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"From River Flow, Animal Locomotion to Social Dynamics" -- Two Experts on Constructal Theory to speak at HKU William Mong Distinguished Lecture

10 Oct 2007

What are the commons among animals' locomotion, flow of river, atmospheric and oceanic circulation, traffic flow, temporal and geographical patterns of cities, economic developments, and various social dynamics in human societies?

All these flow systems seek and generate "designs" (pathways and rhythms) that allow them to move their mass the greatest distance per expenditure of useful energy. And by distributing flow imperfection, like resistances, bottle necks, costs, in certain ways amid a flow system, such design can be achieved or predicted. These are gists of the "Constructal Theory".

Developed by Professor Adrian Bejan in the late 1990s, Constructal Theory has been expanded from explanation of physics phenomena to various animate (eg biology) and inanimate (eg geophysics) fields. The same principle has yielded new designs for electronics, fuel cells, and tree networks for transport of people, goods and information, and has become a paradigm universally applicable in natural sciences, engineering and social sciences.

The Faculty of Engineering of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has invited Professor Bejan and another Constructal Theory expert to present the latest William Mong Distinguished Lecture Series this Thursday (October 11). 

Media representatives are cordially invited to cover the Lectures, the details are:-
Date:        October 11, 2007 (Thursday)
Venue:      Wang Gungwu Theatre, Graduate House, HKU
Language:  English

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
"Vascularized Materials as Designed Porous Media"

• by Professor Sylvie Lorente (National Institute of Applied Sciences, Laboratory of Materials and Durability of Constructions, INSA Toulouse, France)

Professor Lorente's research achievements earned her the acclaim of CADLM Award of France in 2006; and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Bergles-Rohsenow Young Investigator Award and Edward F. Orbert Award in 2005 and 2004 respectively.
 

4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
"Constructal Theory of Design in Nature: from River and Animal Flow to Social Dynamics"

•  by Professor Adrian Bejan (J.A. Jones Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Duke University, USA)   

Professor Bejan developed the Constructal Theory in the late 1990s. He is ranked among the 100 most highly cited authors worldwide in engineering, the Institute for Scientific Information, 2001. He has received 15 honorary doctorates from universities in 10 countries.

For enquiries please contact:-

• Ms Equeen Leung of Faculty of Engineering (Tel: 2859 8257 / E-mail: equeen.leung@hku.hk); or
• Ms Denise Wong, Manager (Media) of External Relations Office (Tel: 2859 2600 / E-mail: denise.wong@hku.hk )