Bio:
Jeff C. Bryan was born in Minnesota and raised in California, and believes that his odd childhood mixture of Jell-O salad and reticence in a free and open society have caused his various personality quirks. He earned an A.B. in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley with emphasis on organic chemistry and Scandinavian studies. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Washington studying inorganic chemistry under the supervision of Jim Mayer. His thesis presented a new chemical reaction, the oxidative addition of multiple bonds to low-valent tungsten. He then spent a year of postdoctoral work with Warren Roper at Auckland University investigating iridium-carbon multiple bonds.
He spent five years at Los Alamos National Laboratory, initially as a postdoctoral fellow, then as a staff member. Under the supervision of Al Sattleberger, he initiated a modestly successful research program synthesizing new compounds of technetium. He then spent eight years at Oak Ridge National Laboratory as a crystallographer in Bruce Moyer’s chemical separations group. The major group project during that time was development of a process to separate Cs-137 from defense wastes.
He has spent the past eight years as a chemistry faculty member at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. There his scholarship has focused on making nuclear chemistry and radiation physics more accessible to students with limited science and math backgrounds. As part of this effort, he has authored a textbook titled Introduction to Nuclear Science, and coauthored a lab manual titled Experiments in Nuclear Science.
He is an engaging and entertaining speaker. He has given over 40 invited presentations at a variety of conferences and meetings including Gordon Conferences and National ACS meetings, and currently specializes in speaking to various groups on nuclear science.
| Description:
Much of the Star Trek universe can be understood or disputed based on our current understanding of nuclear chemistry and physics. This presentation will examine "future" technologies such as photon torpedoes, transporters, and holodecks using contemporary nuclear science. We'll also look at antimatter as a power source/fuel, medical imaging and the possibility of superheavy elements. Finally, we'll boldly go where few scientists have gone before to try to understand what dilithium really is and what it does in a starship. Even if you're not a trekkie (or a trekker), don't worry, the context of each topic will be provided through video clips from the shows and movies. Engage!
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