March 31, Friday, LDC 113, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Plan to have lunch with physics faculty, staff, and students at the LDC at noon. Meet on 3rd Olin for the short walk to the dining hall or meet us there. This week we will have a special Katrina inspired discussion: What’s a Physicist to do in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina?
Many physicists work to model storms, weather and climate. Many other physicsists entering engineering fields that build levies or pumps. But even if our own research doesn’t touch on areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, does our involvement in physics provide us with perspectives and/or skills that could be valuable in the rebuilding of New Orleans or in dealing with the reminders of racial and class inequities that the hurrican laid bare? If these problems aren’t dealt with, how might it affect us and our own abilities to study the stars, or atoms, or quantum chaos, or medical imaging? If you think there’s no link, why not? If you can see some connections, which ones are you seeing? Let’s talk about it.