Einstein’s Successors Einstein’s Successors and Their Creativityand Their Creativity

By Tom CardaroBy Tom Cardaro

Area of ResearchArea of Research

I’m going to be exploring why the next I’m going to be exploring why the next Einstein could be a woman, how long Einstein could be a woman, how long women have been competent scientists, women have been competent scientists, why it has taken women this long to be why it has taken women this long to be acknowledged, and the list of women who acknowledged, and the list of women who have the best shot at being Einstein’s have the best shot at being Einstein’s successor. successor.

2121stst Century Mysteries Century Mysteries

• Successors of Einstein are trying to Successors of Einstein are trying to figure out mysteries surrounding:figure out mysteries surrounding:– Ghostly neutrinos Ghostly neutrinos – Rolled-up dimensionsRolled-up dimensions– Clouds of super-cooled gas that can Clouds of super-cooled gas that can

freeze lightbeamsfreeze lightbeams

Who are Einstein’s Who are Einstein’s Successors?Successors?

Many are womenMany are women Womens’s work counters the claim that Womens’s work counters the claim that

women might be innately less suited for women might be innately less suited for math and sciencemath and science

This hypothesis was raised by Harvard This hypothesis was raised by Harvard President Lawrence Summers in President Lawrence Summers in January. January.

Time Magazine’s cover in January: “Who Time Magazine’s cover in January: “Who Says a Woman Can’t Be Einstein?” Says a Woman Can’t Be Einstein?”

Women of the Women of the Einsteinian RevolutionEinsteinian Revolution Women were involvedWomen were involved Einstein’s first wife, Einstein’s first wife,

mathematician Mileva Maric, was mathematician Mileva Maric, was said to have helped Einstein with said to have helped Einstein with his research during his miracle his research during his miracle year of 1905.year of 1905.

Einstein referred to the research Einstein referred to the research as “our work” in letters to Mileva.as “our work” in letters to Mileva.

Women of the Women of the Einsteinian Revolution Einsteinian Revolution Cont’dCont’d In 1905, Marie Currie won 2 Nobel In 1905, Marie Currie won 2 Nobel

Prizes for her research on Prizes for her research on radioactivity.radioactivity.

She participated with Einstein at the She participated with Einstein at the Solvay Conferences in the early 20Solvay Conferences in the early 20thth century. century.

Currie’s daughter, Irene Joliot-Currie Currie’s daughter, Irene Joliot-Currie won her share of a Nobel a decade won her share of a Nobel a decade later.later.

Woman Scientist DownsidesWoman Scientist Downsides

Over the decades, women have had to Over the decades, women have had to cope with social stereotypes and cope with social stereotypes and discrimination which made it hard for them discrimination which made it hard for them to advance to higher halls of research.to advance to higher halls of research.

The tides started to turn only as recently The tides started to turn only as recently as in the past generation.as in the past generation.

Women Scientist StatisticsWomen Scientist Statistics There is still a huge gender gap in There is still a huge gender gap in

academiaacademia Only 7% of the tenured and tenure-track Only 7% of the tenured and tenure-track

positions are filled by women in the top 50 positions are filled by women in the top 50 research universities.research universities.

Women are more likely to make the next Women are more likely to make the next scientific breakthrough. scientific breakthrough.

Because of the collaborative nature of Because of the collaborative nature of scientific research, the next breakthrough scientific research, the next breakthrough paper will list female as well as male paper will list female as well as male names.names.

Einstein’s Female SuccessorsEinstein’s Female Successors

Presumptuous to just label candidate as Presumptuous to just label candidate as “another Einstein.”“another Einstein.”

Pioneers in particle physics and Pioneers in particle physics and cosmologycosmology

A couple are from Harvard A couple are from Harvard

Lene Vestergaard HauLene Vestergaard Hau

Danish-bornDanish-born

Studies Bose-Einstein condensates which are Studies Bose-Einstein condensates which are clouds of ultra-cold atoms whose behavior was clouds of ultra-cold atoms whose behavior was predicted by Einstein’s theories. predicted by Einstein’s theories.

The clouds act like one big atomThe clouds act like one big atom

Clouds created in a lab only a decade agoClouds created in a lab only a decade ago

Using lasers, Hau has been able to slow pulses Using lasers, Hau has been able to slow pulses of light in the atom cloud to a dead stop then of light in the atom cloud to a dead stop then start it up againstart it up again

Deborah Jin

Received MacArthur in 2003 for her work with ultra-cold condensates

Figured out how to create a “super atom” from a class of quantum particles known as fermions

This class contains the subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, electrons

The process works with “ordinary stuff” meaning that it could lead toward breakthrough technologies ranging from better atomic clocks to superconducting circuitry

Janet ConradJanet Conrad

• Physics professor at Columbia University in New York who commutes to Fermilab in Chicago to work on experiments relating to neutrinos.

• Might hold key to mysteries of dark matter and dark energy

• Focus of work is a 40-foot-round, oil-filled metal sphere designed to detect the oscillations between different “flavors” of neutrinos.

• Results could help physicists readjust their calculations for the universe’s matter content; the standard model

Ann NelsonAnn Nelson

Nelson concentrates on theories that Nelson concentrates on theories that go beyond the standard model at the go beyond the standard model at the University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington

Proposed an explanation that links Proposed an explanation that links dark energy interactions between dark energy interactions between neutrinos and particles called neutrinos and particles called accelerons.accelerons.

The expansion of the universe should The expansion of the universe should slow down to crawl in a billion years.slow down to crawl in a billion years.

Marcela CarenaMarcela Carena

►Has worked on at least six mysteries of Has worked on at least six mysteries of modern physics including dark matter, modern physics including dark matter, supersymmetry, extra dimensions, supersymmetry, extra dimensions, matter-antimatter imbalance, Higgs matter-antimatter imbalance, Higgs boson, and the grand unified theoryboson, and the grand unified theory

►Key question has to do with finding the Key question has to do with finding the energy level that marks the transition energy level that marks the transition between ordinary particles and between ordinary particles and supersymmetric particlessupersymmetric particles

Maria SpiropuluMaria Spiropulu

Looking into supersymmetric particles and Looking into supersymmetric particles and other phenomena beyond the standard modelother phenomena beyond the standard model

Could point to extra dimensionsCould point to extra dimensions Gearing up for the 2007 startup of the greatest Gearing up for the 2007 startup of the greatest

particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Colliderparticle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider Promises that the LHC experiments will stun Promises that the LHC experiments will stun

the world and realize some of Einstein’s the world and realize some of Einstein’s dreams about bridging the gaps in theories dreams about bridging the gaps in theories relating to particle physics, gravity, and relating to particle physics, gravity, and cosmology cosmology

Lisa RandallLisa RandallTrying to figure out how to make out of Trying to figure out how to make out of string theorystring theoryPossible dimension rolled up into compact Possible dimension rolled up into compact scales that can’t be measuredscales that can’t be measuredPossible infinite dimension that blends in Possible infinite dimension that blends in with others but in very small scaleswith others but in very small scalesFive-dimensional theory could answer the Five-dimensional theory could answer the question, Why is gravity so much weaker question, Why is gravity so much weaker than the other fundamental forces of than the other fundamental forces of physics?physics?

Licia VerdeLicia Verde Behind the highest-resolution picture ever made of Behind the highest-resolution picture ever made of

the Big Bang’s microwave afterglow, produced the Big Bang’s microwave afterglow, produced WMAPWMAP

University of Pennsylvania cosmologist trying to University of Pennsylvania cosmologist trying to build on results and figure out how the universe’s rate build on results and figure out how the universe’s rate of expansion has changed over timeof expansion has changed over time

Using the light observed in certain kinds of galaxies Using the light observed in certain kinds of galaxies as “cosmic chronometers,” matching up their ages as “cosmic chronometers,” matching up their ages with outward velocitywith outward velocity

Could show how dark energy’s effect has changed Could show how dark energy’s effect has changed over the course of billions of yearsover the course of billions of years

Eva Silverstein

1999 MacArthur Fellow and a string theorist at StanfordStudying subjects ranging from dark energy and the accelerating universe to cosmic and the fabric of space-timeConcepts include references to donut-hole “handles” in space continuum that can appear and decay dynamically-fundamental questions go back to Einstein’s day

Fotini Markopoulou-Fotini Markopoulou-KalamaraKalamara

Played a key role in developing LQG, an Played a key role in developing LQG, an alternative to string theoryalternative to string theory

LQG seeks to fulfill Einstein’s dream of LQG seeks to fulfill Einstein’s dream of unifying quantum theory and general unifying quantum theory and general relativityrelativity

LQG doesn’t dwell on extra rolled-up LQG doesn’t dwell on extra rolled-up dimensions of spacedimensions of space

Lays out a mathematical system of loops Lays out a mathematical system of loops that interact to form “spin networks,” the that interact to form “spin networks,” the quantum foundations for the realities that quantum foundations for the realities that each of us perceive each of us perceive

Wendy Freedman Led the effort to calculate the Hubble constant,

which describes the universe’s expansion rate Concluded that the universe is expanding at a

rate of 74 kilometers per second per megaparsec with a 10% error margin

Astronomers used the number to estimate that the universe is 13 to 14 billion years old

Angela OlintoAngela Olinto

• Working with the biggest particle Working with the biggest particle accelerator of them all: the flux of high-accelerator of them all: the flux of high-energy cosmic rays from far-flung regions energy cosmic rays from far-flung regions of spaceof space

• The University of Chicago astrophysicist The University of Chicago astrophysicist studies particle phenomena that can studies particle phenomena that can reach energies 100 million times than reach energies 100 million times than those achieved by the Large Hadron those achieved by the Large Hadron ColliderCollider

Relations to EinsteinRelations to Einstein

Lene Vestergaard Hau worked on Lene Vestergaard Hau worked on theoretical physics and was able to theoretical physics and was able to slow down and stop a beam of lightslow down and stop a beam of light

Deborah Jin won a genius grant award Deborah Jin won a genius grant award and was named researcher of the yearand was named researcher of the year

Also born in Europe and having Also born in Europe and having worked in Switzerland, Maria worked in Switzerland, Maria Spiropulu has some of the most far-Spiropulu has some of the most far-reaching ideas just like Einsteinreaching ideas just like Einstein

Relations to Einstein Relations to Einstein Cont’dCont’d Lisa Randall was the first tenured Lisa Randall was the first tenured

female physicist at Princeton and she female physicist at Princeton and she worked on particle theories and space-worked on particle theories and space-time just like Einsteintime just like Einstein

Eva Silverstein is working on string Eva Silverstein is working on string theory and space-timetheory and space-time

Fotini Kalamara is a theoretical Fotini Kalamara is a theoretical physicist in mathematics and quantum physicist in mathematics and quantum mechanicsmechanics

SummarySummary

Despite what one may think, women are just as Despite what one may think, women are just as competent in the various fields of science as competent in the various fields of science as men aremen areThey are the pioneers of many of today’s They are the pioneers of many of today’s scientific breakthroughsscientific breakthroughsThere is a higher probability that a woman will There is a higher probability that a woman will write the next big scientific paper.write the next big scientific paper.The twelve female scientists mentioned are just The twelve female scientists mentioned are just a few of the ones who could become Einstein’s a few of the ones who could become Einstein’s successer.successer.Many of the females have things that connect Many of the females have things that connect them to Einsteinthem to Einstein

SourcesSources

A Century of Einstein: Women on the A Century of Einstein: Women on the Frontier: Frontier: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/73744http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7374458/page/1/58/page/1/