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Quanta&Fields

Quanta and Fields – May 14

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Arguably, quantum field theory (QFT) presents humanity's deepest insights into the rules of reality, i.e., into the laws of existence. QFT allows us to describe — with remarkable accuracy — the particles and forces that animate the cosmos, including the stuff of mind and body. Note that calling QFT a theory pays the highest scientific compliment: QFT has vast scope, and QFT is supported by an extraordinary amount of evidence.

Wonderfest and the Commonwealth Club present physicist Sean Carroll to discuss key ideas in his latest book, The Biggest Ideas In the Universe: Quanta and Fields. As in his first Biggest Ideas book (Space, Time, and Motion), Dr. Carroll goes beyond analogies to show how physicists really think about nature's underlying principles.

WHAT: Sean Carroll: Exploring Quanta and Fields
WHO: Dr. Sean Carroll, Professor of Natural Philosophy, Johns Hopkins University [https://www.preposterousuniverse.com]
WHERE: ONLINE
WHEN: 2024-05-14 — 3pm PT, Tuesday, May 14 (1 hour)
HOW:

Use the "Tickets" link (below) to access the Commonwealth Club's event webpage. During online ticket purchase, use discount code WONDERFESTPROMO for a ticket price reduction of $10, making this entire Sean Carroll online experience FREE.


Collaborators:
The Commonwealth Club of California
TICKETS:
https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2024-05-14/sean-carroll-exploring-quanta-and-fields
AnesthesiaVsHibernation

Human Hibernation? – Jan 9

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Sci-Fi movies often depict hibernation as the secret to long-duration human spaceflight. (Note: Even with ideal starship acceleration and deceleration — AND with the benefit of relativistic effects — the nearest exoplanet is 3.6 years away!) Of course, the boundary between science fiction and science fantasy is hazy. Advances in anesthesia may facilitate hibernation. Physiologically, however, general anesthesia is detrimental in the short term, and worse in the long term. Will long-spaceflight medical advances ever be able to deal with this sobering hibernation fact: roughly half of naturally-hibernating animals never revive!

Our speaker is Dr. Art Wallace, Professor and Vice-Chair of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care at UC San Francisco. He is also Chief of Anesthesia at San Francisco's Veterans Affairs Medical Center.


Dr. Art Wallace, MD, PhD

WHAT: Anesthesia and Hibernation: Enduring Deep-Space Travel
WHO: Dr. Art Wallace, MD, PhD, Professor and Vice-Chair of Anesthesiology, UCSF [https://anesthesia.ucsf.edu/people/arthur-wallace]
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: 2024-01-09 — 7pm, Tuesday, Jan 9 (1.5 hr)
HOW:

This event is FREE and unticketed ... and valuable. But what value does it have for YOU? Accordingly, please consider a donation to nonprofit Wonderfest via the Eventbrite window, below.