Molecules in Space with Brett McGuire
How do we know what molecules are in space if we are never able to collect physical samples? In this MIT Learn Open Seminar episode, MIT Professor Brett McGuire discusses how to read the signatures of light from distant areas of space to learn what it's made of. With a little bit of quantum mechanics and cutting-edge telescopes, Brett explains how scientists observe the chemistry of our universe.
More from Open Seminar
1:08:36Mapping Your Knowledge with Laura Frawley
Exams are a standard way to assess knowledge in classrooms, but they have certain limitations. In this MIT Learn Open Seminar episode, MIT Senior Lecturer Laura Frawley discusses a different way that students can demonstrate what they have learned, using something called a "concept map." By drawing connections between topics and concepts, with detailed information about what the connections mean, students can produce a literal map of their own understanding. These pictures can help instructors see what students do (or do not) understand, and the mapping process can help students think about their own thinking, something called metacognition.
55:46Space Chemistry with Brett McGuire
Atoms and molecules in space are exceedingly sparse, so how is it possible that anything ever interacts or combines? In this MIT Learn Open Seminar episode, MIT Professor Brett McGuire discusses how chemistry happens in space. From supernova explosions, to the race to detect new molecules, there are many exciting areas to explore.
1:05:46Gravitational Waves, LIGO, and Black Holes with Matt Evans
In this MIT Learn Open Seminar episode, MIT Professor Matt Evans discusses gravitational waves: what they are, how they are created, and how they are observed (currently with LIGO and other detectors). Sources of these waves include collisions between black holes, objects that are both fascinating and often misunderstood. Detecting these phenomena is an ongoing, amazing feat of science and engineering, and future detectors like Cosmic Explorer will expand our knowledge even further.
44:25Structural Color in Bird Feathers with Lorna Gibson
MIT Professor Lorna Gibson discusses how birds are able to display vibrant colors, beyond what can be created with pigments. These colors depend on the structure of their feathers at the microscopic level, and lead to amazing blues and iridescent effects.
