Physics Colloquium

A new year, a new chance to get involved in the Physics Department. Join us as we gather for the first Friday of the new school year to meet and share what's going on in physics!

Catch up with old friends and meet new ones as we say hello to all our fellow physics faculty and students. We will also share information about what is happening in the department. Join us to learn about student work opportunities, research opportunities, joining the Society of Physics Students, and our colloquium series.

Pizza and drinks will be available in Hayes Hall 215 on Friday, Aug. 28, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Grab a slice and head to Hayes 211/213 for the presentation. We hope to see you there!

"As a graduate of a small liberal arts college myself, I could not be more excited to continue my physics career at Kenyon. To get to know me a bit better during this colloquium, I will begin by sharing my journey through physics as well as some of my non-physics passions that I have picked up along the way. Then, I will highlight some of my research that has really excited me over the past couple of years.

"My field of research is known as numerical relativity, or, in other words, I solve the nonlinear Einstein equations on a computer. Traditionally, numerical relativity has proven to be an invaluable tool in gravitational physics but more recently, the community (including right here at Kenyon!) has begun to think about ways in which numerical relativity can be applied to cosmological simulations as well. This budding area of research joining numerical relativity and cosmology has really inspired my physics research.

"In this talk, I will present two numerical relativity projects that span from black hole evolution to simulations of the early universe. The first project studies black holes evolving in the presence of two kinetically coupled scalar fields. The motivation for this work is twofold as we consider whether the kinetic coupling between the fields is sufficient to  “wake” the otherwise dormant field and if so, study the impact on the black hole spacetime. The second project considers a first order phase transition described by a scalar bubble expanding through a fluid. Through these simulations, we aim to characterize the resulting gravitational-wave power spectrum and gain insight into the evolution of the early universe."

Join us on Friday, Sept. 4, for this exciting presentation from Chloe Richards, Kenyon's Teacher-Scholar Postdoctoral Science Fellow and Visiting Assistant Professor of Physics. Lunch will be available in Hayes 216 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and the presentation will begin in Hayes 211/213 at 12:10 p.m. We hope to see you there!

"Every physics and math major has fit a line to data. Fewer realize that the basic idea, choose parameters of a function, is essentially the foundation of modern machine learning, including neural networks. In this talk, I'll start with that familiar problem: fitting a line, then a curve, and eventually a function with thousands of parameters and no straightforward geometric picture at all. Along the way, we'll see why smoothness and the chain rule suddenly become important, and how we can quietly replace "fit a function to data" with 'fit a function to a differential equation.' That simple shift is the idea behind physics-informed neural networks (PINNs).

"I'll then show what happens when you try to use a PINN on a real, unsolved problem in gravitational physics. The basic idea is surprisingly simple; making it actually work is considerably less so. We'll look at some of the practical challenges and the trial and error involved in overcoming them, and I'll close with a broader question: how much theoretical elegance do we need when solving real problems? In physics we care deeply about getting the theory right. In industry, we also need approaches that actually get us answers."

Join us on Friday, Sept. 11, for this exciting presentation from Joseph Simonis, distinguished data scientist at Edward Jones. Lunch will be available in Hayes 216 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and the presentation will begin in Hayes 211/213 at 12:10 p.m. We hope to see you there!

A quantum computer stores and processes information in the states of quantum systems, exploiting superposition and entanglement. This enables it to tackle problems, from simulating molecules to breaking modern encryption, that are typically intractable for a classical computer. As of now, the hardware that will make this possible is still being invented, and a clear winner is yet to be decided. Among the leading candidates are two very different platforms: the magnetic orientation of a single electron trapped in a semiconductor, and the oscillating current in a superconducting circuit. This talk gives a high-level introduction to quantum computing and its experimental realization in these two platforms.

Join us on Friday, Sept. 18, for this exciting presentation from Haifeng Qiao '16, a quantum research scientist at Amazon Web Services. Lunch will be available in Hayes 216 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and the presentation will begin in Hayes 211/213 at 12:10 p.m. We hope to see you there!

"Physicists accept that fundamental constants, such as the value of the electron’s charge or the mass of a quark, are necessary assumptions in the standard model of particle physics. These constants cannot be explained (at least not yet) in terms of a more fundamental theory, such as string theory. In this talk we explore how the existence of our universe is sensitive to the values of some of these fundamental constants. For example, what would the universe look like if the proton were slightly heavier than the neutron (the reverse of what we measure)? Exploring questions like this provide observations that some constants appear to be “finely tuned” so that life on Earth can exist. If you change one of these fundamental constants just slightly, then the universe would be very different. Hence, our physical laws provide a delicate balance to our universe such that human life can exist. This talk summarizes my book, 'Nature’s Balancing Act' (2025, Oxford University Press)."

Join us on Friday, Sept. 25, for this exciting presentation from Kenneth Hicks, professor emeritus of physics and astronomy at Ohio University. Lunch will be available in Hayes 216 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and the presentation will begin in Hayes 211/213 at 12:10 p.m. We hope to see you there!

"The pyramids of ancient Egypt and of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica have fascinated people since the cultures that built them vanished into the annals of history. How were they built? What were they used for? Are there unknown internal substructures, perhaps hidden chambers that have yet to be discovered? Using the detector technology we developed for a particle physics experiment at Fermilab, we intend to perform non-invasive searches for hidden structures at the Great Pyramid of Khufu, in Egypt, and at the Temple of Kukulkán at Chichén Itzá. The apparatus detects cosmic-ray muons produced high in the atmosphere that course through the pyramids to produce a tomographic image of their interiors. I will describe in detail the technique we are using, present simulation results, detector prototype results, and the status of both experiments."

Join us on Friday, Oct. 2, for this exciting presentation from E. Craig Dukes, professor of physics at the University of Virginia. Lunch will be available in Hayes 216 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and the presentation will begin in Hayes 211/213 at 12:10 p.m. We hope to see you there!

"Active learning embodies principles of educational theory drawn from constructivism — the idea that learners construct knowledge bit by bit, incrementally fitting new concepts into their existing frameworks for understanding the world. Many active learning techniques are regularly employed in physics courses at Kenyon — think-pair-share, in-class collaborative problem-solving, project-based learning, and individual research, for example. In this talk, I will highlight some of the most literally “constructivist” active learning experiences in our curriculum — projects in which students engage with course content by building objects ranging from scientific instruments to moving objects to objects designed to move the hearts and minds of those who see them. We’ll finish with a building project of our own, by making liquid nitrogen ice cream for dessert!"

Join us on Friday, Oct. 16, for this special Family Weekend presentation from Kenyon Professor of Physics Paula Turner. Lunch will be available in Hayes 216 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and the presentation will begin in Hayes 211/213 at 12:10 p.m. We hope to see you there!

During this week's physics colloquium, five Kenyon faculty members will summarize the importance of the 2026 Nobel prizes recently announced. Professors Chris Gillen (biology), Katie Starr (chemistry), PJ Glandon (economics), Sarah Heidt (English), and Tom Giblin (physics) will discuss the Physiology, Chemistry, Economics, English Literature, and Physics Prizes, respectively.

Join us on Friday, Oct. 23, for this exciting special presentation from members of Kenyon's faculty. Lunch will be available in the Hayes Hall Lobby from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and the presentation will begin in Hayes 109 at 12:10 p.m. We hope to see you there!

Calling all ghouls, goblins, warlocks and witches to attend the Society of Physics Students (SPS) Happy Halloween Colloquium. We swear that there will be no Hocus Pocus in our presentation as it will be kept short. This leaves the rest of the time to be filled with your cackles, roars and out of this world conversation.

If that isn’t enough, there will be pumpkin terrariums, face painting and candy. Grab your pointy hats, magical staffs and burbling cauldrons and come to Hayes 211/213 Friday, October 30, for a Mumummemberable lunch. Lunch will be served in Hayes 216 (the Physics Lounge) from 11:45 to 12:15, and the party will begin at 12:10. We hope to see you there!

Electrons are a gift! They are small, strong, and cooperative. Electrons have served well in electronics for many applications including computation, and modern electronic devices are incredibly efficient. However, when trillions of devices are operating at the same time even incredibly efficient devices consume significant resources. The rise of AI data-centers has brought public attention to the energy requirements of computing and the need to minimize energy. This presentation will explore how electronic devices are used in computation, and how energy use has driven changes in technologies. The fundamental limits of energy use in computation will be discussed along with possible future devices and computational architectures.

Gregory L. Snider received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1991. He has been at the University of Notre Dame since 1994, and currently holds the position of Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, and has served as Department Chair, and as Director of Graduate Studies. He has authored or co-authored over 130 journal papers, and over 200 conference presentations. He has served as an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Electronic Devices, and is a Fellow of the IEEE.

Join us on Friday, Nov. 6, for this exciting presentation from Gregory Snider, professor of Engineering and Electrical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame. Lunch will be available in Hayes 216 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and the presentation will begin in Hayes 211/213 at 12:10 p.m. We hope to see you there!

"Understanding the subjective perspectives of physics students can help inform physics instructors as they design their course structure and pedagogical strategies to promote a positive learning environment.  I will discuss several strands of research I have conducted that shed light on these issues.  Using survey data collected over multiple semesters, I will discuss how introductory STEM students perceive problem-solving and course demands in physics. I will also share an investigation into the beliefs of non-STEM majors about science vs. pseudoscience.  Finally, I will conclude with a qualitative analysis, based on open-ended survey responses."

Join us on Friday, Nov. 13, for this exciting presentation from Melanie Good, teaching associate professor and co-director of undergraduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Lunch will be available in Hayes 216 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and the presentation will begin in Hayes 211/213 at 12:10 p.m. We hope to see you there!