...Lo aNd BeHoLd...
Lessons began proper this week. The schedule for a normal day involved us leaving the hostel at about half past nine to head to the lecture venue that may be at diverse locations due to the scattered location of the University buildings. By scattered, I literally mean a difference of half an hour or more.
In Singapore, the acquisition of knowledge is gauged by one's ability to effectively reign supreme in the exams. Consequently, one starts to drift from the initial notion of knowledge acquisition, that was to elicit knowledge that is interesting and hopefully useful to society, to a state that necessitates the acquisition of knowledge for the mere purpose of doing well doing exams. Contrastingly, I would sum up this physics immersion programme as a 'physics pilgrimage'. A programme that is effectively able to not merely impart essential knowledge upon our beings, but able to provide purpose and direction to that which we do. To witness latest breakthroughs and research methodologies.
On Monday, we went through lectures on Quantum physics. Quantum physics is that which differentiates physicists from engineers to the greatest degree due to its sometimes, abstract, intangible and even incomprehensible nature. The lecture revolved around what is known as Quantum cryptography. The usage of such a technique to send securely encoded messages over large distances. Thereafter, we attended a collaquium. I seriously have never attended any lecture with such a large number of old people. People who are probably experts in a particular field in physics. The interesting thing here was that many of these old physicists looked like Einstein- messy hair, wrinkled forehead- Ingredients to smartness or sheer coincidence? :)
Tuesday and Wednesday brought us through the developments in biophysics. Nano-structures that may empower revolutionary changes in the medical arena, in the future- ideas and valid experiments that involve concepts of DNA Origami and Cell biophysics. Notice here how, physicists appear to form the basis of change even in developments that involve the field of medicine.
Thursday and Friday were the most exciting- The whole reason why I came for the Germany Immersion programme. We visited one fully operational nuclear reactor. However, this nuclear reactor is not one that allows one to harness energy, but one that propagates the generation of neutrons needed for experiments and daily applications such as neutron imaging, analogous to X-ray imaging. We then, visited a particle accelerator- a Tandem accelerator to be exact. Thursday ended with a lecture that revolved around ideas involving lasers. Imagine, we are on our way in developing a laser which is as powerful as the sun's energy channeled to the single beam via the usage of a magnifying glass as big as the earth on a surface of 1 millimeter squared. We'll be able to do this if such research reigns successful. Its hard to fathom the power involved. Of course, the lasers will then be put into practical applications in various fields. On Friday, we attended a special type of lecture on electromagnetism. Not only did the lecturer teach, as in a conventional lecture setting- He performed various experiments in front of the class. Interesting indeed.
I daresay, I attended one of the best lectures ever thereafter- A lecture on Astrophysics and Cosmology. The very interesting lecture was able to effectively put across ideas behind concepts such as the composition of the universe- eg. Dark matter. Concepts such as geometry, the metamorphosis of the time-space fabric and general relativity.
Everything was not physics though. Shall continue in the next post. Gotta leave now. Chaozz... :)
...aNgeLs BrOuGhT mE HeRe...
Lessons began proper this week. The schedule for a normal day involved us leaving the hostel at about half past nine to head to the lecture venue that may be at diverse locations due to the scattered location of the University buildings. By scattered, I literally mean a difference of half an hour or more.
In Singapore, the acquisition of knowledge is gauged by one's ability to effectively reign supreme in the exams. Consequently, one starts to drift from the initial notion of knowledge acquisition, that was to elicit knowledge that is interesting and hopefully useful to society, to a state that necessitates the acquisition of knowledge for the mere purpose of doing well doing exams. Contrastingly, I would sum up this physics immersion programme as a 'physics pilgrimage'. A programme that is effectively able to not merely impart essential knowledge upon our beings, but able to provide purpose and direction to that which we do. To witness latest breakthroughs and research methodologies.
On Monday, we went through lectures on Quantum physics. Quantum physics is that which differentiates physicists from engineers to the greatest degree due to its sometimes, abstract, intangible and even incomprehensible nature. The lecture revolved around what is known as Quantum cryptography. The usage of such a technique to send securely encoded messages over large distances. Thereafter, we attended a collaquium. I seriously have never attended any lecture with such a large number of old people. People who are probably experts in a particular field in physics. The interesting thing here was that many of these old physicists looked like Einstein- messy hair, wrinkled forehead- Ingredients to smartness or sheer coincidence? :)
Tuesday and Wednesday brought us through the developments in biophysics. Nano-structures that may empower revolutionary changes in the medical arena, in the future- ideas and valid experiments that involve concepts of DNA Origami and Cell biophysics. Notice here how, physicists appear to form the basis of change even in developments that involve the field of medicine.
Thursday and Friday were the most exciting- The whole reason why I came for the Germany Immersion programme. We visited one fully operational nuclear reactor. However, this nuclear reactor is not one that allows one to harness energy, but one that propagates the generation of neutrons needed for experiments and daily applications such as neutron imaging, analogous to X-ray imaging. We then, visited a particle accelerator- a Tandem accelerator to be exact. Thursday ended with a lecture that revolved around ideas involving lasers. Imagine, we are on our way in developing a laser which is as powerful as the sun's energy channeled to the single beam via the usage of a magnifying glass as big as the earth on a surface of 1 millimeter squared. We'll be able to do this if such research reigns successful. Its hard to fathom the power involved. Of course, the lasers will then be put into practical applications in various fields. On Friday, we attended a special type of lecture on electromagnetism. Not only did the lecturer teach, as in a conventional lecture setting- He performed various experiments in front of the class. Interesting indeed.
I daresay, I attended one of the best lectures ever thereafter- A lecture on Astrophysics and Cosmology. The very interesting lecture was able to effectively put across ideas behind concepts such as the composition of the universe- eg. Dark matter. Concepts such as geometry, the metamorphosis of the time-space fabric and general relativity.
Everything was not physics though. Shall continue in the next post. Gotta leave now. Chaozz... :)
...aNgeLs BrOuGhT mE HeRe...
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