Category Archives: Quantum Physics
Strathmore’s Guffogg, world renown artist, to be featured in Venice in … – Porterville Recorder
Shane Guffogg, a world renown artist, who was raised in Lindsay and Strathmore, will have his art featured at the historic Scala Contarini del Bovolo in Venice, Italy.
Beginning in April, 2024, Guffogg will present a new series of 21 paintings titled At the Still Point of the Turning World. This unprecedented series of works represents Guffogg's ongoing dialogue with T.S. Eliot, and with the famous poem Four Quartets, which inspired him to create large-scale paintings that explore the intersection of time and space, consciousness and transcendence, with the concept of movement, escape and migration.
The dialogue between the artist's abstract paintings and the poet who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948 tells of the human race and its living in constant movement, tension, in constant passage and breaking of the diaphragm between now and elsewhere.
The exhibition was born from the artist's study and deep immersion in the writings of Eliot. Guffogg connects with the writer's thoughts, which are deeply rooted in ancient Christian ideologies and Eastern Sacred Texts, giving rise to an exhibition that places our transitory nature at the center of its message of humanity throughout history. This transience mutability, as well as the drive and tendency of the single individual to mutate and subvert the "status quo," in search of an "other place," space and solution to the dimension of exteriority and extraneousness not only geographical and geopolitical, but social, temporal and contextual.
The theme of the exhibition also has strong autobiographical roots in the artist's life and family history. Guffogg's father immigrated to the United States in 1957 from northern England, where he had worked as a coal miner since the age of 15. His motivation for the search for an "Elsewhere" was mainly economic, driven by the pursuit of the "American dream," which in England, as in Italy, in Europe and beyond, was the alternative for millions of individuals to social and economic depression post World War II and pre Economic Boom.
Guffogg moved to Los Angeles in the late 1980s from the Central Valley for similar reasons: it's important to underline how, before the contemporary "information age" reached almost every corner of the globe, there was an urgent need to gravitate towards places where innovative ideas were developing and progressive thought was welcomed and art and culture were esteemed rather than ridiculed.
Guffogg's artistic research revolves around the capturing of fleeting moments of thought, presence. Impulses, and movements.
The painted lines that make up the works in the first room of the exhibition symbolize movement influenced by the newfound chaos prevalent in our 24-hour news cycle, he said. Through these nine paintings, my goal is to establish order using color and symmetry that transcends both Eastern and Western thought, addressing the core of our common humanity: the desire to be part of something bigger than ourselves while maintaining our individual identity and purpose.
The paintings in the second room also draw inspiration from T.S. Eliot's four Quartets. In contrast to the ethereal themes of the first room, these twelve paintings explore the physical realm, blending Western painting techniques with Eastern calligraphy.
The nine paintings in the first room are intended for contemplation, bypassing the need for intellectual analysis of how or why they exist. The second room represents the flip side of the same coin, designed to be confrontational and physically engaging.
Guffogg's artistic process is deeply philosophical and views each brushstroke as a thought that evokes sensory memories essential for the creation of a visual language. In this way, his paintings are like words that can be read and interpreted, but also exist in a realm beyond language. By exploring the Eastern and Western ideological influences within Eliot's poem, Guffogg found a rich source of inspiration that allowed him to create a hypnotic rhythm of creation, pulsating between past, present and future.
From the beginning of his career, Guffogg has been influenced by the art and ideologies of ancient cultures and civilizations. Another part is quantum physics, and the vibration of the invisible and intuitive musical score of nature. These paintings absorb his psyche through the physical process of painting.
For the exhibition at the Contarini del Bovolo, Guffogg is inspired by three verses from the first section of Burnt Norton; Reach into the silence, Only Through Time is Time Conquered, and Neither Flesh nor Fleshless. Eliot wrote the first section in 1936 before the Second World War, with a consideration of the element of air, staged in early summer. It begins with Eliot inviting the reader into a rose garden to experience the timeless beauty and essence of all knowledge.
Guffogg's Reach into the Silence will be the first works the public sees when they enter the exhibition. When a guest arrives at Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, he will enter through a 15th-century staircase 28 meters high. Due to its curvilinear shape the staircase is called bovolo, that's, spiral. This staircase has two sides; Gothic and Renaissance, and is one of the most fascinating elements in the history of Venice architecture.
The exhibition will be divided into two rooms, each characterized by a different passage from Eliot's poetry. The first room features eight paintings titled, Reach into the Silence. These eight paintings measure 6 x 5 feet each (182.8 x 152.4 cm). These works use a neutral palette inspired by the Bovolo building and surrounding area, intertwining Venetian reds, grays, subtle lavender accents, blues, greens and nude tones. The visual effects of countless thin lines, each representing months of the artist's presence as he paints, are condensed into a single moment, a shimmering, unexpressed silence that invites the viewer to contemplate the abstract nature of time and space. At the end of the room there will be a horizontal painting titled, Only Through Time, Time is Conquered, which draws on the colors of the rich history of Venice and the painting by Tintoretto, a sketch for the commission of Paradise at the Doge's Palace, a work that's part of the collection of IPAV and permanently exhibited in the rooms of Palazzo Contarini.
This final painting, measuring 7 x 9 feet (213.6 x 274.3 cm) will also allow viewers to experience the movement of the artist's hand in creating the work. The viewer will have a QR code to scan and then, once pointed at the painting, the AR will be activated showing the inversion of the application of colors and lines, until the painting is in the initial phase, which will then dissolve visually revealing Tintoretto.
The second room will host the series Neither Flesh nor Fleshless, which takes up another passage from Eliot's poetry. This series includes 12 paintings consisting of two paintings measuring 60 x 48 inches (152.4 x 121.9 cm), six paintings 40 x 36 inches (101.6 x 91.4 cm), and four paintings 30 x 24 inches ( 76.2 x 60.9 cm). All the paintings are oil on canvas and the paintings in the second room use chiaroscuro and calligraphic movements to create a bridge between past and present. These works are figurative yet rooted in abstraction, inviting viewers to contemplate the interplay between the physical and the ephemeral.
The titles will be printed as signage on the walls, but the signage will also activate another AR component that will display the title of each painting in Italian and English, in the context of the poem so the viewer can see where the titles were taken from. While these two rooms are not intended to make an overt political statement, they represent a chance for viewers to contemplate their place in the world. In an age of constant information overload, Guffogg believes art has an essential role to play in guiding people towards self-awareness. Using augmented reality, Guffogg is expanding the possibilities of what art can be, inviting viewers to see and think beyond the 24/7 information age.
Ultimately, his vision for this exhibition is one that allows viewers to contemplate what it means to live in the 21st century, acknowledging the past while existing in the present moment.
Guffogg, who also attended Porterville College, earned a bachelor's from the California Institute of the Arts in 1985.
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Strathmore's Guffogg, world renown artist, to be featured in Venice in ... - Porterville Recorder
A review of liquid crystal spatial light modulators devices and applications – Phys.org
This article has been reviewed according to ScienceX's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
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Technology to control and harness light has existed for centuries, often as static solutions that must be custom-designed. It is only in the past couple of decades that the digital era of micro-electronics and computing has seen fast rewritable technology meant for displays find its way into the mainstream of optics.
In a new review published in Opto-Electronic Science, the authors showcase the recent advances in replacing the traditional static optical toolkit with a modern digital toolkit for "light on demand." The result has been the introduction of digitally controlled light to nearly all major optical laboratories worldwide, opening new paths for the creation, control, detection, and harnessing of exotic forms of structured light. The advanced toolkit promises novel applications from classical to quantum, ushering in a new chapter in on-demand structured light.
The authors of this article reviewed recent progress in using a modern digital toolkit for on-demand forms of sculptured light, offering new insights and perspectives on this nascent topic. The core technology that has advanced this field is the liquid crystal spatial light modulator (SLM), allowing high resolution tailoring of light in amplitude, phase, polarization, or even more exotic degrees of freedom such as path, orbital angular momentum, and even spatiotemporal control. These simple yet highly effective devices are made up of millions of pixels that can be modulated in phase, for spatial control of light in an in-principle lossless manner.
In the review, the authors show how such SLMs can be exploited for a myriad of tasks, from creating all forms of structured light to fast and efficient detectors. They have fueled advances in optical communication, microscopy, imaging and have even become indispensable in modern quantum optics laboratories.
It has brought the highly technical and difficult field of diffractive optics and digital holography very much into the mainstream, for anyone to access with relatively cheap solutions. For instance, diffractive optical elements as computer generated holograms could finally be exploited for what they are: just "pictures" to be displayed. SLMs have made this giant leap possible, overcoming the cost and complexity of prior solutions.
Most importantly, the "pictures" are rewritable, for on-demand real-time solutions for real-world applications. For instance, holographic optical tweezers allow light-matter interactions to be controlled with just a change to a picture (computer generated hologram), refreshing in real-time for trapping, tweezing and manipulating objects in 3D. This has seen direct application in physics, chemistry, medicine and biology, diverse fields of impact.
The authors unpack the mechanics of how SLMs work, provide novel insights and perspectives based on their long track record in the topic, revealing how this new field is rapidly accelerating along with the nascent topic of structured light. They suggest what the future may hold when present challenges are transformed into exciting applications.
More information: Yiqian Yang et al, A review of liquid crystal spatial light modulators: devices and applications, Opto-Electronic Science (2023). DOI: 10.29026/oes.2023.230026
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A review of liquid crystal spatial light modulators devices and applications - Phys.org
Time travel to be a reality soon? Researchers claim new revolutionary thought makes it very plausible – Firstpost
In the ever-mysterious realm of quantum physics, reality unfolds under rules vastly different from our classical world. This quantum domain allows for phenomena that range from the fantastical to the bizarrely ordinary. Recently, physicists ventured into the intriguing concept of time travel by using quantum entanglement, albeit in a purely theoretical exercise.
Its crucial to emphasize that no quantum particles actually travelled back in time. The research in question is what physicists call a Gedankenexperiment, a term popularized by Albert Einstein to denote a theoretical study conducted in lieu of practical experiments.
Such thought experiments prove invaluable when exploring the boundaries of physics, especially when dealing with scenarios involving particles moving at the speed of light.
This particular study delves into the intriguing notion of closed timelike curves (CTCs), which represent a hypothetical path leading backwards in time. CTCs essentially trace the worldline of a particles existence in spacetime but in reverse.
Notably, renowned physicist Stephen Hawking postulated in his 1992 Chronology protection conjecture that the laws of physics prohibit the existence of closed timelike curves, rendering time travel impossible. Nevertheless, a recent study suggests that CTCs can be probabilistically simulated through quantum-teleportation circuits.
The researchers Gedankenexperiment unfolds as follows: Physicists subject photonic probes to quantum interactions, resulting in specific measurable outcomes. Based on these outcomes, they can retroactively determine what input would have yielded an optimal result, essentially applying hindsight to the experiment.
However, since the results stem from quantum operations, the researchers can use quantum entanglement to modify the values of the quantum probe, thus improving the outcome even after the operation has concluded.
The team demonstrated that it would be possible to probabilistically improve ones past choice. This concept, while intriguing, has not yet been put into practice. In their study, the apparent time travel effect would occur one time in four, with a 75 per cent failure rate. To address this high failure rate, the team proposes sending a large number of entangled photons and using a filter to ensure that photons with corrected information pass through while discarding the outdated particles.
David Arvidsson-Shukur, a quantum physicist at the University of Cambridge and the studys lead author, noted that the experiment appears unsolvable with standard physics, which follows the conventional arrow of time. Quantum entanglement, however, seems capable of generating scenarios that mimic time travel.
The peculiar behaviours of quantum particles, distinct from macroscopic phenomena, provide physicists with a valuable means of probing the fundamental nature of our reality. Quantum entanglement, which describes the interdependence of properties between two or more quantum particles, is one such aspect of quantum physics that continues to fascinate scientists.
This recent exploration of effective time travel via quantum entanglement serves as a means to investigate time-related concepts without venturing into the uncharted territories of the universes rules and regulations.
The studys co-author, Nicole Yunger Halpern, a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Maryland at College Park, stated, Whether closed timelike curves exist in reality, we dont know. The laws of physics that we know of allow for the existence of CTCs, but those laws are incomplete; most glaringly, we dont have a theory of quantum gravity. While the existence of genuine closed timelike curves remains uncertain, the study showcases how entanglement can simulate them, shedding new light on the intricacies of quantum mechanics.
In essence, this research is not concerned with the practicality of time travel but rather with leveraging the unique properties of the quantum realm to explore the boundaries of our understanding of the universe.
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Quantum Breakthrough: Scientists Rethink the Nature of Reality – SciTechDaily
Quantum physicists from Hiroshima University have revealed that the results of quantum measurements are fundamentally tied to the interaction dynamics between the measuring device and the system, challenging traditional views of fixed physical properties and suggesting that reality is shaped by the context of these interactions. Their findings point to a need to rethink the interpretation of quantum experimental data.
Whenever measurement precision nears the uncertainty limit set by quantum mechanics, the results become dependent on the interaction dynamics between the measuring device and the system. This finding may explain why quantum experiments often produce conflicting results and may contradict basic assumptions regarding physical reality.
Two quantum physicists from Hiroshima University recently analyzed the dynamics of a measurement interaction, where the value of a physical property is identified with a quantitative change in the meter state. This is a difficult problem, because quantum theory does not identify the value of a physical property unless the system is in a so-called eigenstate of that physical property, a very small set of special quantum states for which the physical property has a fixed value.
The researchers solved this fundamental problem by combining information about the past of the system with information about its future in a description of the dynamics of the system during the measurement interaction, demonstrating that the observable values of a physical system depend on the dynamics of the measurement interaction by which they are observed.
According to quantum theory, measurement results are shaped by the changes in the relation between the past and the future of a system caused by the measurement interaction. Credit: Tomonori Matsushita and Holger F. Hofmann, Hiroshima University
The team recently published the results of their study in the journal Physical Review Research.
There is much disagreement about the interpretation of quantum mechanics because different experimental results cannot be reconciled with the same physical reality, saidHolger Hofmann, professor in theGraduate School of Advanced Science and Engineeringat Hiroshima University in Hiroshima, Japan.
In this paper, we investigate how quantum superpositions in the dynamics of the measurement interaction shape the observable reality of a system seen in the response of a meter. This is a major step towards explaining the meaning of superposition in quantum mechanics, said Hofmann.
In quantum mechanics, a superposition describes a situation in which two possible realities seem to co-exist, even though they can be distinguished clearly when an appropriate measurement is performed. The analysis of the teams study suggests that superpositions describe different kinds of reality when different measurements are performed. The reality of an object depends on the objects interactions with its surroundings.
Our results show that the physical reality of an object cannot be separated from the context of all its interactions with the environment, past, present, and future, providing strong evidence against the widespread belief that our world can be reduced to a mere configuration of material building blocks, said Hofmann.
According to quantum theory, the meter shift that represents the value of the physical property observed in a measurement depends on the dynamics of the system caused by the fluctuations of the back-action by which the meter disturbs the state of the system. Quantum superpositions between the different possible system dynamics shape the meter response and assign specific values to it.
The authors further explained that the fluctuations in the system dynamics depend on the strength of the measurement interaction. In the limit of weak interactions, the fluctuations of the system dynamics are negligibly small and the meter shift can be determined from the Hamilton-Jacobi equation, a classical differential equation expressing the relation between a physical property and the dynamics associated with it.
When the measurement interaction is stronger, complicated quantum interference effects between different system dynamics are observed. Fully resolved measurements require a complete randomization of the system dynamics. This corresponds to a superposition of all possible system dynamics, where quantum interference effects select only those components of the quantum process that correspond to the eigenvalues of the physical property.
Eigenvalues are the values that textbook quantum mechanics assigns to measurement outcomes precise photon numbers, spin up or spin down, and so forth. As the new results show, these values are a result of the complete randomization of the dynamics. Different values need to be considered when the system dynamics is not completely randomized by the measurement.
Interestingly, this observation provides a new perspective on the use of measurement outcomes in descriptions of reality. It is common to assume that localized particles or integer spin values are measurement-independent elements of reality, but these research results suggest that these values are only created by quantum interferences in sufficiently strong measurements. Our understanding of the meaning of experimental data may be in need of a fundamental revision.
Hofmann and his team look forward to further clarifying the contradictory results observed in many quantum experiments. Context-dependent realities can explain a wide range of seemingly paradoxical quantum effects. We are now working on better explanations of these phenomena. Ultimately, the goal is to develop a more intuitive understanding of the fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics that avoids the misunderstandings caused by a naive belief in the reality of microscopic objects, said Hofmann.
Reference: Dependence of measurement outcomes on the dynamics of quantum coherent interactions between the system and the meter by Tomonori Matsushita and Holger F. Hofmann, 31 July 2023,Physical Review Research.DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevResearch.5.033064
The study was funded by the Japan Science and Technology Agency.
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Quantum Breakthrough: Scientists Rethink the Nature of Reality - SciTechDaily
Explained: Why we can’t know everything in quantum physics – Times of India
Quantum physics, also known as quantum mechanics, is a branch of science that delves into the behavior of the tiniest particles in the universe. While it has provided us with remarkable insights into the fundamental nature of reality, it's also a realm filled with uncertainty and limitations. In this explainer, we'll uncover why we can't know everything in quantum physics.The Quantum World: A Different RealityQuantum physics operates by a set of rules that are profoundly different from those governing the macroscopic world we observe in our daily lives. At the quantum level, particles like electrons and photons exhibit behaviors that defy our classical intuition.Heisenberg's Uncertainty PrincipleOne of the key principles driving uncertainty in quantum physics is Werner Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. It states that certain pairs of properties, like a particle's position and momentum, cannot be simultaneously known with arbitrary precision. The more accurately we know one property, the less accurately we can know the other. This isn't a limitation of our measuring tools; it's a fundamental feature of the quantum world.Wave-Particle DualityAnother puzzling aspect of quantum physics is wave-particle duality. Particles like electrons can exhibit both particle-like and wave-like behaviors, depending on how they are observed. This dual nature adds to the complexity of understanding their properties fully.
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Explained: Why we can't know everything in quantum physics - Times of India
Dinosaurs, Quantum Mechanics & Hard Cider: Just Another Weekend In CT – Patch
Nov 1, 2023 12:38 pm EDT | Updated Nov 1, 2023 12:40 pm EDT
CONNECTICUT With Halloween 2023 in the rearview mirror, Connecticut families in search of weekend outings can finally focus on dinosaurs.
The "Jurassic World Live Tour" show comes to Hartford's XL Center Friday through Sunday, Nov. 3-5. Described as an "exhilarating and unpredictable live, family entertainment experience that brings the wonder and thrills of Jurassic World to generations of fans," the tour has been wowing audiences with more than 24 film-accurate, life-sized dinosaurs. Friday's first showing is at 7 p.m., with shows Saturday at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are available online here.
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Dino-fans who show up one hour before showtime can see their favorite thunder lizards up close, and catch a photo op with one of the l'il darlings. Because who needs T. Swift when you have T-Rex?
If in your house, like in ours, eating the last Nestle Crunch bar in the big orange bucket means it's time to get serious about Christmas shopping, you are so in luck. The 37th Annual New England Christmas Festival drops down the chimney at Mohegan Sun Earth Expo & Convention Center on Friday, and stays there through the weekend.
The shopping extravaganza is the largest arts and crafts festival in New England, and offers more than 350 art, craft and specialty food artisans who come together once a year for three days only. The one-stop yule shopping destination will offer fashion, fine jewelry, seasonal decor, spa products, children's clothing, toys and more items, in all price ranges, that will not be found on store shelves, according to promoters. It's 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and until 5 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are here.
We're guessing The 1st Annual Holiday Market in the Barn at Little Dipper Farm in Brooklyn, CT won't be quite so sprawling as the Mohegan Sun layout, but is still worth a look-see from shoppers hoping to get the jump on Santa. The organizers promise "lots of wonderful local artisans, crafters, and makers," along with live music and good food. The market will be open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 499 Wolf Den Road. Admission is free.
Too early for candy canes and ugly sweaters? We hear you, and suggest you join the crowd at the Apple Theory Fest in North Haven on Saturday, where everyone will be clinging to every last autumn leaf. Visitors will be sampling a variety of hard ciders from Apple Theory Cidery, including unique American flavors and single-varietal traditional heirloom ciders from Connecticut orchards. The cider-meisters will also be freshly pressing sweet cider on the day of the event, for a non-alcoholic alternative. There'll be heirloom apples to taste and take home, goats to cuddle and Instagram with, and apple-centric baked goods created by the Get Stuffed Food Truck, The Tasty Sprinkle and Cakes By The Pound. Other local vendors will be selling honey and maple syrup products ideal for the New Englander who refuses to bid fall adieu. The cider-lover's paradise will be open 2-6 p.m. Saturday, at 118 Quinnipiac Avenue.
Finally, aesthetics and mathematics collide atGrace Farms in New Canaan Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and it promises to sound glorious. "Beauty & Logic" is a series of musical conversations led by saxophonist, mathematician, and Grace Farms Music Director Marcus G. Miller. In Saturday's edition, "Flow, Information & Quantum Physics," Miller and his band will be joined by theoretical physicist and professor of physics at Brown University,Stephon Alexander. Tickets are available online here.
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Dinosaurs, Quantum Mechanics & Hard Cider: Just Another Weekend In CT - Patch
Ashvin Vishwanath receives Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter … – Harvard Gazette
Ashvin Vishwanath, the George Vasmer Leverett Professor of Physics, has received the 2024 Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Physics Prize from the American Physical Society. He is being recognized for groundbreaking theoretical studies on the collective electronic properties of materials that reflect topological aspects of their band structure.
Vishwanath, who joined the Harvard faculty in 2016, is a theoretical physicist focused on understanding how collective properties of matter, such as superconductivity, magnetism, and metallic or insulating behaviors, arise from underlying physical laws like quantum mechanics. He studies and classifies novel phases of matter using an interdisciplinary approach that draws on diverse fields like topology and information theory.
He and his collaborators have pioneered multiple new theoretical concepts. These include a novel electronic phase within certain crystalline materials, which they termed Weyl semimetals, and their unique surface states, which were later confirmed by experiment. They have also identified concepts of symmetry indicators and fragile topology, which have facilitated topological materials discovery. And his and others research on surface topological order helped generalize the classification of quantum phases far beyond the independent electron approximation.
Vishwanaths current research includes the study of twisted stacks of two-dimensional materials and of synthetic quantum platforms to realize highly entangled states with anyons. These are a class of particle-like excitations that can carry a fraction of an electrons charge and which, in certain cases, retain a memory of their past trajectory.
Vishwanath is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an APS Fellow, and former recipient of the Europhysics Prize, a Sloan Fellowship, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He is co-recipient of the Buckley prize with Qiken Xue of Tsinghua University.
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Ashvin Vishwanath receives Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter ... - Harvard Gazette
Early-Career Researchers to Be Honored with 2023 Boeing … – HPCwire
Nov. 1, 2023 Fourteen early-career quantum researchers have been awarded the 2023 Boeing Quantum Creators Prize for work that moves the field of quantum information science and engineering in new directions. The program, which began in 2021 and expanded this year thanks to anew commitmentfrom Boeing, is designed to recognize promising researchers whose work contributes new ideas to a fast-growing field that has the potential to revolutionize technology and society.
Thewinnerswill present their work at theBoeing Quantum Creators PrizeSymposium on November 14, the second day of this yearsChicago Quantum Summit.
Showcasing the exceptional talent of early-career researchers is the mission of the creators prize. For the winners it is a recognition of their amazing achievements, and for the audience it is an opportunity to learn about the latest developments in the field, said Hannes Bernien, an assistant professor of molecular engineering at the University of Chicago and the chair of the Boeing Quantum Creators Prize program committee. The 2023 cohort is incredibly strong, and it will be very exciting to hear their ideas and see their great potential to become the future leaders of their field.
Thewinnersare:
In-person attendance at the Chicago Quantum Summit and Boeing Quantum Creators Prize is by invitation only, but virtual participation is broadly available.Register to attend virtually.
Source: Becky Beaupre Gillespie, CQE
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Early-Career Researchers to Be Honored with 2023 Boeing ... - HPCwire
White Holes: Inside the Horizon review Carlo Rovelli turns time on its head – The Guardian
Science and nature books
In his latest brief but dazzling journey to the edges of understanding, the theoretical physicist takes us into the heart of a black hole and out the other side
Mon 30 Oct 2023 07.00 EDT
I read Stephen Hawkings A Brief History of Time more than 30 years ago. It woke me up to the wonders of the universe in a way that nothing before ever had. And while Im not sure I fully understood it then, or now, it certainly felt like an adventure. Carlo Rovellis new book is a kind of non-linear sequel in which he introduces his theory of white holes, how they might form and why we have such trouble seeing them in the universe today.
Black holes form from stars so massive that when they reach the end of their lives and all their fuel is spent, they collapse to form bizarre objects from which nothing can escape, not even light itself. Albert Einsteins theory of general relativity predicted their existence: entities within which space and time had to come to an end.
But the same equations of physics that predicted the existence of black holes also predict the existence of their inverse: white holes, objects that you cannot fall into, from which matter can only pour. Astronomers can see black holes, or at least evidence of them as they hoover up matter in distant galaxies. But, curiously, we dont see any evidence of white holes, which is a little strange and has led some to suggest that they might not exist.
But Rovelli is a firm believer. His new book outlines his theory of white hole formation. In it he takes you on a guided tour, first leading you into a black hole, beyond its event horizon and into its throat. And there, with you expecting to reach a cosmic cul-de-sac, he departs from the expected narrative and shows you something new. This is a black hole. Things should finish here; space and time themselves should end here. But in Rovellis version of the universe, they dont.
Rovelli is an accomplished theoretical physicist, prolific author and lyrical science communicator. White Holes is a small book Rovellis briefest yet and smashes through a lot of material at breakneck speed, pretty much the entire content of A Brief History of Time in a couple of short chapters by way of overview and introduction. Reading it is more akin to the final psychedelic sequence in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey: youre not sure where youre heading but it feels bloody exciting.
In fewer pages than it would take some authors to describe how they would prepare an omelette, Rovelli drags you into the heart of a black hole and then somehow out the other side. What he suggests is that, as the star forming a black hole continues to collapse, it eventually becomes so compact and tiny that the laws of general relativity have to give way to the laws of quantum mechanics.
Quantum theory is the physics of uncertainty on a tiny scale. Here, particles and patches of space become clouds of probability and the previously impossible becomes possible. All of which Rovelli exploits to suggest that the star at the centre of a black hole, trying to collapse away to nothing, might reach a point at which quantum uncertainty allows it to bounce backward through time and become a white hole.
Books about extreme cosmic objects are hard to write well and harder still to precis partly because these theories are best expressed in mathematical terms. Indeed, they can only be fully explained by using mathematics. So no matter how dense or vast the text of a popular science book, without the requisite arcane symbols and algebraic notation youre never going to be able to get the whole picture.
But this is a book for the layperson and Rovelli understands this limitation, glossing over finer detail in pursuit of an impression of the wonder that lies at the heart of the cosmos and his theorising. And in his hands its an effective technique.
Rovelli leaves you upside down. Having started with a black hole, an object into which you could only fall, from which there was never any escape, he conjures a white hole, from which things can only pour. He turns time on its head, runs it backwards and finally helps you understand how white holes might plausibly form and at the same time why despite their existence astronomers dont see them spewing their matter into the universe like Regan in The Exorcist.
Despite the books brevity, Rovelli doesnt flinch from discussing the tougher concepts. He warns you that you might find some of them a little confusing. I must confess that Im still a little hazy on whether or not my inability to remember the future is just a perceptual illusion, or if its a fundamental consequence of the underlying physics. But Rovelli reassures you that none of that really matters and that whats important here is the experience of being transported. If thats true then the book more than does its job.
One of the things I most loved about White Holes was the glimpse Rovelli gives you into the mind of a physicist working at the edges of the known universe, and the fundamental insecurity of creating groundbreaking theories and then putting them out there like clay pigeons launched from a trap. Its a strange duality. On the one hand, you have to be rock solid sure of the ideas you propose. But on the way to assembling them and afterwards you have to have the discipline to doubt them and continue to test them as fiercely as your staunchest rivals might.
Rovelli also openly worries about the book and its structure, telling us that his harshest critics are physics students, who tend to get cross about the lack of detailed exposition. And if youre a final year undergraduate looking for revision notes to accompany your module in high energy astrophysics, this volume may disappoint. But if you want to remember why you once fell in love with the idea of the cosmos, or want to fall in love with that idea for the first time, then this book is for you. For my part, I found myself following Rovelli into a weird and wonderful new universe and I was very content to be there.
Kevin Fong is a doctor, broadcaster and author
White Holes: Inside the Horizon by Carlo Rovelli is published by Allen Lane (14.99). To support the Guardian and Observer order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply
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White Holes: Inside the Horizon review Carlo Rovelli turns time on its head - The Guardian
Q&A: Overthinking kills creative materials engineering | The … – The Grainger College of Engineering
You're a big advocate in promoting STEM education for all. Can you talk about your involvement for those efforts?
Its really a goal of mine and my colleagues to improve diversity, equity and inclusion.For the After School Academy, I worked very closely withCecilia Leal (associate professor of materials science and engineering) to formulate solid programming. Cecilia and I are both motivated to address DEI issues, so we sought support from the IDEA Institute, in their GIANT program for grassroots initiatives.
With the African School on Electronic Structure methods andApplications (ASESMA), my group teaches materials engineering methods to Africanstudents.The program is in part funded by NSF, and my trip was supported by the Illinois MRSEC.This year, we went to Rwanda, taught people about electronic structure simulations and worked on a project together. They asked insightful questions, listened to the lectures and did an excellent job participating and discussing.We hope that such activities will also help improve DEI in STEM education, which is a very long-term problem.
While diversity and inclusivity are important in wider society, we can directly address how to work toward a more diverse student population through our departmental efforts, too.
What's your most memorable teaching moment?
I taught a new grad class last semester on machine learning. To illustrate this,I came up with thebowtie project. I made up a random equation and ran the equation every morning to see if I would wear a bowtie to class or not. Every day the class met, I would either wear or not wear a bowtie, and the students recorded the outcome. I gave them no other data points, but I told them a few factors I used to determine my choice, like the temperature or the wind speed of the day. I let them use machine learning to figure out the additional factors that I considered.
As a final project, the students needed to predict whether I would wear a bowtie on the last day of class. To do this, they needed to collect data for the semester, clean up and format the data, and train a machine-learning model. It worked out pretty well, and the predictions were better than what would have been pure guessing.
What advice would you give to aspiring materials engineers or educators?
Put the time into the classes. Try to get as much knowledge as you can and learn how to do things yourself and reliably. Get those skills because that's what you're going to use later on in your career.
Its also important to find good mentors, who introduce you to new ways of thinking about a problem and finding interesting problems. I would recommend spending time thinking about this by yourself, looking at the literature, and talking to leaders in the field about this. These leaders are not far - you can find them in our very own department!
Take some risks. When you pick your research theme, you can go a bit outside your comfort zone. If you have a faraway goal and the road there seems painful, maybe it's worthwhile trying it anyway. And dont overthink this step too much. If you're doing a degree in materials engineering here at The Grainger College of Engineering, youll get an excellent education that will make you flexible. Im sure youll do great, even if you're not 100% sure what you're going to do 10 years down the road.
You pilot small airplanes. How did that happen?
I always wanted to be a pilot, but I never thought about it too much until we hired Axel Hoffman. During his interview, he told us he flew himself down that morning from Chicago. That was the first time I thought flying was not out of reach or completely crazy. Since we have a local flight school, I started taking lessons and I earned my license in 2021. Just last week I flew myself down to Nashville for a meeting and it was awesome.
Follow Andr Schleifeon LinkedIn and Twitter.
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