Stammtisch - Thinking Outside the Box

#stammtisch #problem-solving #practical
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A semi-serious presentation by Bob Melville: IEEE Senior Member, inventor, amateur machinist, free thinker and collector of bad puns.

He will present a series of 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 that is rotating continuously in one direction without the use of 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.



  Date and Time

  Location

  Hosts

  Registration



  • Date: 17 Oct 2024
  • Time: 05:30 PM to 06:30 PM
  • All times are (UTC+02:00) Bern
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  • EPFL Lausanne
  • Ecublens, Switzerland
  • Switzerland 1015
  • Building: MED Auditorium Adrien Palaz
  • Room Number: MED 0 1418
  • Click here for Map

  • Contact Event Hosts


  Speakers

Robert “Bob” Melville

Biography:

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 and 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.

Address:United States





Agenda

17:30 Talk

18:10 Questions

18:20 Discussions with a glass of wine