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An EVENING on TIME (5th June, 7.30-9.30 pm, Hebb theatre, 2045 East Mall, UBC)
Prof. Sir Tony Leggett
Tony Leggett is a theoretical physicist who is best known to the public for his work on 'macroscopic quantum phenomena', including the prediction of "Schrodinger's Cat phenomena" in superconductors. This work has re-ignited a debate in science about the paradoxes in quantum mechanics, and the possibility that it may break down at the macroscopic level of tables and chairs. It has also led to an explosion of work on quantum computing, decohernece, and on macroscopic quantum phenomena in everything from superconductors to biological systems. Leggett was awarded the 2003 Nobel prize for physics, for his work on superfluid He-3. He has an unusual background - originally educated in philosophy and ancient history - and his profound analyses of many of the deepest questions in science have had a very large influence. He enjoys traveling and sampling different cultures, and speaks fluently in English, ancient Greek and Latin, Japanese, Russian, & German (at least!). To learn more please visit his Wikipedia page and his research website.
Prof. Sir Roger Penrose Roger Penrose is, along with Stephen Hawking, perhaps the scientist who is best known to the general public around the world. More than anyone else it is Penrose who is responsible for our understanding of Black Holes and other cosmological singularities like the Big Bang. This theoretical work has revolutionized our understanding of the universe, changing the way we understand everything from cosmology to the evolution of stars and the creation of stellar systems. He has also written a number of best-selling books on the nature of consciousness, minds, and computing, and argued that mental processes like creativity cannot exist unless the brain operates quantum-mechanically. Penrose has always been interested in the visual arts, and he invented both 'Penrose tiling', and the visually paradoxical images usually associated with M.C. Escher; his books and papers are full of his drawings. To learn more please visit his Wikipedia page and his research website.
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