S P E C I A L  T O P I C S : B I O T E C H + D E S I G N

Tuesday 

This week we began our class with creating a concept/mind map consisting of the topics we had learned and discussed over the preceding weeks.

Although I was unable to attend class in person this week, I reflected on class discussions made by reviewing my classmates' blogs and doing my own research on the subjects listed on the agenda.

Week 4: Jan 31, 2023 : Magnetism, Aurora Borealis, & Connections 

On Tuesday, Professor Gekelman came into our classroom and did an extensive lecture on magnets and magnetism.

We met with Dr. Walter Gekelman on Tuesday, Jan. 31st, but this time he came to our classroom and gave a lecture about the Earth’s magnetic field. It was an expanded lecture on how his LAPD machine creates magnetic fields. Dr. Gekelman’s experimental LAPD machine creates an axial magnetic field with 90 solenoidal magnet coils. Below is an example from LAPD’s experiment on magnetic field line reconnection, which happens when two magnetic flux ropes collide.

Tuesday

1/31

On Tuesday, Dr. Walter Gekelman gave us a very in-depth lecture on magnetism, which is the motion of electric charge between two magnets when they attract or repel one another. He began speaking about Maxwell’s equations, which is basically a set of four equations that explains the nature of electricity and magnetism.

         Tuesday’s class commenced with a Year of the Rabbit celebration, where we went over the zoom event that had been hosted the Sunday of that week and then learned more about the traditions that go along with this occasion. We learned about different cultural foods, and one that stood out to me in particular was haggis.

On Tuesday, January 31st, Dr. Walter Gekelman, who gave us a tour of the large plasma device, came into class to discuss the nature of magnetism. He started off by explaining different equations used to determine the forces of magnetism and how they affect everything. Admittedly, he lost the entire class while explaining the concepts behind the equations, but started defining some more key concepts. 

On Thursday, we started off class with everyone gathering around and recalling everything we have learned so far into the quarter. It was extremely refreshing to have a mind-mapping activity in class together. In all honesty, I’ve been a little confused about all the different topics we have covered so far in class. Every subject matter was incredibly interesting on its own, so seeing everything interconnected was almost like a light-bulb moment for me.

On Tuesday, we visited the botanical garden as a class and rang in the new year with a shot kombucha and a variety of traditional snacks. I was pleasantly surprised to learn more about kombucha, as I’ve acquired to the taste quite recently. I never understood the appeal of kombucha due to it’s sour and fermented taste, but after knowing about it’s health benefits and probiotics, I was able to enjoy the beverage.

We began the week with a guest lecture from Dr. Walter Gekelman, who gave us an overview of plasma and magnetism. At some point, he brought in ferrofluids, a jet-black substance that is quite mesmerizing when it is drawn to a magnet. When the magnet gets close to the ferrofluids, it creates a liquid spike that reveals the magnetic field lines around the magnet.