Science Unwrapped - From Superconductors to Black Holes

Inquiring minds of all ages are invited to Science Unwrapped, the free, public outreach program of USU's College of Arts and Sciences. Our events begin with a brief presentation, and are followed by hands-on learning activities and refreshments. At our January 23 event: A “duality” is something consisting of two things. Think “day and night,” “up and down,” and “left and right.” USU physicists Abhay Katyal and Oscar Varela explore dualities in physics, in which two seemingly different phenomena are described by the same underlying physical principles. Consider the everyday example of electricity and magnetism: Power plants generate electricity by using magnets, and running electricity through wires can, in turn, make a magnet. “Unification” means becoming united or one whole thing. Abhay and Oscar are among physicists exploring the ambitious idea that dualities can be unified – a theory that proposes nature can be described by a small set of physical laws. At Science Unwrapped, they’ll discuss how the tiniest subatomic particles behave, according to physical laws, in ways similar to immense gravitational systems like black holes.