Colloquium

Raw date	Event date	Title	Speakers	Host	Summary	Links
20260311	March 11, 2026	Simulating Nonequilibrium Fundamental Physics	Fumika Suzuki, ICEPP - University of Tokyo	Aaron Chou	Simulating nonequilibrium fundamental physics, including high-energy and cosmological phenomena using condensed-matter systems, AMO platforms, quantum simulators, and quantum-computing platforms, has a long history. I will discuss the development of these studies (e.g., simulations of quantum field theory in curved spacetime) as I have observed them since my PhD, and present my own research on the Kibble–Zurek mechanism, whose original aim was to mimic cosmological phase transitions in condensed-matter systems.	Recording
20260325	March 25, 2026	Understanding Reality: Art Reality and Information Realism	Jelena Berenc, Guest Artist	Georgia Schwender	The new concept of Information Realism in contemporary Art is analyzed, its objective to understand the fundamental workings of Reality, and similarities in its methodology to Science. This novel idea is an integral part of my new works produced for the Guest Artist at Fermilab 2025. Unlike other approaches to Art that are concerned only... More »	Recording
20260401	April 1, 2026	Severe Thunderstorms: Past, Present, and Future	Prof. Victor Gensini, NIU	Tom Junk	Severe thunderstorms have shaped communities, landscapes, and lives for as long as humans have kept records of the weather. From historic tornado outbreaks and destructive hailstorms to today’s increasingly high-impact events, these storms remain among nature’s most powerful, and least understood, hazards. This talk explores how our understanding of severe thunderstorms has evolved over time. We begin with a look at the past: how early observations, eyewitness accounts, and the first weather maps helped scientists recognize patterns in tornadoes, hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding. We then move to the present, highlighting how modern tools (e.g., weather radar, satellites, storm-scale computer models, and field experiments) have dramatically improved our ability to observe, forecast, and warn for severe weather, saving lives and reducing risk. Finally, we look ahead to the future. How might a warming climate influence severe thunderstorms? Are tornadoes becoming more common, or simply better observed? What does the future hold for hailstorms, extreme rainfall, and high-wind events. What uncertainties remain? The talk concludes by discussing how science, technology, and communication must work together to build more weather-ready communities in an era of growing exposure and vulnerability.	Recording
20260422	April 22, 2026	Mapping Urban Forest Structure Across Five U.S. Cities	Tatjana Washington, University of Chicago	Samantha Pancock	Urban forests provide critical ecosystem services, from stormwater runoff mitigation and heat island mitigation to biodiversity support and public health benefits, yet their structural composition varies enormously across and within cities. Understanding this variation is essential for evidence-based urban forest management. This study applies a multi-scale principal components analysis (PCA) framework to census-tract-level urban forest inventory data across five U.S. cities: Washington DC, New York City, Columbus (OH), Minneapolis (MN), and Seattle (WA), representing a combined sample of 3,084 tracts. Preliminary global PCA results suggests that canopy extent and treediversity represent a shared dimension of urban forest quality. Marked structural differences across cities further indicate that no single management benchmark is universally applicable. Spatially constrained PCA (sPCA) and geographically weighted PCA (GWPCA) (in progress) will characterize the degree to which these structural gradients are spatially clustered and identify neighborhoods where local forest composition diverges from citywide patterns. Findings will inform targeted urban reforestation priorities and support planners in identifying underserved areas where strategic investment.
20260429	April 29, 2026	Obsessed by a Dream: Rolf Widerøe - History and Future of Accelerator Technology in the Context of a Giant	Norbert Holtkamp - Director, Fermilab		2027 marks the 100th anniversary of the invention of the first high-frequency linear accelerator (LINAC), built in Aachen. In 1927, Rolf Widerøe’s 27-page doctoral thesis opened new windows for science with his description of the LINAC and of a circular accelerator he had already invented in 1923 at the age of 21. The lecture begins by exploring the fascinating but tragic life of a man and his family driven by science and progress. During World War II, Dr. Widerøe was faced with a moral dilemma that is still relevant for many scientists today and may be even more pressing now. It also determined much of his fate. As we follow Rolf Widerøe through the arc of the 20th century, the full breadth of accelerator applications up to the present day comes into view. For more than a century, technical facilities that accelerate subatomic particles to ever higher energies have been an integral part of science and research, as well as of medical and industrial applications. The most modern applications repeatedly allow quantum leaps in science, which are discussed towards the end of the lecture.