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News from ICTP 111 - What's New
A celebration of the role of physics in our global society, led by UNESCO, will take place in 2005---the World Year of Physics.
World Year of Physics
The World Year of Physics 2005
was launched on 13-15 January at an international conference sponsored
by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), ICTP's lead administrative agency.
The conference, 'Physics for Tomorrow,' which included an opening-session
presentation by ICTP director K.R. Sreenivasan on physics and
development, was attended by more than 1500 scientists and students
from 70 countries. Eight Nobel Laureates were among the participants.
The year 2005 marks the 100th anniversary of the most remarkable
year in Albert Einstein's remarkable life, and one of the most
noteworthy years in the history of science, comparable only to
Isaac Newton's 18-month burst of scientific genius, his annus
mirabilis, in 1665-1666 during which time he invented calculus,
explained how gravity works and discovered the laws of motion.
In 1905, Einstein experienced a similar burst of genius highlighted
by the publication of three illustrious papers in Annalen der
Physik, Germany's leading physics journal.
No other set of academic papers in the 20th century had such a
profound impact on both science and society. In these papers,
Einstein did no less than prove that light consists of discrete
particles (photons), for which he won the Nobel Prize in 1921;
provide a powerful new tool for studying the movement of atoms
through his explanation of Brownian motion (which reinforced kinetic
theory and laid the groundwork for quantum mechanics); and present
his theory of special relativity (which transformed our understanding
of the relationship between space and time and for which Einstein
is best known). "A storm broke loose in my mind," Einstein
later noted.
As a result, it is only fitting that the life and work of Einstein
provide the impetus for the World Year of Physics 2005. This year
also marks the 50th anniversary of his death.
Throughout much of the 20th century and continuing to this day,
Einstein's remains the public face of physics. His unruly tufts
of hair, sometimes 'spiking' upward, sometimes 'draping' downward,
and earnest yet impish eyes, which have been captured on many
historic photographs and, more recently, used in advertisements
for an endless array of products and services ranging from computers
to money market funds to soft drinks, have made Einstein the world's
most recognisable scientist. Apple Computer, Daimler-Chrysler,
Disney, Fiat, Fuji, France Telecom, Microsoft, and Xerox all have
licensed his image. Einstein, in fact, is the Elvis Presley of
science, displaying the remarkable quality of remaining as famous---and
perhaps even more famous---in death than in life. But Einstein
is more than a pop culture icon. How many people worldwide are
familiar with Einstein's formula E=mc2? How many people can recognise
one other physics formula?
Organisers and participants in the World Year of Physics 2005
hope to accomplish two goals over the next 12 months, which parallel
Einstein's broad influence.
First, they plan to provide the public with easily accessible
information on the current state of physics---its growing ties
to biology and chemistry, its part in the development of new materials
and nanotechnologies, its critical role in examinations of the
cosmos and our understanding of the origins of the universe, and
its centrality in efforts to develop a unified theory of nature's
forces, including gravity (an effort that preoccupied Einstein
during the concluding decades of his life).
Second, organisers and participants will seek to present these
insights in ways that will engage---and, yes, entertain---the
public. A recent survey by the European Commission, for example,
shows that between 1998 and 2002 the number of physics graduates
in European universities declined by 15 percent. It is hoped that
the events surrounding this year-long celebration---the workshops,
conferences, lectures and exhibits---will draw the attention of
students, helping to spark broader interest in physics.
ICTP plans to participate actively in the World Year of Physics
2005 not only through staff presentations at conferences and workshops
organised by other institutions but also by holding its own set
of public lectures. The Centre hopes to build on its successful
efforts to forge closer ties with the surrounding community and
region---efforts begun last year during ICTP's Open Day and 40th
anniversary celebrations. Information about the lectures will
be posted on the ICTP website (see www.ictp.it)
and published in subsequent newsletters.
For additional updated information on activities taking
place around the globe celebrating the World Year of Physics 2005,
see www.physics2005.org.