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School establihes Theoretical Physics Center
Center to examine physics theory
Sophia Ahern Dwosh
Princetonian Staff Writer
The University recently announced plans to establish the Center for Theoretical Physics, an interdisciplinary program for collaboration and research in theoretical natural sciences, after over a year of discussion and planning among faculty members and administrators.
Starting fall 2006, the Center will offer programs, seminars and ongoing discussions among University faculty, postgraduate and undergraduate students in conjunction with outside experts and collaborators. It will be housed inside the physics department in Jadwin Hall.
Physics professors Curtis Callan GS '64 and Paul Steinhardt will serve as director and associate director of the Center, respectively.
Steinhardt said the idea for the Center arose from informal discussions over the last year and a half among faculty members looking to encourage cooperation and interaction among different scientific disciplines.
"Many of the methods and thought process[es] we use are things we have in common," Steinhardt said. "At times, ideas exist in one subfield [that] might be useful to those in another subfield if they only knew about it."
Physics professor Shivaji Sondhi, a senior fellow at the Center, emphasized that the Center will bridge scientific disciplines.
"Certain habits of thought now apply across all of natural science," Sondhi said. "It is called the Center for Theoretical Physics; nevertheless [it could be called] the Center for Theoretical Natural Science. Such a center will be a place where a lot of theories will be united by their shared intellectual capital."
Plans for the Center will focus on the development of thematic programs — proposed by faculty — that will be the focus of research, discussion groups, seminars and courses during the academic year.
Steinhardt said he thought these in-depth topics would also encourage undergraduate students to explore these areas independently in senior theses, junior papers and other projects.
Proposed thematic programs for spring 2007 are "The Big Bang and Beyond" and "Frontiers in Quantum Computation."
Both Steinhardt and Sondhi stressed cooperation and interaction across departments and natural science disciplines as crucial in plans for developing the Center. Steinhardt called his vision for the Center a "cross-fertilization [of scientific subfields] that will bring new ideas."
"I think what I am personally most excited about ... is a leap in the sort of atmosphere in Jadwin Hall," Sondhi said. "I see this floor with seminars and discussions going on which will increase the active presence of discussion going on in the building."
"A center like this can force people to come together," he added. "Face-to-face interaction can play a large role in sparking new ideas."
Center to examine physics theory
Sophia Ahern Dwosh
Princetonian Staff Writer
The University recently announced plans to establish the Center for Theoretical Physics, an interdisciplinary program for collaboration and research in theoretical natural sciences, after over a year of discussion and planning among faculty members and administrators.
Starting fall 2006, the Center will offer programs, seminars and ongoing discussions among University faculty, postgraduate and undergraduate students in conjunction with outside experts and collaborators. It will be housed inside the physics department in Jadwin Hall.
Physics professors Curtis Callan GS '64 and Paul Steinhardt will serve as director and associate director of the Center, respectively.
Steinhardt said the idea for the Center arose from informal discussions over the last year and a half among faculty members looking to encourage cooperation and interaction among different scientific disciplines.
"Many of the methods and thought process[es] we use are things we have in common," Steinhardt said. "At times, ideas exist in one subfield [that] might be useful to those in another subfield if they only knew about it."
Physics professor Shivaji Sondhi, a senior fellow at the Center, emphasized that the Center will bridge scientific disciplines.
"Certain habits of thought now apply across all of natural science," Sondhi said. "It is called the Center for Theoretical Physics; nevertheless [it could be called] the Center for Theoretical Natural Science. Such a center will be a place where a lot of theories will be united by their shared intellectual capital."
Plans for the Center will focus on the development of thematic programs — proposed by faculty — that will be the focus of research, discussion groups, seminars and courses during the academic year.
Steinhardt said he thought these in-depth topics would also encourage undergraduate students to explore these areas independently in senior theses, junior papers and other projects.
Proposed thematic programs for spring 2007 are "The Big Bang and Beyond" and "Frontiers in Quantum Computation."
Both Steinhardt and Sondhi stressed cooperation and interaction across departments and natural science disciplines as crucial in plans for developing the Center. Steinhardt called his vision for the Center a "cross-fertilization [of scientific subfields] that will bring new ideas."
"I think what I am personally most excited about ... is a leap in the sort of atmosphere in Jadwin Hall," Sondhi said. "I see this floor with seminars and discussions going on which will increase the active presence of discussion going on in the building."
"A center like this can force people to come together," he added. "Face-to-face interaction can play a large role in sparking new ideas."
