BioFrontiers Presents: "Disciplined Wonder: Of Fantastic Beasts and Frugal Machines"

BioFrontiers Presents is a free public talk series sponsored by the CU Boulder BioFrontiers Institute. Our mission is to engage with our community through public talks for public good. Associate Professor Saad Bhamla will deliver the November talk: Disciplined Wonder: Of Fantastic Beasts and Frugal Machines. In this talk, I will take you on a voyage of curiosity-driven discoveries, from our backyards, to the Tibetan grasslands, to the Amazon Rainforest. I will describe how sheepdogs herd and 'control' a flock of sheep, how worms braid, tangle, and knot into living "blobs" that solve a historical "Gordian knot" problem, how millimeter-scale ripple bugs deploy tiny folding fans to nimbly sprint, brake, and turn across turbulent streams, and how flamingos use their heads and feet to stir vortices that trap prey. Across these stories, I will highlight how nature's 'endless forms' solve beautiful problems in physics, engineering, and mathematics. Then, I will share our frugal science philos...