Talk Archives

The perception of music is a remarkable phenomenon that enriches our lives nearly every day. Deeply imbedded in our own culture, music is a part of all known human societies. Dr. Bob Duke shares the physics, physiology and psychology of music in relation to human perception.

We’re all affected by air quality in Texas. Whether it’s because of the concentration of pollutants in the air we breathe or whether it’s because of our appreciation of beautiful Texas sunsets, we all have a stake in preserving air quality. Dr. David Allen provides insights into the formation of air pollution, how scientists model the causes of pollution and what can be done about it.

Our planet has consistently delivered no surprises: the relentless motion of the world’s tectonic plates during the past 3 millennia are identical to those of the past 3 million years. Hence the distribution and frequency of past earthquakes are a fairly reliable indicator of future earthquakes. Dr. Roger Bilham shares how we can combine earthquake prediction with engineering design and future city planning to develop cities that are earthquake resistant.

The world has entered an era of human domination of global ecosystems. This era poses some of the greatest challenges humanity has faced. Dr. David Tilman explores how humans exert a greater impact on global processes and how it will affect future generations.

The number of satellites collecting information about the global environment is rapidly increasing. Dr. Crews-Meyer shares how remote sensing works and how that compares to what we see everyday as we walk around our homes, schools and businesses.

On October 11, 2002, Dr. William Cochran’s team of astronomers with The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory Planet Search project announced the discovery of the first planet orbiting a star in a close-in binary star system. Dr. Cochran shares information about the discovery as well as the formation and evolution of planetary systems.

The Edwards aquifer of central Texas is a vital water resource and supplies a diverse set of habitats, including those for several endangered species that live in its major springs. Dr. John Sharp shares how citizens have to make difficult decisions about the aquifer and associated resources in the next several decades.

Biological weapons are cheap to make and easy to conceal. Researchers at universities around the country are busy working on ways to combat these toxins. Dr. Brent Iverson discusses the use of biological weapons throughout history and shares research based on powerful antibodies that could provide a treatment for even late stage anthrax infections.

Black holes with masses of a million to a few billion times the mass of the Sun are believed to be the engines that power nuclear activity in galaxies. Almost all astronomers believe that this enormous outpouring of energy comes from the death throes of stars and gas that are falling into the central black hole. Dr. John Kormendy shares the science behind black holes.

Have you ever wondered why the landforms to the east of Austin are so different from those to the west of Austin? Or, how Enchanted Rock was formed? Dr. Leon Long shares the Geologic Wonders of Central Texas which are easy to access and with an astonishing variety of rocks, fossils, geologic structures, and complex landforms, than can be seen in any other comparably small region on earth.