Lecture Topics
&
grabbers
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        created 5/07
       update 8/11
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Case for calories -- Discussion of food energy, body sugar, watts to keep warm, preditor to prey ratios
Hybrid and electric cars
Wind turbines
Who wrote Shakepeare --- What writer doesn't teach his kids to read?
Introduction to Shakespearean cryptograms
Sun -- why a surface, stability, red giant stage, temperature range
Electron --- acceleration, multiple sizes
Electron orbits
Fantastic rotating protein that underlyies photosynthesis and cell oxidation
            Energy stored by cells by pumping up proton density --- pressure makes ATP
Case for captured bacteria in plants and animal cells
Amazing smallest bacteria
Cell membrane voltages --- supports ion balance, key to how nerves and heart cells work

Photosynthesis
        Why do plants put out oxygen?

Human body --- Figure # of cells from 1 mm worm
        8,000 ? atoms explode in your body every second

Light
        Nobody knows what a photon looks like

Global warming
        How does the greenhouse effect work?
        Amazing ice ages

Speed of light
        How do we know nothing can go faster than the speed of light?
        Why does light go slower in materials?
        What sets the speed of light?
        Explaining the twin paradox

Quote from chef Anthony Bourdain
            On rich/good food being a 'heart attack' --- "That's what Yule Gibbins said after he keeled over (of a heart attack at age 64) after a life of eating nuts and berries."

Two pianos, four hands at Merrimack Repertory Theatre