Events Calendar

AME - Department Seminar

Speaker: Paul Ronney, University of Southern California

Talk Title: Serendipity and Contrarianism in Research: Hit 'Em Where They Ain't

Abstract:
Almost every great scientific discovery involves serendipity, i.e. a chance encounter with unexpected results. This is no accident, for if one already expects a particular result and research confirms the expectation, nothing fundamentally new was learned. Examples include Teflon™, radioactivity, nitrocellulosic explosives, LSD, the Big Bang and the microwave oven. In each of these cases when unexpected results presented themselves, the investigators able to identify their significance instead of merely dismissing them as failures. Frequently another key aspect of discovery is contrarianism, that is, the ability and commitment to challenge accepted wisdom in order to resolve its weaknesses or contradictions. Examples include quantum mechanics, relativity and anthropomorphically-induced climate change. Contrarianism may also take the form of a simpler solution to solving a demanding problem, e.g. tetraethyl lead anti-knock additive for gasolines.

This seminar presents my experiences (which pale in significance compared to the aforementioned cases) with serendipity and contrarianism in the context of research on chemically reacting flows, including examples from microgravity combustion, turbulent flames, catalysis, photobleaching velocimetry and biophysics. Most importantly, I will provide suggestions to fledgling researchers (i.e., graduate students) on how to identify serendipitous yet consequential results and when/how to stand firm in the face of adversity resulting from contrarianistic views.

Biography: Prof. Paul D. Ronney is a Professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA. Prof. Ronney received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Science degree in Aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology, and a Doctor of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He held postdoctoral appointments at the NASA-Glenn Research Center and the Laboratory for Computational Physics at the U. S. Naval Research Laboratory and a position as Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University before assuming his current position at USC. Prof. Ronney was the Payload Specialist Astronaut (Alternate) for Space Shuttle mission MSL-1 (STS-83, April 4 - 8, 1997) and the reflight of this mission (STS-94, July 1 - 16, 1997).

Professor Ronney has extensive research experience in micro-scale combustion, premixed flame ignition by pulsed corona discharges, propagating fronts in motile bacteria, turbulent combustion, edge flames, flame propagation in confined geometries (Hele-Shaw cells), internal combustion engines, premixed-gas combustion at microgravity, flame spread over solid fuel beds, and radiatively-driven flows and heat transfer. His research is conducted in the Combustion Physics Laboratory at USC. One of his experiments, a study of premixed-gas flames at low gravity, called Structure Of Flame Balls At Low Lewis-number (SOFBALL) flew on the STS-83 and STS-94 Space Shuttle missions in 1997 and the STS-107 mission in 2003.

Prof. Ronney has published over 70 technical papers in peer-reviewed journals, made over 150 technical presentations (including over 30 invited presentations at international conferences), holds four U.S. patents with several others pending, and has received over $10 million in funding for his research projects. He is an Associate Editor or Editorial Board Member of Combustion Theory and Modelling, Combustion and Flame, Microgravity Science and Technology, Micromachines and Progress in Energy and Combustion Science. In recognition of his achievements, he is a fellow of the Institute of Physics, a recipient of the National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award, the Princeton Engineer's Council Excellence in Teaching Award and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (U.K.) Starley Premium Award for a paper on a new control concept for internal combustion engines that promises to provide higher thermal efficiency and lower pollutant emissions.


Host: Professor Geoff Spedding

More Info: http://ame-www.usc.edu/seminars/10-3-12-ronney.shtml

Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - Room 150

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: April Mundy

Event Link: http://ame-www.usc.edu/seminars/10-3-12-ronney.shtml