Physics Research Conference 2011-12


The Physics Research Conference is held on Thursday at 4:00 P.M. in 201 E. Bridge, unless otherwise noted. Refreshments are served in 114 E. Bridge at 3:45 P.M. If that room is not available, they are served in 108 E. Bridge. All talks are intended for a broad audience, and everyone is encouraged to attend. 

* Links access abstracts and biographical information

Date

Speaker*

Title*

Host

September 29
Xiao-Gang Wen
MIT
Topological order and quantum entanglements
-- from a unification of light and electrons to a classification of interacting topological insulators/superconductors
Nai-Chang Yeh
October 6

Maria Spiropulu
Caltech

Game Change at the LHC

 

October 13

Kent Irwin
NIST

The Physics of Superconducting Calorimeters: Applications in Nuclear Safeguards

Jonas Zmuidzinas
October 20

Markus Greiner
Harvard University


Quantum Magnetism with Ultracold Atoms
A Microscopic View on Artificial Quantum Matter

Gil Refael
October 27

Joel Moore
UC Berkeley

New topologically ordered phases
of condensed matter

Jim Eisenstein

November 3

Kumiko Kotera
Caltech

A quest for sources of
ultrahigh energy cosmic rays

Sterl Phinney

November 10

David Hsieh
MIT

Experimental identification and manipulation of topological insulators

Jim Eisenstein
November 17
Andrew Strominger
Harvard University

Black Holes- the Harmonic Oscillators of the 21rst Century

Hirosi Ooguri

December 1

Klaus von Klitzing
Max-Planck-Institut

QHE, Metrology, and the New Kilogram

Jim Eisenstein
January 5

S. R. Kulkarni
Caltech

The Restless Universe (Palomar Transient Factory)

Tom Prince
January 12

Raphael Bousso
UC Berkeley

The Multiverse of String Theory, The Measure Problem, And The Cosmological Constant

John Preskill

January 19

Chris Monroe
University of Maryland

Quantum Networks of Trapped Atomic Ions

John Preskill

January 26

Jasper Kirkby
CERN

Cosmic rays, climate and the CERN CLOUD experiment

Maria Spiropulu
February 2

Rana Adhikari
Caltech

The Gravitational Waves and the Search:
Into the Future

February 9

Janna Levin
Columbia University

Black Holes Get Loud. And Bright.

Sean Carroll
February 16

Lesik Motrunich
Caltech

Bose-metals of frustrated spins and bosons and towards non-Fermi-liquids of electrons

Jim Eisenstein
February 23

Daniel Levitin
McGill University

This Is Your Brain On Music

Tom Tombrello

March 1

Robert May
University of Oxford

Stability and Complexity in Model Banking Systems

Tom Tombrello

March 8

Elon Musk
SpaceX Facility

Tour & talk @ SpaceX Facility in Hawthorne
Attendees were chosen by lottery - FULL - No more available seats

Tom Tombrello
April 5

Erik Verlinde
University of Amsterdam/KITP

Dark Energy, Dark Matter and the Emergence of Gravity

Maria Spiropulu

April 12

Andreas Albrecht
UC Davis

Inflation, infinity, equilibrium and the observable Universe

Sean Carroll

April 19

Katherine Freese
University of Michigan

Dark Matter in the Universe

Sean Carroll

April 26

Birgitta Whaley
UC Berkeley

Quantum Coherence in Photosynthesis

John Preskill

May 3

Jason Alicea
UC Irvine

The Discovery of Majorana Fermions in Condensed Matter?

Jim Eisenstein

May 10

Marvin Weinstein
SLAC

Diving For Treasure in Complex Data:
From Roman Urns to Alzheimer’s

David G. Hitlin
May 17

Paul Rothemund
Caltech

Beyond Watson and Crick: Recent advances in the use of DNA as a building material

Nai-Chang Yeh

May 24

Ira Rothstein
Carnegie Mellon University

From Black Holes to Biological Membranes: Utilizing the Local Nature of Physical Laws to Simplify Complex Problems

Sean Carroll

2010-2011 Physics Research Conference Lecture series can be found here

Please send inquiries or correspondence to Sheri K Stoll, sstoll at caltech(dot)edu