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SUMMARY:Physical principles of sensory transduction - Dr Tom Duke\, Depart
 ment of Physics\, Cambridge
DTSTART:20061117T161500Z
DTEND:20061117T164500Z
UID:TALK5272@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Duncan Simpson
DESCRIPTION:The ability to sense and respond to the environment is one of 
 the main characteristics of living matter\, and it is little surprise that
  sensory systems have evolved to be remarkably effective. Typically they a
 re capable of detecting very weak signals that are almost lost in the nois
 e\, but can also handle stimuli whose intensities are many orders of magni
 tude stronger. This applies to complex senses such as hearing\, but also t
 o the detection of chemicals by lowly bacteria. I will discuss a common ph
 ysical principle that appears to underlie signal detection in both of thes
 e cases: such sensory systems achieve their astonishing \nperformance by p
 oising themselves on the brink of an instability.\n
LOCATION:Kaetsu Centre\, New Hall
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