Reserve the last Tuesday of each month to hear from some of the leading minds in science today. Massey University Auckland scientists and guest speakers take you into the fascinating world of scientific discoveries.
Most lectures are held on the Massey Auckland campus in the Sir Neil Waters lecture theatre. See map on the right.
Lectures start at 7pm. Light refreshments are served after the talk.
Molecules feel the most comfortable when surrounded by their own kind. The presence of different kinds of molecules causes certain tension. I will show you the fascinating ways to harness this naturally occurring tension, intelligent manipulation of the disliking molecules, and finally the importance of this phenomena in our everyday life.
In my cutting edge research, I strive to understand and control this tension in order to reduce the energy required in various processes, for example in molecules encapsulation.
The behaviour of molecules at the surface and the understanding and their control enables novel applications in advanced materials, nanomedicine, energy, environmental technologies, catalysis, and food. Real-life application of this type of technology is smart medicine that delivers the drug to only the “ill” cell or functional food that delivers the bioactive substance (e.g. SCFA) to colon and by doing so prevent the colon cancer.
The first periodic table of elements was proposed by Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev in 1869. It was based on arranging the elements in ascending order of atomic weight and grouping for similarities in chemical properties. It is considered to be most fundamental to chemistry. But in 2019 key questions remain unanswered: where does the periodic table end? What is quantum theory doing in this area? How can one predict the chemical and physical behaviour of superheavy elements?
Distinguished Professor Peter Schwerdtfeger is the director of the Theoretical Chemistry and Physics Centre and member of the Institute for Advanced Study. In this talk he will discuss the periodic table of the elements from a quantum perspective from Mendeleev to Ogansson.
NOTE this event is not being held on the usual last Tuesday of the month, but is a week later. It will be held in the Massey Business School Auditorium (signage will be in place to direct you to the room).
Find out more about previous speakers and their topics.
Massey University offers study programmes at the undergraduate and postgraduate level.
Massey University demands excellence in our research.We bring together world-leading experts from several disciplines to further knowledge and make a difference in New Zealand and the world.
We are keen to hear your thoughts about this series and ideas about topics you are interested in.
All lectures take place from 7–8.30pm unless noted otherwise.
Sir Neil Waters Lecture Theatre
Massey University Auckland, Albany