by Alex BillingtonJuly 26, 2023Source: YouTube

This looks unique. German distributor Neue Visionen Filmverleih has revealed a first look trailer for the indie film Die Theorie von Allem, which translates directly to The Theory of Everything. Yep, it's the same title as the Stephen Hawking film from 2014, and it's also about theoretical physics and scientists. But with a more mysterious, Hitchcockian twist. Set in 1962. A physics congress in the Alps. An Iranian guest. A mysterious pianist. A bizarre cloud in the sky and a booming mystery under the mountain. It's "a quantum mechanical thriller in black & white." The distributor also adds more buzz: with "Timm Krger, everything is there that makes for great cinematic art in the best Hitchcock tradition. Cast with a fantastic ensemble and interspersed with a phenomenal soundtrack, The Theory of Everything is a brilliant film noir about the contingency of our world, in which much is possible and hardly anything is necessary." Starring Jan Blow, Olivia Ross, Hanns Zischler, Gottfried Breitfuss, David Bennent, and Philippe Graber. I'm all about this! Mountains and mystery and sci-fi and theoretical ideas and much more. Will be watching.

Here's the first German trailer (+ poster) for Timm Krger's The Theory of Everything, from YouTube:

1962: Johannes Leinert travels with his doctoral advisor to a physics congress at the Hotel Esplanade in the Swiss Alps. An Iranian scientist is to give a groundbreaking lecture on quantum mechanics here. But the speaker, who is expected to deliver nothing less than a theory of everything, is late and the high society spends the interim with witty dinner parties and elegant skiing excursions. A mysterious pianist (Ross) captivates Johannes, but something's not right about her. She knows things about him she can't possibly know When one of the German physicists dies in a monstrous way, two investigators enter the scene, suspecting murder. As bizarre cloud formations appear in the sky, the pianist disappears without a trace and Johannes gets on the trail of a secret that has taken root deep beneath the mountain. (Text translated.)

The Theory of Everything, originally titled Die Theorie von Allem in German, is directed by the German cinematographer / filmmaker Timm Krger, director of the film The Council of Birds, and the doc Das leicht beunruhigende Schaukeln bei der Fahrt ins Tal, previously. The screenplay is written by Roderick Warich and Timm Krger. Produced by David Bohun and Lixi Frank. The film is premiering at the 2023 Venice Film Festival this fall playing in the Main Competition. The film is set to release in German cinemas starting October 26th, 2023 this fall. No US release is set yet - stay tuned for updates. Who's interested?

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Quantum Mechanics Thriller 'The Theory of Everything' German Trailer - First Showing

In part 1 of this two-part series, ANSTO scientists from across the organisation became film critics to review Christopher Nolans new movie, Oppenheimer, which explores the life of the director of the Manhattan Project to develop an atomic weapon.

In part 2, we explore more of the thoughts captured by ANSTOs scientists. Overall our reviewers, who took to the task with enthusiasm, were impressed with Nolan taking on a complex subject and individualdelivering a thought-provoking film but would have preferred more of a depiction of the physics involved.

Instrument scientist Dr Rachel Williamson, who undertook some postdoc work at Los Alamos National Lab (LANL) using stable isotope analysis earlier in her career said, I wasnt focused on the nitty-gritty of the science (Im a chemist, not a quantum physicist!), but I did enjoy watching a science, or rather, a scientist-centred movie with a strong emphasis on how pivotal scientific events, whether for good or bad, shape our world. The Atomic Age, which we all live in today, began with Oppenheimer and his teams successful test at Trinity Site.

I had a particular interest in seeing the movie because of the time I spent working at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Oppenheimer loomed large in the mythos of Los Alamos, along with the unfairness of his treatment after his incredible efforts in the Manhattan Project era. It was uniformly agreed that no one apart from Oppenheimer could have brought together and led that team to achieve such an outcome within the timeframe that they had.

I did enjoy the depiction of science leadership in the film, and how much depends on building the right team, such as knowing who you need to bring in and when and trying to remove any barriers in the way. Interestingly, to this day, Los Alamos National Laboratory recruits scientists from all over the world.

For me, Nolans film packed a truly emotional punch when depicting the political machinations involved in tearing Oppenheimer down and rescinding his Q clearance, effectively shutting down his career and removing his platform. I thought the film did a great job of showing the tension between politics and science (and how inconvenient we scientists can be).

A lighter moment in the film was when Oppenheimer talked about combining New Mexico and physics. New Mexico is a beautiful area filled with incredible scenery. Whilst at Los Alamos, I made the long journey down to the south of New Mexico to Trinity Site, a place with its own strange empty beauty, and I stood at ground zero.

Where a tower containing a bomb once stood, there is now a slightly underwhelming stone obelisk. It does seem odd to me that Oppenheimer chose to detonate the gadget in New Mexico, a place so dear to his heart. But he was a man of contradictions, and I think Nolans film was brilliant at conveying just how complicated and contradictory he was.

Dr Ceri Brenner, Leader of the Centre for Accelerator Science, said that she enjoyed and appreciated the snippets of science that were included in the script and the visuals to explain some of the main physics themes that are central to this story.

"They were short but sweet and got the right balance of inclusivity while maintaining flow and pace needed for a film that packed a lot in. For example, the explanations of fission and fusion, and the introduction to the paradox of light being both a particle and a wave that Oppenheimer gave to the one student who turned up for his first lectures in the US, were key to the story.

"This underlying principle of quantum physics was striking within the physics community at the time and still remains a mysterious idea for those outside that have never come across it before (which is most people who havent studied physics, maths and chemistry).

"I also enjoyed the discussion of theory vs experiment and another aspect of science that came across but not often gets airtime: that when we are doing something for the first time, its often that you get it wrong a hundred times before you get something right and make progress.

"The process of discovery and innovation is a winding road, full of dead ends and potholes, and certainly not a smooth straight line. Group discussion, such as peer review, is our process in science for challenging ideas and findings, so it was good to see this included in the storyline.

"The only thing that I would have liked to see, and would have been a key science communication opportunity, is that when the device went off, we got the flash of light and the silence, but I didnt notice anyone reacting to the immediate experience of heat that accompanied the visual of the flash.

"The energy emitted from fission is radiative and carried long distances via electromagnetic radiation, which travels at the speed of light, compared to conductive or convective heat that propagates more like the sound wave boom that arrived shortly after that travels at the speed of light. I saw a documentary where someone described it as being similar to opening an oven door and feeling the immediate bath of heat emerging. "

Dr Mitra Safavi Naeini, saw the film in Japan, where she is undertaking research relating to the anti-cancer therapy treatment NCEPT she co-developed.

The movie ends with a dialogue between Oppenheimer and Einstein, the essence of it summarised by another one of Oppenheimer's quotes from the Bhagavad Gita, "I have become death, the destroyer of worlds".

We do not get a primer on fission, quantum mechanics or particle physics. Instead, Nolan depicts the real-world experience of theoretical physicists convincingly, focusing on both their individual journeys and their collective dynamics. The film captures Oppenheimer as an intellectually curious individual, captivated by quantum mechanics and deeply engaged with various areas of science, including astrophysics, spectroscopy, and nuclear physics.

In an interesting cross-reference, Nolan has used models developed by Oppenheimer and his student, Snyder, to illustrate star collapse and the creation of a black hole, an aspect we've seen in his earlier movie Interstellar.

I was struck by how well the movie handles the influence of external events on personal trajectories. Oppenheimer, initially an academic, is thrust into a leadership role by the onset of World War II. The story doesn't shy away from depicting his humanity, showing him as a complex individual with many facets.

The film sets its drama against a background of a world in turmoil. With the rise of Nazi Germany, many renowned physicists, including Einstein and Born, were forced to flee (a few, like Heisenberg, stayed behind). These refugee scientists, exiled and concerned, played a pivotal role in alerting the world to the growing Nazi threat.

The depiction of the Kangaroo Courts, which handled the theme of suspicion and guilt by association, using the example of Oppenheimer's security hearing, was striking.

In my opinion, Oppenheimer asks an important question: Should decisions with cataclysmic potential be left to individuals with their own agenda?

"What an epic and intense movie!" commented Instrument scientist Dr Joseph Bevitt.

"In societal memory, the enormous endeavour to split the atom and control the reaction was overshadowed by the horror of subsequent weaponisation Hiroshima, Nagasaki and the Cold War. Nolan was right to focus on the events leading to the singular achievement of the Trinity demonstration on July 16, 1945.

"The film is centred around the complex psychological trauma, ethical dilemmas and political challenges experienced by theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. 'Oppie' was the Director of the Manhattan Project, who was later castigated by political opponents.

"As a scientist who has studied the relevant mathematics and work of key scientists who participated in the Manhattan Project, I was absolutely engrossed by Oppenheimer, its characters and the suspense leading to one of the greatest collaborative feats in human history.

"To anyone who has not prepared for the film, including three of my four family members who attended with me, its abstract scientific complexity and the depiction of obsessively driven characters were thought-provoking, fascinating and terrifying. Oppenheimer demands a second watch.

"At the end of the three hours, I asked, Is that it?. I craved more. But why? The significance of the Chicago pile reactor, built under stadium seating, was glossed over. The first criticality of the X-10 reactor at Oak Ridge National Lab, the contributions of Enrico Fermi, and so much more, were omitted.

"The ramifications of the atomic bombings for humanity were suggested, but I needed closure. The formation of the Atoms for Peace program, the establishment of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the positive real-life impacts that atomic research and neutron science have on everyday health and technological advancement followed those events.

"It is easy to be critical of the film and what it omits. Watch it for what it is: a modern-day tragedy and historical account of one of the most intense moments in human history, seen through the eyes of a brilliant and tortured mind torn between the passion for the science he loves, and the things he cannot control."

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ANSTO scientists would have preferred more about the physics but ... - ANSTO

As we want to characterize the evolution of states over time, the appropriate setting is phase space extended with the time variable12,13. That is, the space charted by position q, momentum p and time t as can be seen in Fig.1. In the same way that we write (x^i = [ x, y, z ]) for the three dimensions of space, we write

$$begin{aligned} xi ^a = [ q, p, t] end{aligned}$$

(1)

for the three dimensions of the extended phase space.

Evolutions in the extended phase space and the divergence-free displacement field.

Under the assumption that

$$begin{aligned}&the,,system ,,undergoes ,,deterministic ,,and ,,reversible \&evolution end{aligned}$$

(DR)

we can define a displacement vector field

$$begin{aligned} begin{aligned} vec {S}&= left[ frac{dq}{dt},frac{dp}{dt},frac{dt}{dt} right] \&= S^a e_a = frac{dxi ^a}{dt} e_a. end{aligned} end{aligned}$$

(2)

that describes how states move in time. [Where possible, we will be writing the same expression in both vector calculus and component notations.] In dynamical system literature, this is referred to as the vector field of the dynamical system. The time component of the displacement vector field is constrained, as we have

$$begin{aligned} S^t=frac{dt}{dt}=1. end{aligned}$$

(3)

If assumption (DR) is valid, we expect the flow of states through a closed surface to be zero: as many states flow in as flow out of the region. Alternatively, if we assign a probability, or probability density, to each trajectory, the assumption requires that probability not to change, so integrating the probability over a closed surface must yield zero. However we see it, assumption (DR) means the field is divergence-free. [Given that this is a three-dimensional space, we can use the standard tools of vector calculus.] That is,

$$begin{aligned} nabla cdot vec {S} = partial _a S^a = 0. end{aligned}$$

(4)

Since the displacement field is divergence-free, it admits a vector potential. We have

$$begin{aligned} begin{aligned} vec {theta }&= [theta _q, theta _p, theta _t] = theta _a e^a \ vec {S}&= - nabla times vec {theta } = - epsilon ^{abc} partial _b theta _c , e_a. \ end{aligned} end{aligned}$$

(5)

The minus sign is introduced to match conventions. Mathematically, this is analogous to what is done for a magnetic field or for an incompressible fluid.

Because the displacement field must satisfy (3), without loss of generality we can set

$$begin{aligned} begin{aligned} vec {theta }&= [p, 0, -H(q,p,t)] \&= p e^q - H(q,p,t) e^t, end{aligned} end{aligned}$$

(6)

where H is a suitable function of q, p and t. The potential (vec {theta }) is closely related to the canonical one-form of symplectic geometry and the contact form of contact geometry. By applying definition (2) and expanding (5) with (6), we have

$$begin{aligned} left[ frac{dq}{dt},frac{dp}{dt},frac{dt}{dt} right] = - nabla times vec {theta } = left[ frac{partial H}{partial p},-frac{partial H}{partial q}, 1 right] , end{aligned}$$

(7)

which yields Hamiltons equations. Note that the argument works in reverse: any Hamiltonian system with one degree of freedom yields a divergence-free displacement field, and therefore satisfies (DR).

As shown in (a), the variation of the action is the flow of the displacement field (vec {S}) through the surface (Sigma) that sits between the path (gamma) and its variation (gamma '). In (b) we see that the flow is zero if the path is an actual evolution of the system, since the displacement field will be parallel to the path (gamma) and therefore tangent to the surface (Sigma).

We now turn to constructing the principle of stationary action. As illustrated in Fig.2a, take a path (gamma) with endpoints A and B, not necessarily a solution of the equations of motion. Then take a variation (gamma ') of that path and identify a surface (Sigma) between them. We can ask: what is the flow of the displacement field (vec {S}) through (Sigma)? Because (vec {S}) is divergence-free, the flow through (Sigma) will depend only on the contour, therefore the question is well posed. Using Stokes theorem, we find

$$begin{aligned} begin{aligned} - iint _{Sigma } vec {S} cdot dvec {Sigma }&= iint _{Sigma } left( nabla times vec {theta } right) cdot dvec {Sigma } \&= oint _{partial Sigma = gamma cup gamma '} vec {theta } cdot dvec {gamma } \&= int _{gamma } vec {theta } cdot dvec {gamma } - int _{gamma '} vec {theta } cdot dvec {gamma }' \&= delta int _{gamma } vec {theta } cdot dvec {gamma }. end{aligned} end{aligned}$$

(8)

Now suppose (gamma) is a solution of the equation of motion, as in Fig.2b. Then (gamma) is a field line and the flow is tangent to (Sigma) no matter what (gamma ') we picked. The converse is true: if we look for those paths for which the flow through (Sigma) is zero no matter what (gamma '), (gamma) must be everywhere tangent to (vec {S}) so we find a solution to the equation of motion. The solutions, then, are those paths and only those paths for which

$$begin{aligned} 0 =delta int _{gamma } vec {theta } cdot dvec {gamma } = - iint _{Sigma } vec {S} cdot dvec {Sigma } end{aligned}$$

(9)

We call this the principle of stationary action in Hamiltonian form.

The last step is to express the principle exclusively in terms of kinematic variables: position, time and velocity. This can be done if we assume that

$$begin{aligned} the,, kinematics ,,of ,,the ,,system ,,is ,,enough ,,to ,,reconstruct ,,its ,,dynamics. end{aligned}$$

(KE)

This means that by looking at just the trajectory in space q(t), we are able to reconstruct the state at each moment in time. Therefore we must be able to write (p=p(q,dot{q})), and therefore we can also write

$$begin{aligned} begin{aligned} delta int _{gamma } vec {theta } cdot dvec {gamma }&= delta int ^{t_2}_{t_1} vec {theta } cdot frac{dvec {gamma }}{dt} dt \&= delta int ^{t_2}_{t_1} left( p frac{dq}{dt} - H right) dt \&= delta int ^{t_2}_{t_1}L(q, dot{q}, t) dt = 0. end{aligned} end{aligned}$$

(10)

We find that a system for which (DR) and (KE) are valid can be characterized in terms of the principle of stationary action with a suitable Lagrangian. The converse is also true: if the principle of stationary action allows for a unique solution, then the conjugate momentum and the Hamiltonian are well defined and the system satisfies both (DR) and (KE).

We have thus demystified the principle of stationary action, and turned it into a geometric property: requiring the principle of stationary action is equivalent to requiring that the solutions are the field lines of a divergence-free field in phase space. We also have a clear physical meaning: the principle of stationary action is equivalent to assuming determinism/reversibility (DR) and kinematic equivalence (KE). However, we do feel that the principle expresses these requirements in a very roundabout way.

Originally posted here:

Geometric and physical interpretation of the action principle ... - Nature.com

(Thisletter is part of a seriesby The Indian Express where we bring to you the experiences of students at different foreign universities. From scholarships and loans to food and cultural experiences students tell us how life is different in those countries and things they are learning other than academics)

Similar to most students, I was also applying to the US for higher studies after completing my degree programme in India. I graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur with a dual degree (MS + BS) in Physics and was looking for options for pursuing a PhD. It was then that someone suggested that Anton Zeilinger, a well-known physicist and now a Nobel laureate, has a group at the University of Vienna and I should consider applying in Austria.

I researched some more about the university and decided to take admission to the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) after much deliberation. I did not apply to the University of Vienna as at times you dont get to work with such renowned physicists directly. Instead, its their students with whom you have to work. Anton Zeilinger was part of a group called CoQuS Complex Quantum Systems and ISTA and the University of Vienna were a part of it.

CoQus was an initiative of the Austrian government for research on quantum physics. Initially, it was more exclusive with only a few professors but now it has transformed into VCQ Vienna Centre for Quantum Sciences. VCQ is a bigger collaboration of many research groups from University of Vienna, Technical University of Vienna and ISTA. It promotes sharing and discussion of ideas, viewpoints by organising summer schools, colloquiums and conferences.

I was also drawn towards ISTA as Johannes Fink was a part of the programme. I was following Mr Fink and his work in the field of quantum optics and quantum computing.

My application process for ISTA

After sending in my application, I emailed Johannes Fink explaining my interest in the field of quantum physics, especially in the topics he was researching. After reading my email, Mr Fink conducted a Skype interview with me. Thankfully, he liked me and said that he will make sure that my application gets through.

The application process is quite standard. I had to submit my transcripts, rsum, letters of recommendation, and statement of purpose. Once that is done, ISTA calls you for an interview. They select a bunch of 100 to 150 students for interviews from all the applications received. Its a three day event which is hosted by ISTA where they take care of flight tickets to hotel bookings.

They organise everything, show you around the campus, around the town, you can talk to the students present on the campus, talk to the professors and experience everything by yourself. For me particularly, it showed how rich the institute is which ensures that your funding will be secured and research will be well-funded.

Once you are selected, you get a letter of invitation which has to be shown at the embassy so that you can get a visa.

Other than ISTA, I had offers from the University of Rochester, USA and Heriot-Watt University, Scotland. I did not choose the US because I felt the university wasnt that great and for the other university I was a bit uncertain about the funding.

ISTA literally holds your hand

After I decided to join ISTA and accepted their offer, they sent me the logistics details. Over here, they really take care of you. In fact, for the first year, they literally hand-held us. For those in the first years, the accommodation is provided on the campus and it is fully furnished so all you have to do is take the key.For the on-campus accommodation, the international students are given a priority over local students from Austria or neighboring countries.

Once youre in your second year, they ask you to find your accommodation the reason being that the apartments have to be emptied out for the next batch of students. After one year, we developed basic communication skills in German to communicate with the locals and find a place for ourselves. During the initial years, my work was more experimental, so I used to live near the campus. Once it became more theoretical, I shifted to the city of Vienna.

One unique aspect of ISTA is that it is a mix of US and European systems, i.e., when you apply for a PhD you dont need a masters degree.

My life in Austria

I came to Austria in September 2018 and have been living here since then. I completed my PhD in June this year (2023) and currently, I am a post Doctoral student at the institute. My research topic is quantum communication. ISTA allows you to be a post Doctoral student for one year after completing your PhD. In this, you get an increment in your salary and a different contract.

The research is well-funded. Unlike in India where you have to go through a whole process for getting lab equipment, here you can ask for it and you will get it. Even the stipend provided by ISTA is good enough for one person to sustain themselves, enjoy their lives and save money as well.

Vienna is very beautiful and my life here is always bustling with activity. The decision to come here has been one of the best decisions so far. Over the years, I have made a lot of friends here. There is something new to do every evening be it playing volleyball, dancing or indulging in fitness activities. I keep myself free every weekend as my friends and I are always up for some random activity. Last weekend, we went cycling, after that we plucked apricots and later in the day I baked an apricot cake for everyone.

I really enjoy my life here and I would hate to move out of Vienna. There are a lot of Physics related jobs, work-life balance and a good standard of living. Over here, there is great social security, medical and other expenses are covered by the government. Its one of the most livable places in the world and with time I have learned the language as well. There is no reason for me to move out of here. I will soon be applying for permanent residency. In some ways, I am more European than Indian now.

I have travelled a lot across Europe Italy, Switzerland, Serbia, Hungary, Slovenia, Czechia, Denmark and outside Europe, I have been to the US and China. I last visited India in December 2022.

Biggest learning from my experience so far

If you have a choice between solving a problem yourself and getting help from an expert, swallow your pride and get help. Its the most efficient way. Use the saved time elsewhere. Instead of researching a topic, I just find someone with whom I can talk and get a much better idea about what to do in 10-15 mins. It saves a lot of time and prevents me from going down the wrong rabbit hole. And its not limited to research, I use it everywhere, for example, when hunting for a job.

When you are applying for higher studies abroad, its a lot more about probability than you think. Have an open mind, apply to a lot of places and try to reach a person instead of a website portal. It will be a lot more helpful. Once you are in a different place, try to adapt to their culture and be more accepting towards people.

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Life in a Foreign University | How pursuing PhD at ISTA in Austria benefitted this IIT-Kanpur student - The Indian Express