Research Unplugged
Spring 2005 Season
April 6, 2005
Unlearning separation
Chris Uhl, cfu1@psu.edu
Professor of biology
Ask the average person to name his or her ancestors, and you might hear about Great-Grandpa Joe or Great-Aunt Tillie. Ask Chris Uhl to define "family," and you're likely to hear about chimpanzees, bacteria, and even the "Big Bang" theory. More....
March 30, 2005
Defending the First Amendment
Robert Richards, rdr2@psu.edu
Professor of journalism in the College of Communications and co-director of the Pennsylvania Center
for the First Amendment
Robert Richards is worried for the future of the First Amendment. He fears a great assault on free expression, starting in American schools. "Seventy-five percent of American high school students either aren't aware of their rights under the First Amendment, or take them for granted," he said. More....
March 23, 2005
Life on the Rocks
Susan Brantley, sxb7@psu.edu
Professor of geosciences and director of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute and
the Center for Environmental Kinetic Analysis (CEKA) at Penn State
"Contrary to their image as barren environments, rocks are host to many forms of life," said Susan Brantley. Her research is on growing bacteria on rock and mineral surfaces, and she admits there is still much to learn about the influence of rocks on living processes." More....
March 16, 2005
Staging Romeo and Juliet as a rock musical
Cary Libkin, cll4@psu.edu
Professor of theatre and head of the Bachelor of Fine Arts Musical Theatre and M.F.A. Directing programs
in Penn State's School of Theatre
What is the greatest love story in history? For most people, the answer is "Romeo and Juliet." William Shakespeare wrote the famed tragedy in the late 14th century, yet it is still performed and praised today. It has been adapted into opera, ballet, screenplay, and now rock and roll, with the help of Penn State's professor of theater, Cary Libkin. More....
March 2, 2005
What is that search engine doing anyway?
Lee Giles, giles@ist.psu.edu
David Reese professor of information sciences and technology and associate director of eBusiness Research Center at Penn State
With experience in both realms—as a creator of Web pages and of search engines—Giles highlighted the sophisticated technology and burgeoning societal impact of today's search engines. "Search is actually an old idea," he said. More....
February 23, 2005
Dangerous ideas: Architecture in the age of ecology
James Wines, juw3@psu.edu
Professor of architecture and president of SITE—an architecture and environmental arts organization in NYC
Building on the themes of his most recent book, Green Architecture, Wines discussed the challenges of creating environmentally-friendly architecture. He fears that most architects are too focused on the aesthetics or functionality of their buildings without regard for how the buildings affect the environment. More....