SCIENCE ON TAP

DEC 14

Image consultant: Machine learning expert studies how computers and humans perceive photos differently.

Which is more powerful, the Trinity supercomputer or a human brain? How is a computer’s neural network different from a human’s? And what, if anything, does that have to do with the shows Netflix recommended for you last night?

Monday, Dec. 14, 5:30–7:00p, Los Alamos National Laboratory staff scientist Nga Nguyen-Fotiadis leads us in the virtual conversation “Deep focus: Techniques for image recognition in machine learning,” the latest Science on Tap.

Nga is an expert in machine learning, a branch of artificial intelligence allowing computer systems to learn from experience without being explicitly programmed. A member of the Information Sciences group in the Computer, Computational and Statistical Sciences Division, she applies her expertise in deep learning and sparse coding to solve complex problems. She holds a doctorate in condensed matter physics and worked in the field of quantum physics at University of Antwerp, University of Maryland–College Park, and University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Science on Tap is a convivial opportunity to engage with Lab scientists on their current projects. A brief presentation is followed by questions, answers and discussion. The fun takes place on the third Monday of each month from 5:30 to 7 p.m. virtually — and eventually at local watering holes in Los Alamos and White Rock.

The free lecture series is a joint project between the Bradbury and the Los Alamos Creative District.