Dr. Gerald Pollack, a bioengineer at the University of Washington in Seattle, will give a free public lecture about "The Secret Life of Water" at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 29, in the auditorium of the Goodyear Polymer Science Center, 170 University Ave., across from E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall at The University of Akron.
Professor Judit E. Pushkas of the Department of Polymer Science and Professor Matthew Kolodziej of the Mary Schiller Myers School of Art at The University of Akron are hosting the lecture as part of UA’s Synapse [art+science] series that aims to foster insights and interactions among scientists and artists.
As school children we learned that water has three phases: solid, liquid and vapor. However, Pollack says that recent findings from his laboratory imply the presence of a surprisingly extensive fourth phase that occurs at interfaces. Further, says Pollack, water can receive and process electromagnetic energy drawn from the environment, much like plants. These findings, he contends, may have broad implications for physics, chemistry and biology, and may also lead to a better understanding of many natural phenomena ranging from the weather and green energy to the origin of life.
Support for the lecture has come from the National Science Foundation as part of a program connecting science and art to broaden horizons for students of both disciplines.
Media contact: Cyndee Snider, 330-972-5196 or cyndee@uakron.edu.