‘Little Bang Theory’ subject of TRU talk Thurs.

NEWS — Feverish plants and exploding fruit?

Prof. Cynthia Ross Friedman will talk about her group’s research on dwarf mistletoes tomorrow, March 20 in the Main Library’s Graduate Student Research Commons at Thompson Rivers University.

Dwarf mistletoes are flowering plants that attack conifers in B.C. and cause disease in the host trees.

These small plants – often pegged as wicked cousins to the Christmas mistletoes – spread their seeds by a remarkable mini-explosion.

“This odd ‘little bang’ involves the buildup of pressure, and possibly some strange internal heating,” says Ross Friedman.

The talk is entitled, “The Little Bang Theory: Explosive Seed Discharge in Dwarf Mistletoe,” and will start at 12:30 p.m. Thursday.

Dr. Ross Friedman has appeared twice on CBC Radio’s national science radio show “Quirks & Quarks,” and has published widely.

The talk features work done collaboratively with TRU’s Rolena deBruyn (undergrad), Colin MacDonald (TRU alumnus), Joanna Urban (Biology lecturer), and Dr. Mark Paetkau (Physics).

The presentation is another in a series being hosted by the TRU Library talk as part of their Research Across the Disciplines “Lunch and Learn.”

“Yes, we have videos of the little bang!” said Ross Friedman.

There is no charge for admission and the event is open to the public.