New Science Saturdays Talk: "Using Magnets to Look at Molecules"

The Science Saturdays program for April 12 will now feature a lecture and demonstration by chemist Kurt Zilm. It will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon in Davies Auditorium of the Becton Engineering building at 15 Prospect Street.

Zilm’s talk and demonstration is titled “Using Magnets to Look at Molecules.”

Although physicists invented magnetic resonance spectroscopy 60 years ago to measure fundamental properties of the elements, the technology of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has now become indispensable for determining the structures of molecules and for imaging the human body.

Professor Zilm will show how radio waves and magnets are used to listen to these molecular signals, and how they can be exploited to image cells, guide oil-well drilling, determine the structures of large molecules, and even detect contraband in airport security.

Science Saturdays are free of charge and “kids of all ages” are invited to participate in this special event. No registration is required for the event.

The program is supported in part by the National Science Foundation, the Yale Faculty of Engineering, the National Society of Black Engineers, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale Scientific Magazine, Tau Beta Pi, and Scienceworks. More information is available through Patty Wooding at patricia.wooding@yale.edu.