May 2012 Newsletter
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Hendrik Antoon Lorentz's Struggle with Quantum Theory A. J
Hendrik Antoon Lorentz’s struggle with quantum theory A. J. Kox Archive for History of Exact Sciences ISSN 0003-9519 Volume 67 Number 2 Arch. Hist. Exact Sci. (2013) 67:149-170 DOI 10.1007/s00407-012-0107-8 1 23 Your article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution license which allows users to read, copy, distribute and make derivative works, as long as the author of the original work is cited. You may self- archive this article on your own website, an institutional repository or funder’s repository and make it publicly available immediately. 1 23 Arch. Hist. Exact Sci. (2013) 67:149–170 DOI 10.1007/s00407-012-0107-8 Hendrik Antoon Lorentz’s struggle with quantum theory A. J. Kox Received: 15 June 2012 / Published online: 24 July 2012 © The Author(s) 2012. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Abstract A historical overview is given of the contributions of Hendrik Antoon Lorentz in quantum theory. Although especially his early work is valuable, the main importance of Lorentz’s work lies in the conceptual clarifications he provided and in his critique of the foundations of quantum theory. 1 Introduction The Dutch physicist Hendrik Antoon Lorentz (1853–1928) is generally viewed as an icon of classical, nineteenth-century physics—indeed, as one of the last masters of that era. Thus, it may come as a bit of a surprise that he also made important contribu- tions to quantum theory, the quintessential non-classical twentieth-century develop- ment in physics. The importance of Lorentz’s work lies not so much in his concrete contributions to the actual physics—although some of his early work was ground- breaking—but rather in the conceptual clarifications he provided and his critique of the foundations and interpretations of the new ideas. -
Quantum Indeterminism and Evolutionary Biology Author(S): David N
Quantum Indeterminism and Evolutionary Biology Author(s): David N. Stamos Reviewed work(s): Source: Philosophy of Science, Vol. 68, No. 2 (Jun., 2001), pp. 164-184 Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the Philosophy of Science Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3081062 . Accessed: 31/01/2013 02:04 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The University of Chicago Press and Philosophy of Science Association are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Philosophy of Science. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded on Thu, 31 Jan 2013 02:04:56 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions QuantumIndeterminism and EvolutionaryBiology* David N. Stamostt Departmentof Philosophy,York University In "The IndeterministicCharacter of Evolutionary Theory: No 'Hidden Variables Proof' But No Room for DeterminismEither," Brandon and Carson (1996) arguethat evolutionary theory is statistical because the processes it describesare fundamentally statistical.In "Is Indeterminismthe Source of the StatisticalCharacter of Evolutionary Theory?" Graves, Horan, and Rosenberg (1999) argue in reply that the processes of evolutionarybiology are fundamentallydeterministic and that the statisticalcharacter of evolutionary theory is explained by epistemologicalrather than ontological consid- erations. -
Einstein's Mistakes
Einstein’s Mistakes Einstein was the greatest genius of the Twentieth Century, but his discoveries were blighted with mistakes. The Human Failing of Genius. 1 PART 1 An evaluation of the man Here, Einstein grows up, his thinking evolves, and many quotations from him are listed. Albert Einstein (1879-1955) Einstein at 14 Einstein at 26 Einstein at 42 3 Albert Einstein (1879-1955) Einstein at age 61 (1940) 4 Albert Einstein (1879-1955) Born in Ulm, Swabian region of Southern Germany. From a Jewish merchant family. Had a sister Maja. Family rejected Jewish customs. Did not inherit any mathematical talent. Inherited stubbornness, Inherited a roguish sense of humor, An inclination to mysticism, And a habit of grüblen or protracted, agonizing “brooding” over whatever was on its mind. Leading to the thought experiment. 5 Portrait in 1947 – age 68, and his habit of agonizing brooding over whatever was on its mind. He was in Princeton, NJ, USA. 6 Einstein the mystic •“Everyone who is seriously involved in pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe, one that is vastly superior to that of man..” •“When I assess a theory, I ask myself, if I was God, would I have arranged the universe that way?” •His roguish sense of humor was always there. •When asked what will be his reactions to observational evidence against the bending of light predicted by his general theory of relativity, he said: •”Then I would feel sorry for the Good Lord. The theory is correct anyway.” 7 Einstein: Mathematics •More quotations from Einstein: •“How it is possible that mathematics, a product of human thought that is independent of experience, fits so excellently the objects of physical reality?” •Questions asked by many people and Einstein: •“Is God a mathematician?” •His conclusion: •“ The Lord is cunning, but not malicious.” 8 Einstein the Stubborn Mystic “What interests me is whether God had any choice in the creation of the world” Some broadcasters expunged the comment from the soundtrack because they thought it was blasphemous. -
View the Speaker Abstracts
Preconference Session: NextGen Early Career Scientist Meeting Jonathan Watts Sunday, 13 October 10.05-10.35 The First Few Bases: Career and Chemical Modification Jonathan K. Watts RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA This plenary talk of the early career scientist symposium has been invited to be primarily about career trajectory and advice for trainee scientists. I will weave this information together with recent research results from my laboratory. In particular, this talk will describe some of our work on “tissue-specific medicinal chemistry” with a focus on optimization of antisense oligonucleotide chemistry for the lung and brain. Jonathan K. Watts, Ph.D. Associate Professor RNA Therapeutics Institute UMass Medical School 368 Plantation St., AS4.1051 Worcester, MA, 01609 USA [email protected] 774-455-3784 25 Preconference Session: NextGen Early Career Scientist Meeting Ysobel Baker Sunday, 13 October 10.35-10.51 Backbone-modified locked nucleic acids for therapeutic antisense applications Ysobel Baker, Jinfeng Chen, Cameron Thorpe, Pawan Kumar, Afaf El-Sagheer, Tom Brown Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford Oligonucleotides with artificial backbones which mimic the natural phosphodiester linkage often show enhanced stability toward nucleases and have found applications in synthetic biology, nanotechnology, and gene synthesis. Whilst the incorporation of charge neutral analogues reduces the overall negative charge, these linkages typically reduce the thermal stability of the corresponding duplex, limiting their potential as therapeutics. In contrast, incorporation of conformationally restrained locked nucleic acid (LNA) into DNA improves the thermal stability of DNA:RNA duplexes. Therefore, we sought to combine the favourable properties of charge neutral linkages with those of LNA to create a new type of antisense oligonucleotide. -
De Nobelprijzen Komen Eraan!
De Nobelprijzen komen eraan! De Nobelprijzen komen eraan! In de loop van volgende week worden de Nobelprijswinnaars van dit jaar aangekondigd. Daarna weten we wie in december deze felbegeerde prijzen in ontvangst mogen gaan nemen. De Nobelprijzen zijn wellicht de meest prestigieuze en bekende academische onderscheidingen ter wereld, maar waarom eigenlijk? Hoe zijn de prijzen ontstaan, en wie was hun grondlegger, Alfred Nobel? Afbeelding 1. Alfred Nobel.Alfred Nobel (1833-1896) was de grondlegger van de Nobelprijzen. Volgende week is de jaarlijkse aankondiging van de prijswinnaard. Alfred Nobel Alfred Nobel was een belangrijke negentiende-eeuwse Zweedse scheikundige en uitvinder. Hij werd geboren in Stockholm in 1833 in een gezin met acht kinderen. Zijn vader, Immanuel Nobel, was een werktuigkundige en uitvinder die succesvol was met het maken van wapens en stoommotoren. Immanuel wou dat zijn zonen zijn bedrijf zouden overnemen en stuurde Alfred daarom op een twee jaar durende reis naar onder andere Duitsland, Frankrijk en de Verenigde Staten, om te leren over chemische werktuigbouwkunde. In Parijs ontmoette bron: https://www.quantumuniverse.nl/de-nobelprijzen-komen-eraan Pagina 1 van 5 De Nobelprijzen komen eraan! Alfred de Italiaanse scheikundige Ascanio Sobrero, die drie jaar eerder het explosief nitroglycerine had ontdekt. Nitroglycerine had een veel grotere explosieve kracht dan het buskruit, maar was ook veel gevaarlijker om te gebruiken omdat het instabiel is. Alfred raakte geinteresseerd in nitroglycerine en hoe het gebruikt kon worden voor commerciele doeleinden, en ging daarom werken aan de stabiliteit en veiligheid van de stof. Een makkelijk project was dit niet, en meerdere malen ging het flink mis. -
Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory and Lorentz Institute
europhysicsnews 2015 • Volume 46 • number 2 Europhysics news is the magazine of the European physics community. It is owned by the European Physical Society and produced in cooperation with EDP Sciences. The staff of EDP Sciences are involved in the production of the magazine and are not responsible for editorial content. Most contributors to Europhysics news are volunteers and their work is greatly appreciated EPS HISTORIC SITES by the Editor and the Editorial Advisory Board. Europhysics news is also available online at: www.europhysicsnews.org General instructions to authors can be found at: www.eps.org/?page=publications Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory Editor: Victor R. Velasco (SP) Email: [email protected] and Lorentz Institute Science Editor: Jo Hermans (NL) Email: [email protected] Leiden, The Netherlands Executive Editor: David Lee Email: [email protected] Graphic designer: Xavier de Araujo ‘The coldest place on earth’ Email: [email protected] Director of Publication: Jean-Marc Quilbé Editorial Advisory Board: Gonçalo Figueira (PT), Guillaume Fiquet (FR), On 9 February 2015, the site of the former Physics Zsolt Fülöp (Hu), Adelbert Goede (NL), Agnès Henri (FR), Martin Huber (CH), Robert Klanner (DE), Laboratory of Leiden University was officially Peter Liljeroth (FI), Stephen Price (UK), recognised as one of the ‘EPS Historic Sites’ Laurence Ramos (FR), Chris Rossel (CH), Claude Sébenne (FR), Marc Türler (CH) of the European Physical Society. On that day © European Physical Society and EDP Sciences EPS president-elect Christophe Rossel unveiled EPS Secretariat the commemorative plaque near the present-day Address: EPS • 6 rue des Frères Lumière 68200 Mulhouse • France entrance to the complex (since 2004 the location Tel: +33 389 32 94 40 • fax: +33 389 32 94 49 of Leiden University’s Law Faculty). -
Scientific References for Nobel Physics Prizes
1 Scientific References for Nobel Physics Prizes © Dr. John Andraos, 2004 Department of Chemistry, York University 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ONTARIO M3J 1P3, CANADA For suggestions, corrections, additional information, and comments please send e-mails to [email protected] http://www.chem.yorku.ca/NAMED/ 1901 - Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen "in recognition of the extraordinary services he has rendered by the discovery of the remarkable rays subsequently named after him." Roentgen X-ray Roentgen, W.C. Ann. Physik 1898, 64 , 1 Stanton, A. Science 1896, 3 , 227; 726 (translation) 1902 - Hendrik Antoon Lorentz and Pieter Zeeman "in recognition of the extraordinary service they rendered by their researches into the influence of magnetism upon radiation phenomena." Zeeman effect Zeeman, P., Verhandlungen der Physikalischen Gesellschaft zu Berlin 1896, 7 , 128 Zeeman, P., Nature 1897, 55 , 347 (translation by A. Stanton) 1903 - Antoine Henri Becquerel "in recognition of the extraordinary service he has rendered by his discovery of spontaneous radioactivity." Becquerel, A.H. Compt. Rend. 1896, 122 , 420; 501; 559; 689; 1086 Becquerel, A.H. Compt. Rend. 1896, 123 , 855 Becquerel, A.H. Compt. Rend. 1897, 124 , 444; 800 Becquerel, A.H. Compt. Rend. 1899, 129 , 996; 1205 Becquerel, A.H. Compt. Rend. 1900, 130 , 327; 809; 1583 Becquerel, A.H. Compt. Rend. 1900, 131 , 137 Becquerel, A.H. Compt. Rend. 1901, 133 , 977 1903 - Pierre Curie and Marie Curie, nee Sklodowska "in recognition of the extraordinary services they have rendered by their joint researches on the radiation phenomena discovered by Professor Henri Becquerel." Curie unit of radiation Curie, P; Desains, P., Compt. Rend. -
Spectroscopy & the Nobel
Newsroom 1971 CHEMISTRY NOBEL OSA Honorary Member Gerhard Herzberg “for his contributions to the knowledge of electronic structure and geometry of molecules, particularly free radicals” 1907 PHYSICS NOBEL 1930 PHYSICS NOBEL 1966 CHEMISTRY NOBEL OSA Honorary Member Albert OSA Honorary Member Sir Robert S. Mulliken “for Abraham Michelson “for his Chandrasekhara Venkata his fundamental work optical precision instruments Raman “for his work on the concerning chemical bonds and the spectroscopic and scattering of light and for and the electronic structure metrological investigations the discovery of the effect of molecules by the carried out with their aid” named after him” molecular orbital method” 1902 PHYSICS NOBEL 1919 PHYSICS NOBEL Hendrik Antoon Lorentz and Johannes Stark “for his Pieter Zeeman “for their discovery of the Doppler researches into the influence effect in canal rays and of magnetism upon radiation the splitting of spectral phenomena” lines in electric fields” 1955 PHYSICS NOBEL OSA Honorary Member Willis Eugene Lamb “for his discoveries concerning the fine structure of the hydrogen Spectroscopy spectrum” & the Nobel ctober is when scientists around the world await the results from Stockholm. O Since the Nobel Prize was established in 1895, a surprising number of the awards have gone to advances related to or enabled by spectroscopy—from the spectral splitting of the Zeeman and Stark effects to cutting-edge advances enabled by laser frequency combs. We offer a small (and far from complete) sample here; to explore further, visit www.nobelprize.org. 16 OPTICS & PHOTONICS NEWS OCTOBER 2018 1996 CHEMISTRY NOBEL OSA Fellow Robert F. Curl Jr., Richard Smalley and Harold 1999 CHEMISTRY NOBEL Kroto (not pictured) “for their Ahmed H. -
Liste Der Nobelpreisträger
Physiologie Wirtschafts- Jahr Physik Chemie oder Literatur Frieden wissenschaften Medizin Wilhelm Henry Dunant Jacobus H. Emil von Sully 1901 Conrad — van ’t Hoff Behring Prudhomme Röntgen Frédéric Passy Hendrik Antoon Theodor Élie Ducommun 1902 Emil Fischer Ronald Ross — Lorentz Mommsen Pieter Zeeman Albert Gobat Henri Becquerel Svante Niels Ryberg Bjørnstjerne 1903 William Randal Cremer — Pierre Curie Arrhenius Finsen Bjørnson Marie Curie Frédéric John William William Mistral 1904 Iwan Pawlow Institut de Droit international — Strutt Ramsay José Echegaray Adolf von Henryk 1905 Philipp Lenard Robert Koch Bertha von Suttner — Baeyer Sienkiewicz Camillo Golgi Joseph John Giosuè 1906 Henri Moissan Theodore Roosevelt — Thomson Santiago Carducci Ramón y Cajal Albert A. Alphonse Rudyard \Ernesto Teodoro Moneta 1907 Eduard Buchner — Michelson Laveran Kipling Louis Renault Ilja Gabriel Ernest Rudolf Klas Pontus Arnoldson 1908 Metschnikow — Lippmann Rutherford Eucken Paul Ehrlich Fredrik Bajer Theodor Auguste Beernaert Guglielmo Wilhelm Kocher Selma 1909 — Marconi Ostwald Ferdinand Lagerlöf Paul Henri d’Estournelles de Braun Constant Johannes Albrecht Ständiges Internationales 1910 Diderik van Otto Wallach Paul Heyse — Kossel Friedensbüro der Waals Allvar Maurice Tobias Asser 1911 Wilhelm Wien Marie Curie — Gullstrand Maeterlinck Alfred Fried Victor Grignard Gerhart 1912 Gustaf Dalén Alexis Carrel Elihu Root — Paul Sabatier Hauptmann Heike Charles Rabindranath 1913 Kamerlingh Alfred Werner Henri La Fontaine — Robert Richet Tagore Onnes Theodore -
Sun – Part 20 – Solar Magnetic Field 2 – Zeeman Effect
Sun – Part 20 - Solar magnetic field 2 – Zeeman effect The Zeeman effect The effect in a solar spectral line Pieter Zeeman This is a means of measuring a magnetic field from a distance, one that is particularly useful in astronomy where such measurements for stars have to be made indirectly. Use of the Zeeman effect is particularly important in relation to the Sun's magnetic field because of the central role played by the solar magnetic field in solar activity eg solar flares, coronal mass ejections, which can, potentially, pose a serious hazard to many aspects of human life. The Zeeman effect is the splitting of a spectral line into several components due to the presence of a static magnetic field. Normally, atoms in a star’s atmosphere will absorb a certain frequency of energy in the electromagnetic spectrum. However, when the atoms are within a magnetic field, these lines become split into multiple, closely spaced lines. For example, under normal conditions, an atomic spectral line of 400nm would be single. However, in a strong magnetic field, because of the Zeeman effect, the line would be split to yield a more energetic line and a less energetic line, in addition to the original line. The distance between the splits is a function of the magnetic field, so this effect can be used to measure the magnetic fields of the Sun and other stars. The energy also becomes polarised, with an orientation depending on the orientation of the magnetic field. Thus, strength and direction of a star’s magnetic field can be determined by study of Zeeman effect lines. -
Hendrik Antoon Lorentz 1853 - 1928 Awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1902
Hendrik Antoon Lorentz 1853 - 1928 Awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1902 In the early 1890s electrons had not yet been discovered. The famous Dutch physicist Hendrik Lorentz postulated the existence of tiny charged particles to explain a number of physical phenomena. Lorentz argued that electromagnetic radiation is produced by the vibration of these charged particles. Soon, the English physicist J.J. Thomson discovered these particles ('electrons') experimentally. You may know that the spectral lines are an optical phenomenon, and they appear when the light from a gas flame is split into different colors. An important consequence of Lorentz's electron theory was the prediction that spectral lines would split if the source of light from which they come is placed within a strong magnetic field. Lorentz supposed that the presence of a magnetic field would alter the motion of the charged particles in the light source which produced the spectral lines, causing them to shift their position. In 1902 Lorentz and his countryman Pieter Zeeman were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for the discovery and explanation of the splitting of spectral lines. He explained mathematically the length contraction of an object Hendrik Antoon Lorentz was born in Arnhem in the Netherlands, on July 18th, 1853. His father was the owner of a nursery, his mother died when Hendrik was only four years old, and his father moving at relativistic speed married for a second time. The stepmother seemed to have taken good care of him and his younger brother. In 1870 Lorentz entered the University of Leiden, where he studied physics and mathematics. -
Chemical Ligation of DNA, Biocompatibility and Applications of Artificial Backbones
Oligo 2017 Oxford Chemical ligation of DNA, biocompatibility and applications of artificial backbones Tom Brown Click Chemistry: DNA strand ligation Azides and alkynes can be easily attached to nucleic acids They are unreactive towards the functional groups in nature; they react only with each other The CuAAC click reaction works well in water The CuAAC reaction can be switched on after annealing DNA strands by the addition of Cu I The resultant triazole unit is extremely stable, and is not toxic Applications of artificial DNA linkages The DNA ligase enzyme repairs single- stranded discontinuities in double stranded DNA molecules DNA ligases have evolved to assist in DNA repair and DNA replication Chemical ligation? A. H. El-Sagheer and T. Brown, J. Amer. Chem. Soc. , 2009, 131, 3958-3964. Alternative to phosphodiester-triazole linkage For chemically modified O B O DNA to have maximum utility it should behave like O normal DNA As in normal DNA PCR N Can a triazole linker be designed to resemble a N normal phosphodiester? N B O As in normal DNA i.e. be tolerated by DNA polymerase enzymes? O triazole DNA template 4 Ligation of DNA Strands – Applications Chemically modified gene synthesis e.g. epigenetics PCR amplification of triazole DNA is successful Lane 1: DNA ladder Lane 2: PCR product peakdale .com PCR reads through triazole linkages correctly TGTCC TGG TGCC GCG also C-tz-T gives C-p-T and T-tz-T gives T-p-T peakdale .com Rolling circle amplification Reversed- Cyclisation phase mass HPLC of spectrum and RCA of cyclic 100- of cyclic 5’-azide-3’- mer 100-mer 3’-alkyne 100-mer lanes 2 and 3; RCA of cyclic triazole ODN-31 and cyclic normal DNA using phi29 polymerase El-Sagheer AH et.