The Winter Olympics are underway in Italy this week and there’s already been drama, excitement, and broken records! But beneath the feats of incredible athleticism are some interesting science facts:

The Olympics may be ancient, but it’s exciting to know that we are constantly striving to better understand the science that makes these games possible, and making them safer for the athletes competing.

-The WISP Team

You may have seen last week’s news from NASA announcing the upcoming launch of a rocket from Alaska to study the electrical currents streaming from the northern lights. The Geophysical Non-Equilibrium Ionospheric System Science mission (GNEISS, pronounced “nice”) is one of several rocket missions currently underway in the laboratory of Professor of Physics & Astronomy Kristina Lynch.

The Lynch Rocket Lab develops, designs, and builds instrumentation for ionospheric and auroral plasma experiments. The group uses rockets such as GNEISS, APEP, and Kinet-X to capture data on auroral precipitation and ionospheric structure. In addition to rocket-based measurements, the research group analyzes data from an Alaskan ground-based array, an extensive auroral imaging database, and satellites, using statistical and machine-learning approaches to better understand auroral processes.

The lab also conducts experimental work in a large calibration and plasma vacuum chamber—colloquially known as “the Elephant”—to study how particle detectors respond to thermal auroral plasma and how ionospheric-like thermal plasma interacts with scientific probes.

The Rocket Lab is proud to have both undergraduates and graduate students working on projects, including the GNEISS rocket missions. Others have worked on the design and launch of a small spacecraft, the Arduini-based “Boblet.”

Senior Shreya Gandhi `26 began working with Professor Lynch during her first winter at Dartmouth. From the start, she partnered with older students in the group working on small rockets. Of the experience, she says, “Working in Professor Lynch’s lab introduced me to physics as a collaborative, iterative process, extending far beyond classroom learning into active research and mission development.” Being a part of the Rocket Lab gave Shreya unparalleled experience in conducting research in atmospheric physics and dynamics and introduced her to experts working in the field. These strong foundations will serve her well as she pursues graduate studies in atmospheric science.

Dartmouth’s chapter of the Association of Women in Mathematics cordially invites you to attend their winter mixer! Come enjoy food from Tuk Tuk while hearing from faculty and graduate students about their favorite math topics. Speakers will share insight into the courses that incorporate these topics, how to declare a major, how to plan an independent study, and are happy to answer any questions you may have.

No need to be a major - just bring your enthusiasm! No registration required.

Are you a CS student who has taken at least two courses in the department? Are you interested in getting paid while gaining a deeper understanding of course content?

CS is looking for section leaders for the spring term. Please visit this page to learn more about this paid opportunity. The deadline for applying is March 20 — but don’t wait too long to sign up!

Reproducible Research at Dartmouth College supports students and researchers in adopting transparent, rigorous, and reproducible research practices across disciplines. It provides training, tools, and collaborative opportunities to promote open science, data integrity, and computational reproducibility within the academic community.

Interested in trying out one of their offerings? Check out Dr. Quackbot: Building a Chatbot to Explore 200-year-old Dartmouth Medical Documents. This project-based learning series will guide participants in building an interactive online chatbot that "diagnoses" and "treats" users based on early 19th-century medical knowledge from handwritten texts in Rauner Special Collections.

MAD is a video competition that gives Dartmouth undergraduates the chance to share their research with a broad audience. The contest is a collaboration between SURFD and the Dartmouth Libraries’ Jones Media Center (JMC).

This is a unique opportunity to present your work in an accessible, creative format, and develop valuable communication and media skills. The Jones Media Center offers free resources to support video creation.

The competition is open to Dartmouth undergraduates conducting research outside the classroom with a faculty mentor. Videos (up to three minutes) must be submitted by Wednesday, April 15.

Cash prizes are awarded! Judges will select a grand prize winner, who will receive $1,000. An on-campus screening will take place Friday, April 24, where attendees can vote for the People’s Choice award. The People’s Choice winner will receive $250.

For more information, visit the SURFD website.

Are you interested in conducting research during the spring term? The deadline for submitting applications is fast approaching for two of SURFD’s research programs:

Leave yourself plenty of time to prepare these materials and please make sure you review all of the guidelines for submission, including those for faculty recommendations/endorsements. No late applications will be accepted.

Got an opportunity or event you’d like to share with the WISP community? Email us at [email protected] with your request.