Representatives for the Office of Research and Economic Development were surprised by the large turnout at a lecture Thursday afternoon at the Chancellor’s Distinguished Lectureship Series.
Eric Cornell, senior scientist at the University of Colorado, gave the lecture and was impressed by the amount of people gathered in the Royal Cotillion Ballroom.
“I was very pleased. I was glad to see them have to bring more chairs out,” Cornell said. “It’s flattering.”\Cornell spoke about thermodynamics and the conflict in nature between low energy and high entropy.
Thomas Klei, interim vice chancellor for the Office of Research and Economic Development, said there were twice as many people in attendance than he expected.
Klei also said he felt it was important for Cornell to speak because his lecture is beneficial to students and faculty.
“His work influences … quantum physics, chemistry and engineering,” Klei said.
The lecture was titled “What Does Nature Like Better: Lazy or Sloppy?” Cornell used the term “lazy” to describe low energy and “sloppy” to depict disorganized, random and patternless high entropy.
Cornell also said he feels the second law of thermodynamics has what he called an “image problem.”
“People think it means that something interesting decays into something uninteresting, but that’s just not it,” Cornell said.
Cornell used everyday items like glasses of water and ice chests to appeal to a broad audience.
“I’m just trying to offer something for everyone,” Cornell said.
According to the Office of Research and Economic Development website, the series is funded by private donations.
Cornell graduated from Stanford University in 1985, received a Ph.D. from MIT in 1990 and received the Nobel Prize for physics in 2001.
“He’s seen a rapid rise to the top,” Klei said. “And that says a lot about him.”
 
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Contact Rachel Warren at [email protected]