Francesco Ferretti joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the state of shark populations worldwide and the knowledge gaps that challenge conservation strategies. Ferretti explained the role of sharks in the larger marine ecosystem, the challenges of gathering data on shark populations, and the role citizen scientists can play in overcoming that challenge.

Ferretti is an assistant professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation. His research interests include characterizing the history of human impact in the ocean to better understand how this has altered marine ecosystems and develop solutions for a sustainable use of marine resources. His research spans from macro-ecology to applied management and conservation with a special focus on sharks and their relatives.

Landon Marston joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the relationship between data centers and water usage. Marston explained the amount of water used by data centers, what they’re doing with it, and the reality of national and local impacts. He also shared aspects localities might consider before welcoming a new center.Marston is an associate professor in Virginia Tech’s Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, where he specializes in water resources engineering. His research focuses on the sustainability of water systems and the complex interconnections between water, energy, food, and infrastructure.#virginiatech #datacenter #waterusage #waterquality #techexplained #environmentalimpact

Patrick Huber joined ⁠Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations”⁠ to talk about world of neutrino physics and its implications for understanding dark matter. He explained the significance of neutrinos in the universe, the methods used to detect dark matter, and emphasized the interdisciplinary nature of the research.

Huber is the William E. Hassinger, Jr. Senior Faculty Fellow in the ⁠College of Science⁠, a professor of physics, and director of the Center for Neutrino Physics. His research focuses on neutrino physics and he has helped build an internationally recognized program that has implications for basic science and applications to global and national security.