A little over a week ago at the Lindau conference Theordor Hanch hinted at new measurements of the size of the proton which may impact the fundamental theory of quantum electrodynamics. Hansch's lecture was an overview of the history of lasers progressing from our realization of the wave/particle duality nature of light to new research published in Nature on the size of the proton. The new research relies on the fact that the energy levels allowed within an atom depend upon the quantum mechanical interaction of the proton and the electron (or in the case of this recent experiment the exotic muon particle). Each atom has its own energy levels and corresponding spectral lines like a fingerprint. Understanding the spectra produced by atoms was historically very important, to stress this Hansch called the simple hydrogen spectrum the 'Rosseta stone of atoms.' Tiny discrepancies in the expected spectra of the atom in experiment compared to theory have led to major advances in fundamental knowledge. The breakthrough that allowed for exploration of these discrepancies in the behavior of atoms occurred exactly 50 years ago with the development of the laser. (More)

Energy and sustainability are this year's focus for the panel discussion and the exhibition on the Isle of Maine. A couple of thoughts in advance (1). About 80 percent of the world's energy needs today are met by fossil fuels: oil, coal and gas. The combustion of materials millions of years old has made humans ever more mobile and accelerated the pace of industrialisation. Supplies, however, are finite, and wasteful burning of these resources is leading to exceedingly high emissions of carbon dioxide, with all the attendant consequences for the earth's climate. (More)

When you throw together six distinguished physicists (David Gross, John Mather, Carlo Rubbia, George Smoot, Gerardus ’t Hooft, and Martinus Veltman) into debate on what CERN will teach us about the dark energy and dark matter you can't guarantee the same kind harmony that these physicists strive for in their own theories. There was a majority agreement that there are triumphs in cosmology concerning the discovery of missing mass (dark matter) and the observation of the accelerating universe (dark energy). There was also agreement that CERN will place constraints or make discoveries on dark matter, however it is not clear at all that CERN has any bearing on dark energy.

First, I would like to clarify to readers the nature of this discussion is not so much about the existence of dark matter (Veltman actually does not believe in dark matter, however, when asked for reasoning he shortsightedly discussed ... (More)

The impact of chemistry and physics to biomedicine apparently has its future in neuroscience according to Erwin Neher. The entire panel discussed various topics (you can read about some of the highlights here), but for me Neher dominated the conversation with his visions of the brain. (More)

Beatrice's story about Heisenberg possibly inspiring the "Schunkelwalzer" dancing tradition at Lindau reminds me of an ancedote about Heisenberg and Paul Dirac. Both were two of the most accomplished scientists of the twentieth century who made foundational contributions to quantum mechanics. But while Heisenberg loved song, dance and wine, Dirac was a very quiet man and a singularly unusual character who generously extended his abstract thinking to interpreting the world literally. This inevitably led him to being an anecdote generator throughout his life and many stories about him abound. Here are a few, concluding with the story about him and Heisenberg. (More)

This morning at the Lindau Nobel meeting we had a panel discussion about the Impact of Chemistry and Physics to Biomedicine. Where is the Future? I've summarized some of the highlights below, using the Twitter comments of this session (following the conference Twitter feed at #lnlm10 is highly recommended). The young researchers were asked to submit questions to the panel, and they were used as starting points for the panel discussion (the Lindau version of an unconference session). (More)

John Mather is humble when describing his measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation despite the fact that Steven Hawking described this measurement as possibly the most important discovery humans have ever made. The cosmic microwave background radiation is the remnant glow of the Big Bang; it is the primary evidence.  Mather is careful to place his work in context next to the original work of Penzias and Wilson who made the first measurement of the cosmic microwave background radiation. (More)

I have spent an entire day traveling and toiling against the turning of the earth to get to Lindau. To pass the time on the plane over the Atlantic I read Albert Einstein's short book Relativity (the subtitles for this English version are the special and general theory or a clear explanation that anyone can understand). In Relativity Einstein shares his insights on his theory from a general scientific and philosophical point of view. He also does a lot of thought experiments with trains in scenarios such as, 'lightning has struck the rails on our railway embankment at two places A and B far distant from each other.' Presently I am on a train from Zurich to Lindau in the last phase of my journey so it is apt for me to consider the gedanken experiments he proposed that led to his insights. Though, I hope lightning doesn't hit the train, but it is highly unlikely because the weather here is wonderful here just outside Zurich.

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There it was, that darned noise again.

Nobody could possibly be happy cleaning pigeon droppings. Yet Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson were being forced to do it. As good scientists they simply could not avoid it, since they had to discount the role of this "white dielectric substance" in the noise that was plaguing their equipment. When they finished with the cleaning and dispatched the pigeons by mail to a faraway place, the noise still did not disappear. And it seemed to come from all directions. The implications of this annoying constant background hum, corresponding to a temperature of only 3 degrees above absolute zero, signified one of the most momentous discoveries in twentieth-century physics, notable even among Nobel Prize-winning discoveries.

The confluence of great minds at Lindau is also a meeting of contrasting perspectives. Each scientist has his own specialty in which he is likely the world expert, but each scientist also tries to generalize his work to solve the biggest problems in the world. It seems to be true that scientific research is highly specialized, but always looking for logical deductions about the world as a whole. For example, if you look through the Lindau meetings schedule you will notice that the physics talks are often about astrophysics or cosmology and chemistry talks are about medicine. Particularly, I have been thinking about the inevitable intersection of particle physics and astronomy. (More)

John Turton Randall was trying hard, real hard. For some time now, the University of Birmingham physicist was focusing on trying to improve the features of a machine which transmitted and received electromagnetic waves. A few years back this would have been just another intriguing academic problem for a physicist to crack, but this time it was a matter of life and death for thousands. Literally. It was 1939, and an ominous menace loomed large over Europe in the person of Adolf Hitler. The machine Randall was working on was designed to thwart Hitler's attempts to invade the British mainland. It sent out electromagnetic waves of meter wavelength and tried to deduce the position of an object based on its reflection of these waves. The operating principle of this humble machine later turned into a household name- Radar. (More)

This year is the 50th anniversary of the first successful laser built by Theodore Maiman. The laser is a beautiful example of fundamental physics leading to profound effects on our daily lives. The laser will be discussed on the first day of the conference by Nicolaas Bloembergen, who himself received the the 1981 Nobel Prize for his work in laser spectroscopy. Personally, I am fascinated by lasers because they invoke images of the future, but they are integral to the present. Perhaps, what makes the laser so amazing is that we know that its full potential has not yet been realized. I will be taking several looks at the laser during the conference and so let me begin by discussing a brief history of the laser, the physics of the laser, and the future of the laser. The list of Nobel Prizes that have involved the laser is extensive: (More)