Research Unplugged, the intimate, stimulating conversation series with Penn State researchers, closes out its fall series this month.
Research Unplugged is a collaboration between Penn State's Office of Government and Community Relations and Schlow Centre Region Library. Talks continue on Oct. 6 and will be held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. each Thursday through Oct. 20. The Oct. 6 and Oct. 13 events will be held in the Schlow Community Room, with the final talk on Oct. 20 happening at the Pasto Agricultural Museum.
These events allow Penn State researchers to connect and showcase their work to the community in various fields.
Research Unplugged started Sept. 29 with a talk on artificial intelligence from Sarah Ratjmajer, assistant professor in the College of Information Sciences and Technology.
On Oct. 6, Ryan Harne, James F. Will Career Development Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, will present "What if Materials Could Think?" Harne's presentation will highlight his lab's efforts to put science into science fiction to create materials that intrinsically sense their environment, think about the information, and react accordingly.
On Oct. 13, Harne will be followed by another College of Engineering colleague when Amanda Johnsen, Bryant Early Career Assistant Professor in the Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering, presents "Modern Alchemy: Using Neutrons and Radiochemistry for Radioisotope Creation." Radioisotopes may be a foreign term to some, but they have practical applications in many areas, from medical procedures to nuclear forensics. This talk will discuss how nuclear reactors and chemical separation procedures can be used to create and study these isotopes.
The fall event series ends on Oct. 20 with a panel discussion featuring graduate students from the College of Agricultural Sciences at the Pasto Agricultural Museum. Graduate students will participate in a series of lightning talks about their current work in entomology, plant science, and the intersection of these topics related to turfgrass, feral bees, and wild pollinators.
Each event is free to attend and open to the public. Beverages will be provided at each event.
