Category Archives: Physics

Higgs Without Molasses

John F. Lindner March 29, 2020 9:16 PM

Although almost all ordinary mass effectively arises from the kinetic and binding energy of quarks and gluons bound to protons and neutrons in atomic nuclei, the Higgs mechanism does endow some particles like quarks and weakons with intrinsic masses. Here … Continue reading →

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Meeting 100+ years of experience in nonlinear dynamics

Niklas Manz March 7, 2020 1:33 PM

I met two scientists for my BZ-history project with a combined age of 177 years. It was a great pleasure and honor to talk to them.

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Continental Bridge

John F. Lindner January 1, 2020 7:51 PM

I remember looking at a classroom map of Earth and thinking the continents seem like puzzle pieces, especially north and south America in the west and Europe and Africa in the east. I mentally fit them together. Later I learned … Continue reading →

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Table of Nuclides

John F. Lindner December 1, 2019 8:22 PM

As of 2019, we have identified or synthesized 118 distinct elements with Z protons, but about 2900 distinct nuclides with N neutrons (where atom is to element as nucleus is to nuclide). The start of my version of the table … Continue reading →

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Wooster Epicycles

John F. Lindner June 30, 2019 8:26 PM

A vector is the sum of its components, a mechanical vibration is a combination of its normal mode motions, a quantum state is a superposition of its eigenstates, and any “nice” function is a Fourier sum of real or complex sinusoids, … Continue reading →

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Redefining SI

John F. Lindner May 20, 2019 6:49 AM

Today the SI (Système international d’unités) base units are redefined. The following are now exact. Memorize these numbers! Cs-133 transition frequency constant  defines the second. Then light speed constant  defines the meter. Then Planck’s constant  defines the kilogram. Then electron charge constant  defines … Continue reading →

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Black Hole Radii

John F. Lindner April 10, 2019 9:42 PM

I set the alarm for 8:55 AM. Brutal, but I wanted to watch live the National Science Foundation Event Horizon Telescope news conference. I was expecting the first image of a black hole, and the EHT team did not disappoint. … Continue reading →

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March Meeting — Guest Blog by Carlos Owusu-Ansah ’21

Susan Lehman March 11, 2019 11:06 AM

I thought the March APS meeting was fantastic. It felt great to present our research findings to people who cared about what Dr. Lindner and I were working on at the College. I attended fun talks about astronomical phenomena and … Continue reading →

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March Meeting — Guest Blog by Katie Shideler ’21

Susan Lehman March 8, 2019 5:17 PM

Having never been to a physics conference, or even to the city of Boston, attending the annual American Physical Society’s March Meeting was all around a new and incredible experience. Being able to present my research to physicists from across … Continue reading →

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March Meeting 2019 Boston

Susan Lehman March 7, 2019 8:06 AM

I’m currently in Boston for the 2019 March Meeting, which is as exciting, overwhelming, and exhausting as usual! You may remember last March Meeting, we were in LA, which was naturally nice and warm.  Boston welcomed the March Meeting with … Continue reading →

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