BEC and the 2001 Nobel prize

Promotional image for talk: Elements of a successful scientific talk

Speaker(s): Ken Davis

In 2001 Wolfgang Ketterle won the Nobel prize in physics. The award was given for the observation of Bose Einstein condensation in a gas of sodium atoms. This experimental result was pursued with intensity for decades by experimental groups around the country and around the world. Learn what was novel about Ketterle’s approach and why it worked. Also learn about the 2001 prize ceremony which was the centennial celebration of the Nobel prize. Finally hear from Ken Davis (Ketterle’s first graduate student) why, in the midst of all this excitement, he chose to leave physics and pursue a career in business.

Colloquium

Junior and senior physics majors attend our biweekly colloquium series, held on Tuesday afternoons at 4:30 p.m. in Shanahan B460. The talks are open to all students and to the public, and are frequently attended by scientists from the other Claremont Colleges, Cal Poly Pomona, and others. The series features speakers from a broad range of institutions and fields of physics.