open

Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Forums

You are logged in as a guest. ( logon | register )

Random quote: The living tongue that tells the word, the living ear that hears it, bind and bond us in the communion we long for in the silence of our inner solitude. -- Ursula Le Guin (The Wave in the Mind)
- (Added by: gallyangel)


I met one of the discoverers of the Higgs boson
Moderators: Admin

Jump to page : 1
Now viewing page 1 [25 messages per page]		View previous thread :: View next thread
   General Discussion -> Off TopicMessage format
 
chuhl
Posted 2012-10-24 2:42 AM (#4287)
Subject: I met one of the discoverers of the Higgs boson



Member

Posts: 26
25
Yesterday I heard a presentation by Sau Lan Wu, one of the physicists who discovered the Higgs boson. She explained what the Higgs boson is and how they found it. She and her team were the ones who reported the "five sigma" level of proof, which is the particle physics threshold for discovery. She was also instrumental in discovering the charm quark and the gluon, so she's had some career already, and she's still looking for new particles.

She told us some fascinating things. The Large Hadron Collider simulates the condition of the universe 10 to the -12th seconds after the Big Bang, so it's as hot as the Big Bang. It's one of the hottest places in the galaxy. You'd think that would melt the world, wouldn't you? That blows my mind.

She went to Vassar on a full scholarship (her father wouldn't pay for her education) and then did her graduate work at Harvard. A guard actually kicked her out of her own commencement dinner at Harvard because there hadn't been a woman there in 100 years. "I left with tears in my eyes," she said. Unbelievable.

The auditorium was mobbed, and students lined up for her autograph at the end. I got one, too. I figured, How often do you get to met somebody like this?


Edited by chuhl 2012-10-24 2:43 AM
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Administrator
Posted 2012-10-24 9:05 AM (#4291 - in reply to #4287)
Subject: RE: I met one of the discoverers of the Higgs boson



Admin

Posts: 4005
2000
Location: Dallas, Texas

That is pretty much the definition of "nerdy-cool" right there.  Sounds like an interesting talk and I love the idea of getting her autograph like she was a movie star.  Thanks for sharing! 

I can't help but picture Sheldon in the auditorium scoffing at her assertions and telling Leonard that he found the Higgs boson first.

Top of the page Bottom of the page
Deven Science
Posted 2012-11-21 10:11 AM (#4342 - in reply to #4287)
Subject: Re: I met one of the discoverers of the Higgs boson



Uber User

Posts: 202
100
Location: Sacramento, California		That's very cool, indeed! Thanks for sharing that story.

Where was this at?
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Administrator
Posted 2012-11-21 10:43 AM (#4343 - in reply to #4342)
Subject: Re: I met one of the discoverers of the Higgs boson



Admin

Posts: 4005
2000
Location: Dallas, Texas		Apparently they need to rename the Higgs boson.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
chuhl
Posted 2012-11-21 11:09 PM (#4350 - in reply to #4287)
Subject: Re: I met one of the discoverers of the Higgs boson



Member

Posts: 26
25
> Where was this at?

This was at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY, Sau Lan Wu's alma mater (mine, too .
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Jump to page : 1
Now viewing page 1 [25 messages per page]
Jump to forum :
Search this forum
Printer friendly version
E-mail a link to this thread

(Delete all cookies set by this site)