London Olympics, Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Examined in New College Talks

How did athletes like Usain Bolt and Missy Franklin dominate their competition at the Olympic Games? And what can gene sequencing tell us about the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on microorganisms in the Gulf of Mexico?
Those questions are at the heart of two Natural Science Seminars at New College on Friday, March 15. John Eric Goff, chair of the physics department at Lynchburg College, is the author of “Gold Medal Physics: The Science of Sports.” In his talk, aimed at general audiences, he will look at the science behind gold-medal performances.
Adam R. Rivers is a postdoctoral research fellow at University of Georgia, and a 2001 graduate of New College, with a concentration in biology and chemistry. He received his doctorate in oceanography from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. To look at the response of bacteria and archaea to the spill, he and his colleagues sequenced mRNA from sites inside and outside the plume to partially reconstruct the organisms’ metabolisms.
Dr. Goff’s talk is from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Friday, March 15, in Chae Auditorium at the Heiser Natural Sciences Center. Immediately following, at 3:30 p.m., will be the presentation from Dr. Rivers. Both talks are free and open to the public.