| |
|
Physics from the four corners of the world
The field of particle physics is well-known for being a world without frontiers, bringing together researchers of all nationalitie who in spite of their linguistic and cultural differences, work together in the shared pursuit of a fundamental understanding of the universe. On 2nd December, this reality was demonstrated on the internet with a webcast called 'Beyond Einstein', organised by CERN, which for 12 hours brought together physics communities from the four corners of the world. The event, the first of its kind organised on this scale, attracted 30,000 spectators on the Web and in numerous studios. Furthermore, Pakistani national television broadcast all 12 hours of programming, an Italian channel also provided coverage, and many more people tuned in on satellite television.  The site of the webcast during the programme from Imperial Colllege London presented by Gareth Mitchell. At Fermilab near Chicago in the US, Nobel-Prize winner Leon Lederman hosted a show called The Late Show with Leon Lederman, featuring a live band, some light humour, a studio audience of young aspiring physicists, and interviews with several inspiring guests. In what was one of the highlights and most technically difficult sections of the show, CERN and Imperial College London linked up with the South Pole to discuss the Ice Cube experiment, neutrino physics and the search for dark matter. Hosting the web-cast, the Globe of Science and Innovation was the fulcrum for the day's events. There were a variety of video-conference discussions at CERN on subjects varying from the theory of relativity to antimatter, mostly presented by CERN's Paola Catapano (centre). The event at the National Taiwan Science Education Center (NTSEC) opened with a pyrotechnic display and an Einstein driving a solar-powered car onto the stage. There was then a forum involving leading Taiwanese figures in science and industry discussing how physics can be applied in high-tech industry.
|
|
|
