Stage 12/10/2001[56k modem] [broadband] 90 minutes Why did Nazi Germany fail to build an atom bomb? Physicists, historians, and an actor attempt to answer that question in "The Copenhagen Interpretation: Exploring Science on Stage."
Steven Low: Network Control: Local Algorithms for Global Optimality 12/7/2001[56k modem] [broadband] 49 minutes Dr. Steven Low, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at Caltech, presented this lecture as part of the 0.1 Seminar series. He presents examples from potential and current distributions in electrical networks, routing in transportation networks and in telephone networks, and congestion control of the Internet to illustrate the intricacy and fascination of network control.
ME72 Competition 2001 12/6/2001[56k modem] [broadband] 29 minutes Students in Professor Erik Antonsson's Mechanical Engineering 72 class compete in the annual Engineering Design Contest to determine whose "bag of junk" has been turned into this year's best machine.
Andre DeHon: Interconnect:A Prime Example of the Intimate Relationship Between the Physical World and Our Computing Landscape 11/30/2001[56k modem] [broadband] 47 minutes Dr. Andre DeHon, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Caltech, presented this lecture as part of the 0.1 Seminar series. He discusses how designing efficient computing systems requires that we dually navigate the computational complexity landscape along with the landscape of our physical media to find the most resources required to realize our computation.
Lee A. DuBridge Distinguished Lecture: A Conversation with John Hume 11/20/2001[56k modem] [broadband] 76 minutes Kevin Cullen, a reporter for the Boston Globe, who served as the newspaper's bureau chief in Dublin and London, interviews the Nobel Prize winner and Northern Irish political leader John Hume.
Jason Hickey: Structured Programming for Reliable Systems 11/9/2001[56k modem] [broadband] 48 minutes Dr. Jason Hickey, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Caltech, presented this lecture as part of the 0.1 Seminar series. He discusses the basic issues in programming language design, and why the design automation problem remains unsolved despite considerable progress in the past 50 years. He also takes a brief look at the history of programming languages, including C and Scheme, and presents examples of work in open design platforms.
BioDefense Forum: Scenarios, Science, and Society 11/7/2001[56k modem] [broadband] 100 minutes The forum presented a realistic picture of society's vulnerabilities to bioterrorism, a sense of the science underlying the associated problems and solutions, and some steps that local, state, and federal agencies are, or should be, taking. Speakers included Caltech provost Dr. Steven Koonin, Dr. Alan Zelicoff from Sandia National Lab, and L.A. county’s chief public health officer Dr. Jonathan Fielding.
Pietro Perona: Clustering and Dimensionality Reduction 10/19/2001[56k modem] [broadband] 47 minutes Dr. Pietro Perona, Professor of Electrical Engineering, and Director, Center for Neuromorphic Systems Engineering, Caltech, presented this lecture as part of the 0.1 Seminar series. He briefly introduces the area of computational vision and some of the current main research topics. He then focuses on the problem of visual recognition, highlighting recent research results on unsupervised learning.
Erik Winfree: Universality of Computation 10/5/2001[56k modem] [broadband] 56 minutes Dr. Erik Winfree, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Caltech, presented this lecture as part of the 0.1 Seminar series. He talks about how the study of computation is among the most fundamental intellectual developments of the 20th century, and how it met with a number of dramatic surprises regarding the universality of computation, which created new connections throughout the sciences, including physics and biology.
Associates 75th Anniversary: A Conversation with Three Caltech Presidents 9/21/2001[56k modem] [cable/DSL] 57 minutes At the 75th anniversary celebration of The Associates in May 2001, the gala program's highlight was a conversation between President David Baltimore and two of Caltech's former presidents--Harold Brown and Tom Everhart--moderated by popular professor Harry Gray.
Caltech Commencement 2001 6/15/2001[view videos] 95 minutes These tribal rites have a very long history. They go back to the ceremony of initiation for new university teachers in mediaeval Europe. It was then customary for students, after an appropriate apprenticeship to learning and the presentation of a thesis as their masterpiece, to be admitted to the Guild of Masters of Arts and granted the license to teach.
A Conversation with Bob Sharp 5/11/2001[view videos] 22 minutes As part of the 75th anniversary reunion of the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, emeritus professors Lee Silver, Hugh Taylor, and Sam Epstein interviewed Bob Sharp, Robert P. Sharp Professor of Geology, Emeritus, to reminisce about the past and discuss the future of the division.
Richard A. Anderson and Joel W. Burdick: Developing a Neural Prosthesis for Reaching 3/9/2001[56k modem] [broadband] 44 minutes Dr. Richard A. Andersen, James G. Boswell Professor of Neuroscience at Caltech, and Dr. Joel W. Burdick, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Caltech, presented this lecture as part of the 0.1 Seminar series. They describe their recent work to design a neural prosthesis for paralyzed patients, using decoded, intended-movement signals recorded from the posterior parietal cortex.
Paul Matsudaira: Molecular Springs, Powerful Engines That Drive Cellular Movements 3/2/2001[56k modem] [broadband] 53 minutes Dr. Paul Matsudaira, of the Whitehead Institute and Dept. of Biology, Division of Bioengineering, MIT, presented this lecture as part of the 0.1 seminar series. He discusses how power sources for biological motion differ. Muscle contraction and flagellar beating convert energy from ATP into movement, while cellular engines derive their energy from entropy and are independent of ATP hydrolysis.
Yu-Chong Tai: Integrated Microfluidics for Lab-on-a-Chip 2/16/2001[56k modem] [broadband] 41 minutes Dr. Yu-Chong Tai, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at Caltech, presented this lecture as part of the 0.1 Seminar series. The idea of lab-on-a-chip is to integrate all the necessary devices on a single small chip to perform complicated biological and chemical processes that are usually done with larger volumes in well-equipped labs. Tai illustrates his talk with applications of these devices and predictions on the future of integrated microfluidics.
William Caton: Clinical Problems Related to the Spine: New Ideas and Futuristic Concepts of Spinal Instrumentation 2/9/2001[56k modem] [broadband] 60 minutes William L. Caton from the Huntington Hospital presented this lecture as part of the 0.1 Seminar series. He discusses current techniques for solving problems of instability and treatment of pain, as well as applications of computer modeling, miniaturization of equipment, remote sensors, new biological techniques, and other ideas that will allow new and definitive approaches to treatment.
Darrell Jan: NASA Life Sciences Research In Bioengineering 2/2/2001[56k modem] [broadband] 44 minutes Dr. Darrell Jan, AEMC Project Manager, Biomedical and Environmental Technologies at JPL, presented this lecture as part of the 0.1 Seminar series. He gives an overview of the current efforts to leverage advances in microelectronics and biotechnology toward future NASA missions, which will require technologies that enable humans to live and function effectively in space for much longer periods and with reductions in size, mass, and power.
Diffusion-Mediated Regulation In Endocrine Cell Networks 1/26/2001[56k modem] [broadband] 37 minutes Donald S. Cohen, Charles Lee Powell Professor of Applied Mathematics, Emeritus, Caltech; Danny Petrasek, Senior Research Fellow, Applied and Computational Mathematics, Caltech; and William Goodman, Professor of Medicine, UCLA, presented this lecture as part of the 0.1 Seminar series. They discuss a computational model that demonstrates diffusion-mediated regulation and that shows qualitative agreement with published experimental results. Such a signaling mechanism may regulate other networks with similar biochemical and geometric properties.
Julia A. Kornfield and David A. Tirrell: Unsolved Problems In Biomedical Materials Engineering 1/12/2001[56k modem] [broadband] 50 minutes Dr. Julia A. Kornfield, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at Caltech, and Dr. David A. Tirrell, Ross McCollum-William H. Corcoran Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Caltech, presented this lecture as part of the 0.1 Seminar series. They discuss some of the complications and challenges that arise in the clinical use of medical devices that are surgically implanted each year, and present some current approaches to the amelioration of the resulting problems.
ME72 Competition 2000 11/30/2000[56k modem] [broadband] 26 minutes Students in Professor Erik Antonsson's Mechanical Engineering 72 class compete in the annual Engineering Design Contest to determine whose "bag of junk" has been turned into this year's best machine.
President Clinton's address to the California Institute of Technology 1/21/2000[broadband] 55 minutes President Bill Clinton announced that his fiscal budget for 2001 will include a $2.8 billion increase to support advances in biomedical research, information technology, nanotechnology, university-based research, and cleaner energy.
ME72 Competition 1999 12/2/1999[56k modem] [broadband] 31 minutes Students in Professor Erik Antonsson's Mechanical Engineering 72 class compete in the annual Engineering Design Contest to determine whose "bag of junk" has been turned into this year's best machine.
Ahmed Zewail's Nobel Prize press release 10/12/1999[broadband] 23 minutes Dr. Ahmed H. Zewail, Caltech's Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Physics and professor of physics, addresses the campus community and the media after learning that he has been named the 1999 Nobel Laureate in chemistry.
David Baltimore Receives 1999 National Medal of Science at White House 1/31/1999[broadband] 33 minutes Caltech president David Baltimore received one of eleven National Medals of Science, America's most prestigious science honor, from President Bill Clinton. The award recognizes his leadership in academic and public policy as well as his Nobel Prize-winning virology research.
Caltech Visitors Center 1/1/1999[56k modem] 13 minutes Virtually enlightening! Without leaving your desk, share the entertaining, informative experience all campus visitors have before they embark on a realtime, student-led tour of campus.
Project MATHEMATICS! 1/1/1999[broadband] 2 minutes See mathematics brought to life with imaginative computer animation, live action, music and special effects in this brief introduction to the award-winning series of videotapes developed by Professor Emeritus Tom M. Apostol at the California Institute of Technology.
ME72 Competition 1998 12/3/1998[56k modem] [broadband] 22 minutes Students in Professor Erik Antonsson's Mechanical Engineering 72 class compete in the annual Engineering Design Contest to determine whose "bag of junk" has been turned into this year's best machine. _M#]
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