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Almost exactly 100 years ago, in the early months of 1926, Erwin Schrödinger published a series of four papers that would transform not only the prevailing theories of physics but also mankind’s very understanding of the nature of reality.
Mineralogy as a discipline has established the principles of crystal structure, symmetry, and chemistry that dictate all of modern material science underlying everything from computers to photonic technologies operating based on quantum mechanical principles. However, nature itself also acts a laboratory assembling naturally occurring minerals that exhibit even exotic quantum phenomena. I will discuss examples such as natural superconductors, strange metals, or spin liquids which result from the interplay of the quantized nature of electrons, spin, and lattice.
From planting crops to making trains run efficiently, clocks have been an important tool throughout most of human history. Atomic clocks, based on quantum-mechanically-defined transitions in atoms, are currently the most accurate realizations of the second and underlie important technologies such as the global positioning system (GPS) and high-speed communications. This lecture will describe how atomic clocks work and their history, with a focus on compact clocks and the applications in which they are used.
Abstract: The tiny particles that comprise almost all the mass in our bodies as well as the stars and planets are held together by a force so strong that it is nearly impossible to break away from it. It’s so strong that if you try to break the glue bond, you’ll create anti-matter particles!
Abstract: Cosmology – the study of the Universe in which we live – inevitably goes back further than recorded human history. Questions of the origin and nature of our world and Universe seem fundamentally intertwined with our inquisitive nature. While some questions may forever remain unanswerable or philosophical in nature, science is continually advancing our understanding of the ‘how’, ‘why’, ‘what’ and ‘when’ of our Universe. Not only are we learning the content, history, and physics of our Universe but, ultimately, its fate. We routinely use the
Abstract: Science is a human endeavor. The discovery that the Universe began abruptly 13.8 billion years ago is one of the great scientific stories of the last century. We will explore the history and empirical evidence of the Big Bang, the scientific framework that allows us to infer with considerable certainty what happened in the first moments of the Universe, the scientists that solved the puzzle of how that led to our existence, and what the future holds.
Abstract: The rare earth elements, hidden at the bottom of the periodic table and long neglected, have risen to prominence at the end of the 20th century. Their unique electronic configuration form the basis for a variety of lasers, photonic applications, strong and exotic magnetism, defining many modern technologies. I will tell a story connecting from the basic science of the geology of Colorado and rare earth and other rare element mineralogy, to our technological and societal dependence and questions of strategic element security.
Abstract: Ever wondered how we perceive the world around us? How do our eyes detect light and how does our brain interpret what our eyes see? In this discussion, we will investigate how human vision and perception works, as well as how it can be manipulated through visual illusions. We will also explore how human vision differs from the vision of other animals such as dogs, birds, and insects.