The Insightful Image: Scientific Understanding You Can See

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Morrison House Presents: Dr. Peter Matic

Dr. Peter Matic will share how optical visualization and computer simulation of stress fields and fluid flows shaped modern structural integrity and aerodynamics while enabling, challenging and redefining the way we "see" in a data-rich world.

Modern technological developments in aviation, energy and medicine depend upon sophisticated analysis and design processes. Over the past 100 years, these processes have been driven in large part by new methods of observing and predicting performance. These methods produced a rich and intriguing line of imagery showing us how the "stuff" of these technologies - the solids, fluids and gases - actually "works".

The ability to obtain informative images in a systematic and scientific manner was initially enabled by photography, special optical techniques and motion pictures. Subsequent developments in computer simulation, visualization and scientific animation further advanced the field. This means that actually seeing the stresses and complex internal structures inside a solid component can prevent catastrophic failures. Observing the structure of swirling fluid flow over a wing enables modern aerodynamics and optimizes wind farms before they are built. Comparing the deformability of blood cells inside blood vessels and capillaries can be related to health and disease.

In a broader sense, these types of images generated new and fundamental scientific and engineering approaches at both microscopic and large scales. They forced a rethinking in how the underlying mathematical fundamentals which matured in the 19th century are viewed, taught and used. And, finally, they challenge us to know "what to look for", "where to look for it" and "how good is it?" over the course of a century when data went from being a scarce resource to a nearly overwhelming commodity.

Peter Matic has a B.S. from the Illinois Institute Technology and a Ph.D. from Lehigh University in Mechanical Engineering.