The Physics of Form in Living Matter - Noah Mitchell

Explore the fascinating world of living matter's shape-changing abilities in this 21-minute Big Ideas Talk by KITP Postdoctoral Scholar Noah Mitchell. Delve into the physics of morphogenesis, examining how a single nucleus transforms into an entire organism. Learn about recent developments in understanding the physical processes involved in sculpting complex shapes, with a focus on dramatic shape changes in internal organ development. Gain insights into the mechanics of soft and living matter, wave phenomena in mechanical metamaterials, fracture patterns in thin sheets, and fluid turbulence generated by colliding vortices. Discover the crucial role of topology and geometry in driving physical phenomena within living tissues and biological materials. The talk covers topics such as the landscape of science, genetics, flow, scalar fields, tensorial fields, and the coil of compartments, providing a comprehensive overview of the physics of form in living matter.