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PHYSICS MATTERS — On-line Colloquia Series

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PHYSICS MATTERS — On-line Colloquia Series

The PHYSICS MATTERS series, initially featuring pre-recorded videos in 2020 and transitioning to live online events in 2021, has significantly impacted developing communities. By targeting test centers in SESAME project countries and collaborating with local societies and diaspora networks, it aims to enhance access to physics education and knowledge exchange. Open to the public and involving APS FIP members, the series fosters inclusivity and community engagement, empowering developing regions to play an active role in the global physics community.

Watch the PHYSICS MATTERS trailer below

Credits: @CERN, video editor and director: Samuel Hertzog, authors: Paola Catapano and Luisa Cifarelli

A presentation of the series has been shared during the 2024 APS March meeting: Why Physics Matters!

The following article gives highlights: "When Physics Matters!"

Access to Physics Matters Playlist

View Past Recordings  Future Events


2024 PROGRAM

“The Second Quantum Revolution and Sissa's Computer” by Philippe Chomaz
When: Thursday January 23, 2025
16:00 CET  (10:00 ET)

Register Here
(to receive the Zoom link promptly, even without being APS member)

Philippe Chomaz (PhD), Executive Scientific Director, Fundamental Research
Department at CEA

Biography:
Philippe Chomaz is a prominent physicist specializing in nuclear science, known for his leadership in research and dedication to science outreach. A graduate of the prestigious Ecole Normale Supérieure – rue d’Ulm, Paris, he earned his doctorate in theoretical nuclear physics from Université Paris-Sud. His research focuses on the exploration of exotic atomic nuclei, quantum chaos, and critical phenomena in nuclear systems.

Chomaz served as the director of the Institut de Recherche sur les Lois Fondamentales de l’Univers (IRFU) at the CEA (French Atomic Energy Commission), where he led major projects and contributed to advancing nuclear physics on both theoretical and experimental fronts. He has also been instrumental in developing large-scale research facilities like GANIL and SPIRAL2. 

Beyond his academic contributions, Philippe Chomaz is an advocate for public engagement with science. He has participated in numerous initiatives, including TEDx talks and public lectures, where he demystifies complex topics such as quantum mechanics and its revolutionary impact on technology and society.

Abstract:

Newtonian mechanics, Maxwellian electromagnetism, thermodynamics, and Clausius's entropy... In 1900, physics was considered elegant and complete! Lord Kelvin famously remarked before the Royal Institution of Great Britain that only a few "small clouds in the blue sky of physics" remained.

These "small clouds" would grow into storms that revolutionized physics in the 20th century. The first storm revealed that light is granular, composed of particles called photons. The second demonstrated that electrons in atoms behave as waves. The world was no longer straightforward—it became a duality of wave and particle. The universe had entered the quantum realm.

This quantum revolution of physics ushered society into the information age during the second half of the 20th century. Quantum mechanics gave birth to the transistor and the laser, opening doors to computers and modern communication. Suddenly, everything became possible: the internet, algorithms, artificial intelligence, and more.

Today, researchers worldwide are preparing for a third quantum revolution, leveraging extraordinary quantum properties such as superposition, non-locality, and entanglement. Will quantum computers, ultimate sensors, and teleportation crack open Schrödinger's cat's box?


Attendees of any APS in-person or virtual events are expected to meet standards of professional conduct as described in the APS Code of Conduct. Violations of these standards may disqualify people from future participation.