Tags: Earth

Photo of Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
Deepwater Horizon, two years later

   


Solar power arrives at UGA

  This is terrific news:   This spring, the Athens campus will enjoy not only the familiar beauty of renewed life and vegetation as the season unfolds, but also the implementation of renewable energy through the UGA Solar Demonstration Project. The project will be installed on the roof of the visual arts building, which is currently under renovation in preparation for its newest inhabitants—the College of Environment and Design. The…


The Marine Institute on Sapelo Island

From North to South along Georgia's 100-mile-long coast, 14 islands of sand, beach ridge and maritime forest serve as a barrier between sea and land. Four of these are developed ( St. Simons, Tybee, Sea Island and Jekyll) and connected to the mainland by bridges. The rest are accessible only by boat (or plane): Blackbeard, Wassaw, and Wolf islands are national wildlife refuges. Little Tybee, Ossabaw, and Sapelo are owned by the state of Georgia…


NASA scientist, Franklin alum to speak at UGA


Climate change: the new normal

And speaking of Dr. Shepherd, he was quoted on the New York Times Green blog this weekend, per how he answers questions related to the changing global climate: Climate scientists, like the rest of us, have friends and relatives who wonder what is happening. So I asked the scientists: When you see your extended family over Thanksgiving or Christmas and they ask about the weather, what do you tell them? “My answer on that has evolved,” replied one…


Focus on Faculty: Marshall Shepherd

Very nice Q & A with the director of UGA's Atmosphereic Sciences program, Marshall Shepherd, on the University of Georgia homepage.  A professor in the department of geography, Shepherd discusses several personal and professional topics,  including his favorite courses and why? I developed two new courses when I came to UGA. One course, Applied Climatology in the Urban Environment, is one of my favorite courses because I get to…

nanowires
Nanoparticles and magnetic current used to kill cancer cells

Franklin College researchers have used nanoparticles and alternating magnetic current to kill cancer cells in mice without harming healthy cells: The findings, published recently in the journal Theranostics, mark the first time to the researchers' knowledge this cancer type has been treated using magnetic iron oxide nanoparticle-induced hyperthermia, or above-normal body temperatures, in laboratory mice. "We show that we can use a small…


Schaefer named SURA distinguished scientist


Rights of Nature

Tate Student Center Image: Machu Pichu, courtesy of wikipedia commons and GNU Free Document License.  


Lindau-Nobel Laureate Meetings

And speaking of inventors, the Lindau-Nobel Laureate Meetings have been connecting generations of scientists for over 50 years. These annual meetings offer a chance for young researchers nominated by a worldwide network of Academic Partners to interact with Nobel Laureates in panel discussions, seminars and during various social events scheduled as part of the five-day day event. When you think about it at all, connecting young…


The Life of Plants

Next week, the Franklin College hosts Indiana University Chancellor's Professor Roger Hangartner for two lectures in two different parts of campus that bring some focus to a little-regarded subject: the secret life of plants: Lamar Dodd School of Art will present a lecture by molecular, cellular and developmental biologist Roger Hangarter of Indiana University on March 6 at 5:30 p.m. in room S150 of the art school. His talk on "Plants: They…


25th Simulational Physics Workshop

In June, 2009, the College joined the department of physics and astronomy in hosting a reception celebrating a $3.2 million renovation to the 50-year-old physics building on Cedar Street, a renovation that included space for the new Center for Simulational Physics. Distinguished Research Professor of Physics David Landau established and has led the simulational physics research group at UGA since the 1970's. The 25th Annual Workshop in the…


Marine Scientists receive $1.3 million Deepwater Horizon grant

When the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico began to unfold in 2010, spreading agony for acquatic life, gulf-area residents and the federal government - not to mention BP - UGA scientists knew that the long-term consequences of the spill were likely the most worrisome. Now Samantha Joye and her marine science colleagues will be able to follow up on their very important initial investigations into the consequences of the spill:…


Heavens

The UGA department of physics and astronomy has been hosting a monthly open house at the UGA Observatory since at least 1998 (trying to confirm the actual beginning*). This tradition continues on Feb. 24 from 7:30 - 9 p.m. on the fourth floor of the physics building. Jupiter, Venus and the crescent moon will be visible if the sky is clear. Visitors will be able to view the planets through the 24-inch telescope in the dome on top of the…


Genome Mapping to Biofuels

Since at least the 1970's, University of Georgia researchers and engineers have been working on the many different facets of developing renewable energy sources, from biodiesel to fermentation, soil sequestration and more. The many different avenues provided opportunities for crucial bench-scale breakthroughs that have allowed further related research to flourish. That progress continues today: Researchers at the University of Georgia have…

Charles Darwin
Renowned paleontologist's lecture headlines Darwin Days

Franklin faculty and guest speakers continue the important work of bringing science to the public. World-renowned paleontologist Jack Horner, author of How to Build a Dinosaur, will discuss how he and his colleagues are developing the technology to create a real dinosaur at a lecture that is part of the annual Darwin Days celebration at the University of Georgia.  Horner, who advised Steven Spielberg on Jurassic Park and is Regents…


The Impact of Drought

Lee Shearer of the Athens Banner Herald reports on research by Franklin faculty on the recent drought:   But measured by its impact on people in the four counties served by the Bear Creek Reservoir, and how much it depleted water in area rivers, it was the worst on record, they say in an article published this month in the Journal of the American Water Resources Association. “The smoking gun is pointing at population increases,” said one of…


Shepherd elected president of AMS

Congratulations to professor of geography Marshall Shepherd, who was recently voted president-elect of the American Meteorological Society: Shepherd, who directs the university’s Atmospheric Sciences Program, will begin a one-year term as president-elect on Jan. 22 at the annual meeting of the society in New Orleans. In 2013, he will assume the presidency of the society, which was founded in 1919 and has a membership of more than 14,000…


Targeting Cellular Invaders

My colleague Sam Fahmy brings us this story today, from UGA researchers harnessing bacterial immune systems to fight infection and disease: “Scientists study bacteria and other microorganisms to understand essential life processes as well as to improve their use in the safe production of foods, biofuels and pharmaceuticals, and to fight those that cause disease,” said Michael Terns, a professor in the departments of biochemistry and molecular…


As Fast as a Glacier

I watched this NOVA presentation over the holidays, and while you might think that nothing could move as slow as a glacier, they are unfortunately not shifting all that slowly. The scientists on the program were able to measure movement that, while imperceptible to the naked eye, equaled about 130 feet per day. That is amazing. And alarming. Researchers at the American Geophysical Union annual meeting in San Francisco reported last month that…


Franklin physicists invent near infrared-emitting material

UGA news service reports on newly published work by physics and astronomy faculty member, Zhengwei Pan: Materials that emit visible light after being exposed to sunlight are commonplace and can be found in everything from emergency signage to glow-in-the-dark stickers. But until now, scientists have had little success creating materials that emit light in the near-infrared range, a portion of the spectrum that only can be seen with the aid of…
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