Report on STATPHYS 26
STATPHYS 26 is the largest international conference in statistical physics, covering all aspects of statistical physics, and was held in Lyon (France) from 18-22 July 2016. Organized every three years since 1945 by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), the conference covered a wide range of topics including traditional aspects of statistical mechanics such as applications to hard and soft condensed matter, phase transitions, disordered systems and non-equilibrium physics, as well as emergent and modern applications such as turbulence, signal processing, complex systems and mathematics.
The conference took place at the Palais des Congrès de Lyon, a superb facility including a main meeting room and a complete set of rooms for sessions, all within walking distance. It hosted 1250 participants. In addition to many French delegates, the larger conference delegations were from Japan (119), Germany (94), United States (85), Italy (73) and South Korea (70). More than 50 nationalities were represented including participants from Georgia, Kuwait, New Zealand, Philippines and Uzbekistan.
The Boltzmann Medal for 2016 was awarded during the Boltzmann Ceremony to Daan Frenkel and Yves Pomeau for their seminal contributions to Statistical Physics during their fabulous careers. Similarly, the Young Scientist Award for 2016 was awarded during the conference to Lisa Manning and Martin Lenz, recognizing their outstanding achievements as scientists at an early stage of their careers in the field of Statistical Physics.
In the unanimous opinion of the participants, the level of plenary talks and different contributions was outstanding. The poster sessions, hosting nearly 700 presentations, were also a great success. New scientific collaborations have emerged from these numerous presentations, or thanks to discussions during walks in the beautiful close-by Parc de la Tête d’Or, or even thanks to the gala in the reception rooms of the City Hall.
A moving human rights session was organized, as well as a memorial talk for the previous Boltzman medalist Leo Kadanoff who passed away a few months ago. We also maintained a very friendly atmosphere throughout the conference: from the enthusiastic reception by the dynamic team of volunteers, through to the discovery of Lyon traboules. There were two official morning jogs around the Parc de la Tête d’Or and an intercontinental football tournament on Wednesday afternoon: team “Amerika” won the first Statphys World Cup!
STATPHYS 26 has once again been a wonderful illustration of the international adventure that is Science. It has shown us that the mixing of backgrounds, approaches and origins is surely the way to go, taking us together towards uncharted territories and new discoveries. We are delighted that STATPHYS 26 has ended in such a great success.
Additional documents available on the website : https://statphys26.sciencesconf.org/
