Undergraduates
I am a sceptic of relativity theory and am trying to become a believer. As far as I know (about this theory), time slows down when some one travels at the speed of light. What about blind people ? Will this effect happen for them as well ?.. I am curious because blind people have nothing to do with light.
Professor Hilgenfeldt conducts theoretical and experimental research on the interfacial structure and dynamical evolution of foam and soft condensed matter. He has elucidated fundamental processes in interface dynamics, including sonoluminescence and domain coarsening, and applied results to develop a new and powerful kind of microfluidic flow excitation. His research has important implications for drug delivery, gene therapy and cell diagnostics, as well as generally enhancing the understanding of the mechanics of life.
Working with colleagues in the biological sciences, he recently created a functional equation that describes how living cells pack together to create fruit fly eyes. He created the quantitative model of cell geometries using only two factors: the energy of the adhesion molecules that hold nearby cells together and the energy from the stretching of the cells' membranes. The model helps researchers understand how adhesion energy changes the shape of the eye and allows them to study how such molecules develop and function during embryo development. His group is currently testing whether this model can be applied to different kinds of tissues, which could lead to advances in regenerative medicine.