Science Cafe for Young Thinkers

Event Description

“The Weird World of Quantum Physics”
A lecture by Bob Heffner

Quantum physics explains precisely the behavior of atomic particles, enabling us to understand the basics of modern chemistry and materials from which we produce a large fraction of our GDP. Yet quantum behavior is very counter-intuitive: particles sometimes behave like waves (and vice-versa), they follow unpredictable paths, jump randomly from 'here' to 'there' without going in between, and can 'be' in many places at once. Without using math we will explore some of the concepts behind this weird world of quantum physics.

Admission is Free. Youth (ages 13-19) seating a priority. Light refreshments will be served. Bob will also appear at 8:30 AM the same day on the Santa Fe Radio Café (KSFR 101.1 FM) with host Mary Charlotte streaming from www.ksfr.org. Bob was educated at Miami University (Ohio) and the University of Washington (Ph.D.). He worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency in nuclear and condensed matter physics. Today he is a member of the Santa Fe Alliance for Science, and is enthusiastic about education inside and outside the classroom.

Sponsors: Santa Fe Alliance for Science; Santa Fe Public Schools; Georgia O’Keeffe Museum; Santa Fe Institute. Call 424-0806 for more information.