Superstring Theory: Past, Present and Future
Date: 2003-05-07
Speaker(s): John Schwarz
Link: https://pirsa.org/03050011
Abstract: N/A

The Science of Time
Date: 2003-10-01
Speaker(s): Fay Dowker
Link: https://pirsa.org/03100015
Abstract: N/A

Was there a Big Bang?
Date: 2004-02-04
Speaker(s): Robert Brandenberger
Link: https://pirsa.org/04020001
Abstract: N/A

Making Light of Mathematics
Date: 2004-03-03
Speaker(s): Michael Berry
Link: https://pirsa.org/04030002
Abstract: N/A

The Art of Mathematics
Date: 2004-04-07
Speaker(s): Ellen Kaplan, Robert Kaplan
Link: https://pirsa.org/04040002
Abstract: N/A

Are You Ready to Live the "Quantum World"? A Debate on the Meaning of Quantum Theory
Date: 2004-05-05
Speaker(s): Antony Valentini, Lucien Hardy, Wayne Myrvold
Link: https://pirsa.org/04050001
Abstract: N/A

The Stability of the Solar System
Date: 2004-06-02
Speaker(s): Scott Tremaine
Link: https://pirsa.org/04060000
Abstract: For over three hundred years, physicists and mathematicians have been trying to understand how stable the Earth really is. Could gravitational forces from other planets lead to drastic changes in Earth’s orbit? Will we collide with other planets or be ejected into interstellar space? stability, solar systems, Scott Tremaine, Copernicus, Copernican principle, Kepler, Newton, motion, gravity, N-Body, dynamical system, Laplace, round off error, gravitational microlensing, MOSTorbit, chaos

Proofs and Pictures: The Role of Visualization in Mathematical and Scientific Reasoning
Date: 2004-11-03
Speaker(s): James Robert Brown
Link: https://pirsa.org/04110002
Abstract: Do you have to see it to believe it? James Robert Brown, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto, will discuss the highly interesting but controversial topic of the legitimate role of visual thinking in mathematics and science. Examples of picture proofs and thought experiments will be given. An explanation of how they work will be sketched. Proof, pictures, James Brown, axioms, sketches, experiment, Barwise, Godel, isomorphc homomorphic, intuitions, continuum hypothesis, refutation

Harnessing the Quantum World
Date: 2004-12-02
Speaker(s): Raymond Laflamme
Link: https://pirsa.org/04120002
Abstract: Are you ready for this upgrade? The very foundation of computer science is changing. As Moore\'s Law draws to a close, rules of quantum physics are taking over. Learn how leading researchers are using counterintuitive effects, such as superposition, in their quest to build ultra-powerful quantum computers. You\'ll see how quantum particles behave, are controlled and, ultimately, used to calculate. quantum world, Raymond Laflamme, quantum mechanics, quantum information, quantum computing, information processing, Moore\'s Law, quantum scale, complexity theory, cryptography, qubits, quantum bits, quantum states, nuclear magnetic resonance, Turing

The Florentine Heretic? Galileo, the church and the cosmos
Date: 2005-01-05
Speaker(s): David Lindberg
Link: https://pirsa.org/05010001
Abstract: Galileo’s campaign on behalf of the modern view of the solar system is one of the most dramatic events in the history of relations between Christianity and science – endlessly portrayed as a battle between theological interests and scientific freedom. But this traditional story is filled with factual errors. And when human fears, rivalries, revenge and the like are taken into account, the story takes on an altogether different cast. In Professor Lindberg’s retelling, the ideological side of the story will be balanced with its richness as a human event. Florentine Heretic, Galileo, church, cosmos, religion, science, theology, geocentric, heliocentric, astronomy

The Black Hole Wars
Date: 2005-02-02
Speaker(s): Leonard Susskind
Link: https://pirsa.org/05020004
Abstract: The strange paradoxes and puzzles of the quantum behaviour of black holes and the things that fall into them led to a spirited battle of ideas between Stephen Hawking, Leonard Susskind and other scientists. Resolving the debate may change our entire understanding of space, time, matter and information – is the entire world, for example, a quantum hologram? black hole, Leonard Susskind, space-time, Einstein, Hawking, complementarity, uncertainty principle, holographic principle, string theory,

From Einstein to Quantum Information
Date: 2005-03-02
Speaker(s): Anton Zeilinger
Link: https://pirsa.org/05030082
Abstract: Anton Zeilinger, a renowned physicist who successfully teleported light particles, will explain how quantum properties are used today to process and transmit information. Anton Zeilinger, Einstein, quantum information, quantum physics, entanglement, cryptography, quantum mechanics, teleportation, quantum computer

The Quest for Supersymmetry
Date: 2005-04-06
Speaker(s): Edward Witten
Link: https://pirsa.org/05040046
Abstract: Edward Witten is one of the world’s preeminent string theorists. Among his many accomplishments, he is widely known for showing how five different variations of string theory all belong within a single framework. His awards range from a MacArthur \'genius grant\' to the Fields Medal - the highest honour in the world of mathematics. Professor Witten will examine key discoveries made by physicists in the 20th century such as the detection of antimatter. He will then describe how many of today’s leading scientists are working at the high energy frontier of elementary particle accelerators in their quest to uncover the quantum structures of space and time. supersymmetry, Edward Witten, particle physics, quantum mechanics, waves, Rutherford, antimatter, antiparticle, quantum uncertainty principle, accelerator, space-time

Audience Night
Date: 2005-06-01
Speaker(s): Laurent Freidel, Joseph Emerson, Thomas Thiemann, Rafael Sorkin, Cliff Burgess, Christian Romelsberger
Link: https://pirsa.org/05060057
Abstract: The final part of the 04-05 Public Events series turns the spotlight on you. It’s your chance to ask a panel of Perimeter researchers for their thoughts on a wide variety of scientific topics. Heisenberg, uncertainty principle, discrete theory, space-time, Thiemann, quantum, relativity, special relativity, quantum theory, Emerson, coherent superpostions, Shrodinger, Sorkin, clock, Freidel, gravity, Romelsberger, Burgess, Einstein, string theory, quantum entanglement

The Superstring Adventure
Date: 2005-06-24
Speaker(s): Robert Myers
Link: https://pirsa.org/05060110
Abstract: N/A

Einstein - Relativity and Beyond
Date: 2005-08-12
Speaker(s): Howard Burton, Lee Smolin, John Moffat, John Stachel
Link: https://pirsa.org/05080008
Abstract: Einstein’s profound ideas about relativity and the quantum have provided generations of people with some of the most thought-provoking concepts ever proposed about the wonders and mysteries of our universe. This lively panel discussion will examine Einstein’s enormous contributions to our understanding. Relativity, Smolin, Stachel, Moffat, Einstein, relativity theory, revolutionary, quantum, Planck, unified field theory, social impact, scientific revolution, physics, history

Was Einstein Right? Can Einstein's Theories Survive Today's Scientific Scrutiny?
Date: 2005-10-05
Speaker(s): Howard Burton
Link: https://pirsa.org/05100012
Abstract: How has the most celebrated scientific theory of the 20th century held up under the exacting scrutiny of planetary probes, radio telescopes and atomic clocks? After 100 years, was Einstein right? Clifford Will, Einstein, general relativity, spacetime, gravity wave, mercury perihelion, light, radioastronomy, gravititational lenses, quasars, pulsar

The Big Bang
Date: 2005-11-02
Speaker(s): Simon Singh
Link: https://pirsa.org/05110002
Abstract: Simon Singh grew up in Somerset, and completed his undergraduate work at Imperial College London, and his Ph.D. at Cambridge University and CERN. He has worked with the BBC’s Science Department since 1990. In 1996, Singh directed the award-winning documentary “Fermat’s Last Theorem”. The documentary was also nominated for an Emmy under the American title “The Proof”. He is the author of three books, most recently, the “Big Bang”, a history of cosmology. big bang, Simon Singh, cosmology, universe, galaxies, Hubble, Doppler effect, steady state universe, microwaves, radio astronomy

The Drug Trial: You Be the Judge
Date: 2005-12-07
Speaker(s): Miriam Shuchman
Link: https://pirsa.org/05120007
Abstract: How do you advise a scientist who says she has information that could be vital to the event health but she’s been told to keep it a secret? In this talk Dr. Shuchman will discuss the dramatic act of blowing the whistle in science. Drawing on the extensive information in her best-selling book including interviews with whistleblowers, surveys of scientists and public testimony - and adding new material that isn’t in the book –Shuchman will outline the benefits of scientific whistleblowing over the past 40 years. Then she will describe its aftermath. In case after case, Shuchman will give audience members the information and ask their opinions of what should have happened. Miriam Shuchman is a psychiatrist with a background in medical ethics, who teaches at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Her features on ethics and psychiatry have appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post and the Globe and Mail, as well as on CBC Radio and National Public Radio in the United States. Her articles on medical whistleblowers have appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the British Medical Journal and the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Dr. Shuchman trained in psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School and studied ethics at Dartmouth College. Her book, “The Drug Trial”, tells the full story of the Olivieri affair, Canada’s biggest science scandal, and exposes problems that should concern us all in the systems of scientific research, corporate financing and peer review. Drug trial, Miriam Shuchman, whistle blowers, Sissela Bok, Nancy Olivieri, David Kern, Cesare Maltoni, Justine Sergent, moral, responsibility, indefensible, scientists

Are You Conscious?
Date: 2006-01-04
Speaker(s): Jay Ingram
Link: https://pirsa.org/06010000
Abstract: The scientific approach to consciousness is a relatively new pursuit, but it has already revealed some startling facts about the cavalcade of feelings, images and thoughts that stream through our heads every waking moment. Jay Ingram will present some of the most surprising of these in a talk based on his best-selling book, Theatre of the Mind. Jay Ingram is the author of several bestselling books, including The Science of Everyday Life, The Barmaid’s Brain and The Velocity of Honey. He is producer and co-host of the Discovery Channel’s award-winning show Daily Planet, and also contributes a weekly science column to the Toronto Star. He holds two ACTRAs, the Royal Society of Canada McNeil Medal, the Sandford Fleming Medal from the Royal Canadian Institute, the Michael Smith Award for Science Promotion and three Canadian Science Writers Awards. Are you Conscious?, Jay Ingram, conscious, unconscious, change blindness, inattentional blindness, childhood amnesia

Mission to Mars: Still Roving on the Red Planet
Date: 2006-02-01
Speaker(s): John Grant
Link: https://pirsa.org/06020003
Abstract: An expected 90 day robotic odyssey on Mars has stretched into a two year scientific marathon. Dr. Grant, a geologist with the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, helped pick the landing sites and works on day-to-day operations of the Spirit and Opportunity Rovers. You’ll see the latest photos, learn what Martian mysteries have been uncovered and find out how scientists plan to push the limits of future robots in space. Dr. John A. Grant, III joined the Smithsonian in the fall of 2000 as a Geologist at the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the National Air and Space Museum. He has been a member of the Science Team for the Mars Exploration Rovers since 2002, is one of six Science Operations Working Group Chairs and is co-leading site selection activities for the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory mission to Mars. Since 2001, Dr. Grant has served as a Co-Investigator on the High Resolution Camera (HiRISE), which is being flown on the 2005 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, currently on its way to Mars. In addition, he is leading development of a ground-penetrating radar for possible future deployment on a Mars rover and conducts fundamental research related to the history of geologic processes on the Earth and Mars. He has been interested in Mars ever since reading Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles as a child. Dr. Grant earned his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh and received his master’s in geology at the University of Rhode Island and his doctorate in geology at Brown University. He maintains a strong connection to the classroom and has held several professorial and teaching posts at both Rhode Island College and SUNY College at Buffalo. He has authored or contributed to numerous articles in many professional journals, including Science, Geology, Geomorphology, and the Journal of Geophysical Research. Mission to Mars, John A Grant, Mars, exploration, red planet, NASA, Spirit Rover, hematite, geology, air and space, outcrop, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter,

Programming the Universe
Date: 2006-04-19
Speaker(s): Seth Lloyd
Link: https://pirsa.org/06040020
Abstract: The universe computes: every atom, electron, and elementary particle registers bits of information, and every time two particles collide those bits are flipped and processed. By ‘hacking’ the computational power of the universe, we can build quantum computers which store and process information at the level of atoms and electrons. This computational capacity underlies the generation of complex systems, and provides insight into the origin of life and its future. Seth Lloyd is a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is the author of \'Programming the Universe: A Quantum Computer Scientist Takes On the Cosmos\' which asks the startling question \'Is the universe actually a giant quantum computer?\'. Programming the Universe, Seth Lloyd, capacitor, information processing, Big Bang, quantum computer, quantum mechanics, wave-particle duality, Schrodinger, complex universe, algorithmic, decode

The Search for Miss Leavitt
Date: 2006-05-03
Speaker(s): George Johnson
Link: https://pirsa.org/06050003
Abstract: Inside Harvard College Observatory in 1904, a young woman named Henrietta Swan Leavitt sat hunched over a stack of glass photographic plates, patiently counting stars. The images had been taken by a telescope high in the Peruvian Andes, and Miss Leavitt was given the tedious chore of measuring the brightness of thousands of tiny lights, something that would now be done by machine. Her job title was \'computer,\' but during the next few years she rose above her station as a tabulator of data and discovered a new law, one that would change forever our view of the universe. George Johnson, the author of Miss Leavitt\'s Stars: The Untold Story of the Woman Who Discovered How to Measure the Universe, writes about science for The New York Times from Santa Fe, New Mexico and is winner of the AAAS Science Journalism Award. His other books include A Shortcut Through Time: The Path to the Quantum Computer, Fire in the Mind: Science, Faith, and the Search for Order and Strange Beauty: Murray Gell-Mann and the Revolution in 20th-Century Physics. He is co-director of the Santa Fe Science-Writing Workshop and can be reached on the Web at talaya.net. A graduate of the University of New Mexico and American University, his first reporting job was covering the police beat for the Albuquerque Journal. Miss Leavitt\'s Stars, George Johnson, Leavitt, astronomy, cephoid, Magellanic cloud

A Night with Nobel - The Origin of Mass and the Feebleness of Gravity
Date: 2006-06-06
Speaker(s): Frank Wilczek
Link: https://pirsa.org/06060002
Abstract: Einstein\'s famous equation E=mc2 asserts that energy and mass are different aspects of the same reality. It is usually associated with the idea that small amounts of mass can be converted into large amounts of energy. For fundamental physics, however, the more important idea is just the opposite. Researchers want to explain how mass itself arises, by explaining it in terms of more basic concepts. In this lecture targeted for a general audience, Prof. Wilczek will explain how this goal can, to a remarkable extent, be achieved. He will also discuss some of the consequences - an explanation of why gravity is so feeble - and suggestions for new physical phenomena at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva. Prof. Wilczek is a distinguished scientist and lecturer. He is the author of Fantastic Realities: 49 Mind Journeys and a trip to Stockholm and co-author of Longing for the Harmonies. In addition to many distinguished memberships and affiliations, he is a member of Perimeter Institute’s Scientific Advisory Committee.

The Quantum and the Cosmos
Date: 2006-06-07
Speaker(s): Edward Kolb
Link: https://pirsa.org/06060005
Abstract: Long before the emergence of planets, stars, or galaxies, the universe consisted of an exploding quantum soup of “elementary” particles. Encoded in this formless, shapeless soup were seeds of cosmic structure, which over billions of years grew into the beautiful and complex universe we observe today. The lecture will explore the connection between the “inner space” of the quantum and the “outer space” of the cosmos. The inner space/outer space connection may hold the key to the nature of the dark matter holding together our galaxy and the mysterious dark energy pulling apart our universe. Edward W. Kolb (known to most as Rocky) is a founding head of the NASA/Fermilab Astrophysics Group at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and a Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at The University of Chicago. Presently he is the Director of the Particle Astrophysics Center at Fermilab. A native of New Orleans, he received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Texas. Postdoctoral research was performed at the California Institute of Technology and Los Alamos National Laboratory where he was the J. Robert Oppenheimer Research Fellow. He has served on editorial boards of several international scientific journals as well as Astronomy magazine. In addition to over 200 scientific papers, he is a co-author of The Early Universe, the standard textbook on particle physics and cosmology. His book for the general event, Blind Watchers of the Sky, received the 1996 Emme Award of the American Aeronautical Society. Rocky teaches cosmology to non-science majors at the University of Chicago and is involved with pre-college education enrichment programs. He has traveled the world, if not yet the Universe, giving scientific and event lectures. He has appeared in several television productions, and can also be seen in the OMNIMAX/IMAX film The Cosmic Voyage. His distinctions include: Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Fellow of the American Physical Society, recipient of the 2003 Oersted Medal of the American Association of Physics Teachers, winner of the 1993 Quantrell Prize for teaching excellence at the University of Chicago, Harlow Shapley Visiting Lecturer and Centennial Lecturer with the American Astronomical Society. He has also presented event lectures at the Royal Society of London, and in Rio de Janeiro, Valencia, and Barcelona. cosmos, quantum, cosmology, universe, galaxies collide, Barnes, Hibbard, Newton, Einstein, relativity, space, time, origin of the universe, dark energy, expansion history, vacuum quantum, Vera Rubin, invisible universe, dark matter, quantum universe, Higgs potential, Big Bang Theory, Hubble, WIMPS, cosmic background radiation

Faster than the Speed of Light - Could the laws of physics change?
Date: 2006-06-23
Speaker(s): Joao Magueijo
Link: https://pirsa.org/06060057
Abstract: The laws of physics are usually meant to be set in stone; variability is not usually part of physics. Yet contradicting Einstein\'s tenet of the constancy of the speed of light raises nothing less than that possibility. I will discuss some of the more dramatic implications of a varying speed of light. Joao Magueijo is Professor of Physics at Imperial College London. He is currently visiting Perimeter Institute and the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics in Toronto. He received his doctorate in theoretical physics at Cambridge University, and has been a visiting scientist at the University of California at Berkeley and Princeton University. Joao Magueijo, Theory of Relativity, speed of light, VSL, varying speed of light, Dirac, cosmology, geometry, dimensional, dimensionless, Bekenstein, Brans-Dicke, varying constant, Einstein, time dilation, length contraction, horizons, Big Bang, grand-unified theory, Planck length, Planck time, gravity, space, time, quantum gravity, varying alpha, Kelvin, quasar, laws of physics

Impossible Crystals
Date: 2006-09-06
Speaker(s): N/A
Link: https://pirsa.org/06090000
Abstract: This is a story of how the impossible became possible. How, for centuries, scientists were absolutely sure that solids (as well as decorative patterns like tiling and quilts) could only have certain symmetries - such as square, hexagonal and triangular - and that most symmetries, including five-fold symmetry in the plane and icosahedral symmetry in three dimensions (the symmetry of a soccer ball), were strictly forbidden. Then, about twenty years ago, a new kind of pattern, known as a \'quasicrystal,\' was envisaged that shatters the symmetry restrictions and allows for an infinite number of new patterns and structures that had never been seen before, suggesting a whole new class of materials. By chance, solids with five-fold symmetry were discovered in the laboratory at about the same time. Even so, for nearly twenty years, many scientists continued to believe true quasicrystals were impossible because, they argued, such a pattern could only be formed with complex and physically unrealistic inter-atomic forces. In this talk, you will see simple, beautiful patterns and a series of geometrical toys and games that demonstrate, with subtlety and surprise, how this last conceptual barrier has been recently overcome - leading to new insights on how to grow perfect quasicrystals and inspire new technological applications. About the Speaker: Paul J. Steinhardt is the Albert Einstein Professor in Science at Princeton University and is on the faculty in the Department of Physics and in the Department of Astrophysical Sciences. He received his B.S. in Physics at Caltech in 1974; his M.A. in Physics in 1975 and Ph.D. in Physics in 1978 at Harvard University. He was a Junior Fellow in the Harvard Society of Fellows from 1978-81 and on the faculty of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pennsylvania from 1981-98, where he was Mary Amanda Wood Professor from 1989-98. He is a Fellow in the American Physical Society and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. In 2002, he received the P.A.M. Dirac Medal from the International Centre for Theoretical Physics. Steinhardt is a theorist whose research spans problems in particle physics, astrophysics, cosmology and condensed matter physics. He is one of the architects of the .inflationary model. of the universe, an important modification of the standard big bang picture which explains the homogeneity and geometry of the universe and the origin of the fluctuations that seeded the formation of galaxies and large-scale structure. He introduced the concepts of .quintessence,. a dynamical form of dark energy that may account for the recently discovered cosmic acceleration. He has also explored novel models for dark matter. Recently, Steinhardt and Neil Turok (Cambridge U.) proposed the .cyclic model. of the early universe, a radical alternative to big bang/inflationary cosmology in which the evolution of the universe is periodic and the key events shaping the large scale structure of the universe occur before the big bang. In condensed matter physics, Steinhardt and Dov Levine (Technion) introduced the concept of quasicrystals, a new phase of solid matter with disallowed crystallographic symmetries. Steinhardt continues to make contributions to understanding their unique mathematical and physical properties. He has written over 200 papers, edited 4 books, and holds three U.S. patents. Impossible Crystals, Paul Steinhardt, symmetry, crystal, three-fold symmetry axis, five-fold symmetry axis, two-fold symmetry axis, quasicrystals, rotational symmetry, Penrose, Penrose Tiler, Gummell-Tile, quasi-unit-cell, non-local iterations, period array, platonic crystal

A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines: Limits of Truth and Mind
Date: 2006-10-04
Speaker(s): Janna Levin
Link: https://pirsa.org/06100005
Abstract: From Levin’s recent book comes a strange if true story of coded secrets, psychotic delusions, mathematics, and war. This story of greatness and weakness, of genius and delusion, circulates around the parallel lives of Kurt Godel, the greatest logician of many centuries, and Alan Turing, the extraordinary code breaker during World War II. Taken together their work proved that there are limits to knowledge, that machines could be taught to compute, that one day there could be artificial intelligence. Yet Godel believed in transmigration of the soul and Turing concluded that we were soulless biological machines. And their suicides were complementary. Godel, delusional and paranoid, starved himself to death fearing his food was poisoned. Turing ate a poison apple, driven to suicide after being arrested and convicted of homosexual activities. These two men were devoted to truth of the highest abstract nature, yet were unable to grasp the mundane truths of their own lives. Through it all, you will explore, along with these two odd heroes, if any of us can ever really grasp the truth. Madman Dreams, Turing Machines, Turing, Truth, Godel, Mathematical Theory of Everything, Liar\'s Paradox, Turing machine, limits, mathematical truth

Time and Motion
Date: 2006-11-01
Speaker(s): Harvey Brown
Link: https://pirsa.org/06110043
Abstract: Newton\'s first law of motion - and the very meaning of inertia - has been described as either completely obvious (D\'Alembert) or a \'logician\'s nightmare\' (ex-editor of the American Journal of Physics). Sometimes the simplest things in physics are the most subtle. The first law will be described in historical context, explaining a connection with the ancient Greeks’ distinction between natural and violent motion and with Descartes\' natural philosophy. You will also learn why it still requires careful handling and what it tells us about time in physics. \'Time and Motion\', Harvey Brown, time, motion, relative, Copernicus, Ptolemy, Galileo, Copernicanism, Descartes, inertia, Newton, standard of time, Fitzgerald, duration, inertial frame

From here to eternity: Global warming in geologic time
Date: 2006-12-06
Speaker(s): David Archer
Link: https://pirsa.org/06120045
Abstract: Using results from models of the atmosphere/ocean/sediment carbon cycle, the impacts of fossil-fuel CO2 release will be examined – including the effect on climate many thousands of years into the future, rather than for just a few centuries as commonly claimed. Prof. Archer will explain how aspects of the Earth system, such as the growth or melting of the great ice sheets, the thawing of permafrost, and the release of methane from the methane hydrate deposits in the deep ocean, take thousands of years to respond to a change in climate. The duration of our potential climate adventure is comparable to the pacing of climate changes in the past, which enables us to use the geologic record of past climate changes to predict the trajectory of global warming into the deep future. In particular, the record of sea level variations in the past suggests that the ultimate sea level response to fossil fuel CO2 use could be 10 to 100 times higher than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecast for the year 2100. models, greenhouse gas, temperature forecast, medieval warm, little ice age, Greenland, Heinrich Events, fossil fuel, Climber Model Hysteresis, Ganopolski, Buffett, methane hydrates, Palaeocene, Eocene, Thermal Maximum Event

Fundamental Physics in 2010
Date: 2007-02-07
Speaker(s): Nima Arkani-Hamed
Link: https://pirsa.org/07020013
Abstract: Will big questions be answered when the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) switches on in 2007? What will scientists find? Where might the research lead? Nima Arkani-Hamed, a noted particle theorist, is a Professor of Physics at Harvard University. He investigates a number of mysteries and interactions in nature – puzzles that are likely to have experimental consequences in the next few years via particle accelerators, like the LHC, as well as cosmological observations. fundamental physics, Nima Arkani-Hamed, \'Future of Fundamental Physics\', general relativity, quantum mechanics, Large Hadrom Collider, L H C, quark, quantum gravity, string theory, special relativity, standard model, Planck scale, space-time, vacuum, Higgs boson, super symmetry

Life, the Universe, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)
Date: 2007-03-07
Speaker(s): Jill Tarter
Link: https://pirsa.org/07030020
Abstract: Hollywood movies about aliens abound, but do they really exist? The real scientific search for evidence of life, and particularly intelligent life, elsewhere in the cosmos is just as exciting as the “reel” version, and a lot more logical. So far, there is ‘life-as-we-know-it’ to guide our speculations and observations. But a new appreciation for the tenacity of life, a growing respect for the world of microbes, and new search technologies involving observatories and spacecraft are rapidly expanding our viewpoint. Many expect surprises. SETI is at the forefront of this research and has plans to extend its range out even further into the galaxy, looking for evidence of someone else’s technology. In the next few decades, scientists will take a much closer look at places within our solar system where liquid water (even vast oceans) may exist and harbor life. They will also probe the closest stars to see if other ‘Earths’ and biospheres exist. Dr. Jill Tarter will describe research in a discipline some call “the archaeology of the future”. Jill Tarter, extraterrestrial intelligence, SETI, \'archaeology of the future\', stardust, microbes, extreme life conditions, astrobiology, Kepler probe, Corot probe

Quantum Cryptography: A Tale of Secrets Hidden and Revealed Through the Laws of Physics
Date: 2007-04-04
Speaker(s): Daniel Gottesman
Link: https://pirsa.org/07040020
Abstract: Sensitive information can be valuable to others - from your personal credit card numbers to state and military secrets. Throughout history, sophisticated codes have been developed in an attempt to keep important data from prying eyes. But now, new technologies are emerging based on the surprising laws of quantum physics that govern the atomic scale. These powerful techniques threaten to crack some secret codes in widespread use today and, at the same time, offer new quantum cryptographic protocols which could one day profoundly alter the way we safeguard critical information. Quantum cryptography, quantum physics, Daniel Gottesman, cryptography, one-time pad, RSA, encryption, public key, decryption, private key, quantum computer, qubit, shor\'s algorithm, quantum key distribution, QKD

Death of the Dinos: Giant Impacts and Biological Crises
Date: 2007-06-06
Speaker(s): Jay Melosh
Link: https://pirsa.org/07060066
Abstract: Sixty-five million years ago dinosaurs ruled the warm Cretaceous Earth. Without warning, this world was swept away forever by the impact of an asteroid about 15 km in diameter, leaving a huge scar now called the Chicxulub crater in Yucatan, Mexico. This catastrophe set the stage for the ascendance of our own biological group, the mammals. Although the fact of this impact is now established beyond doubt, the precise means by which an impact could wipe out such a large fraction of the Earth\'s inhabitants is not fully understood. Recent study of the physical consequences of a large impact on the Earth have revealed a plethora of potentially disastrous effects, ranging from an immediate firestorm that ignited global wildfires to sulfuric acid aerosols, acid rain, and ozone depletion lasting decades. The extinctions caused by these physical traumas changed the way that the Earth\'s biosphere recycles carbon, leading to climatic changes lasting nearly a million years longer. Although no other major extinction in the past 500 million years can yet be tied unambiguously to an extraterrestrial impact, there is geological evidence of even larger impacts farther back in Earth\'s history, including the one that created the Sudbury ore body in Ontario more than a billion years ago. Concerns over the future possibility of such large impacts have led to a worldwide program to identify potentially threatening asteroids and has generated discussion of what humans might do to deflect such an asteroid if it is found. death of dinosaurs, mass extinction, extinction, dinosaurs, asteroid impact, asteroid impact effects, Jay Melosh, Cretaceous period, Chicxulub crater, 65 million years ago, large impacts, dinosaur, giant impacts, Walter Alverez, thin layer of red clay, Jan Smit, KT boundary, iridium layer, spherules, microtektites, geology, Geologic history, distal ejecta, Apophis, large extraterrestrial bodies, plate tectonics, Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary, twinning, Yucatan, Gulf of Mexico, fern, shocked quartz, soot, ozone depletion, acid rain, two-layer, thermal radiation, depletion of CO2

From Einstein's Intuition to Quantum Bits
Date: 2007-10-03
Speaker(s): Alain Aspect
Link: https://pirsa.org/07100041
Abstract: Many experts are convinced that large scale, practical implementations of quantum information systems hold great promise for society, much as the laser and the transistor have already revolutionized the world. This stems from a long history of research that included an intense, raging battle of epic proportions between scientific giants. In tracing these steps, you will learn why Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr argued over the nature of entangled states where pairs of sub-atomic particles are strangely correlated from 1935 until their very deaths. You will also find out how, decades later, John Bell discovered his famous inequalities that made it possible for experimentalists, including Alain Aspect and others, to settle the great debate and help propel a new era of fundamental understanding with concepts and methods that seek to harness unique properties of atoms to process and transmit information.

The Large Hadron Collider - World\'s Most Powerful Microscope
Date: 2007-11-07
Speaker(s): John Ellis, Robert Orr
Link: https://pirsa.org/07110080
Abstract: "International researchers at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), in Geneva, Switzerland, will soon embark on one of science's greatest adventures. With its very high energy, previously seen only in cosmic rays, the particle collider will probe the inner structure of matter at distances ten times smaller than any previous experiments. The LHC will address many of the mysteries surrounding the smallest particles of matter. It may also pierce secrets that the Universe has hidden since the early stages of the Big Bang, such as the nature of dark matter and the origin of matter itself. This will be the largest scientific experiment ever attempted and the complex international efforts to bring the 27km-long machine to life, including Canada’s involvement, will also be explained." About John EllisBorn in London on July 1st, 1946, Ellis grew up in Potters Bar, a suburb that some Londoners used to regard as the northern boundary of civilization. It was there, at around the age of 12, he decided to become a physicist – largely due to the interesting science books he read at the local library. Ellis obtained his BA and PHD from Cambridge University where he studied mathematics and theoretical physics. Following a year at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center and an additional year at the California Institute of Technology as a research associate, Ellis joined CERN in 1973 and became leader of the Theory Division for six years. Currently, he is a senior staff member. Ellis is also an advisor on CERN’s relations with non-Member States.Ellis has published over 700 scientific articles in particle physics and related areas of cosmology and astrophysics. His research interests include the possible experimental consequences and tests of new theoretical ideas such as gauge theories of strong and electroweak interactions, grand unified theories, supersymmetry, and string theory. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1985, and was awarded the Dirac Medal of the Institute of Physics in 2005. Ellis is also responsible for popularizing the term “Theory of Everything” in an article published in the journal Nature in 1986.About Robert S. OrrProfessor Orr was born in Iran, and grew up in Scotland and South Wales. His father and uncles were all engineers in the ship building industry. His interest in physics was sparked early in his childhood by trying to make sense of his father’s textbooks. “Ever since I was a child, I took things apart to see how they worked” says Orr. “Doing that with matter is the ultimate challenge."At present he is a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Toronto. He was NSERC Principal Investigator for ATLAS Canada from 1994 to 2007. ATLAS is a detector within the LHC at CERN. Orr earned his B.Sc. and Ph.D. at Imperial College, University of London, UK, and was a Post Doctoral Researcher at Rutherford Laboratory, also in the UK, as well as at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. From 1974 to 1981 he was a CERN Fellow and Staff Physicist. He came to Canada in 1981 as an Institute of Particle Physics Research Scientist, and became a member of the faculty at the University of Toronto in 1989. Orr has worked at many of the world’s particle physics labs in the USA, Germany and Japan. He has a particular interest in the application of large scale computing clusters in this field, and in the development of new finds of detection devices.

The Physics of Information: From Entanglement to Black Holes
Date: 2007-12-05
Speaker(s): Bob McDonald, Chris Fuchs, Leonard Susskind, Anthony Leggett, Seth Lloyd
Link: https://pirsa.org/07120048
Abstract: Do ideas about information and reality inspire fruitful new approaches to the hardest problems of modern physics? What can we learn about the paradoxes of quantum mechanics, the beginning of the universe and our understanding of black holes by thinking about the very essence of information? The answers to these questions are surprising and enlightening, but also controversial. The topic of information within physics has involved some of the 20th century\'s greatest scientists in long-running intellectual battles that continue to the present day. In this special debate, hosted by the CBC\'s Bob McDonald of \'Quirks and Quarks\', you will enjoy a lively discussion between four prominent physicists who have thought long and hard about these questions. information, quantum mechanics, quantum cryptology, entropy, everything computes, properties equals information, uncertainty principle, quantum computer, hologram, black hole, event horizon, coherence, Schrodinger, interference and predictability, quantum state, teleportation, entanglement

Rocketeers: How a Visionary Band of Business Leaders, Engineers, and Pilots is Boldy Privatizing Space
Date: 2008-02-06
Speaker(s): Michael Belfiore
Link: https://pirsa.org/08020039
Abstract: In the \'second space age\', human spaceflight is no longer the domain of governments. Dream-chasing entrepreneurs and clever engineers are aggressively blazing new trails into the heavens and preparing the world for an era of space tourism, ultra fast point-to-point earth travel and even orbiting hotels. Having gained inside access into the top private space programs, science journalist Michael Belfiore will share his many insights on the history-making flights, the failures and fatalities, as well as the enduring passion and dreams of the real estate tycoons, dot-com billionaires, a video game programmer and other business mavericks for whom the sky is no longer the limit. They are fueling the highest-flying private rockets ever built, testing \"vertical dragsters\", and preparing to launch an inflatable space station - with the mock-up already in earth orbit. Can your ticket to ride be that far behind? space travel, human spaceflight, second space age, private space program, space tourism, orbiting hotel, entrepeneur, engineer, Rocketeers

What Banged?
Date: 2008-03-05
Speaker(s): Neil Turok
Link: https://pirsa.org/08030033
Abstract: The evidence that the universe emerged 14 billion years ago from an event called \'the big bang\' is overwhelming. Yet the cause of this event remains deeply mysterious. In the conventional picture, the \'initial singularity\' is unexplained. It is simply assumed that the universe somehow sprang into existence full of \'inflationary\' energy, blowing up the universe into the large, smooth state we observe today. While this picture is in excellent agreement with current observations, it is both contrived and incomplete, leading us to suspect that it is not the final word. In this lecture, the standard inflationary picture will be contrasted with a new view of the initial singularity suggested by string and M-theory, in which the bang is a far more normal, albeit violent, event which occurred in a pre-existing universe. According to the new picture, a cyclical model of the universe becomes feasible in which one bang is followed by another, in a potentially endless series of cosmic cycles. The presentation will also review exciting recent theoretical developments and forthcoming observational tests which could distinguish between the rival inflationary and cyclical hypotheses. big bang, cosmology, universe, initial singularity, inflation, string theory, M-theory, pre-existing universe, cyclical model, cosmic cycle, particle physics, dark matter, dark energy

The Curious World of Probabilities
Date: 2008-04-02
Speaker(s): Jeffrey Rosenthal
Link: https://pirsa.org/08040070
Abstract: Probabilities and randomness arise whenever we're not sure what will happen next. They apply to everything from lottery jackpots to airplane crashes; email spam to insurance policies; medical studies to election polls. This exploration of odds and oddities will explain how a Probability Perspective can shed new light on many familiar situations in our everyday lives, and how computer algorithms which use randomness can be used to address problems in many branches of science.Jeffrey Rosenthal is a professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of Toronto and examines odds and statistics in everyday life. His interest in probability theory began at an early age when, as a child, he enjoyed flipping coins, rolling dice and computing probabilities. He followed his passion and earned his BSc in Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science from the University of Toronto at the age of 20; his PhD in Mathematics from Harvard University at the age of 24; and tenure in the Department of Statistics at the University of Toronto at the age of 29. He is also a fellow of the Institute for Mathematical Statistics.Professor Rosenthal has been honoured with a Premier’s Research Excellence Award, the COPSS President’s Award from the Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies, a Harvard University Teaching Award in 1991, an Arts and Science Outstanding Teaching Award in 1998 at the University of Toronto and the 2006 CRM-SSC Prize in Statistics. He is author of “Struck by Lightning, The Curious World of Probabilities” and A First Look a Rigorous Probability Theory. He also co-authored “Probability and Statistics: The Science of Uncertainty”.Despite being born on Friday the thirteenth, Rosenthal considers himself a very fortunate person.""It is a truth very certain that, when it is not in our power to determine what is true, we ought to follow what is most probable."" - Rene Descartes (1596-1650), French philosopher and mathematician

Science Fiction and Reality
Date: 2008-05-07
Speaker(s): Gerard 't Hooft
Link: https://pirsa.org/08050023
Abstract: In the recent past, rapid scientific and technological developments have had tremendous impact on human society. Notably, the personal computer, internet and mobile telephones changed the world and shrank our planet. These developments are vastly different from the forecasts by science fiction authors who promised us space travel and intelligent humanoid robots. Could real scientists have done a better job in forecasting the future? What can we say about the future now?Many science fiction fantasies will never materialize. Some will, but only over time spans of millions of years rather than a couple of centuries. Nature's laws are very strict and forbidding but also show gaps that might promise fantastic possibilities for a scientific future, even within our lifetime. Gerard T' Hooft was born in 1946, and raised in the Netherlands. He studied theoretical physics at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, completing his thesis work in 1972, under the supervision of Martin Veltman. For two years he continued his research at the European particle physics laboratory CERN, Geneva. After lectureships at Utrecht and in the USA (Harvard, Stanford), he was appointed full professor at Utrecht University in 1976. Among his many honours, he and Veltman were awarded the The Nobel Prize in physics 1999, ""For elucidating the quantum structure of electroweak interactions in physics"", which refers to their joint work in 1972. More recently, T' Hooft became a member of Perimeter Institute’s highly esteemed Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC).His research brought important new insights showing how to use quantized fields to describe sub-atomic particles, such as renormalization, magnetic monopoles, quark confinement and the physical effects of instantons. Later he turned his interest to the quantum aspects of gravitation and black holes. Dr. T' Hooft also supports educational outreach activities and considers the communication of fundamental science to the public as one of his most important duties.

Time and Einstein in the 21st Century: The coolest stuff in the universe
Date: 2008-06-04
Speaker(s): William (Bill) Phillips
Link: https://pirsa.org/08060002
Abstract: At the beginning of the 20th century Einstein published three revolutionary ideas that changed forever how we view Nature. At the beginning of the 21st century Einstein\'s thinking is shaping one of the key scientific and technological wonders of contemporary life: atomic clocks, the best timekeepers ever made. Such super-accurate clocks are essential to industry, commerce, and science; they are the heart of the Global Positioning System (GPS), which guides cars, airplanes, and hikers to their destinations. Today, atomic clocks are still being improved, using Einstein\'s ideas to cool the atoms to incredibly low temperatures. Atomic gases reach temperatures less than a billionth of a degree above Absolute Zero, without solidifying. Such atoms enable clocks accurate to better than a second in 60 million years as well as both using and testing some of Einstein\'s strangest predictions. This will be a lively, multimedia presentation, including experimental demonstrations and down-to-earth explanations about some of today\'s most exciting science. Low temperature physics, atomic clock, global positioning system, laser cooling, Bose Einstein condensate, photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, special relativity

Before the Big Bang: Is There Evidence For Something And If So, What?
Date: 2008-10-01
Speaker(s): Roger Penrose
Link: https://pirsa.org/08100081
Abstract: There is now a great deal of evidence confirming the existence of a very hot and dense early stage of the universe. Much of this data comes from a detailed study of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) - radiation from the early universe that was most recently measured by NASA\'s WMAP satellite. But the information presents new puzzles for scientists. One of the most blatant examples is an apparent paradox related to the second law of thermodynamics. Although some have argued that the hypothesis of inflationary cosmology solves some of the puzzles, profound issues remain. In this talk, Professor Penrose will describe a very different proposal, one that suggests a succession of universes prior to our own. He will also present a recent analysis of the CMB data that has a profound bearing on these issues.

Anticipating A New Golden Age
Date: 2008-11-05
Speaker(s): Frank Wilczek
Link: https://pirsa.org/08110049
Abstract: Our present Core Theory of matter (aka “standard model”) was born in the 1970s, a Golden Age for fundamental physics. To date it has passed every experimental test, extending – by many orders of magnitude – to higher energies, shorter distances, and greater precision than were available in the 1970s. Yet we are not satisfied, because the Core Theory postulates four separate interactions and several different kinds of matter, and its equations are lopsided. In this lecture, Prof. Wilczek will describe powerful and extremely beautiful ideas for restoring unity and symmetry to the fundamental laws. These ideas are firmly rooted in empirical reality, but at present the evidence for them is circumstantial. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will provide critical tests. If Nature has been teaching, not teasing, discoveries at the LHC will inaugurate a new Golden Age, bringing our fundamental understanding of the physical world to a new level. Standard model, fundamental physics, experiment, LHC, unification, particle physics, supersymmetry, vacuum fluctuation

The Physics of Impossible Things
Date: 2008-12-03
Speaker(s): Ben Schumacher
Link: https://pirsa.org/08120044
Abstract: Some things can happen in our Universe, and others cannot. The laws of physics establish the boundary between possibility and impossibility. Physicists naturally spend most of their time thinking about the possible. In this lecture, however, we will make a brief reconnaissance across the frontier to study impossible things and discover the surprising connections between them. We will encounter standard science-fiction devices like time machines and faster-than-light spaceships -- as well as other, less-familiar prodigies including quantum cloners and bounded electromagnetic miracles. A safe return to the real world is unconditionally guaranteed. Benjamin Schumacher is Professor of Physics at Kenyon College, where he has taught for twenty years. He was an undergraduate at Hendrix College and received his Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from the University of Texas at Austin in 1990, where he was the last doctoral student of John Archibald Wheeler.As one of the founders of quantum information theory, Professor Schumacher introduced the term qubit, invented quantum data compression (also known as Schumacher compression), and established several fundamental results about the information capacity of quantum systems. For his contributions he won the 2002 Quantum Communication Award, the premier international prize in the field, and was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society. Besides his interest in quantum information theory, Dr. Schumacher has contributed to other areas involving black holes, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. He is the author of numerous scientific papers and a textbook, Physics in Spacetime: An introduction to special relativity.Professor Schumacher has been a visitor at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Institute for Quantum Information at Caltech (where he was a Moore Distinguished Scholar), the Isaac Newton Institute of Cambridge University, the Santa Fe Institute, Perimeter Institute and the Universities of New Mexico, Montreal, Innsbruck and Queensland. At Kenyon College, Professor Schumacher teaches physics, but he also regularly ventures into astronomy, mathematics, scientific computing and the humanities.

From Tornadoes to Black Holes: How to Survive an Information Catastrophe
Date: 2009-04-01
Speaker(s): Patrick Hayden
Link: https://pirsa.org/09040031
Abstract: Black holes are regions of space with gravity so strong that nothing can escape from them, not even light. This isn't science fiction - there's even a gigantic black hole at the center of our galaxy. It's hard to imagine a more effective way to irrevocably erase and destroy a computer's hard drive than to drop it into a nice big black hole. But is the information on that drive really gone forever? Paradoxically, there's a good chance that not only does the information come back, it comes back in the blink of an eye. This surprise return of the information is based on the same principles that might someday make reliable quantum computers a reality. In fact, engineers are already exploiting these principles to help distribute software and stream video over the internet. And that's where the tornadoes come in...

The Drunkard's Walk
Date: 2009-05-06
Speaker(s): Leonard Mlodinow
Link: https://pirsa.org/09050048
Abstract: In The Drunkard's Walk, acclaimed writer and scientist Leonard Mlodinow shows us how randomness, change, and probability reveal a tremendous amount about our daily lives, and how we misunderstand the significance of everything from a casual conversation to a major financial setback. As a result, successes and failures in life are often attributed to clear and obvious cases, when in actuality they are more profoundly influenced by chance. By showing us the true nature of chance and revealing the psychological illusions that cause us to misjudge the world around us, Mlodinow gives us the tools we need to make more informed decisions.Leonard Mlodinow received his doctorate in physics from the University of California, Berkeley, was an Alexander von Humboldt fellow at the Max Planck Institute, and now teaches about randomness to future scientists at Caltech. Along the way he also wrote for the television series MacGyver and Star Trek: The Next Generation. His previous books include Euclid's Window: The Story of Geometry from Parallel Lines to Hyperspace, Feynman's Rainbow: A Search for Beauty in Physics and in Life, and, with Stephen Hawking, A Briefer History of Time. He lives in South Pasadena, California.

The Universe from Beginning to End
Date: 2009-06-03
Speaker(s): Brian Schmidt
Link: https://pirsa.org/09060059
Abstract: Astronomers believe our Universe began in a Big Bang, and is expanding around us. Brian Schmidt will describe the life of the Universe that we live in, and how astronomers have used observations to trace our Universe's history back more than 13 Billion years. With this data a puzzling picture has been pieced together where 96% of the Cosmos is made up of two mysterious substances, Dark Matter and Dark Energy. These two mysterious forms of matter are in a battle for domination of the Universe, and Schmidt will describe experiments that are monitoring the struggle between Dark Energy and Dark Matter, trying better understand these elusive pieces of our Universe, and predict the ultimate fate of the Cosmos.

Top Quark: The Elusive Truth
Date: 2009-12-02
Speaker(s): Michael Peskin
Link: https://pirsa.org/09120116
Abstract: The top quark is the heaviest known type of quark, and possibly the last. Particle physicists sometimes refer to it as the "truth” quark, not always with tongue in cheek. The top quark might be just an ordinary quark, no stranger than the "strange" one, but it might hold the key to major questions of Nature through its connection to the origin of mass, the Higgs boson, and cosmic dark matter. At the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory outside Chicago, hundreds of these heavy quarks have been observed and some first snapshots of their behavior have been obtained. At the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, millions of the heavy quarks will be produced. This lecture will review current knowledge of the top quark and explain how this knowledge has been obtained through experiments at the giant particle accelerators. Future experiments, which might reveal the top quark's deeper mysteries, will also be described.

The Robotic Scientist: Mining experimental data for scientific laws, from cognitive robotics to computational biology
Date: 2010-02-03
Speaker(s): Hod Lipson
Link: https://pirsa.org/09020048
Abstract: For centuries, scientists have attempted to identify analytical laws that underlie physical phenomena in nature. Despite today’s computing power, the process of finding natural laws and their corresponding equations has resisted automation. A key challenge to finding analytic relations automatically – that is, building an autonomous robot - is defining algorithmically what makes a correlation in observed data important and insightful. Scientists are gradually uncovering an ‘alphabet’ that can be used to describe the simplest to most complex physical systems – and by seeking dynamical invariants, researchers go from finding simple predictive models to discovering deeper natural laws. Dr. Lipson will demonstrate the process on a variety of mechanical, biological, and robotic systems.

The quantum world: from weird to wired
Date: 2010-03-03
Speaker(s): Joseph Emerson
Link: https://pirsa.org/10030119
Abstract: Does quantum mechanics really tell us that particles, molecules, and maybe even cats, can be in two places at once? Does it force us to deny a reality that is independent of our observation? How can scientists disagree about what quantum mechanics means and yet still agree that it is right? Joseph Emerson, co-writer of the award-winning documentary “The Quantum Tamers”, will address these questions and then describe, drawing on preview clips from the documentary, how the weirdness of the quantum world is now being harnessed for a ‘quantum information revolution’ that includes quantum teleportation, super-secure quantum communication, and the exponential power of quantum computation.

The Science of Galaxy Zoo, or What 250,000 astronomers can tell us about the Universe
Date: 2010-04-07
Speaker(s): Chris Lintott
Link: https://pirsa.org/10040112
Abstract: Since its launch in 2007, the website Galaxy Zoo (www.galaxyzoo.org) has become the largest astronomical collaboration in history, involving more than 250,00 volunteers in classifying galaxies. Humans outperform computers at this kind of visual classification, and the results from Galaxy Zoo have been spectacular. As well as reviewing the intimate connections between the delicate process of galaxy formation and the evolution of our Universe, this talk will include a review of the weird and wonderful objects identified by Galaxy Zoo users and a few tales from the ups and downs of citizen science.

Searching for the Quantum Origins of Space and Time
Date: 2010-05-05
Speaker(s): Renate Loll
Link: https://pirsa.org/10050095
Abstract: Einstein's theory of General Relativity has taught us that empty space (or, more precisely, spacetime) is in itself a dynamical and wonderfully rich entity for both theoretical physicists and science fiction authors alike. Although it may stretch our imagination, astrophysical observations leave little doubt that spacetime can bend, move and vibrate. If we want to explain these phenomena from an underlying microscopic and more fundamental structure, we need to bring in quantum theory, leading to even more exotic possibilities such as spacetime foam and wormholes. Do they really exist? How would we know? Are they in conflict with known physics? At least some of these questions may already be within the reach of our fundamental physical theories, not just qualitatively, but also quantitatively. In this talk, Professor Loll will share her insights into how much we know and how much we can still hope to learn about quantum gravity - the elusive quantum theory of space and time.

The Ubiquitous Bell Curve: What it does and doesn't tell us
Date: 2010-06-02
Speaker(s): N/A
Link: https://pirsa.org/10060096
Abstract: The Bell Curve is an extremely beautiful and elegant mathematical object that turns up – often in surprising ways – in all spheres of human life. The Curve was first used by astronomers to correct errors in their observations, but it soon found important applications in the social and medical sciences in the eighteen hundreds. Some philosophers believe that a new kind of human being was created around this time largely due to the growth of statistical reasoning in the arts and sciences. Dr. Mighton will speak about the consequences of this new way of thinking about people, and further insights from his play called “Risk”, in which he is dramatizing these ideas. The Bell Curve also figures prominently in education as our school system is based on the implicit belief that there are natural, wide bell curves in achievement in students. In this lecture, Dr. Mighton will share evidence that this belief is false and he will describe how the arts and sciences, and society in general, might benefit if we rejected this belief.

Why did Isaac Newton Believe in Alchemy?
Date: 2010-10-06
Speaker(s): William Newman
Link: https://pirsa.org/10100096
Abstract: Isaac Newton is known today as one of the most profound scientists to have ever lived. Newton's discoveries in physics, optics, and mathematics overturned a variety of fundamental beliefs about nature and reshaped science in ways that are still powerfully with us. But this is only part of Newton's fascinating story. Research over the last generation has revealed that the famous scientist spent over thirty years composing, transcribing, and expounding alchemical texts, resulting in a mass of papers totaling about a million manuscript words. In fact, Newton seems to have considered himself one of an elite alchemical brotherhood, even going so far as to coin private anagrams of his name in the secretive custom of the sons of art. Despite our growing knowledge of Newton's deep involvement in alchemy, one basic question remains to be answered Why did the founder of Newtonian physics believe in alchemy, a discipline long viewed as discredited in the modern scientific world? William R. Newman's lecture will attempt to arrive at an answer to that question by providing the evidence that led seventeenth-century thinkers to an acceptance of alchemical transmutation.

Quantum Life
Date: 2010-11-03
Speaker(s): Seth Lloyd
Link: https://pirsa.org/10110077
Abstract: Recent experimental evidence suggests that living organisms are using quantum mechanics in a sophisticated fashion to enhance the efficiency of photosynthesis. Bacteria are essentially performing a quantum computation to extract energy from light. I will show how plants and bacteria perform quantum information processing, and will discuss how living creatures engage in all sorts of quantum hanky-panky in their efforts to survive and reproduce.

Stopping Time
Date: 2010-12-01
Speaker(s): Eric Mazur
Link: https://pirsa.org/10120038
Abstract: Time is of philosophical interest as well as the subject of mathematical and scientific research. Even though it is a concept familiar to most, the passage of time remains one of the greatest enigmas of the universe. The philosopher Augustine once said: "What then is time? If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I wish to explain it to him who asks me, I do not know." The concept time indeed cannot be explained in simple terms. Emotions, life, and death - all are related to our interpretation of the irreversible flow of time. After a discussion of the concept of time, Prof. Mazur will review historical attempts to "stop time", that is, to capture events of very short duration and then present an overview of current research into ultrafast processes using short laser pulses.

Exoplanets and the Search for Habitable Worlds
Date: 2011-01-26
Speaker(s): Sara Seager
Link: https://pirsa.org/11010116
Abstract: For thousands of years people have wondered, "Are we alone?" Out of the 500 planets so far known to orbit nearby stars, about 100 transit their host stars, that is, the planet goes in front of its star as seen from Earth. The transiting planets are "goldmines" for astronomers, because the planetary sizes, masses, and atmospheres can be routinely measured. NASA's Kepler Space Telescope is further revolutionizing transiting exoplanet studies with its unprecedented photometric precision. Dr. Seager will share her unique insights as a member of the Kepler Science Team including a discussion of recent Kepler announcements. She will also share information on the pioneering technology development that will fuel the search for life on other worlds.

My Top 10 Bonkers Things About the Universe
Date: 2011-03-02
Speaker(s): Marcus Chown
Link: https://pirsa.org/11030124
Abstract: Did you know you could fit the entire human race in the volume of a sugar cube? Or that, if the Sun were made of bananas, it wouldn't make much difference? Or that 98 per cent of the Universe is invisible? Award-winning science writer Marcus Chown invites you to come along and discover how the Universe we live in is far stranger than anything we could possibly have invented.

Twistors and Quantum Non-Locality
Date: 2011-04-06
Speaker(s): Roger Penrose
Link: https://pirsa.org/11040119
Abstract: Space and time are two of the universe's most fundamental elements. Relativity combines these two into the unified notion of space-time, but twistor theory goes beyond this replacing both by something entirely different, where the basic elements are the paths taken by particles of light or other particles without mass. Twistor theory has already found powerful applications in the field of high-energy physics. The creation of twistor theory was motivated with the hope that it would shed light on the foundations of quantum physics, a theory that puzzled even Einstein, particularly through the weird effects of quantum non-localityA¢A€A”the phenomenon whereby the behaviour of quantum particles can seem to have instantaneous effects over large distances. In this lecture, Prof. Penrose will describe a deep link between twistor theory and the simplest form of quantum non-locality and how the connection may be generalized in ways that provide a broader understanding of the phenomenon.

Systems Biology, Emerging Technologies and The Transformation from Reactive to Proactive (P4) Medicine
Date: 2011-05-04
Speaker(s): N/A
Link: https://pirsa.org/11050071
Abstract: Imagine medicine that is predictive, personalized, preventive and participatory

Living Through Four Revolutions
Date: 2011-06-01
Speaker(s): Freeman Dyson
Link: https://pirsa.org/11060094
Abstract: I belong to the lucky generation who survived World War Two and unexpectedly found ourselves alive and young at the dawn of four simultaneous revolutions. We were present at the creation of four new technologies that were to continue transforming the world for the following sixty-five years. First revolution, Space, beginning with the first spacecraft, the V2 rocket, which came crashing down on our heads in London in the last year of the war. Second revolution, Nuclear Energy, beginning with the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Third revolution, Genomes, beginning with the experiment of Oswald Avery in 1944 which proved that the molecule DNA was the carrier of genetic information. Fourth revolution, Computers, beginning with the first electronic computer ENIAC which started operation in 1946. All four revolutions burst out within two years and gave us our chance to play small roles in big events. They gave drama and excitement to our lives.

Origins of the Digital Universe
Date: 2011-09-18
Speaker(s): N/A
Link: https://pirsa.org/11090140
Abstract: Some numbers mean things, and some numbers do things. Making--and breaking--that distinction was central to renowned mathematician John von Neumanna€™s implementation of Alan Turinga€™s Universal Machine in 1945-56. In this lecture, you will learn about the unlikeliest place on earth to build such a device and how this vital 5-kilobyte step in the digital revolution was sparked by a collision of ideas between mathematicians and engineers. Combining soldering guns with science, Von Neumann and his Electronic Computing Instrument tackled previously intractable problems ranging from thermonuclear explosions, stellar evolution, and long-range weather forecasting to cellular automata, network optimization, and the origins of life. In this highly visual and informative presentation, George Dyson will impart the full story - from the people to their processors - and where our digital directions through history may lead us next.

Programmable Matter: The Shape of Things to Come
Date: 2011-09-18
Speaker(s): Hod Lipson
Link: https://pirsa.org/11090137
Abstract: Learn about the future of a€œ3D Printersa€ a€“ machines that will fabricate arbitrary-shaped parts, layer by layer. Dr. Lipson will share a history of these technologies and preview a future in which we continue to gain unprecedented control over physical matter. If humans distinguish themselves from their evolutionary ancestors by making tools, then how might the ultimate tools a€“ involving additive manufacturing a€“ impact human culture forever? Dr. Lipson explores the science, technology and potential of programmable matter.

Smash, Bang, Boom: Fundamental Physics at the LHC
Date: 2011-09-18
Speaker(s): Natalia Toro
Link: https://pirsa.org/11090139
Abstract: The world's most ambitious scientific experiment is buried 100 meters underground, straddling Switzerland and France. A billion times every minute, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) slams together protons, while four giant detectors watch closely. - So how does the Large Hadron Collider work? - Why can slamming tiny particles into each other provide clues about the nature of all space and time? - What mysteries are physicists trying to solve with data from the LHC? - How does the cutting edge of particle physics relate to the world around us, from the patterns of stars in the sky to the fact that they shine at all? Natalia Toro, PI Faculty, works at the intersection of theories and hard data. She will explain how complex collision data from the LHC is being digested and examined right now, and how it may set the course for the science of the future.

Perspectives from Space: Research and Collaboration
Date: 2011-09-18
Speaker(s): Julie Payette
Link: https://pirsa.org/11090138
Abstract: With a background in computer and systems engineering as well as language processing and automatic speech recognition, Ms. Payette was selected from a pool of 5,330 candidates to become a Canadian astronaut, focusing on technical issues in robotics. Today, following her amazing professional career and numerous life experiences, Ms. Payette is veteran of two missions to the International Space Station as a crew member and Flight Engineer. She also holds a commercial pilot license; earned military pilot captaincy on the 'Snowbird' jets; is a certified deep-sea diving suit operator; is fluent in French and English, and can converse in Spanish, Italian, Russian and German. She has received many awards, holds numerous degrees and, on a personal note, plays the piano and has sung with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Piacere Vocale in Basel, Switzerland, and the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra in Toronto. Drawing from her many firsthand experiences and zest for life, Ms. Payette will share an astronaut's high level perspective on extraordinarily complex, yet highly collaborative, challenges in space - from both a research and international diplomacy policy point of view.

Spacetime Atoms and the Unity of Physics
Date: 2011-11-02
Speaker(s): Fay Dowker
Link: https://pirsa.org/11110125
Abstract: Black holes are hot! This discovery made by Stephen Hawking ties together gravity, spacetime, quantum matter, and thermal systems into the beautiful and exciting science of "Black Hole Thermodynamics". Its beauty lies in the powerful way it speaks of the unity of physics. The excitement arises because it tells us that there is something lacking in our understanding of spacetime and, at the same time, gives us a major clue as to what the missing ingredient should be. Theoretical physicists at Perimeter Institute and elsewhere are pioneering a proposal, known as Causal Set Theory, for the structure held by these most fundamental atoms of spacetime. In this talk, Professor Dowker describes black hole thermodynamics and argue that it is telling us that spacetime itself is granular or "atomic" at very tiny scales.

Paul Dirac and the Religion of Mathematical Beauty
Date: 2011-12-14
Speaker(s): Graham Farmelo
Link: https://pirsa.org/11120046
Abstract: Apart from Einstein, Paul Dirac was probably the greatest theoretical physicist of the twentieth century. Dirac, co-inventor of the most revolutionary theory for 150 years 'quantum mechanics' is now best known for conceiving of anti-matter in his head and also for his deeply eccentric behaviour. For him, the most important attribute of a fundamental theory was its mathematical beauty, an idea that he said was 'almost a religion' to him. In this talk, Farmelo will argue that this obsession originated in his early life and training as an engineer and mathematician. An examination of Dirac's character will show why he was sometimes called 'the strangest man' in the modern history of physics.

The Secret Life of a Snowflake: An Up-Close Look at the Science and the Splendor of Nature's Frozen Art
Date: 2012-02-01
Speaker(s): Kenneth Libbrecht
Link: https://pirsa.org/12020152
Abstract: How do snowflakes form?  What creates their complex, symmetrical and strikingly beautiful shapes?  Is it true that no two are exactly alike?  Kenneth Libbrecht of Caltech, will reveal the secrets of snowflakes and the molecular dynamics of crystal growth through spectacular photographs of these miniature ice sculptures.

Cosmic Mysteries
Date: 2012-03-07
Speaker(s): Richard Epp
Link: https://pirsa.org/12030138
Abstract: Albert Einstein wrote that “The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious.” In his talk, Dr. Epp will explore how the process of science—wonder & curiosity coupled with imagination & reasoning—has led to some of the greatest discoveries and deepest mysteries about the structure, evolution and origin of the universe.  This lecture will celebrate the power of science to deepen our sense of cosmic wonder as we stand before the present-day mysteries of Dark Matter, Dark Energy and the Big Bang.

The Square Kilometre Array - Shining a Flashlight into the Darkest Corners of the Universe
Date: 2012-04-04
Speaker(s): Lisa Harvey-Smith
Link: https://pirsa.org/12040126
Abstract: N/A

Songs of the Stars: the Real Music of the Spheres
Date: 2012-05-02
Speaker(s): Donald Kurtz
Link: https://pirsa.org/12050080
Abstract: N/A

Does Time Exist?
Date: 2012-06-06
Speaker(s): Julian Barbour
Link: https://pirsa.org/12060007
Abstract: N/A

Massey Lecture Kick-off - Neil Turok - The Universe Within
Date: 2012-10-03
Speaker(s): Neil Turok
Link: https://pirsa.org/12100057
Abstract: N/A

Massey Lecture - Other location
Date: 2012-10-03
Speaker(s): Neil Turok
Link: https://pirsa.org/12100133
Abstract: N/A

Discovery of the Higgs Boson: Sweet Dream or Nightmare
Date: 2012-11-07
Speaker(s): Melissa Franklin
Link: https://pirsa.org/12110055
Abstract: N/A

Curiosity: How Science Became Interested in Everything
Date: 2012-12-05
Speaker(s): Philip Ball
Link: https://pirsa.org/12120004
Abstract: N/A

How To Catch Einstein's Wave, and See Black Holes in the Process
Date: 2013-02-06
Speaker(s): Gabriela Gonzalez
Link: https://pirsa.org/13020119
Abstract: Gravitational waves are "ripples of space-time" that were predicted by Einstein's theory of General Relativity almost a century ago.  The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) now pushes the frontiers of science and engineering to try and catch these waves for the first time.  This will allow us to explore the last dance of pairs of neutron stars colliding to give birth to a black hole and other astrophysical events in a way humans never have before.  Dr. Gonzalez will describe how a worldwide community of scientists is working to open a new window to the Universe searching for Einstein's gravitational waves.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN KAMCHATKA: THE EXTRAORDINARY SEARCH FOR NATURAL QUASICRYSTALS
Date: 2013-03-06
Speaker(s): N/A
Link: https://pirsa.org/13030076
Abstract: A quasicrystal is an exotic state of matter with symmetries once thought to be impossible for matter. The concept was first introduced and the first examples were synthesized in the laboratory thirty years ago, but could Nature have beaten us to the punch? This talk will describe the search for the first natural quasicrystal, An adventure to the ends of the Earth and beyond and one of the wildest scientific stories you are ever likely to hear.

Time Reborn
Date: 2013-04-03
Speaker(s): Lee Smolin
Link: https://pirsa.org/13040103
Abstract: What is time?  Is our perception of time passing an illusion which hides a deeper, timeless reality?  Or is it real, indeed, the most real aspect of our experience of the world?  Einstein said that "the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion,"  and many contemporary theorists agree that time emerges from a more fundamental timeless quantum universe. But, in recent cosmological speculation, this timeless picture of nature seems to have reached a dead end, populated by infinite numbers of imagined unobservable universes.  In his talk, Lee Smolin explains why he changed his mind about the nature of time. Like many fellow theorists, he used to believe time is an illusion, but he now embraces the view that time is real and everything else, including the laws of nature, evolves.  Drawing from his new book, Time Reborn, Smolin explains how the great unsolved problems in physics and cosmology may be solved by adopting the view of a real time.  then he will go beyond physics to explain how our view of time affects how we think of everything from our personal and family lives to how we face major problems such as climate change and economic crisis.  In a world in which time is real, the future is open and there is an essential role for human agency and imagination in envisioning and shaping a good future.

Dangerous Curves: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Calculus
Date: 2013-05-01
Speaker(s): Jennifer Ouellette
Link: https://pirsa.org/13050004
Abstract: Based on her book, The Calculus Diaries, join, Jennifer Ouellette as she shows how calculus can be applied to everything from gas mileage, diet, the rides at Disneyland, surfing in Hawaii, shooting craps in Vegas and warding off zombies.  Even the mathematically challenged, can-and-should learn the fundamentals of the universal language.

In Praise of Weakness
Date: 2013-06-05
Speaker(s): Aephraim Steinberg
Link: https://pirsa.org/13060000
Abstract: While quantum mechanics is an immensely powerful and precise theory which seems to describe everything in the world, its insistence on only predicting what happens when we make "measurements" has left scientists and philosophers alike puzzled - as David Mermin summarized one of Einstein's concerns, "Is the moon there when nobody looks?" Dr. Steinberg will talk about some of the new ideas revolutionizing our view of quantum measurement, in particular the surprising advantages of measuring things "weakly" and suggest that new hints may be emerging about how we should think about Einstein's moon.

Alan Turing and the Enigma Machine
Date: 2013-09-30
Speaker(s): James Grime
Link: https://pirsa.org/13090086
Abstract: N/A

From Wonder To Wow: Why The Quantum Age Is Closer Than You Think
Date: 2013-10-01
Speaker(s): Raymond Laflamme
Link: https://pirsa.org/13100090
Abstract: The world around holds amazing properties. What is even more amazing is that we are able to understand them, to control them, and turn them in to technologies. From fire to electricity and magnetism, these properties have been tamed and have transformed society. But what is coming up? What are the properties of nature that will be tamed in the 21st century and impact all of us? Dr. Raymond Laflamme will describe how the quantum world behaves, share the latest breakthroughs and some of the biggest challenges ahead in the quest to build technologies based on quantum properties. Hear how researchers at the forefront of science are navigating and controlling the subatomic realm to develop new technologies that will change the ways we work, communicate, and live.

Staring into the Abyss
Date: 2013-11-06
Speaker(s): Avery Broderick
Link: https://pirsa.org/13110064
Abstract: Nearly a century after their discovery, black holes remain one of the most striking, and problematic predictions of general relativity. Even more unsettling is the fact that they actually appear to exist! With only a handful of exceptions, every galaxy contains a supermassive behemoth, millions to billions as massive as the sun, at their center. These supermassive black holes are hardly incidental, they gravitationally power enormous outflows that rule the fates of their hosts. Despite the critical role they play in our understanding of gravity and impact upon the visible universe, actually testing their nature has remained beyond our reach - until now. Dr. Broderick will describe how astronomers are currently constructing (and operating) facilities that will image the horizons of black holes, and what we can already say about these enigmatic monsters in the dark.

The Secret to Engagement: Lessons from Video
Date: 2013-11-27
Speaker(s): Derek Muller
Link: https://pirsa.org/13110095
Abstract: Derek Muller from YouTube's Veritasium will present a webcast on Wednesday November 27, 2013 at 7pm EST from the Mike Lazaridis Theatre of Ideas at Perimeter Institute.Derek will discuss the question: Do videos really improve student learning? Derek’s PhD in physics education research suggests the answer may be no! In this one hour talk, he will share insights from his research as well as the incredible physics phenomena he has captured for his YouTube channel.Derek Muller created the popular YouTube channel Veritasium in January 2011. With almost 1 million subscribers, Derek’s 140 videos have received over 45 million views.

The Planet Within: Caves from Earth to Mars and Beyond
Date: 2013-12-04
Speaker(s): Penelope Boston
Link: https://pirsa.org/13120045
Abstract: We can set foot on faraway planets, in a sense, by exploring the world beneath ourfeet. Underground caves provide unique insights into what we might find beneathalien landscapes. We are studying caves on Earth to understand how theyform, the spectacular minerals they produce, and the unusual creatures – frommicrobes to vertebrates – that thrive in them. By understanding the caves of our own planet, we can use them as models for thesubsurfaces of other planets. This work provides insights into the lava tubeson celestial bodies including Mars and our Moon, as well as possible dissolvedcaves on Titan, which orbits Saturn. There are many possibilities surroundingcave formation on practically every type of object in the Solar System. Some of the most extreme cave environments on Earth are inhabited by an amazing arrayof microorganisms. Some of these creatures eat their way through bedrock,some live in hyperacid conditions, some produce unusual biominerals and rarecave formations, and many produce compounds of potential pharmaceutical andindustrial significance. We study these unique organisms and the physicaland chemical biosignatures they leave behind. Such traces can beused to provide a “Field Guide to Unknown Organisms” for developing life-detectionspace missions. Additionally, the lava tubes clearly present on Marsand the Moon can provide the basis for future human habitations on thoseplanets.

The National Ignition Facility: Pathway to Energy Security and Physics of the Cosmos
Date: 2014-02-05
Speaker(s): Edward Moses
Link: https://pirsa.org/14020148
Abstract: The National Ignition Facility (NIF), at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, is the world’s most energetic laser system. NIF is capable of producing over 1.8 MJ and 500 TW of ultraviolet light, 100 times more than any other operating laser. By concentrating intense laser energy into targets only millimeters in length, NIF can, for the first time, produce conditions emulating those found in planetary interiors and stellar environments and creating fusion energy to power our future. The extreme conditions of energy density, pressure, and temperature will enable scientists to pursue fundamental science experiments designed to address a range of scientific questions, from observing new states of matter to exploring the origin of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays. This talk will describe the unprecedented experimental capabilities of the NIF, its role in strategic security and fundamental science, and the pathway to achieving fusion ignition to create a clean and secure energy future.

The Unreasonable Effectiveness Of Quantum Physics in Modern Mathematics
Date: 2014-03-05
Speaker(s): Robbert Dijkgraaf
Link: https://pirsa.org/14030094
Abstract: Mathematics has proven to be "unreasonably effective" in understanding nature. The fundamental laws of physics can be captured in beautiful formulae. In this lecture I want to argue for the reverse effect: Nature is an important source of inspiration for mathematics, even of the purest kind. In recent years ideas from quantum field theory, elementary particles physics and string theory have completely transformed mathematics, leading to solutions of deep problems, suggesting new invariants in geometry and topology, and, perhaps most importantly, putting modern mathematical ideas in a `natural’ context.

The Future of Physics: Kate Lunau in Conversation With Emerging Talent at Perimeter Institute
Date: 2014-04-02
Speaker(s): Kate Lunau
Link: https://pirsa.org/14040076
Abstract: N/A

Behind the Scenes of the Universe: From the Higgs to Dark Matter
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker(s): Gianfranco Bertone
Link: https://pirsa.org/14050022
Abstract: N/A

From the Mathematics of Supersymmetry to the Music of Arnold Schoenberg
Date: 2014-06-04
Speaker(s): S. James Gates Jr.
Link: https://pirsa.org/14060048
Abstract: The concept of supersymmetry, though never observed in nature, has driven a great deal of research in theoretical physics over the past several decades. Much has been learned through this research, but many unresolved questions remain. This presentation will describe how these questions can lead one down a surprising path: toward the dodecaphony of Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg.

Quantum Entanglement and Superconductivity
Date: 2014-10-01
Speaker(s): Subir Sachdev
Link: https://pirsa.org/14100080
Abstract: Einstein called it “spooky action at a distance.” Entanglement is a counterintuitive feature of quantum theory by which two particles are deeply correlated even when separated by vast distances, such that a measurement of one particle instantaneously determines the state of another. Remarkably, quantum entanglement can also happen en masse, determining the macroscopic properties of many electrons in certain crystals. These newly discovered states of matter could lead to practical high-temperature superconductors, which promise tremendous advances in technologies spanning medicine, clean energy, transportation, and more. Dr. Subir Sachdev, a leading researcher in the field, will explain new experiments in high-temperature superconductivity, and even do a live demonstration of superconducting levitation. He will even explore the unexpected new connections between these earthbound experiments and the strange quantum behaviour of black holes.

Quantum Mechanics and Spacetime in the 21st Century
Date: 2014-11-06
Speaker(s): Nima Arkani-Hamed
Link: https://pirsa.org/14110127
Abstract: N/A

Interstellar Voyaging
Date: 2014-12-03
Speaker(s): Cameron Smith
Link: https://pirsa.org/14120023
Abstract: Interstellar Voyaging The discovery of countless exoplanets and new ideas in propulsion physics have resurrected international interest in the ancient concept of humanity traveling far beyond Earth. Such voyages will take place over many generations, requiring careful attention to both biological and cultural change over time. In this talk I will outline the foundations of a biocultural science of long-term space settlement.

Kendrick Smith, Perimeter Institute
Date: 2015-02-04
Speaker(s): Kendrick Smith
Link: https://pirsa.org/15020120
Abstract: Cosmology in the 21st Century Revolutionary progress has been achieved in the science of cosmology over the past 30 years. Powerful experiments, made possible by new technologies, have transformed our understanding of the universe. We have unveiled the laws of physics that govern time and space on the grandest scales, from the big bang to present day. The universe, we’ve learned, is full surprises. For instance, dark matter – the invisible gravitational glue that permeates the vast majority of the universe – remains one of the greatest unsolved puzzles of astrophysics. Nor do we yet fully understand the quantum mechanical nature of the big bang, or the universe’s current transition into a new stage of rapid expansion. Perhaps most surprising is how remarkably simple these phenomena are to describe, yet so vexing to comprehensively explain.  But as the pace of discovery continues to accelerate, so too will our ability to decode these grandest of puzzles. During his public lecture, Perimeter Institute cosmologist Kendrick Smith will take the audience on a journey of discovery through the expanding universe, from the big bang to our present-day understanding of dark matter and other cosmic phenomena. He will explore the yet-unsolved mysteries of the universe, and explain how new research aims to shed light on these deep questions.

WATER STRESS: SEEKING SOLUTIONS IN THE UNUSUAL PROPERTIES OF WATER
Date: 2015-03-04
Speaker(s): N/A
Link: https://pirsa.org/15030118
Abstract: Water Stress: Seeking Solutions in the Unusual Properties of Water Water is ubiquitous, but the availability of fresh water is limited. Today, one in six people is under “water stress,” meaning that they have no access to clean water. It is one of the many paradoxes of water. This essential liquid, which in many ways is so commonplace, is also very peculiar. Water behaves differently than other materials in more than 70 ways. These anomalies not only keep our bodies in balance, but secure the thermal stability of our planet as well. Whereas most liquids contract when cooled, water does the opposite – it expands as temperature drops, which, among other effects, allows fish to survive the winter. What’s more, water diffuses more quickly as a system becomes denser – the opposite behaviour to most other fluids. In her Perimeter Institute Public Lecture, physicist Dr. Marcia C. Barbosa will examine how we can better understand this precious resource that is both incredibly abundant on Earth, yet dangerously scarce to millions of people. Decoding the strange properties of water, Barbosa argues, may be essential to resolving the widespread problem of water stress.

The Most Wanted Particle
Date: 2015-04-01
Speaker(s): Jon Butterworth
Link: https://pirsa.org/15040116
Abstract: The Most Wanted Particle In what promises to be a smashing public lecture, Jon Butterworth will give a personal account of what it is like to work on the largest experiment ever built, the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. He will recount the excitement and tension surrounding the quest, under unprecedented media and public attention, to find the famous Higgs boson. Butterworth, a physics professor at University College London (UCL), will explain the motivation and importance of the Higgs search, discuss his specific research at CERN’s ATLAS detector, and speculate on the exciting breakthroughs that still await in the world of high-energy physics.

Amanda Peet, University of Toronto and Perimeter Institute
Date: 2015-05-06
Speaker(s): A.W. Peet
Link: https://pirsa.org/15050119
Abstract: String Theory LEGOs for Black Holes Four decades ago, Stephen Hawking posed a paradox about black holes and quantum theory that still challenges the imaginations of theoretical physicists today. One of the most promising approaches to resolving the "information paradox" (the notion that nothing, not even information itself, survives beyond a black hole's point-of-no-return event horizon) is string theory, a part of modern physics that has wiggled its way into the popular consciousness. Dr. Amanda Peet, a physicist at the University of Toronto, will describe how the string toolbox allows study of the extreme physics of black holes in new and fruitful ways. Dr. Peet will unpack that toolbox to reveal the versatility of strings and (mem)branes, and will explore the intriguing notion that the world may be a hologram.

Niels Bohr: Life Behind the Physics
Date: 2015-06-03
Speaker(s): Vilhelm Bohr
Link: https://pirsa.org/15060019
Abstract: Niels Bohr was Nobel-winning physicist – a pioneer of quantum theory – but his influence extended far beyond his own research. He was a gifted teacher who established one of the 20th century’s most important centres for physics, and was instrumental in the development of physics worldwide. He became a statesman following the Second World War, calling for international cooperation to avoid nuclear conflict. Bohr’s legacy – in science, humanitarianism, and family – spans generations, as his grandson will illustrate during a special public lecture webcast at Perimeter Institute. Dr. Vilhelm Bohr, a researcher at the National Institute on Aging in Maryland and Chairman of the Niels Bohr Archive in Copenhagen, will provide unique insights into his grandfather’s multifaceted personality, as well as the important influence of Niels Bohr’s father, wife, and brother.

Neil Turok: The Astonishing Simplicity of Everything
Date: 2015-10-07
Speaker(s): Neil Turok
Link: https://pirsa.org/15100070
Abstract: Fundamental physics has reached a turning point. The most powerful experiments ever devised are revealing the structure of the universe with unprecedented clarity. On the largest scales – the whole visible universe – and the tiniest, we are discovering remarkable simplicity, which our theories do not yet explain. In between, things are complex. But here too, new technologies are allowing us to access the quantum frontier, opening up new high-precision probes of the fundamental laws of nature and revolutionary new technologies. We stand on the threshold of breakthroughs, both theoretical and experimental, which could change our picture of the world and the development of our society.

David Wineland: Keeping Better Time: The Era of Optical Atomic Clocks
Date: 2015-11-04
Speaker(s): David Wineland
Link: https://pirsa.org/15110060
Abstract: Atomic clocks are the most precise timekeepers ever built. If you could keep an advanced atomic clock running long enough, it would neither gain nor lose a single second over the entire lifespan of the universe. With the availability of spectrally pure lasers and the ability to precisely measure optical frequencies, it appears the era of optical atomic clocks has begun. Advances in atomic clocks are expected to be important in a range of emerging technological applications, including quantum computers. Dr. David Wineland, 2012 Nobel Laureate in Physics, will explore the theoretical and technological know-how needed to build these ultra-precise timepieces during his Perimeter Institute Public Lecture on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Paul Schaffer: Get a Half-Life: Isotopes as the unlikely Hero of Modern Mediicine
Date: 2015-12-02
Speaker(s): Paul Schaffer
Link: https://pirsa.org/15120020
Abstract: Emerging techniques and technologies, drawn from many fields of science and medicine, are allowing us to peer inside the human body with unprecedented sensitivity and to probe the fundamental processes of life – in real time. TRIUMF’s Life Sciences Division is making such studies possible with isotopes, short-lived elements that are harnessed and incorporated into next generation pharmaceuticals designed to provide incredible insight into the complex systems that make up life. With its specialized expertise and facilities in particle accelerator targets, isotope production, and radiochemistry, TRIUMF – Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics and accelerator-based science – has unique capabilities in this area. In his talk, Dr. Paul Schaffer, Associate Laboratory Director of TRIUMF’s Life Sciences Division, will explore how he and his team use accelerators to develop tools and techniques to advance the field of nuclear medicine. He’ll share leading-edge developments and discuss the promise advanced medical isotopes hold for disease diagnostics and therapeutics, as well as talk about his team’s award-winning efforts to produce a secure supply of critical medical isotopes.

Victoria Kaspi: The Cosmic Gift of Neutron Stars
Date: 2016-02-03
Speaker(s): Victoria Kaspi
Link: https://pirsa.org/16020084
Abstract: Neutron stars are a celestial gift to scientists. These incredibly dense collapsed stars act as very precise cosmic beacons that help shed light on some of the most challenging problems in modern physics. In her Feb. 3 talk at Perimeter Institute, astrophysicist Victoria Kaspi will explore these strange objects, explain how astronomers are using them to study issues ranging from the origins of the universe to the very nature of matter, and even let the audience hear the cosmic symphony they create.

Katherine Freese: The Dark Side of the Universe
Date: 2016-03-02
Speaker(s): Katherine Freese
Link: https://pirsa.org/16030084
Abstract: The ordinary atoms that make up the known universe, from our bodies and the air we breathe to the planets and stars, constitute only 5 percent of all matter and energy in the cosmos. The remaining 95 percent is a recipe of 25 percent dark matter and 70 percent dark energy, both nonluminous components whose nature remains a mystery. In her March 2 public lecture, Katherine Freese will recount the hunt for dark matter, from the discoveries of visionary scientists like Fritz Zwicky, the Swiss astronomer who coined the term "dark matter" in 1933, to the deluge of data today from underground laboratories, satellites in space, and the Large Hadron Collider.

Art McDonald: A Deeper Understanding of the Universe from 2 km Underground
Date: 2016-04-13
Speaker(s): Arthur B. McDonald
Link: https://pirsa.org/16040065
Abstract: By creating an ultra-clean underground location with a highly reduced radioactive background, otherwise impossible measurements can be performed to study fundamental physics, astrophysics and cosmology. The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) was a 1,000 tonne heavy-water-based neutrino detector created 2 km underground in a mine near Sudbury, Canada. SNO has used neutrinos from 8B decay in the Sun to observe one neutrino reaction sensitive only to solar electron neutrinos and others sensitive to all active neutrino flavors. It found clear evidence for neutrino flavor change that also requires that neutrinos have non-zero mass. This requires modification of the Standard Model for Elementary Particles and confirms solar model calculations with great accuracy. The 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics and the 2016 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics were awarded for these measurements. Future measurements at the expanded SNOLAB facility will search for Dark Matter particles thought to make up 26% of our Universe and rare forms of radioactivity that can tell us further fundamental properties of neutrinos potentially related to the origin of our matter-dominated Universe.

Tim Palmer: Climate Change, Chaos and Inexact Computing
Date: 2016-05-04
Speaker(s): Tim Palmer
Link: https://pirsa.org/16050018
Abstract: How well can we predict our future climate? If the flap of a butterfly’s wings can change the course of weather a week or so from now, what hope trying to predict anything about our climate a hundred years hence? In this talk I will discuss the science of climate change from a perspective which emphasises the chaotic (and hence uncertain) nature of our climate system. In so doing I will outline the fundamentals of climate modelling, and discuss the emerging concept of inexact supercomputing, needed - paradoxically perhaps - if we are to increase the accuracy of predictions from these models. Indeed, revising the notion of a supercomputer from its traditional role as a fast but precise deterministic calculating machine, may be important not only for climate prediction, but also for other areas of science such as astrophysics, cosmology and neuroscience.

Mario Livio: Brilliant Blunders
Date: 2016-06-01
Speaker(s): N/A
Link: https://pirsa.org/16060004
Abstract: Even the greatest scientists have made some serious blunders. "Brilliant Blunders" concerns the evolution of life on Earth, of the Earth itself, of stars, and of the universe as a whole. In this talk, astrophysicist Dr. Mario Livio will explore and analyze major errors committed by such luminaries as Charles Darwin, Linus Pauling, and Albert Einstein. Dr. Livio will scrutinize the various types of blunders and attempt to explain how they happen. Blunders are not only inevitable, argues Dr. Livio, but also an integral component of the process of science.

Public Lecture = Mike Mosca
Date: 2016-10-05
Speaker(s): N/A
Link: https://pirsa.org/16100059
Abstract: N/A

Michael Cates: Bulletproof Custard: Fluids That Stop Flowing When You Push Them Too Hard
Date: 2016-11-02
Speaker(s): Michael Cates
Link: https://pirsa.org/16110034
Abstract: When small, hard particles are suspended in a fluid, they make it more resistant to flow. The higher the particle concentration, the higher the viscosity. Add enough particles and fluid stops flowing entirely, becoming a jammed solid - this makes intuitive sense. Less intuitive and more intriguing are suspensions that flow smoothly if pushed gently, but that suddenly solidify if you push too hard. This behaviour is called Discontinuous Shear Thickening (DST). You can try it yourself by mixing cornstarch with water - in the right proportions, the mixture will flow smoothly when stirred gently, but will refuse to flow at all if stirred too hard. More than an interesting kitchen trick, DST has important real-world consequences. It can cause catastrophic failure of industrial pumping equipment, but can also have life-saving applications to bulletproof vests. For many years, the mechanism behind DST was unclear, but we have very recently found a new and stunningly simple explanation based on the idea that the contacts between particles become less lubricated and more frictional as the force between them increases. Although this dependence is typically gradual, when a fluid gets close to the “jamming” point, global instabilities can result in the sudden switching from liquid to solid. Michael Cates (Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, University of Cambridge) will explain this peculiar form of “bulletproof custard” with a few equations, plenty of diagrams, and even some hands-on demonstrations.

Molly Shoichet: Engineering Change in Medicine
Date: 2016-12-07
Speaker(s): Molly Shoichet
Link: https://pirsa.org/16120004
Abstract: Imagine going beyond treating the symptoms of disease and instead stopping it and reversing it. This is the promise of regenerative medicine. In her Perimeter Institute public lecture, Prof. Molly Shoichet will tell three compelling stories that are relevant to cancer, blindness and stroke. In each story, the underlying innovation in chemistry, engineering, and biology will be highlighted with the opportunities that lay ahead.  To make it personal, Shoichet’s lab has figured out how to grow cells in an environment that mimics that of the native environment. Now she has the opportunity to grow a patient’s cancer cells in the lab and figure out which drugs will be most effective for that individual.  In blindness, the cells at the back of the eye often die. We can slow the progression of disease but we cannot stop it because there is no way to replace those cells. With a newly engineered biomaterial, Shoichet’s lab can now transplant cells to the back of the eye and achieve some functional repair.  The holy grail of regenerative medicine is stimulation of the stem cells resident in us. The challenge is to figure out how to stimulate those cells to promote repair. Using a drug-infused “band-aid” applied directly on the brain, Shoichet’s team achieved tissue repair.  These three stories underline the opportunity of collaborative, multi-disciplinary research. It is exciting to think what we will discover as this research continues to unfold.

James Weatherall: The Physics of Wall Street
Date: 2017-02-01
Speaker(s): James Weatherall
Link: https://pirsa.org/17020000
Abstract: Twenty-first century finance is built on complex mathematical tools developed by “quants,” a different breed of investor with expertise in fields such as physics, mathematics, and computer science. These models have been the basis for both new trading strategies and new financial products, leading to untold wealth. In some cases, however, these models have done more damage than good, making markets less stable and introducing new systemic risk. In this talk, Dr. James Weatherall will tell the story of how in the aftermath of World War II, some innovative physicists and mathematicians saw surprising connections between physics, gambling, and finance, and put those connections to use to become the first quants. Dr. Weatherall will introduce some of the ideas behind modern quantitative trading and show how the history of mathematical reasoning in finance reveals that these models can be extremely useful-but only if we understand their limitations.

Amber Straughn: A New Era in Astronomy: NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope
Date: 2017-03-01
Speaker(s): Amber Straughn
Link: https://pirsa.org/17030000
Abstract: The Hubble Space Telescope has completely revolutionized our understanding of the universe, and has become a beloved icon of popular culture. As revolutionary as Hubble has been, we have pushed it to its scientific limits in many ways. Hubble’s successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, has been in the works for almost two decades and is scheduled to launch in late 2018. It will be 100 times more powerful than Hubble. In her Perimeter Public Lecture, Dr. Amber Straughn will provide an update on the progress of building the world’s largest-yet space telescope, and will give an overview of the astronomical questions we hope to answer with Webb. These questions get to the heart of what it means to be human: Where did we come from? How did we get here? Are we alone?

Eugenia Cheng: How to Bake Pi
Date: 2017-04-05
Speaker(s): Eugenia Cheng
Link: https://pirsa.org/17040000
Abstract: Mathematics can be tasty! It’s a way of thinking, and not just about numbers. Through unexpectedly connected examples from music, juggling, and baking, Dr. Eugenia Cheng will demonstrate that math can be made fun and intriguing for all. Her interactive talk will feature hands-on activities, examples that everyone can relate to, and funny stories. She will present surprisingly high-level mathematics, including some advanced abstract algebra usually only seen by math majors and graduate students. There will be a distinct emphasis on edible examples.

Janna Levin: Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space
Date: 2017-05-03
Speaker(s): Janna Levin
Link: https://pirsa.org/17050000
Abstract: More than a billion years ago, two black holes collided. In the final second of their long life together, the black holes banged out a rhythm like mallets on a drum, creating gravitational waves – ripples in the shape of spacetime. One hundred years ago, Albert Einstein predicted the existence of such waves, though it seemed improbable – if not outright impossible – that we’d ever be able to actually detect them. They were long considered too faint for any earthbound experiment to measure. Undaunted, experimentalists were determined to measure these Lilliputian ripples, and after many decades of work and collaboration, they built LIGO – the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory. This incredible sophisticated and sensitive instrument was made to listen for the beat of that distant drum. In 2015, a billion years after the two black holes collided, their waves rippled through the LIGO detectors in Louisiana and Washington. With these remarkable new observatories, we can now capture the soundtrack to accompany the silent movie of the history of our universe.

THE TRUTH IS IN THE STARS, a Star Trek Documentary
Date: 2017-06-14
Speaker(s): N/A
Link: https://pirsa.org/16100057
Abstract: Join the original Captain Kirk, William Shatner, as he interviews renowned scientists and celebrities about the enduring influence of Star Trek on popular culture, innovation, and creativity.THE TRUTH IS IN THE STARS chronicles Shatner’s journey around the world to discover how Star Trek’s optimistic vision for the future has inspired leading minds including Perimeter Institute Director Neil Turok, Perimeter Founder Mike Lazaridis, Prof. Stephen Hawking, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chris Hadfield, David Suzuki, and many more.

Erik Verlinde: A new view on gravity and the dark side of the cosmos
Date: 2017-10-04
Speaker(s): Erik Verlinde
Link: https://pirsa.org/17100057
Abstract: Are we standing on the brink of a new scientific revolution that will radically change our views on space, time, and gravity? In most circumstances, the theories of Einstein and Newton adequately describe gravity, but on cosmological scales, big questions arise, particularly surrounding the nature of dark matter and dark energy. These questions are ushering in a revolution in theoretical physics – a completely new view on spacetime and gravity. Research in string theory and black hole physics, involving key concepts of quantum information theory, reveals a deep connection between the structure of spacetime and the origin of gravity. This research suggests that gravity is not a fundamental force of nature, but rather an emergent phenomenon, similar to how temperature is an emergent phenomenon that arises from the movement of particles. That is, gravity is a side-effect, not a cause, of what happens in the universe. In his public lecture, Dr. Erik Verlinde (University of Amsterdam) will explore the core ideas behind this research, and examine the implications of this fast-emerging revolution in our understanding of the universe.

Pauline Gagnon: Improbable Feats and Useless Discoveries
Date: 2017-11-08
Speaker(s): Pauline Gagnon
Link: https://pirsa.org/17110066
Abstract: As a child, Quebec native Pauline Gagnon dreamed of understanding what the universe was really made of. As an adult, she studied exactly that, working at the largest experiment ever built, CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. In her role as a Senior Research Scientist, based at Indiana University and working at CERN, she searched for dark matter particles in the decays of the famous Higgs boson, in the form of hypothetical particles called dark photons. Now retired from active research, Gagnon is dedicated to inspiring other curious minds of all ages to ponder the same big questions that fascinated her as a child. Having worked in the CERN Communications group, she is adept at explaining the complex science of particle physics in engaging, comprehensible ways. She has delivered nearly 100 presentations to audiences in nine countries on three continents. Gagnon’s popular science book, Who Cares about Particle Physics: Making Sense of the Higgs boson, the LHC and CERN, not only explains current issues in particle physics but also explores the importance of fundamental physics in shaping not only our understanding of the universe, but in shaping society as well. In her Perimeter Institute Public Lecture, Gagnon will explore the incredible (and improbable!) feats of ingenuity and cooperation that have led to one of humanity’s greatest experiments, and why such pioneering research, albeit “useless” in terms of everyday practicality, has changed the way we live and is vital to our collective future.

Robert Spekkens: The riddle of the quantum sphinx: quantum states and category mistakes
Date: 2018-02-07
Speaker(s): Robert Spekkens
Link: https://pirsa.org/18020008
Abstract: Science is like puzzle-solving. Making sense of quantum theory is a particularly thorny kind of brain-twister, with more than its fair share of mysteries. If you are stuck on a puzzle, it may be because you have made a false assumption about the nature of some entity that is absolutely central to the whole business. If so, you have made a category mistake: you are not just wrong about what this entity is, but about what sort of thing it is. In his Public Lecture at Perimeter Institute, Robert Spekkens will explain why he believes that many quantum mysteries are a result of a category mistake concerning the nature of quantum states. Along the way, he will address some idiosyncratic questions, such as: What did Plato have to say about Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle? What do poorly implemented clinical drug trials have to do with "spooky action at a distance"? And, most importantly, what did the successful deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphs teach us about the interpretation of quantum theory?  Spekkens is a faculty member at Perimeter Institute whose research examines the foundations of quantum theory. He co-edited the book Quantum Theory: Informational Foundations and Foils, and he is a Project Leader of the international research collaboration "Quantum Causal Structures.” In 2012, he won first prize in the Foundational Questions Institute (FQXi) essay contest "Questioning the Foundations: Which of Our Assumptions Are Wrong?" He lives in Waterloo with his wife and three-year-old son.

Emily Levesque: The Weirdest Stars in the Universe
Date: 2018-03-07
Speaker(s): Emily Levesque
Link: https://pirsa.org/18030008
Abstract: How big can a star get? Why would a star only pretend to explode? Can you hide one star inside another? Take a tour of some of the strangest stellar phenomena in the universe during this talk featuring Emily Levesque. From the biggest, brightest, and most volatile stars to the explosive fireworks of core-collapse supernovae and the fascinating physics of gravitational waves, "weird" stars serve as a common thread for exploring our universe's history, evolution, and extremes. Levesque will discuss the history of stellar astronomy, present-day observing techniques, and exciting new discoveries, and explore some of the most puzzling and bizarre objects being studied by astronomers today.

Rob Moore: Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences
Date: 2018-04-04
Speaker(s): Rob Moore
Link: https://pirsa.org/18040002
Abstract: From the Stone Age to the Silicon Age, nothing has had a more profound influence on the world than our understanding of the materials around us. The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century and the Information Revolution of the 20th were fueled by humankind’s ability to understand, harness, and control materials. Our ongoing quest to find and develop new kinds of materials, in hopes of tackling some of society’s most challenging energy problems, requires us to learn how to build materials from the atom up. Doing so means combining state-of-the-art technologies (such as growing thin-film materials) with cutting-edge techniques for probing the electron structure. Relatively recent advances in these fields have given researchers unprecedented understanding and insight into creating new materials with exotic and useful properties. In his public lecture at Perimeter Institute, Rob Moore will explore how the next great “age” of humankind may well be forged in this new quantum world of materials.

Roger Melko: Perimeter Institute and University of Waterloo
Date: 2018-05-02
Speaker(s): Roger Melko
Link: https://pirsa.org/18050000
Abstract: Can computers think? They can certainly calculate - with staggering speed and ever-increasing power - and they have driven scientific and technological advances that would have been impossible without them. Even so, we would like to believe that, for some puzzles, there's no substitute for old-fashioned human intuition. But this view may be changing. A new breed of machine learning algorithms have begun knocking down cognitive milestones that, until recently, scientists believed were still decades away. Major advances are being made in computer vision, language translation, autonomous robotic action, and other complex applications. At the same time, these new algorithms are helping scientists accelerate discovery in physics. This stunning progress poses as many questions as answers: What are the fundamental possibilities and limits of machine learning? Can we create true human-level artificial intelligence, and how might its thoughts differ from our own? What new breeds of computer will fuel artificial intelligence and, conversely, how will artificial intelligence enable new forms of computing? In his public lecture at Perimeter Institute, Roger Melko will explore how computers have helped humanity solve increasingly complex puzzles, and ask which challenges, if any, only human intuition is equipped to tackle.

Avery Broderick: Perimeter Institute and University of Waterloo
Date: 2018-10-03
Speaker(s): Avery Broderick
Link: https://pirsa.org/18100065
Abstract: Dr. Avery Broderick will provide a highly accessible and interesting lecture on the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) and international efforts to interpret horizon-resolving images of numerous supermassive black holes. Black holes are among the most powerful and mysterious phenomena in the universe. Almost every galaxy has at its core a supermassive black hole, millions or even billions of times more massive than our sun. Despite composing a small fraction of the galactic mass budgets, they set the stage for astrophysical dramas that dictate the fates of their hosts. Though black holes are in theory the ultimate manifestation of strong gravity’s impact on the visible universe, placing these exotic phenomena on concrete empirical footing has been impossible - until now.

Jocelyn Bell Burnell: University of Oxford
Date: 2018-10-25
Speaker(s): Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Link: https://pirsa.org/18100095
Abstract: Jocelyn Bell Burnell, winner of the 2018 Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, is an accomplished scientist and champion for women in physics. As a graduate student in 1967, she co-discovered pulsars, a breakthrough widely considered one of the most important scientific advances of the 20th century. When the discovery of pulsars was recognized with the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physics, the award went to her graduate advisor. Undaunted, she persevered and became one of the most prominent researchers in her field and an advocate for women and other under-represented groups in physics. She plans to use the $3 million Breakthrough Prize to fund women and other under-represented groups pursuing physics to bring greater diversity to the field.

Phiala Shanahan: MIT
Date: 2018-11-07
Speaker(s): Phiala Shanahan
Link: https://pirsa.org/18110071
Abstract: More than 99% of the visible matter in the universe is built from protons and neutrons and the nuclei that they form. This rich structure emerges dynamically from the complex interactions of quarks and gluons, the most elementary particles that have been discovered. Understanding how nuclear physics arises from the underlying quark and gluon dynamics is a computational challenge that pushes the capabilities of the world’s largest supercomputers. In her lecture, Dr. Shanahan will introduce the audience to the subatomic realm and describe what supercomputer calculations of quarks and gluons can reveal about the origins of mass, the primordial nuclear reactions that power the sun, and the nature of the elusive dark matter that permeates the universe.

Clifford Johnson: University of Southern California
Date: 2019-02-06
Speaker(s): Clifford Johnson
Link: https://pirsa.org/19020049
Abstract: Clifford V. Johnson is a theoretical physicist passionate about sharing science with the public. He resolved to write a book explaining physics to a lay audience, but he felt that words on a printed page did not fully convey the dynamic, collaborative nature of fundamental research. What if, he wondered, you could represent multiple voices and points of view? What if one could make the reader feel immersed in scientific discourse, rather than reading the words of an expert sharing a single perspective? He wanted to write a book that would give readers a fly-on-the-wall experience of the process of fundamental science. Johnson realized that graphic novels are the unique narrative medium he was searching for. Through the written word and compelling visuals, graphic novels immerse the reader in a sensory world of ideas. This realization led Johnson to write and draw The Dialogues: Conversations About the Nature of the Universe (MIT Press), which allows readers to eavesdrop on a series of dialogues, set in locations around the world, about cutting-edge scientific topics. In this public lecture, Johnson will discuss the process of turning complex scientific topics into compelling visual narratives.

Cather Simpson: University of Auckland
Date: 2019-03-06
Speaker(s): N/A
Link: https://pirsa.org/19030103
Abstract: The 21st century may come to be known as the Age of Photonics, as we exploit our ability to make and manipulate light as an amazing carrier of energy and information. From quantum computing and entanglement to eye surgery and solar energy, humans are already reaping the benefits of our own endeavours to understand and control light. In her public lecture webcast at Perimeter on March 6, Cather Simpson from the University of Auckland will highlight her research in exploring how recent advances in the physics of light are transforming our ability to feed the planet safely and sustainably. Simpson moved from Case Western Reserve University in the USA to the University of Auckland’s Physics and Chemistry Departments in 2007. There, she started the Photon Factory, a laser centre whose mission is to exploit exotic, ultrashort pulsed lasers to enable cross-disciplinary research from the very fundamental to the applied and entrepreneurial. Simpson’s research explores the interaction of light with matter, particularly how materials can convert light into more useful forms of energy. A relatively recent area of focus is in agriculture, where her work has led to two international award-winning spinout companies. Her many recent accolades include a National Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award, the 2016 Silicon Valley Forum 1st-place AgTech medal, and election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand Te Aparangi.

Chad Hanna, Pennsylvania State University
Date: 2019-04-03
Speaker(s): Chad Hanna
Link: https://pirsa.org/19040089
Abstract: For thousands of years, astronomy was restricted to what we could see with our eyes. But visible light makes up only a tiny fraction of a spectrum emitted by celestial objects. We now know that light is not the universe’s sole means to reveal the mysteries of the heavens. Until recently, we simply lacked the windows through which to view these aspects of our universe. Over the last few decades, astronomers have revolutionized our windows on the universe with telescopes of unprecedented sensitivity to light beyond what we can see with our eyes. Observatories now allow us to see ghostly particles called neutrinos, and ripples in the fabric of space itself - called gravitational waves. In his Perimeter Public Lecture on April 3, 2019, Chad Hanna will describe how these new windows have changed our view of the cosmos and explore what new wonders may be unveiled in the decades to come. Hanna is an associate professor at Pennsylvania State University. His research focuses on studying the universe with gravitational waves using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). Hanna and his research group work to enable multi-messenger astronomy through gravitational wave observations of merging neutron stars and black holes. Prior to joining Penn State, he was a senior postdoctoral researcher at Perimeter Institute.

Lee Smolin, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Date: 2019-04-17
Speaker(s): Lee Smolin
Link: https://pirsa.org/19040081
Abstract: Quantum physics is the golden child of modern science. It is the basis of our understanding of atoms, radiation, and so much else - from elementary particles and basic forces to the behaviour of materials. But for a century it has also been the problem child of science: it has been plagued by intense disagreements among its inventors, strange paradoxes, and implications that seem like the stuff of fantasy. Whether it’s Schrodinger’s cat - a creature that is simultaneously dead and alive - or a belief that the world does not exist independently of our observations of it, quantum theory challenges our fundamental assumptions about reality.   On April 17, in a special webcast talk based on his latest book, Einstein’s Unfinished Revolution, Lee Smolin will argue that the problems that have bedeviled quantum physics since its inception are unsolved and unsolvable for the simple reason that the theory is incomplete. There is more to quantum physics waiting to be discovered. Smolin will take the audience on a journey through the basics of quantum physics, introducing the stories of the experiments and figures that have transformed our understanding of the universe.

Anne Andrews and Paul Weiss, University of California, Los Angeles
Date: 2019-05-01
Speaker(s): N/A
Link: https://pirsa.org/19050010
Abstract: To make progress on serious problems in biology and medicine takes a combination of skills, tools, and approaches, often requiring collaboration across seemingly disparate fields. The trick to making breakthroughs often lies in learning to communicate across disciplines to identify existing technologies – and, crucially, the new tools that need to be invented.   Anne M. Andrews is a neuroscientist whose work eavesdrops on chemical signaling in the brain. Paul S. Weiss is a nanoscientist who studies materials at the smallest scales. Their scientific collaboration began by advancing nanotechnology to pursue grand challenges in neuroscience, bridging their two fields. This expansion of each of their efforts led to ongoing advances in biology and medicine.   In a special joint public lecture, Andrews and Weiss will describe their motivation and explain how they’re training new generations of students and fellow researchers to look beyond traditional academic boundaries to target significant problems and to develop the necessary communication skills to address them.

Sir Martin Rees, UK Astronomer Royal
Date: 2019-10-02
Speaker(s): Martin Rees
Link: https://pirsa.org/19100052
Abstract: Advances in biotech, cyber-technology, robotics, and space exploration could, if applied wisely, allow a bright future – even for 10 billion people – by the end of this century. But there are dystopian risks we ignore at our peril. These risks are of two kinds: those stemming from our ever-greater collective “footprint” on the Earth, and those enabled by technologies so powerful that even small groups can, whether by error or design, cause global catastrophe. Martin Rees, the UK Astronomer Royal, will explore this unprecedented moment in human history during his Perimeter Institute public lecture on October 2, 2019. A former president of the Royal Society and master of Trinity College, Cambridge, Rees is a cosmologist whose work also explores the interfaces between science, ethics, and politics. In his October 2 talk – which kicks off the 2019/20 season of the Perimeter Institute Public Lecture Series – Rees will discuss the outlook for humans (or their robotic envoys) venturing to other planets. Humans, Rees argues, will be ill-adapted to new habitats beyond Earth, and will use genetic and cyborg technology to transform into a “post-human” species. Rees’ talk at Perimeter will cover themes from his 2018 book, On the Future: Prospects for Humanity. Rees is an acclaimed thinker, author, and speaker who belongs to numerous scientific academies around the world. His past books include Before the Beginning, Our Final Century?, Just Six Numbers, Our Cosmic Habitat, and Gravity’s Fatal Attraction.

Gabriela González, Louisiana State University
Date: 2019-10-23
Speaker(s): Gabriela Gonzalez
Link: https://pirsa.org/19100073
Abstract: Albert Einstein predicted a century ago the existence of gravitational waves – ripples in the fabric of spacetime moving at the speed of light. It was believed that these ripples were so faint that no experiment would ever be precise enough to detect them. But in September 2015, LIGO did exactly that. The teams working with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors in Louisiana and Washington measured a loud gravitational wave signal as it traveled through the Earth after a billion-year journey from the violent merger of two black holes. Since that first detection, scientists have measured many more gravitational waves, including a signal produced by colliding neutron stars captured by LIGO and the Virgo detector in Europe in 2017. That cataclysm also generated electromagnetic waves – light – detected by numerous other telescopes, and helped scientists understand how gold is created in deep space. In a special public lecture webcast at Perimeter Institute on October 23, 2019, Gabriela Gonzalez will provide a first-hand account of LIGO’s century-in-the-making breakthrough, and explain observations made as recently as this year. Gonzalez, a professor of physics and astronomy at Louisiana State University and former spokesperson of the LIGO collaboration, will take the audience on a journey to some of the universe’s most violent places, and explain how such distant events can lead to a very bright future here on Earth.

Elizabeth Tasker, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Date: 2019-11-06
Speaker(s): Elizabeth Tasker
Link: https://pirsa.org/19110049
Abstract: Since the discovery of the first exoplanets in the early 1990s, we have detected more than 4,000 worlds beyond our solar system. Many of these are similar in size to our Earth, leading to an obvious question: could any be habitable? For now, we typically only know the size and orbit of these planets, but nothing about their surface conditions. Although we cannot know for sure if these worlds could support life, we can use models to speculate on what we might find there. In her Nov. 6 talk at Perimeter Institute, astrophysicist and author Elizabeth Tasker will take audiences for a speculative stroll through a few of the alien worlds we’ve discovered in the galaxy, and ponder whether someone else may already call them home. Elizabeth Tasker is an astrophysicist at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Her research explores the formation of stars and planets using computer simulations. She is particularly interested in how diverse planets might be and what different conditions might exist beyond our Solar System. Elizabeth is also a keen science communicator and writer for the NASA NExSS “Many Worlds” online column. Her popular science book, The Planet Factory, was published in Canada last April.

Bryan Gaensler, Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics
Date: 2020-02-05
Speaker(s): Bryan Gaensler
Link: https://pirsa.org/20020056
Abstract: Science fiction and science both inspire wonder and awe, albeit in very different ways. At its best, science fiction asks profound questions about the human condition. In contrast, science asks – and often answers – even more profound questions about the very nature of matter, space, and time. Both science fiction and science fact explore the concept of journeying to other stars and finding life on other worlds. When it comes to interstellar travel, the truth may soon become stranger (and more amazing) than fiction. In his February 5 public lecture webcast at Perimeter Institute, astronomer Bryan Gaensler will provide an overview of the latest thinking on interstellar travel and on the search for alien life – including why he believes the frontiers of current research may be more exciting and visionary than any fictional stories we can imagine. Gaensler is the Director of the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Toronto, where he holds a Canada Research Chair. He has authored 400 scientific papers on cosmic magnetism, neutron stars, supernova explosions, and interstellar gas, and his popular science book, Extreme Cosmos, has been translated into six languages.

Shohini Ghose, Wilfrid Laurier University
Date: 2020-03-04
Speaker(s): Shohini Ghose
Link: https://pirsa.org/20030027
Abstract: You’ve likely heard of quantum computing. Maybe you’re even familiar with the basic principles of how this emerging form of technology harnesses counter-intuitive properties of the subatomic realm to perform tasks that would overwhelm even today’s most powerful “classical” computers. But do you know what that will mean for the ways you work, communicate, play, and live? Does anyone truly know? Well, no, because some very big challenges remain before quantum computers are commonplace. But for expert perspectives on what the future may hold and how to prepare for the quantum future, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better source than Shohini Ghose. In her March 4 public lecture at Perimeter Institute, Ghose will guide the audience through the latest advances in the quantum world and share her own journey in quantum science. Ghose, a professor of physics and computer science at Wilfrid Laurier University, studies how the laws of quantum physics can be exploited to transform computing and communications, and to achieve feats such as teleportation. Ghose is a leading expert, and sought-after speaker, in quantum information science, as well as how to make the global science community more vibrant and inclusive. She is the founding director of the Laurier Centre for Women in Science and President of the Canadian Association of Physicists, and she served as Perimeter Institute’s first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Specialist. Among her many honours, Ghose is a TED Senior Fellow and member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists. In 2019, she was among 25 leading women scientists from around the world featured in a UNESCO exhibit in Paris.

The End of the Universe: A Conversation with Katie Mack
Date: 2020-05-06
Speaker(s): Katherine Mack
Link: https://pirsa.org/20050021
Abstract: In a special live webcast with Perimeter Institute on May 6, 2020, theoretical cosmologist and science communicator Katie Mack — known to her many Twitter followers as @AstroKatie — answered questions about her favourite subject: the end of the universe. Mack is currently a Simons Emmy Noether Fellow at Perimeter and an Assistant Professor at North Carolina State University.

Robert Spekkens and Elie Wolfe, Perimeter Institute
Date: 2020-10-07
Speaker(s): Robert Spekkens, Elie Wolfe
Link: https://pirsa.org/20100024
Abstract: What do data science and the foundations of quantum theory have to do with one another? A great deal, it turns out. The particular branch of data science known as causal inference focuses on a problem which is central to disciplines ranging from epidemiology to economics: that of disentangling correlation and causation in statistical data. Meanwhile, in a slightly different guise, this same problem has been pondered by quantum physicists as part of a continuing effort to make sense of various puzzling quantum phenomena. On top of that, the most celebrated result concerning quantum theory’s meaning for the nature of reality – Bell’s theorem – can be seen in retrospect to be built on the solution to a particularly challenging problem in causal inference. Recent efforts to elaborate upon these connections have led to an exciting flow of techniques and insights across the disciplinary divide. Perimeter researchers Robert Spekkens and Elie Wolfe have done pioneering work studying relations of cause and effect through a quantum foundational lens, and can be counted among a small number of physicists worldwide with expertise in this field. In their joint webcast from Perimeter on October 7, Spekkens and Wolfe will explore what is happening at the intersection of these two fields and how thinking like a quantum physicist leads to new ways of sussing out cause and effect from correlation patterns in statistical data. Watch live online at insidetheperimeter.ca.

A physicist's adventures in virology
Date: 2020-11-04
Speaker(s): Catherine Beauchemin
Link: https://pirsa.org/20110068
Abstract: In her live Perimeter Public Lecture webcast on November 4, 2020, physicist Catherine Beauchemin used contemporary examples from COVID-19 and influenza to explain eroding public trust in health research – and why a dose of physics may be just the prescription we need. Beauchemin is a Professor of Physics at Ryerson University and a Deputy Program Director in the RIKEN Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences Program in Japan.

The Fascinating, Weird World of Quantum Matter
Date: 2020-12-02
Speaker(s): Karen Hallberg
Link: https://pirsa.org/20120032
Abstract: In her December 2 Perimeter Public Lecture webcast, Hallberg will explore examples of emergent phenomena and demonstrate how we can tackle these problems using quantum information to filter the most relevant data. By advancing research in this field, we hope to seed advances with applications from medical equipment and new materials to efficient energy generation, transportation, and storage.

The Invisible Universe
Date: 2021-03-03
Speaker(s): Priyamvada Natarajan
Link: https://pirsa.org/21030044
Abstract: In her live Perimeter Public Lecture webcast on March 3, 2021, Priyamvada Natarajan guided the audience through what we currently know about the nature of dark matter and black holes. Natarajan is a professor in the Departments of Astronomy and Physics at Yale University, noted for her seminal contributions toward mapping the distribution of dark matter and tracing the growth history of black holes.

Mapping the Universe with eBOSS
Date: 2021-04-07
Speaker(s): Will Percival
Link: https://pirsa.org/21040037
Abstract: In his Perimeter Public Lecture webcast on April 7, 2021, cosmologist Will Percival will aim to help the audience grasp the enormity of space using the latest results from the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS), which created the largest three-dimensional map of the universe ever made and provided profound insights into the physics of the universe in which we live.

Morphogenesis: Geometry, Physics, and Biology
Date: 2021-05-05
Speaker(s): N/A
Link: https://pirsa.org/21050028
Abstract: In his May 5 Perimeter Public Lecture webcast, Harvard professor L. Mahadevan will take viewers on a journey into the mathematical, physical, and biological workings of morphogenesis to demonstrate how scientists are beginning to unlock many of the secrets that have vexed scientists since Darwin.

A Solution to the Stable Marriage Problem
Date: 2021-05-12
Speaker(s): Emily Riehl
Link: https://pirsa.org/21050027
Abstract: In her Perimeter Institute public lecture, premiering May 12, mathematician Emily Riehl will invite viewers to consider what might be called the “matchmaker’s dilemma.”    Imagine a matchmaker who wishes to arrange opposite-sex marriages in a dating pool of single men and single women (there’s a mathematical reason for the heteronormative framework, which will be explained).  The matchmaker’s goal is to pair every man and woman off into couples that will form happy, stable marriages – so perfectly matched that nobody would rather run off with someone from a different pairing.  In the real world, things don’t work out so nicely. But could they work out like that if the matchmaker had a computer algorithm to calculate every single factor of compatibility?  In her talk, recorded as part of the Perimeter Institute Public Lecture Series, Riehl will examine that question, its sexist implications, an algorithmic solution, and real-world applications.  An associate professor of mathematics at Johns Hopkins University, Riehl has published more than 20 papers and two books on higher category theory and homotopy theory. She studied at Harvard and Cambridge and earned her PhD at the University of Chicago.   In addition to her research, Riehl is active in promoting access to the world of mathematics. She is a co-founder of Spectra: the Association for LGBT Mathematicians, and has presented on mathematical proof and queer epistemology as part of several conferences and lecture series.

A New View of the Universe from the Earth’s South Pole
Date: 2021-10-06
Speaker(s): Naoko Kurahashi Neilson
Link: https://pirsa.org/21100053
Abstract: The universe has been studied using light since the dawn of astronomy.   But deep down in the dark glacial ice of the South Pole, Antarctica, a very different kind of telescope is getting a new view of the universe. Operated by a team of more than 300 physicists from 12 countries, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory captures the universe in high-energy neutrinos.   Neutrinos are particles a lot like light (photons), but with one remarkable property that makes them a powerful medium for studying the universe. Physicist Naoko Kurahashi Neilson has travelled to the snow-swept IceCube Neutrino Observatory to study these elusive particles. In her October 6 Perimeter Public Lecture webcast, she will share more about the insights neutrinos can offer and what it’s like conducting research in one of the least habitable places on Earth. Kurahashi Neilson is an associate professor at Drexel University and the recipient of a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation. Symmetry magazine featured her among 10 early-career experimentalists of note in 2019. After her undergraduate degree from University of California, Berkeley, Kurahashi Neilson obtained her PhD at Stanford University while “listening” for extremely high-energy neutrinos in the ocean in the Bahamas. She now lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and three young children, and is devoted to STEM outreach, particularly aimed at middle- and high-school girls.

Secrets of the Universe
Date: 2021-11-03
Speaker(s): Manuel Calderón de la Barca Sánchez
Link: https://pirsa.org/21110050
Abstract: In the 3D giant-screen documentary Secrets of the Universe, physicist Manuel Calderon de la Barca Sanchez travels the globe to epicentres of cutting-edge science – from CERN in Switzerland to Perimeter Institute.     On Wednesday, November 3, he returns to Perimeter (virtually, at least) for a special webcast in which he’ll share and discuss clips from Secrets of the Universe, which is now screening at science centres and planetariums around the world.     The giant-format film, which was co-produced by Perimeter, is an immersive journey into some of the grandest scientific ideas and experiments of our time, and brings to life complex scientific ideas in vivid detail. It follows Calderon de la Barca Sanchez, a physics professor at the University of California, Davis, as he puts his own theories about quark-gluon plasma to the test with particle collisions at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.     During the webcast, Calderon de la Barca Sanchez will show exclusive film excerpts and chat with Perimeter Institute’s Greg Dick about his own research, and the importance communicating the power of fundamental science.

An Enlightening Evening of Dark Matter
Date: 2022-10-26
Speaker(s): Katherine Mack, Ken Clark
Link: https://pirsa.org/22100150
Abstract: Take a guided tour of the invisible universe on Dark Matter Night. In a hybrid event (in-person and live webcast) on October 26, dark matter researchers Katie Mack and Ken Clark will share insights into the ubiquitous, mysterious matter that makes up the majority of stuff in our universe. Dark Matter Night will be webcast live from two locations. Starting at 7:30 pm ET, Katie Mack will discuss the theoretical and observational foundations of dark matter at Perimeter Institute, where she holds the Hawking Chair in Cosmology and Science Communication. Next, Ken Clark, an associate professor at the Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute, will share experimental approaches that could help solve the riddle of dark matter. We’ll also get a guided video tour of SNOLAB, the state-of-the-art underground laboratory two kilometres beneath Sudbury.

The Meaning of Spacetime - Public Lecture
Date: 2023-07-27
Speaker(s): Juan Maldacena
Link: https://pirsa.org/23070055
Abstract: Juan Maldacena studies black holes, string theory, and quantum field theory. In his July 27 Perimeter Public Lecture webcast, he will describe some ideas that arose from the study of quantum aspects of black holes. They involve an interesting connection between the basic description of quantum mechanics and the geometry of spacetime. He will also delve into how wormholes are related to quantum entanglement.