Physics for everyone: Women in physics – ct.qmat science talks for the general public

Summary

Physics far more complex than what we learn at school can often be found in movies like Star Wars and Hidden Figures, and TV shows like The Big Bang Theory. The science behind those pop cultural references is often some of the most enticing physics has to offer, and at the same time some of the least accessible to someone without a specialized scientific background. This is particularly the case for abstract concepts beyond warp drive and time traveling that are often only described through mathematics.

To bring fascinating physics closer to the general public, three junior scientists from ct.qmat have prepared three talks, each approximately 40 minutes long. For the occasion of International Women's Day, they have chosen to highlight the work of three important female scientists who, in contrast to their male colleagues, are rather unknown to the public. The talks will cover the trajectories of the first manned space flights (Katherine Johnson), the concept of conservation laws which revolutionised theoretical physics (Emmy Noether), and a model from string theory which can be studied experimentally at CERN (Lisa Randall).

The talks will be given in German and will not contain equations or require prior knowledge on the subjects at hand. Everyone that is interested is welcome and will have the chance to ask questions!