For the enjoyment of physicists

2005/09/08 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Fisika
• Azokak, biltzarrak

A clear example was the talk given yesterday at noon by physicist Francisco José Yndurain. The title was “Relativity, photos and particles” and the essence was audible and understandable to anyone. Without burdening anyone in great waters, he explained in detail the biography of Einstein and the basis of his theories.

Yndurain highlighted Einstein's courage and intuition to devise the theory of relativity. The same courage demonstrated in formulating the concept of photon: how could something be both particle and wave? But then they showed that it was okay. He also found the relationship between mass and energy. Amazing!

Great physique, great humanity

But not only that: Yndurain also referred to the progress made by the following Einstein physicists from these theories, and to the restlessness that these effects caused in Einstein. In fact, most of us know that Einstein became a hero of society at the time when he was awarded the Nobel Prize, but less know that from then on the investigation did not succeed in the right direction.

He made several mistakes and did not get what he was looking for—the theory that would unify all forces. And yet he had no qualms about accepting it, which shows the kind of person he was.

Professor Yndurain is noted as a professor and knows perfectly well that the key to the success of a conference, at least in part, is to attract attention. For this he used humor and laughs interrupted his activity several times.

Anton Zeilinger, master

The Viennese Anton Zeilinger also laughed early in the morning. In fact, when presenting Zeilinger it was commented that it was well known throughout Austria and that it was not surprising that taxi drivers, for example, spoke to Zeilinger's client.

Zeilinger answered this in his first words: “I don’t know what taxi drivers are going to say about me…”, and without losing the sense of humor gave an excellent talk. The title was “Einstein and the current quantum world” and focused mainly on teleworking and quantum cryptography.

In fact, these areas are quite advanced and information distribution systems are already being developed in a totally secure way. They are based on quantum and, without Einstein's contribution, today they would not be where they are. This is, on the one hand, paradoxical, since Einstein did not bet on quantum physics. And that is precisely what many have known thanks to the congress: why it has become Einstein myth and what is behind it.

Yesterday, in addition to Yndurain and Zeilinger, Ignacio Cirac, Sheldon Lee Glashow, Antony Hewish and Clifford M. Will also performed. Today, Pedro Pascual, Cliffor M. Will and José M. It is the turn of the speakers Sánchez Ron in the morning and Gerald Holton, Aerthur I. Miller and John Jay Stachel in the afternoon. For the enjoyment of physics lovers.