The second Autumn Academy at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light took place from 30 September to 2 October 2013. The aim of this two-and-a-half day event was to introduce Bachelor and Master students to the fast moving field of optical sciences including topics such as quantum information processing, meta-materials, nano-optics, photonic crystal fibres, nonlinear optics, imaging and sensing. The response was excellent. From more than 70 applications, the EPS Young Minds section of Erlangen, Germany selected 26 students and invited them to Erlangen for a packed…
At the James Scott Prize Lecture in 1939, P. A. M. Dirac emphasized the theory of functions of a complex variable as an interesting mathematical theory that fulfilled his criteria of beauty. He found this field to be of “exceptional beauty” and hence likely to lead to deep physical insight [1]. The lecture was delivered a decade after he discovered the Dirac equation, the positron was found, and the concept of the Dirac sea was well established.
Dirac theory predicts that an external electric field may tilt the Dirac sea such that an electron in a negative energy…
On 21-22 November 2013, the International SAPGERIC conference on “Structural Change Promoting Gender Equality in Research” took place in Vilnius, Lithuania. The conference was organised by Vilnius University Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy, under the auspices of the Lithuanian Presidency of the EU Council. Two issues were central to all presentations and discussions about the gender equality in research: awareness and accountability of the leadership in European research and visibility through…
Scientix is currently recruiting science and mathematics teachers across Europe to support good practices in science education in 2014. As Ambassadors, they will contribute to the quality of education in their home country.
Numerous valuable resources for teachers are developed every day. Scientix collects teaching materials and research reports from European science education projects financed by the European Union. Scientix was created to facilitate regular dissemination and sharing of know-how and best practices in science education across the…
Most recent highlights from EPN:An eye-witness report on how the CD came about by Jacques HeemskerkPhysics funding at the German Research Foundation by Karin ZachThe scientific consensus on climate change – Combating a two-decade campaign attacking by John CookHow does light move? – Determining the flow of light without destroying interference by M.D. Davidović and A.S. Sanz
If you want to see how EPS works to support its members in different ways, here is a selection of the activities of EPS Executive Committee members and staff for the last month. Click here for the list.
The 46th Conference of the European Group of Atomic Systems [EGAS 46] will take place on 1-4 July 2014 in Lille, France.
The main goal of the EGAS conferences is to maintain contact between groups and individuals from different countries working on atomic systems and related fields. The conference series is organised by EGAS, a section of the European Physical Society’s Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Division…
A new edition of the annual COPE European Seminar will be held on 14 March 2013 in Brussels, Belgium.
The Committee on Publication Ethics [COPE] provides advice to editors and publishers regarding all aspects of publication ethics and, in particular, how to handle cases of research and publication misconduct. Established in 1997, it now has 7,000 members worldwide representing all academic fields.
The theme of this year’s seminar is “European perspectives on publication ethics”. The organisers encourage…
The Executive Committee will present modifications to the Constitution to make it easier to read and updated taking into account communications methods and revised structure. A list of all the modifications can be found on the EPS website.
Changes in Membership Fees for Individual Members only will also be presented to Council, modifying section 6 of Annexe 1 to the Constitution and By-laws…
The Quantitative Methods in Gene Regulation II conference [Gene13] will be held from 12-13 December 2013 in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
This meeting, now in its second edition, aims to highlight new biological breakthroughs in this important research area and the crucial contributions from quantitative approaches, both in experiment and modelling.
It will provide a unique opportunity to bring together researchers working in a vasts yet strategic field in disciplines…