Nouvelles récentes Mars 2010

Vendredi le 16 Avril

Dr. Howard Ceri, Professor and Chairman of the Biofilms group at the University of Calgary will give a talk entitled "Changing the Paradigm: What Biofilms Are Doing to Microbiology". The talk will address the innate tolerance of biofilms to antimicrobial agents and what considerations we need to make when we look towards the next generation of antimicrobials.

Lundi le 15 Février

Dr. Don Francis, Full Professor and Dawson Chair from the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at McGill University will give a talk entitled "In search of the Earth's earliest crust". These remnants of the earliest Earth indicate the existence of both continental and oceanic crusts, liquid water, and perhaps even life, on the surface of the Earth within a few hundred million years of its formation, a time during which it was experiencing intense meteorite bombardment.

Lundi le 25 Janvier

Dr. M.A. Whitehead, Professor Emeritus Department of Chemistry and McGill-Montreal Sigma Xi chapter President, will give a joint talk with James McGill Society on "The History of the Sigma Xi at McGill University".
Sigma Xi, the Honours Society of Research Scientists and Engineers, was founded in 1886 at Cornell university, to enhance the health of the research enterprise, foster integrity in science and engineering, and promote the public's understanding of science for the purpose of improving the human condition.  The first chapter outside the United States awas formed in 1921 at McGill.

Lundi le 14 Decembre

Dr. Theo Van de Ven, Paprican/NSERC Industrial Research Chair in "Colloid and Papermaking Chemistry" as well as the Director, Pulp and Research Centre will answer the question Why does paper get stronger as it dries?As well, Jerry Baker from Sigma Xi HQ will bring greetings to the chapter and acknowledge Dr. Peter Roper's Evan Ferguson Award. The Chapter will make a small presentation to Dr. Roper and we will follow these events with our Christmas party.

Lundi le 23 Novembre

Dr. Thomas Szkopek, Canada Research Chair in Nanoscale Electronics from the Department of Physics will give a talk about Electrons going massless:
The optical and electronic properties of graphene. He will show how the optical properties of graphene are described by a fundamental constant of nature, the fine-structure constant, and how this allows us to count atomic layers using only a simple optical microscope. He will also describe the electronic properties of graphene, including its ability to function as a transistor and the sensitivity of its electrical conductance to the environment. Future research directions and potential applications of graphene will be briefly discussed.

Lundi le 26 Octobre

Dr. Tom Baker from the University of Ottawa will give a talk about Hydrogen Storage in Molecular Compounds. The use of hydrogen as an energy carrier offers a clean alternative to current combustion of fossil fuels. He will discuss promising materials for high capacity hydrogen storage applications, and remaining technical barriers to commercialization of these fuels.

Lundi le 21 Septembre

Dr. Pierre Savard of the École Polytechnique de Montréal will give a lecture about Tasers. The talk will address the stun gun operating modes, physiological effects,contexts of use, electrical tests performed recently in Canada, electrical safety standards, an epidemiological analysis of the fatalities and some recent recommendations of Canadian commissions and law enforcement agencies.