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Nerdy Nook: True Tales From the Lab

Princeton PhD candidates share insights about their work: "Orangutans in the Line of Fire," "Snails: From Ancient Dye to Modern Robotics" and "Battling Flow Instabilities in Fusion Energy."

Andrea DiGiorgio, PhD: "Orangutans: Life in the Line of Fire"
People who study primates note that orangutans are just "weird." Much of that weirdness allows them to survive in the very food-poor rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. But as fires burn across these major islands, will their weird adaptations be a help or a hindrance? Learn about what is likely to be the biggest fire season to date and how orangutan researchers and rescues are trying to save this species from potential extinction. 

Michael Walker, PhD Candidate: "Battling Flow Instabilities in Fusion Energy"
This talk will discuss inertial fusion energy, from its origins in nuclear weapons physics and recent success in laser ignition to ongoing efforts to master it as an abundant, carbon-free energy resource. I will briefly highlight my research using detailed computer simulations to understand and suppress instabilities and mixing during the fusion capsule implosion to improve energy yield.

Joanna Van Liew, PhD Candidate: "Snails: From Ancient Dye to Modern Robotics"
Throughout human history we have looked to the natural world for innovations in our technology. In ancient times, the humble snail was used for a variety of things, including in the development rich purple dies, applications in medicine, and of course in cuisine. Although it’s a famously slow creature, what if we could study snail motion to help solve the problem of removing microplastics from water? I will be discussing my research into how we can create a sort of robotic ’snail’ that can clean up a century’s-worth of microplastics in our water.

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