College for a Day
February 11, 2012
Registration is closed for this event.
Are you a high school junior or senior interested in studying a science in college? Come experience a day in the life of a college student in the sciences at the University of West Georgia. Faculty in our six science departments have planned a series of course offerings that are sure to educate, interest, and inspire you as you plan your future studies. Students will be signed up for three one-hour classes chosen from eleven offerings and will also be taken on a guided tour of the West Georgia campus. The day will last from 9:00AM to 4:00PM and lunch will be provided.
The course offerings include:
Biology
Bee Keeping 101 - Learn the basics of honey bee (Apis mellifera) biology and beekeeping. Learn to describe and identify the various types (individual castes: workers, drones and the queen) of honey bees in an operational hive. Observe honey bee behavior; identify honey bee brood stages (i.e., egg, larva, pupa, and adult); and observe brood, pollen and honey distribution within the hive. Investigate hive construction and receive "hands-on" instruction in hive management and honey production and harvesting.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Plants in Winter - Plants appear lifeless in winter, but in reality quite a bit is happening. Although not growing, plants are very much alive this time of year doing such things as transporting materials to the aboveground parts in preparation for the next growing season. In addition, some plants are more active in winter than at any other time of the year; they produce the largest amount of new growth and do most of their reproduction this time of year.
Chemistry
Smart Materials - To push the present frontiers of technology, conventional materials must be replaced by new materials. Conventional metals cannot withstand the searing temperatures in the next generation of supersonic jet engines and experimental aircrafts. Conventional polymers cannot prevent anti-cancer drugs from reaching healthy cells in the human body. Conventional energy sources are non-renewable, polluting and inefficient and must be replaced by alternate sources. In this session, we will discuss and demonstrate a variety of current and future smart materials and energy alternatives, including chemistry of nanomaterials (ferrofluids and colloids), superconductors, magnetic materials (Maglev trains), spectroscopy (fireworks), green chemistry and much more.
.jpg)
Extra-terrestrial Chemistry - Many molecules essential for life have been identified in space. Scientists are still trying to understand if molecules that make up materials and life on Earth are "locally produced" or "imported" from outer space. In this session, we will discuss the chemistry in space with special emphasis on nucleogenesis and biogenesis that lead to the creation of matter and life. Let's make sense of extreme chemistry!
Computer Science
Wifi Hacking - Hands-on demonstration of the dangers of unencrypted -- and poorly encrypted! -- wireless networking using freely-available hacking and monitoring tools.
Dancing Robots - Have you ever wondered how the Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, are able to travers the Martian landscape or how a vacuum cleaner can roam your living room autonomously cleaning your floor?
In this session, we will program a small rover robot to perform the most basic task the more sophisticated robots are able to do - roam an area while avoiding objects. Through small, seemingly insignificant, applications Computer Scientists can make people's lives safer, easier and more efficient.
Geosciences
Urban Meteorology - Familiar sites such as sprawling homes along winding roads to strip malls packed with the trendiest stores have impacts on weather and climate. Explore how development choices can have unintended consequences on the environment. Also, a range of development options, such as green roofs and porous pavements, that can minimize impacts or even improve environmental conditions will be considered.
Reconstructing Prehistoric Animals - Many extinct animals are unlike anything alive today, such as the dinosaurs that roamed the earth millions of years ago. Often these animals are reconstructed as movie monsters and shown to behave in ways that are biologically impossible. In this class we will explore the geologic and biologic methods that are used by paleontologists to reconstruct the ecology and biology of the largest land predators that ever lived on Earth.
Mathematics
Math Around Us - In this session we will explore some fascinating concepts from math in relation to its presence in nature. We will study the Fibonacci series and explore the Golden ration and its prevalence around us. We will also discuss Fractals with the Sierpinski Triangle and delve in to the fact that the Koch Snow Flake has finite area but infinite perimeter.
The Best Fit - Often we are faced with situations where we want to predict an outcome based on some past experiences. From a simple question like how fast my ice cream will melt at a certain temperature to a more complex situation of studying a drug's side effects, regression analysis can help answer both. In this session we will understand the mathematical concept of regression and the line of best fit. We will look at some applied examples where we can use this technique and make use of MS Excel to get our results.
Physics
Magnetism - Did you know that there is magnetic material in money, sand, and even breakfast cereal? Did you know you can make metal float in mid-air? Magnets are an important component of motors, generators, and can be used to create large accelerations. Come learn how all of this works!