Editorial – Forward Physics!
I had the tremendous pleasure of watching the Nobel Prize announcement on October 8 during the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft’s Live from Stockholm event held at the Magnus-Haus in Berlin. The assembly of high-level scientists and journalists made for a stimulating mix, and the delay prior to the announcement provided much opportunity for speculation and animated discussion!Of course, when it eventually was made, the announcement of the award to François Englert and Peter Higgs was met with tremendous pleasure. More details and background to this years’s Nobel Prize is given in another entry of this edition of e-EPS…
Featured in EPN
Most recent highlights from EPN:
A Tribute to Jean Perrin by Henk KubbingaCan comments cause citations? Yes, they can! by Michael SchreiberA look inside white OLEDs by Peter Bobbert and Reinder Coehoorn.On inverse problemes in physics by Georges Jobert.
GIREP-MPTL 2014
The GIREP-MPTL International conference on Teaching/Learning Physics: Integrating Research into Practice [GIREP-MPTL 2014] will be held from 7 to 12 July 2014 at University of Palermo, Italy.
The purpose of the GIREP-MPTL 2014 is to bring together people working in physics education research and in physics education at schools from all over the world to allow them to share research results and exchange their experience.
The conference organisers are the Groupe International de Recherche sur l’Enseignement de la Physique [GIREP]…
Editorial – Physics for Fun
For many who measure time according to a university calendar, summer is a time to unwind. My experience, however, is that it is rare to find physics departments empty over the summer break. Many of us use the vacation period without classes to catch up with research, and I imagine that a colleague of mine speaks for many when he says that summer provides him with the freedom to do the physics he wants to do, and this is all the break needed to prepare for the next academic year!This reminds me a little of the Wobbling Plate story in “Surely You’re Joking Mr Feynman”? When Richard Feynman…
Physics: transforming lives
The Institute of Physics [IoP], in partnership with the UK Engineering and Physical Research Council and the Science and Technology Facilities Council, have published a booklet containing a selection of case studies demonstrating the economic value of research in physics and how it leads to a beneficial impact on our daily lives. It is available on the IoP website.
Although the majority of the topics, facts and figures are understandably biased towards the UK, this collection…
Featured in EPN
Most recent highlights from EPN:
Opening a new window on the Universe: the future Gravitational Wave detectors by Michele PunturoMy amazing experience by Ofri KahanaInspiring learning environment, the school as a three-dimensional text book by Mirjana BožićBeauty in disguise – the physics behind the power grid by Christian Ohler
Editorial – The impact of physics in the European economy
Since its establishment in 1968, the European Physical Society [EPS] has held a dual role of learned society and federation of National Member Societies. After 45 years, these Member Societies are 41 and the EPS represents a very large and varied community of physicists. One of the main objectives of the EPS is to give them a coherent voice on matters of common relevance, despite the existence of much educational, scientific, social and geographic diversity.
Along this line, one of the crucial issues to be addressed in today’s evolving European scenario is related to…
ENLIGHT publishes tenth anniversary Highlights
The European Network for Light ion Hadron Therapy [ENLIGHT] has published a tenth anniversary newsletter. The anniversary publication – entitled Highlights – details the progress of the various European Union funded hadron therapy projects which have been launched under the ENLIGHT program.
Launched in 2002, ENLIGHT aims to coordinate European efforts in hadron therapy. It is made up of a partnership of over 300 participants from across 20 different countries, from such diverse backgrounds as…
Mathematical Physics & Science Policy meeting
A Joint Meeting on Mathematical Physics and Science Policy is being held in Craiova, Romania, on 19-22 September this year. The event aims to foster connections between theoretical physicists, improve education in south-eastern European countries and to encourage interest in physics and mathematics amongst the young.
The meeting will incorporate the 8th edition of the “Quantum Field Theory and Hamiltonian Systems” workshop and the 4th “Science and Society “meeting. During the former, the title of Doctor Honoris Causa…
PETRA III X-ray microscope reveals to record resolution
PETRA III is now the world’s most advanced X-ray microscope, with a record-breaking resolution of 10 nanometres. The light source – located at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron [DESY] – can see down to structures ten thousand times thinner than a human hair.
The apparatus – which is already available to users – has many possible applications, including such uses as: imaging the structure of microchips, investigating carbon nanotubes and studying the chemistry of catalyst nanoparticles…
Editorial – Science communication: our duty
Dear Readers,
We physicists are positive that physics is the most important thing in life. We take for granted the notion that without the achievements of physics, industry, technology and even human life itself would be less productive.
We have to face the fact, however, that we are not alone. It is hard to find physicists amongst the decision makers at government levels, and even scientific policy makers may not consider physics as important as we do…
World’s largest Cherenkov telescope begins operation
The High Energy Stereoscopic System [HESS] II began operation on 26 July this year. The Namibia-based Cherenkov telescope will, in conjunction with the four smaller telescopes which make up the HESS observatory, study high-energy gamma ray sources such as pulsars, supermassive black holes and supernovae.
Weighing in at around 600 tons, with its 28 meter mirror – the size of two adjacent tennis courts – HESS II is now the world’s largest Cherenkov telescope…
