Nobel Prize winner to speak during OSU Research Week

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Frank Wilczek, the 2004 Nobel Laureate in Physics and Herman Feshbach Professor of Physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will give a public lecture on “The Universe is a Strange Place” on Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 8 p.m. in the Student Union Theatre. 

He’ll give the keynote lecture, “Frontiers of Science,” at the OSU Research Symposium on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 9 a.m. in the Student Union, Case Study 3.

Over the 20th century, Wilczek says we have constructed a very successful fundamental theory of the behavior of matter. Viewed from this perspective, the world looks very different from everyday reality. It is an extraordinary and beautiful place — in particular, he says, we've come to understand that the building blocks of matter appear as notes in Music of the Void. He’ll discuss recent discoveries indicating that the world is even stranger than we've understood and how we're rising to the challenge.

Wilczek is considered one of the world's most eminent theoretical physicists. He has received many prizes for his work in physics, including the Nobel Prize of 2004 for work he did as a graduate student at Princeton University when he was only 21. He is known, among other things, for discovering asymptotic freedom, developing quantum chromodynamics, axions, and exploiting new forms of quantum statistics (anyons). Following the lecture, Wilczek will sign his latest book, "Fantastic Realities: 49 Mind Journeys and A Trip to Stockholm."

Wilczek will also give the keynote address, “Frontiers of Science,” at the OSU Research Symposium, which is scheduled from Wednesday, Feb. 21, through Friday, Feb. 23, in the Student Union. Wilczek said science is bursting with opportunities and challenges. He will briefly tour some frontiers, going from the very small to the extensive and back, showing connections between different levels.