Information from Liechtenstein 2016

Electricity Museum

This year the Liechtenstein Scientific Society held its annual meeting in the premises of the “Lawena-Museum”.

That is an interesting Electricity Museum situated in the oldest hydro-electric Power Plant in Liechtenstein in the Lawena valley. Last Year Dr. Cyril Deicha donated hundreds of historic scientific, technical and didactic objects to complete the original collection of the museum. Now it is the largest collection of its kind in the region. In the summer the museum is open to the public on several weekends (www.lkw.li.)

Philatelics

UNESCO Executive Board supports annual International Day celebration as an enduring legacy of IYL2015

Following the highly successful International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies 2015 (IYL 2015), the Executive Board of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has endorsed a proposal for an enduring follow-up in the form of an annual International Day of Light to be celebrated on 16 May every year from 2018.

The LIGHT2015 Projects bring the wonders of Photonics to 27 European Countries during IYL 2015

The International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies 2015 [IYL 2015] has been a tremendous success in bringing together academic and industry organisations around the world to join forces to raise awareness of the many ways in which the physics and applications of light impacts our lives in areas such as energy, education, climate-change and health. The success of IYL 2015 crowns six years of hard work by the European Physical Society [EPS] since the first discussions of the idea in 2009.

Editorial – The light shines on!

The International Year of Light Closing Ceremony took place in Mexico from 4-7 February 2016, bringing together diplomats and decision-makers, Nobel laureates, and science and industry leaders to both review the many successes of the International Year, as well as to look at concrete steps to ensure a lasting impact and legacy. 
I had the great honour in the Opening Session to provide an overview of the year’s activities, and in preparing for this in January, it was remarkable to learn just how much had been achieved.

Inspired by light: close of the International Year of Light

The International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies 2015 [IYL 2015] celebrated its closing ceremony on 4-6 February 2016 in the city of Mérida, Mexico. During three days, over 300 participants reviewed the activities and major outcomes of the IYL 2015 as well as discussed potential legacies of the Year.

The Dutch Journal of Physics released a special issue on light

With the Dutch Journal of Physics the NNV aim to reach out to the community of physicists with an interest in developments in physics research, industry and education in the Netherlands, but whose knowledge of Dutch is not sufficient for comfortably reading the printed journal. In 2016, the NNV decided to start publishing an English version of the Society’s Journal four times a year under the name Dutch Journal of Physics (DJoP).

Special issue on IYL 2015

Inspired by Light: Reflections from the International Year of Light 2015, is a collection of 56 blog posts from researchers, industry professionals, students, NGO representatives, a Nobel laureate, and other authors from 24 countries that were published on the IYL 2015 blog. This book, to be published in January 2016 for distribution at the IYL 2015 Closing Ceremony, was produced by SPIE in concert with the European Physical Society and the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) to celebrate the achievements of IYL 2015.

Editorial – 2015, a contrasted year

2015 is coming to an end, and with it, the International Year of Light 2015 with numerous closing ceremonies around the world, after a very successful and colorful year launched last January in Paris. ‘Our life depends on Light’ stated Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO, in her introductory message to the delegates at the opening ceremony. The magic of light and the success of thousands of specific events have demonstrated the enthusiasm generated worldwide by this initiative. With over 100 partners in more than 85 countries, the IYL 2015 has been a global cross-disciplinary, educational and outreach enterprise, also celebrating a broad cultural heritage. It is well recognised that the science and applications of light will continue to generate many new technologies in health, communication, economy, environment and social areas, with a direct impact on the quality of our lives. I cannot avoid mentioning here the last issue of EPN, devoted to the science of light, as a tribute to IYL 2015, and this thanks to the dedication of Luc Bergé, chair of the Quantum Electronics and Optics Division.

International Year of Light News

IYL 2015 in France: a great success!

100 years of general relativity

Editorial – Light to Enlighten

In our role as researchers and teachers we work to increase the knowledge, use it and transmit it to new generations of scientists.

At the same time, our global citizenship is often confronted with technical, cultural, ethical and social issues needing scientific knowledge not available to the average citizen. Direct engagement with the public helps us to understand their interest for science and their doubts and concerns.

International Year of Light news

“Highlights of Physics” event in Germany

LIGHT2015 Project Updates

Cosmic Light: primordial & eternal

IYL 2015 public lecture series at the Academy of Athens

On the occasion of UNESCO’s inauguration of 2015 as the International Year of Light, the Research Center for Astronomy and Applied Mathematics [RCAAM] of the Academy of Athens hosted a series of public lectures aiming to raise public awareness of the defining role of light and cosmic light sources to the human perception of the universe and the advancement of science and space exploration.