The Symposium
Day 1: "The Ocean of Truth—-- Exploring
the Great Unknowns in Physics and Cosmology" (Pauley Ballroom, Martin Luther King Student Center)
- We will consider the astonishing fact that no one understands the source
of most of the gravitational interaction in the universe: What is dark matter?
What is dark energy? What is the nature of a vacuum?
- We will also consider the fact that the most successful physical theory,
quantum mechanics, still contains both deep mysteries and possibilities
for amazing innovations: How should we understand the underlying principles
of QM? Are experiments being done that probe the possibility of violations
of, or new landscapes for, QM? Are QM and general relativity compatible
or incompatible? Are new particles and fields waiting to be discovered?
MORNING:
- Opening Remarks and Welcome
M.C.: Mark A. Richards
Hosts: Robert C. Dynes and Robert J. Birgeneau
Chairs: Raymond Y. Chiao and William D. Phillips
Convenor: Charles L. Townes
- The Great Unknowns in Physics
David Gross: "Major Unknowns in Particle Physics"
Anthony Leggett: "Major Unknowns in QM"
Raphael Bousso: "The Interface Between QM and GR"
Ignacio Cirac: "Quantum Information"
AFTERNOON:
- The Great Unknowns in Astronomy
Saul Perlmutter: "Dark Matter and Dark Energy--Observation"
Marc Kamionkowski (invited): " Dark Matter and Dark Energy--Theory"
Adrian Lee: "Dark Matter and Dark Energy--Experiment"
- Panel Discussion: The Ocean of Truth: Exploring the Great Unknowns
in Physics and Cosmology
Chair: Arno Penzias
Panelists: Raymond Chiao, Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, William Phillips, Marjorie
Shapiro,
Boris Stoicheff, Max Tegmark, Patrick Thaddeus, Herbert Walther
SPECIAL EVENING PLENARY:
- Celebrating Light
John Heilbron: "The History of Light"