Physics & Astronomy Colloquium
Date:
-
Location:
CP 153
Event Series:
Physics & Astronomy Nuclear Seminar
Title: Fundamental physics with cold and ultracold neutrons
Abstract: Thanks to their lack of charge, neutrons can be powerful probes to study fundamental aspects of the weak and strong nuclear forces unhampered by electromagnetic effects. However, for the same reason tools and techniques to make neutrons useful for fundamental physics are quite different from other fields of subatomic physics. This presentation will explain the principles of neutron production, moderation and transport and showcase examples of the fundamental physics that can be explored with neutrons.
Date:
-
Location:
CP 179
Event Series:
Physics & Astronomy String Seminar
Title: Hamiltonian approach to near extremal black hole physics
Abstract: Much progress has been made in recent years on understanding near-extremal black holes, primarily through the Euclidean path integral. These findings include large backreaction effects at both classical and quantum levels. However, a Lorentzian formulation of these effects, as needed to describe black holes formed from collapse along with other dynamical processes, is not well understood. I will describe an approach to this problem based on the Hamiltonian formulation of gravity. In this formulation we can make contact with earlier Euclidean results while also generalizing to inherently Lorentzian processes like black hole formation.
Date:
-
Location:
CP 303
Event Series:
UK researcher part of team analyzing bias in large language models
By Sara Spinks, Veena McCoole and Jenny Wells-Hosley
OXFORD, England (Jan. 20, 2026) — Large language models like ChatGPT increasingly shape how people see the world, yet their responses can mirror long-standing biases in the data they ingest.
Physics & Astronomy Colloquium
Date:
-
Location:
CP 153
Event Series:
UK Department of History launches ‘Celebrating 1776’ series ahead of America’s 250th anniversary
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 16, 2026) — As the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the University of Kentucky Department of History is launching a public event series designed to deepen understanding of the American Revolution and its enduring legacy.
Physics & Astronomy Colloquium
Dr. Steve Turley, Brigham Young University
Title: Using Physics in Unusual Places
Abstract: I would sometimes tell students that if they didn’t know what major to choose, they should choose physics because it is the basis of everything else. While this is perhaps a bit overstated, it is valuable for faculty members to keep in mind that most of our students will have careers that look different than our academic pursuits.
I will discuss physics applications I have found outside typical academic settings. As part of an exotic weapons development program, I participated in some of the early development of ultra-cold atoms, the optical Stern-Gerlach Effect and the development of a coherent Lyman-alpha source. While studying efficient ways to compute radar cross sections of stealthy targets, I not only used my background in electromagnetic theory but also some machinery from General Relativity and quantum mechanics.
Work on measuring lifetimes of parts in ion thruster satellite engines used results from astrophysics. After a 25-year academic career, I have been assisting as a volunteer at FamilySearch, an international nonprofit collaborative genealogical platform. To my surprise and delight, I’ve found ways my physics background can be applied to problems in computerizing and indexing genealogical records, preserving privacy, optical character recognition and matching records to family trees.
Date:
-
Location:
CP 153
Event Series:
Statistics Seminar
Title: Robust trial augmentation using external data
Abstract: Randomized trials often have sample sizes that are too small to produce precise estimates of treatment effects. One approach for improving trial efficiency is to incorporate external data from previously completed trials or observational studies into the estimation process. When the external data are aligned with the trial data and statistical models for nuisance functions are correctly specified, using the external data can yield consistent estimates and enhance efficiency.
Some degree of misalignment or misspecification, however, is usually expected and can threaten trial validity. We develop a class of estimators that exploit randomization to ensure consistency and asymptotic normality, even when the external data are misaligned with the trial. We also propose a procedure that uses members of this class to construct a combined estimator that is consistent and asymptotically normal and can leverage external data even when that data are misaligned with the trial, or when models for nuisance functions are mis-specified or have slow convergence rates.
We show that the efficiency of the combined estimator is no lower than that of each of its component estimators (including the efficient trial-only estimator, if it is used as a component for the combined estimator). Our methods allow investigators to use external data to improve the trial's efficiency without concern for misalignment between the external data and the trial. We examine the finite-sample behavior of the proposed methods in simulation studies and apply them to analyze data from a trial comparing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery plus medical therapy versus medical therapy alone for patients with chronic coronary artery disease.
Date:
-
Location:
MDS 220