Wednesday, October 31, 2012

The 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics: The background (TToD)

The 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics: score one more for AMO physics

Those with their finger on the physics pulse will have seen that the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics was recently awarded jointly to Serge Haroche and David Wineland for their development of "ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems". This announcement raises a number of questions for physicists and physics followers alike: what is meant by an ‘individual quantum system’, and why would anyone want to measure and manipulate such a thing? What kind of experiments do Haroche and Wineland do, and what new scientific and technological possibilities does their research unlock? And -- last but not least -- will Prof. David Wineland be involved in the imminent month of Movember? Because if he is, everyone else might as well just go home now.

Read the rest at The Trenches of Discovery.