October 2025
Making Water Out of Rocks and Rocks Out of Water
Dr. Ryan Fortenberry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Mississippi.
Water can be produced from rocks as shown by experiments on lunar regolith simulant. We are able to explain the actual chemistry of such processes through quantum chemical techniques. Water forms from passing H2 gas over mineral-based molecular nanoclusters in the presence of sunlight. The production of water from rocky materials opens the prospect of water production for Lunar or Martian colonies as well as in regions of the Earth with little rainfall or drought. Additionally, the reverse of these processes also helps to explain how planets and rocky bodies likely formed in the early Universe. Hence, the processes that created the Earth may also help us to explore beyond it.
Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Heartbreak Coffee, 265 North Lamar Blvd, Oxford
And via Zoom
September 2025
Canopies and Containers: Exploring Bonsai Physiology and Creating Nature in Miniature
Dr. Zach Adamz, Department of Modern Languages, University of Mississippi, Komorebi Bonsai.
The living art of bonsai is at the nexus of aesthetic form and horticultural practice. Bonsai provides unique insight into plant physiology and highlights the tenacity of trees through processes that enable their miniaturization, including pruning, defoliation, and the containerized environment. Bonsai techniques leverage plant physiology —such as hormone distribution, stress responses, and energy distribution— to create long-lived miniature trees that maintain scaled structural and aesthetic characteristics of their full-sized counterparts. Join us as we explore how bonsai transforms horticultural understanding while creating living art.
Tuesday, September 16, 2025, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Heartbreak Coffee, 265 North Lamar Blvd, Oxford
And via Zoom
You can also listen to our podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts! We hope you enjoy listening to them as much as we enjoyed making them!
Sponsors
Department of Physics and Astronomy
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