The Real Physics Behind "Star Trek"

This is a rather last-minute notice, but if you are in the Chicago area, Dirk Morr will discuss the physics and technology behind Star Trek, today, Wednesday, April 2, 2014, at the University of Illinois at Chicago campus.

Dirk K. Morr, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, joins us to discuss the scientific ideas behind Star Trek technologies. Morr will present his findings at 6:00 pm on Wednesday at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Behavioral Science Building.

You may read the rest of the article to see what science and technologies from Star Trek that have some resemblance to what we do now.

Zz.

From Mars to the Multiverse

The 2012 Isaac Newton Medal lecture given by Martin Rees.




Zz.

Higgs Boson Discovery Explained with "The Atom Smashers"

The excitement and public outreach regarding the apparent Higgs discovery continue.

The Illinois Science Council will present a public seminar on this discovery at the Century theater in Chicago's north side.

Join us for the screening of a compelling film, The Atom Smashers. (“One of the best science documentaries!” - Bill Kurtis) This film clearly explains the science behind this discovery and the roller-coaster nature of the search at Fermilab. It beautifully conveys the dedication and conviction of scientists pursuing it. The film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring physicists from Fermi and Argonne National Laboratories (right here in Chicago's backyard) who have been, and continue to be, personally involved in the experiments conducted for the Higgs particle.

Monday, July 16, 2012
6:30 - 8:30pm
Hosted at Landmark Century Cinema
2828 N. Clark St. (at Diversey)
Chicago, IL 60657

Tickets are $10 in advance, and $15 at the door.

So if you're in the neighborhood, here's your chance to not only hear from the physicists involved or familiar with this, but also to ask questions.

BTW, I salute any organization that try to present important events in science such as this to the public. It is about time things like this are done often, and I only wish that it could be done a lot more.

Zz.

Frank Wilczek's "A Long View Of Particle Physics"

{Don't miss our nomination period to nominate your most attractive physicists}

This is probably either an excerpt, or the text of a talk given by Frank Wilczek at last year's Solvay Conference.

Abstract: 2011 marked the hundredth anniversary both of the famous Solvay conferences, and of the Geiger-Marsden experiment that launched the modern understanding of subatomic structure. I was asked to survey the status and prospects of particle physics for the anniversary Solvay conference, with appropriate perspective. This is my attempt.

It's a surprisingly short paper, considering the title, which means it is short on details. Still, it might be an informative read for some people.

Zz.

Sustainable Energy: Fact or Fiction

Hey, if you are in the Chicagoland area, this might be something you want to attend, considering that this is certainly an important and relevant topic nowadays. It is a talk on sustainable energy by Argonne's George Crabtree.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT)
McCormick Tribune Campus Center
McCloska Auditorium
3201 South State Street

Let me know if you are attending it. I'd appreciate a report.


Zz.

Fermilab's "Physics For Everyone"

If you are around the area, there is no excuse to not make some time to attend one of these. The Fermilab's series of physics talks for the public is back.

So even when the Tevatron is gone, the lab isn't dead. But more importantly, they are continuing their effort on public education. This is the opportunity not only to listen to some of the best people around talking on a particular topic, but also to interact with scientists working there.

At least this isn't a dance performance depicting, say, Project X! :)

Zz.

2010 Nobel Lectures

A year after the date that they were announced as Nobel Prize winners in Physics, the Nobel lectures given by K. S. Novoselov and Andre K. Geim have now been published in Rev. Mod. Phys. They are "free to read" articles.

Zz.

2011 APS Apil Meeting Presentations Available Online

Viewgraphs of selected talks from the 2011 APS April Meeting are available online. This could be useful to those who can't make it to the April Meeting, so this is definitely a good idea. It appears that this is still in a trial basis, but I hope it continues.

Now, they need to do the same for the March Meeting.

Zz.

The 20th Anniversary of the Nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes was first described in 1991, so 2011 is the 20th Anniversary of this amazing structure.

This lecture, I presume, was given in conjunction with this occasion. It presents a new nanotube not made of carbon, but rather, of boron nitride nanotube. If you have an hour to spend, it might be an interesting lecture to sit through, especially in the beginning that should give you a brief history and the physics of nanotubes.



Zz.

The Big Bang, Modern Cosmology and the Fate of the Universe: Impacts Upon Culture

This is the text of the lecture given by Lawrence Krauss at the UNESCO/IAU Meeting titled "The Role of Astronomy in Society and Culture" this past Jan. 2009. There are several issues brought up in this lecture that, by themselves, can be the subject of whole lectures themselves.

Suffice to say that this is quite an article to read.

Zz.

Why Can't Time Run Backwards?

Nobel Laureate Tony Leggett gave a rather intriguing lecture at St. Andrews this week that tried to address the topic.

Leggett said, "We can all tell when a movie of some everyday event, such as a kettle boiling or a glass shattering, is run backwards.

"Similarly, we all feel that we can remember the past and affect the future, not vice versa. So there is a very clear "arrow" ( direction ) of time built into our interpretation of our everyday experience.

"Yet the fundamental microscopic laws of physics, be they classical or quantum-mechanical, look exactly the same if the direction of time is reversed. So what is the origin of the "arrow" of time?

"This is one of the deepest questions in physics; I will review some relevant considerations, but do not pretend to give a complete answer."

It took place on Nov. 27 (yesterday). Did anyone reading this attended this lecture? If you did, I'd appreciate a brief report.

Zz.