Join us for the Physics Department Colloquium at 4:15 p.m.
Title: Recreational Biology: from animals in flatland to topological traps
Abstract: Recreational mathematics involves mathematical puzzles and games, often appealing to children and untrained adults, inspiring their further study of the subject. Can a similar analogy be drawn in biology? Without making any claims of usefulness, we will explore a wide range of puzzles in living systems including: Can single cells be toroidal in nature? Can a two-dimensional animal exist? How would these geometries manifest themselves in physiology of these systems. Can cells “literally” talk to each other? Can single cells think? How fast can a cell “blink”? How did the first multicellular life coordinate itself? Finally, we will reflect if curiosity is a good to have or a must have for biomedical progress; and how do we support it.
Location: 1 Physics North and Zoom
Zoom:
https://berkeley.zoom.us/j/93743409138?pwd=N1hsREJIVzF4ZFkxMXp2aWttM1pXQT09
Meeting ID: 937 4340 9138
Passcode: 336991
LocatIon: 1 Physics North & Zoom
Speaker: Manu Prakash
Affiliation: Stanford University