月度归档： 2005年1月

Ultimate Theory


The Guardian, a newspaper from UK, published a long report about string theory and theorists in 20th this month. I looked through this review, found it interesting and very good. In fact, to explain string theory to ordinary people in limited article of newspaper is nearly incredible thing. But this review did, besides, it did precisely in theory itself. String theory was called the theory of everything and the only theory that united the quantum mechanics and relativity in this report.

There are many critics on string theory as well. Philip W. Anderson, Physicist and Nobel laureate, when asked by Edge that:”WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS TRUE EVEN THOUGH YOU CANNOT PROVE IT?” He refered to string theory:

It is an interesting mathematical specialty and has produced and will produce mathematics useful in other contexts, but it seems no more vital as mathematics than other areas of very abstract or specialized math, and doesn’t on that basis justify the incredible amount of effort expended on it.

Is string theory the ultimate theory, or just the mathematical game? I don’t know. To reply the question of other physicists, the string theorists need experiment to support their theory. Large Hadron Collider (LHC) may be the hope of these experiments. It is said that the first experiment to test the string theory will peform this year. Let us to focus on the experiment and pay attension to the growth of string theory. 2005 may be the important year of string theory.

Quantumdairies set up


为了庆祝国际物理年,量子日记blog群成立了,这是一个由世界各地的粒子物理学家来写blog的网站.下面是这个网站成立的说明:

Quantum Diaries is a Web site that follows physicists from around the world as they experience the World Year of Physics 2005. Through their bios, videos, photos, and blogs, the diarists offer a personal look at the daily lives of particle physicists.

This project is not just about physics; it’s about being a physicist. That means that the diarists write about their families, hobbies, and interests, as well as their latest research findings and the challenges that face them in their labs.

Quantum Diaries aims to put a face — many faces, in fact — on physics in 2005. The diarists represent a vibrant cross-section of working physicists today. They speak eight languages and are from nine countries. Outside of the lab, they are jazz musicians, mothers and fathers, amateur astronomers, photographers and athletes. At work, they are project leaders, graduate students, experimentalists, and theorists.

Will 2005 be like 1905, the year that Einstein changed the world by changing our understanding of the universe? You can celebrate the World Year of Physics by watching it unfold through the eyes of the diarists of
Quantum Diaries.

我 不是学粒子物理 的,所以里面的学术内容看得不怎么懂.但是了解一下他们的生活,他们的想法也是很不错的事情.这个网站刚刚成立,内容不多,虽然由十几个物理学家在写 blog,但是许多不是用英语写的.可惜没有看到用中文写的,用日文的倒是有一个.可见中国在这个方面的学术影响力还是很差.其中大部分人都是实验物理学 家,他们会发上来许多漂亮的图片,看着也很好玩.

我看到,为了庆祝国际物理年,世界各地都做了许多实实在在的事情,比如Einstein@Home,物理光耀世界.建立这样一个多人的blog网站,展示物理学家生活的各个方面,也是一件非常有意义的事情.可惜国内物理界在这个方面做得很少.我只在新华网上看到了几篇关于中国物理学会准备搞物理光耀世界的新闻,以及为了物理年而开会研究的新闻.这不够,远远不够.