Splash Biography
ROBERTO BAQUERIZO, Cornell Junior studying Engineering Physics
Major: Engineering Physics College/Employer: Cornell Year of Graduation: 2016 |
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Brief Biographical Sketch:
I was born in Ecuador. I moved to Florida when I was 9, but eventually decided to leave the warm tropics for this frigid wonder(waste-)land we call home (euphemistically). When I first came to Cornell, I was torn between studying Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and Engineering Physics (EP) (I declared days before the deadline). EP won in the end. It was my love of Physics that overpowered my disinterest in RF Signals.I urge everyone to go after what they feel passionate about - whether that be circuits or Einstein's Field Equations.Sure, I quote Einstein, but I firmly believe that Paul Dirac deserves more praise. All Hail the Unstein. If you take my class, I'll tell you more about Dirac and why he's great. Past Classes(Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)P115: When Particles Collide: Classical Collision Theory in Splash Spring 2015 (Apr. 18, 2015)
There's a meteor just making its way across the universe and there's a planet in the vicinity (maybe Earth). It either wipes out all life or it misses the planet. Can we know our doom beforehand?
This class will answer that question, and it will help you answer many more. Collision Theory is the physicist's tool for answering: will these two things interact? It also lays down the groundwork for the scattering experiment - a powerful tool for investigating the structure of atomic and subatomic objects. If you've heard of Rutherford, then you know he discovered the atomic nucleus, and he did it with Collision Theory. We will cover the basics of the theory by introducing the concepts of the cross-section and impact parameter, and then I'll show you some interesting applications. In particular, will this neutron cause that Uranium atom to split? Will that meteor wipe out life as we know it?
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