After going to all the morning sessions, there was a free bbq hosted by MUSEX, the on campus society for study abroad and exchange students. However, my session ended early and I was able to make it to a chemistry lecture I had looked up earlier. It was really refreshing to walk into the chemistry building, almost like I was back home (almost)! The Melbourne chemistry department actually has a lot of guest lectures scheduled, which I plan on attending. It reminds me alot of IOS (Inorganic Seminars) on Fridays at my home institution, where grad students and postdocs give 1 hour presentations on their research.
The lecture was given by Professor Kenneth S. Suslick on his research in sonochemistry and sonoluminescence. The passing of high intensity ultrasound in a liquid leads to the formation of bubbles that grow and collapse. This process causes chemical reactions to occur within the bubbles, called sonochemistry. These bubbles also release light during their collapse; the emission is called sonoluminescence. I really enjoyed the lecture because Professor Suslick was a great lecturer and I wasn't very familiar with what he had been doing recently. I had talked with him before this because his son is actually in my year and major at Caltech! It was was nice to hear how his research was going.
Chemistry building!
I’ve been practicing my German almost every night — I’m trying to learn German because I want to go on a Fulbright to Germany! — and now I know how to introduce myself! It’s all really basic stuff, but it’s really exciting to hear myself speak it! I’ve thought about enrolling in German at Melbourne, but it’s a year long class and I don’t meet the prereqs to get in for the second semester.
I’m still trying to figure out the last class in my schedule. Hopefully everything will work itself out soon! I’ll leave you with this link to a video of somoluminescence http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJolILUbdNw!
Best,
Stephanie
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