Dr. Gary Dickinson and Dr. Monisha Pulimood, TCNJ
February 24, 2015
12:30 – 1:30pm
SCP-101
*Refreshments will be served
Dr. Gary Dickinson, Department of Biology
“Shellfish in a changing ocean: effects of ocean acidification on shell mechanics and structure”
Abstract: Ocean acidification is one of the major environmental threats facing marine animals. Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations have led to a shift in seawater chemistry, making it more acidic. Increases in mortality and alterations in range of physiological processes have been observed in marine animals exposed to elevated CO2. In estuaries, ocean chemistry can be further altered due to fluctuations in environmental parameters (e.g. salinity and temperature) and biological inputs, which can exacerbate the effects of ocean acidification. In this talk, I will assess the hypothesis that exposure to altered seawater chemistry, which is representative of predicted future environmental conditions, results in altered biomechanical and structural properties of invertebrate shells. Shells with impaired mechanical properties are likely to be more susceptible to breakage by predators and physical factors, compromising survival.
Dr. Monisha Pulimood, Department of Computer Science
“Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence Join Forces”
Abstract: There are many scientific problems that computers cannot yet solve despite their ability to handle immense computations and data sets. Social computational systems are part of an emerging and growing area of research that combines social computing concepts and computers to enable, mediate and support computations carried out by large groups of people. They leverage abilities that computers do not yet have but that are innate to humans, such as intuition, superior visual processing, and an understanding of the real world. This talk will present some examples of such systems, as well as challenges for designing and implementing them to efficiently solve large problems. It will also discuss the design of a social computational system that aims to address some of the challenges of effective dissemination of research results and artifacts, beyond the funding period.
