Seminar Schedule for 2009-2010
1
Seminar schedule for 2009-2010
Playing around with brainwaves
By Adrian Attard Trevisan
London Metropolitan University
Date: Wednesday, 24th March 2010
Time: 14:30
Venue: Room 216 of the Mathematics and Physics Building
Abstract: This talk will discuss a simple and portable system that is able to generate
musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) output based on the inputted data
collected through an electroencephalography (EEG) collecting device. The context is
beneficial in many ways, where the therapeutic effects of listening to the music
created by the brain waves documents many cases of treating health problems.
The approach is influenced by the interface described in the article “Brain-Computer
music interface for composition and performance” by Eduardo Reck Miranda, where
different frequency bands trigger corresponding piano notes through, and the
complexity of the signal represents the tempo of the sound. The correspondence of the
sound and the notes has been established through experimental work, where data of
participants of a test group where gathered and analyzed, putting intervals for brain
frequencies for different notes. The study is an active contribution to the field of the
neurofeedback, by providing criteria tools for assessment.
Department of Physics
University of Malta
Seminar Schedule for 2009-2010
2
Water - A Crisis?
Dr. Gordon Knox
Geological Consultant
Date: 2nd December 2009
Time: 14:30
Venue: Room 216 of the Mathematics and Physics Building
Abstract: Malta is heading for a crisis unless attitudes to water management and
conservation change drastically. Water is common on the surface of the earth, but
only a tiny proportion is in the form of fresh liquid water and it is not equitably
distributed. Water is scarce and under severe pressure in the Maltese islands. The
natural water resources are over exploited and insufficient for the population of the
islands, such that the shortfall is provided by expensive reverse osmosis (RO) plants
and virtual water.
The lecture will describe the Maltese water situation while making references to the
global situation and discuss possible future scenarios. More details on this topic can
be found at the url address:
http://www.dinlarthelwa.org/images/Vigilo/vigilo34.pdf
Biography: Dr. Gordon Knox is an applied geologist who after obtaining a B.Sc at
University College London and a Ph.D. at the University of Liverpool, spent 28 years
in the exploration business for oil and gas with the Royal Dutch/Shell group in
various global locations. Since retiring he has been a Visiting Lecturer at
the University of Malta and been sponsored as an International Distinguished Lecturer
by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. He takes an interest in issues
relating to natural resources.
Department of Physics
University of Malta
Seminar Schedule for 2009-2010
3
The Department of Physics of the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of
information and Communication Technology will be hosting a talk by Professor
Claudio Chiaruttini, from the Department of Mathematics and Informatics of the
University of Trieste in Italy about “Distributed and parallel computing: which way
for the user?” that will be held on the 1st of December 2009 in Room 1 of the
Engineering Building at 14:30. Details are given below:
Distributed and parallel computing: which way for the user?
Professor Claudio Chiaruttini
Department of Mathematics and Informatics
University of Trieste, Italy
Date: 1st December 2009
Time: 14:30
Venue: Room 1 of the Engineering Building
Abstract: The domain of ICT offers nowadays a wide range of computing solutions.
Multicore processors are common in many PC’s and laptops; clusters of servers are
common in research centres, in the industry and business; Grid computing has been
developed in the last decade to tackle challenging scientific problems; the ICT
business in the past few years offered the user a series of solutions loosely known as
Cloud Computing. As a consequence, the choice for the user may not be an easy one,
since each of those architectures has characteristics that make it effective for some
kind of problems, not for all of them. Furthermore, these solutions are often combined
in hybrid systems.
The architecture of the principal parallel computer system solutions will be presented
in order to make their advantages and disadvantages clear, with an emphasis on
shared vs. distributed memory systems and Grid computing. The challenges posed by
the architecture to programming and programming languages will also be discussed.
Biography: The present scientific interests of Professor Chiaruttini are:
High-performance and Grid computing: He runs a Laboratory for the development of
Grid computing software in cooperation with the International School for Advanced
Studies, Trieste. The Laboratory achieves the formation of students in this domain and
supports research groups in the exploitation of parallel and distributed computing
resources.
Automatic theorem proof checking: He is part of the research team of Professor
Eugenio Omodeo, which works on the development of ÆtnaNova (aka REF), a
system for the certification of theorem proofs designed and implemented by the late
Professor Jack Schwartz. In this project, Professor Chiaruttini is involved in the study
of the computability properties of universes of sets characterized by different
axiomatic systems.
He lectures in “Computer Architecture” and “Parallel and Distributed Programming”
at the Faculties of Science and Engineering of the University of Trieste and at the
Doctorate School in Environmental and Industrial Fluid Mechanics of the same
University.
Department of Physics
University of Malta
Seminar Schedule for 2009-2010
4
Medical Physics - Biomedical Engineering Seminar
Series
Modern medicine stands on the twin giant pillars of pharmaceuticals and medical
devices. This series of two presentations followed by an onsite visit will introduce
students to the amazing world of medical device physics-engineering. Many of us
today owe their health and possibly their lives to these devices. Medical Physics Biomedical Engineering is a major area of opportunity for young physicists and
engineers. A significant development for students is that the Departments of Physics
(Faculty of Science) and Systems and Control Engineering (Faculty of Engineering)
are collaborating with the aim of setting up an M.Sc. in Medical Physics which will be
open to both physics and engineering students and tentatively starting October 2010.
A visit to the state-of-the-art Medical Imaging Department at Mater Dei Hospital will
be arranged for Final Year Physics and Engineering students. Students of other years
will have a similar opportunity next year.
Seminar 1
Title: An overview of Medical Devices
Dr Carmel J. Caruana
University of Malta
Date: 4th November 2009
Time: 14:30
Venue: Room 216 of the Mathematics and Physics Building
Abstract: ‘Medical device’ is the legal term used in EU Directives to describe the
equipment, instruments, surgical tools etc used in hospitals and other medical /
healthcare organizations. Many of us today owe their health and possibly their lives to
these devices. The present number hovers around 50,000. In this presentation we will
experience the array of medical devices used in healthcare. These range from the
humble thermometer to contact lenses, magnetic resonance imagers and radiotherapy
accelerators.
Department of Physics
University of Malta
Seminar Schedule for 2009-2010
5
Seminar 2
Title: Amazing Medical Imaging! (alternatively known as
Diagnostic Radiology / Nuclear Medicine)
Dr Carmel J. Caruana
University of Malta
Date: 11th November 2009
Time: 14:30
Venue: Room 216 of the Mathematics and Physics Building
Abstract: Medical Imaging devices make use of various powerful physics –
engineering based methods to identify disease or trauma inside the body without
opening up the body (i.e., without surgery). The first method was plain X-ray
imaging (XRI) and followed closely the discovery of x-rays by Roentgen. Today we
have much more powerful methods based on x-rays (computed tomography CT),
ultrasound (US), magnetic resonance (MRI) and the use of radionuclide tracers
(SPECT, PET). This presentation will provide a brief overview of the various
methods. It will be followed by a discussion of the role of the Medical Physicist –
Biomedical Engineer in the use of imaging in medicine.
Biography: Dr Carmel J. Caruana has been teaching medical devices to medical and
healthcare students for close to 18 years. He earned his BSc in Physics and
Mathematics from the University of Malta, MSc in Applied Radiation Physics from
the University of Birmingham (UK) and a PhD from the Faculty of Mathematics and
Physics, CharlesUniversity, Prague. Dr Caruana’s specialisation is in the area of
Medical Imaging devices.
Department of Physics
University of Malta
Seminar Schedule for 2009-2010
6
Public lectures organised by the Physics Department of the
University of Malta
The Department of Physics of the University of Malta in collaboration with the
University of Central Lancashire and he Malta Council for Science and Technology
is organising a major international conference on galaxy formation entitled “Hunting
for the dark: The hidden side of galaxy formation,” between the 19th and the 23rd of
October 2009 (http://www.star.uclan.ac.uk/malta2009/index.shtml). This event brings
to Malta over 100 astrophysicists from around the world. On the occasion of this rare
opportunity of having so many leading astronomers in Malta, the organising
committee intends to offer the Maltese public an outreach programme to explore the
wonders of modern astronomy. The first event, entitled “In Quest of the Cosmic
Origins” will be held on Thursday 22nd October at 19:30 and is intended for the
general public while the second event, entitled “The beauty of scientific research”,
will be held on Friday 23rdOctober at 18:00 and is targeted at science students. Details
are found below.
Those wishing to attend are encouraged to register by sending an email to
physics@um.edu.mt, with the date or dates of their selected talk/talks in the subject
caption. Emails will be acknowledged and prospective participants are encouraged to
suggest questions to be fielded to the panels. The audience for both talks is kindly
requested to be seated at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start.
Title: In Quest of the Cosmic Origins
Speakers: Ken Freeman, Lucio Mayer, Annette Ferguson, Kathryn Johnston, Ben
Moore,
Date: Thursday, 22nd October 2009
Time: 19:30
Venue: Room 401 of the Mathematics and Physics Building.
Abstract: Today we understand that the Universe started over 13 billion years ago in
a big bang. The early universe was smooth and uniform. How did gravity lead to the
formation of the structures we see? How did the galaxies, stars, planets come to
be? What is the role of dark matter in the formation of galaxies, and how much of it is
there? What is the future of the Universe? Can we find a purpose in its evolution?
A panel of five leading international astrophysicists, Ken Freeman, Lucio Mayer,
Annette Ferguson, Kathryn Johnston and Ben Moore, will debate these questions, and
will describe the observations, theories and supercomputer simulations that go into
understanding the Universe we live in. Members of the public will be invited to put
questions to the panel.
Department of Physics
University of Malta
Seminar Schedule for 2009-2010
7
Biographies:
Ken
Freeman,
of
the
Mount
Stromlo
Observatory
at
the Australian National University, is interested in the formation and dynamics of
galaxies. He was one of the first persons to show that galaxies are surrounded by large
amounts of dark matter. Freeman is a recipient of numerous awards and is a fellow of
the Royal Society.
Lucio Mayer, professor of theoretical astrophysics at the University of Zurich and
ETHZurich (where Albert Einstein was a professor for a number of years) uses
supercomputer simulations to understand how planets, stars and galaxies form and
evolve.
Annette Ferguson, is a Reader in Astrophysics and a Marie Curie Excellence Team
Leader at the Institute for Astronomy in Edinburgh. She has been conducting detailed
studies of the Andromeda galaxy, our nearest large neighbouring galaxy which is
destined to merge with the Milky Way in a few billion years.
Kathryn Johnston, professor of astrophysics at Columbia University, studies our home
galaxy, the Milky Way and the evidence of its cannibalistic tendencies.
Ben Moore, is the director of the Cosmology and Computational Astrophysics
Institute at the University of Zurich. He is one of the world's leading experts on dark
matter, probing the limits of our current understanding of its nature.
Department of Physics
University of Malta
Seminar Schedule for 2009-2010
8
Title: The beauty of scientific research
Speakers: Rok Roskar (PhD student, University of Washington), Mike Williams
(PhD graduate at Oxford University), Noelia Noel (University of Edinburgh), Justin
Read (Lecturer at University Leicester), Anil Seth (CfA fellow at the HarvardSmithsonian Centre for Astrophysics) and Filippo Fraternali, (Universita di Bologna)
Date: Friday, 23rd October 2009
Time: 18:00
Venue: Room 401 of the Mathematics and Physics Building.
Abstract: Scientists study the universe because they are curious about its inner
workings. An important by-product of this process is most of today's technology.
Without them, we would not have mobile phones, computers, cars, televisions and the
like. Apart from the joy of discovering the universe, science gives the student a broad
and powerful set of skills that find uses in everything from money markets, finance,
engineering, high performance computing, management, etc. What are the requisites
for pursuing a career in science? What are the chances of finding rewarding
employment in science?
During this event, current and recent doctoral students in astronomy from abroad will
present their work, discuss their experience as young research scientists and answer
questions from the audience.
Department of Physics
University of Malta