On Nov. 2, Kip Thorne took the stage at Harvey Mudd College’s Galileo Auditorium to recount his 50 year odyssey of making gravitational wave astronomy a reality. The audience, which was composed primarily of physics students and scientists across the 5Cs, brought along their editions of Thorne’s “Gravitation” textbook to be autographed. For many, this event was a chance to meet a personal hero, to put a face to the name that they’ve studied in class.
Tag: Physics
Pomona planetarium revival brings the stars to campus
Though it’s been around since 2015, Pomona College’s planetarium has in recent years been largely unknown and unused outside the physics and astronomy department. Beginning last fall, efforts to revitalize the planetarium have turned it into a means of connection to both local communities and the night sky.
Centering Black technoscientific aesthetics in science and beyond
Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein spoke at CMC’s Pickford Auditorium on March 7 for the 37th annual Sojourner Truth Lecture, which has brought outstanding African American women to campus since 1983. Prescod-Weinstein, a theoretical physicist and theorist of Black feminist science studies, discussed Black cosmological storytelling.
Science as a Human Endeavor: A professor’s call to humanize science education
Many students enter into science majors out of curiosity about our world and their place in it. Gabriel Brenner PO ’26 discusses recentering scientific learning around human experience, and physics professor Elijah Quetin’s efforts to do just that.
Art history’s physics problem: Charles Falco speaks at the Benton
In an age where many fear the automation of art, physicist Charles Falco reminds us that the intersection of technology and art is anything but new. On the afternoon of Nov. 14 at Pomona College’s Benton Museum of Art, Falco presented the Hockney-Falco thesis, regarded as having “shak[en] the foundations
Science as a Human Endeavor: How biophysics is pushing the boundaries of science
At Pomona College’s McCluskey Lab, biophysicists are working together to uncover the forces that govern life using lasers, microscopes and a whole lot of collaboration. Columnist Gabriel Brenner PO ’26 explores how biophysics is shaping the future of science: a future that’s interdisciplinary and anything but solitary.
Claremont sees return of Science Day after three year hiatus
On Feb. 26, 60 elementary school students packed Harvey Mudd College’s campus in eager anticipation of the annual Science Day. The event was hosted by 5C Science Bus, a volunteer organization that aims to teach local students about science through various community events. Science Day is a long-held tradition at
Elle Roc PO ’24 awarded prestigious Patti Grace Smith Memorial Fund aerospace industry scholarship
For Anaelle Roc PO ’24, physics isn’t just rocket science — it’s a way to create a more equitable future in the aerospace industry. Roc’s efforts and vision earned her the prestigious Patti Grace Smith Memorial Fund Scholarship last month, enabling her to delve deeper into the industry.
Galactic collisions: What Jorge Moreno’s research on dark matter can help us discover about making life better on Earth
Understanding the complexities of the universe? That’s a tall order for most people. But Jorge Moreno, an assistant professor of astronomy at Pomona College, isn’t just helping discover alternate forms of galaxies across the universe — they’re also using those discoveries to think more deeply about life right here on Earth.
Petition calls to remove Millikan’s name from Pomona lab, citing eugenics promotion, racism and sexism
Nearly a thousand 5C students, faculty and alumni have signed a petition to remove Robert Millikan’s name from Pomona’s Millikan Laboratory.