On the centenary of its autonomy, UASLP will present a conference on the Nobel Prize in Physics

Within the framework of the celebrations for the Centennial of Autonomy, the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí (UASLP) through the Institute of Physics (IF) will present the master lecture “Time, Einstein and the coolest stuff in the universe” by Dr. William Daniel Phillips, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997 and as Doctor Honoris Causa of the UASLP in 2009.

In this regard, Dr. Ricardo Guirado López, director of the Institute of Physics, stressed that the presence of the renowned scientist who won the Nobel Prize together with Steven Chu and Claude Cohen-Tannoudji for the development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light, is of vital importance to bring young people closer to science.

He indicated that the invitation to the Nobel to attend the UASLP is part of the strategy that the rector, Dr. Alejandro Javier Zermeño Guerra, maintains together with all the faculties to further involve youth in science. “Dr. William is someone very charismatic who gives very interesting talks and we wanted to take advantage of his visit to give a popular science conference aimed at all the young people in the state. Young people from middle school and high school from the four regions will come and we estimate approximately one thousand attendees, ”he said.

He explained that the invitation has been made to multiple schools so that each one, internally, selects a group of approximately 30 students, who will be provided with a bracelet to access the event that will take place on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at the Bicentennial University Cultural Center.

As part of his agenda, Dr. William Daniel Phillips will be at the UASLP from January 16 to 20, where he will carry out various activities. However, Dr. Guirado López considered, the approach to young people is of great importance for science and the state.

He said that although the Nobel talk will be in English, there will be translation into Spanish and Mexican Sign Language, so that everyone can enjoy the event. He announced that it is also planned that within the framework of the keynote speech, some faculties provide information on their careers, especially those of science, so that young people can learn about the academic offer of the UASLP and participate in the 2023 admission process.

Lastly, the director of the Institute of Physics maintained that although girls and boys of school age are equally interested in science, at the middle levels that interest of women in said subjects is lost; Well, according to UNESCO data, of all scientists worldwide, only 30% are women, so it is important that these types of events bring them closer to science.

The American William D. Phillips, PhD in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and one of the founders of the International Society for Science and Religion, which seeks to facilitate dialogue between science and faith. He is currently a NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Investigator and Distinguished Professor at the University of Maryland.