Physics (Internal)

On Growth and Form: Geometry, Physics and Biology

This event is part of the Physics Department Colloquia Series.

Abstract: The diversity of form in plants led Darwin to state that it is "enough to drive the sanest man mad" , begging the questions of how to describe this variety and  how to predict it?  Motivated by observations of geometrical forms  in plants and animals ranging from leaves and flowers to vertebrate guts,  I will show how a combination of biological and physical  experiments,  mathematical models and simple  computations allow us to begin unravelling the physical basis for morphogenesis.