Venkata Ramana Makkapati has won quiz 4 of ScienceMatters Season 3. Venkata is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the School of Aerospace Engineering. He hails from Vijayawada, India.

"I apply optimal control, reinforcement learning, and differential games to address problems pertaining to autonomous vehicles," Venkata says about his research. In his work  with aerospace engineering professor Panagiotis Tsiotras, Venkata's focus is safe path planning and airspace security. 

"As an aerospace engineer interested in research, I chose Georgia Tech for its fundamental research in control systems and its amazing facilities," Venkata says. "I also like the weather here in Atlanta, which is similar to that of my hometown in India."

Venkata learned about the ScienceMatters podcast from his friend Vinodhini Comandur, winner of quiz 2. "Since then I have been following the podcasts and answering quiz questions."

Venkata considers the ScienceMatters podcasts "a much-needed learning experience for me." He says he enjoys listening during breaks from his research.

The quiz question for episode 4 was: What mathematical concept does Rafael de la Llave explain with the help of 15 ball bearings? 

The correct answer is Arnold diffusion. 

Join the Quiz for Episode 5, Clearing the Air about Aerosol Science

Episode 5 features Sally Ng, one of the top experts in the world on aerosol science, the study of tiny particles in our atmosphere and what they mean for our climate and our health.

Here’s the quiz question for episode 5:

How many ultraviolet (UV) lights are in the special indoor environmental chamber that Sally Ng designed?

Submit answer here by 5 PM on Monday, Oct. 21.

Stylish t-shirts, must-have beaker mugs, and textured  posters perfect for dorm rooms are among the prizes offered to those who are picked at random from all submitting correct answers. Look for the challenge during each week’s new episode, dropping on Tuesdays from Sept. 17 to Nov. 19.