Thinking Outside the Box
Event details
| Date | 17.10.2024 |
| Hour | 17:30 › 19:00 |
| Speaker | Bob Melville, IEEE Senior Member, did his undergraduate training at the University of Delaware and then went on to complete a PhD in Computer Science from Cornell University. He had the privilege to work at AT&T Bell Laboratories for 16 years doing a mixture of numerical programming, circuit simulation and design of RF integrated circuits. He was promoted to Distinguished Member of Technical Staff for his work on non-linear systems. After teaching electrical engineering at Columbia University, he pursued a life-long dream to work in Antarctica. He was a member of the 2005-2006 winter-over crew at the South Pole where he supported instrumentation to monitor space weather. Most recently, he served as the IEEE Engineering & International Development Fellow which involved field work at small medical clinics in Uganda to study their electrical power. Bob is also extra-class amateur radio operator WB3EFT. |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
| Event Language | English |
A semi-serious presentation by Bob Melville: IEEE Senior Member, inventor, amateur machinist, free thinker, and collector of bad puns.
He will present practical problems with somewhat surprising (and simple) solutions. Examples:
1. Can you give an accurate estimate of the number of fish in a large lake without killing the fish or draining the lake?
2. How do you measure the area of a lake drawn on a map, even if the map is not available in digital form?
3. How do you deliver electrical power to a horizontal platform rotating continuously in one direction without slip-rings?
The premise of his talk is that techniques for creative problem solving can -- at least to some extent -- be learned and taught. Examples will be taken from several domains: mechanical engineering, optics, mathematics, and magic.
The talk will be followed by a light apero
Practical information
- General public
- Free
Organizer
- IEEE EPFL Student Branch
https://ieee-epfl.ch/
Contact
- Gabriel Laupré