Tag: Caltech

Read Caltech astrophysics and harassment: Lessons learned by Casey Handmer (caseyhandmer.wordpress.com)
In the wake of major catastrophes, it is common practice for organizations to publish a “Lessons Learned” report to help prevent future occurrences. The largest public catastrophe in which I’ve ever been involved occurred in the Caltech astrophysics department between 2010 and 2019. Former Caltech professor and internationally disgraced astrophysicist Christian Ott harmed, harassed, and abused numerous students, postdocs, and research fellows. Despite thousands of hours of investigation, no public “findings” or “lessons learned” report has ever been made available. This document is my attempt to fill this need.
Some solid coverage and recommendations here. Sadly because of institutional inequalities there is almost zero chance that any of the recommendations will be picked up. Good job though Casey.

👓 Caltech Mom Wins Nobel Prize, Son Is JPL Mars Flight Tech | Pasadena Now

Read Caltech Mom Wins Nobel Prize, Son Is JPL Mars Flight Tech (pasadenanow.com)
“What the heck does Mom want? Oh, Mom probably doesn’t understand the time difference, she’s in Dallas right now and is probably still thinking it’s California time…maybe she just wants me to go check on her cats…” A litany of mundane explanations ran through James Bailey’s bleary mind at 3:23 a.m. on October 3 when he was awakened from a deep sleep by three phone calls from his mother’s cell number. Bailey silenced his phone for the first two, getting grumpier with each ring. Call #3 did the trick. He picked up the phone and said groggily, “What do you want?” With great excitement and maybe a tinge of impatience, his mother said, “I wish you had picked up your phone, but I just won the Nobel Prize.”

👓 A Conversation with @LPachter (BS ’94) | Caltech

Read A Conversation with Lior Pachter (BS '94) (The California Institute of Technology)
Pachter, a computational biologist, returns to CalTech to study the role and function of RNA.

Einstein’s Equations From Entanglement

Brian Swingle Colloquium at Caltech

From the Physics Research Conference 2015-2016
on Thursday, November 19, 2015 at 4:00 pm
at the California Institute of Technology, East Bridge 201 – Norman Bridge Laboratory of Physics, East

All talks are intended for a broad audience, and everyone is encouraged to attend. A list of future conferences can be found here.
Sponsored by Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy

In recent years we have learned that the physics of quantum information plays a crucial role in the emergence of spacetime from microscopic degrees of freedom.

I will review the idea that entanglement is the glue which holds spacetime together and show how Einstein’s equations plausibly emerge from this perspective. One ubiquitous feature of these dynamical equations is the formation of black holes, so I will conclude by discussing some new ideas about the nature of spacetime inside a black hole.

Brian Swingle, postdoctoral fellow at the Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics and physicist focusing on quantum matter, quantum information, and quantum gravity
in Physics Research Conference | Caltech

Click here for full screen presentation.

Dave Brubeck: It’s About Time (Unsquare Dance) at Muse/ique

Recording from Muse/ique

Dave Brubeck: It’s About Time (Unsquare Dance) at Beckman Auditorium
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Recorded at Beckman Auditorium

at the Muse/ique Summer of Sound

Watched Stephen Hawking: The Origins of the Universe from California Institute of Technology

In a talk aimed at the general public, Professor Hawking discusses theories on the origin of the universe. He explains how time can have a beginning, and addresses the progress made by cosmologists in an area which has traditionally belonged to theologists and philosophers.

Stephen Hawking holds the prestigious Lucasian chair at Cambridge University, once held by Sir Isaac Newton. He is one of the early developers of the theory of black holes and author of the international best-selling book A Brief History of Time.

PLEASE NOTE: This event is free, but tickets will be required. General admission tickets will be distributed on the morning of the lecture only. Please carefully review the complete ticketing procedures, available in a PDF file here.

Tuesday, April 4, 2006
8:00pm to 10:00pm
Beckman Auditorium

Arrived around 7:15 to get in line and ended up with a nice seat about 10 rows back from the stage. He was entertaining and even a tad inspirational, but it was definitely a “public” lecture and disappointingly had absolutely no technical content in the least.