What on Earth is a Higgs boson?
How is a discovery at the atomic level relevant to me?
These may be questions you have asked after hearing about the latest scientific discovery around the water cooler.
On Tuesday, Dec. 10, the Nobel Prize medals will be presented to some of the world’s most outstanding contributors in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, economics and peace at ceremonies in Sweden and Norway.
But what is often lacking in the discussion of the Nobel prizes is what the discovery means in everyday language, or how it is relevant to a non-expert audience.
That same evening, a panel of distinguished professors at the UBC Okanagan campus will discuss five of this year’s Nobel Prize winners. The panel will explain the what, how and why of these massive, game-changing ideas in an event geared to all ages and backgrounds.
“The Nobel Prizes are given each year to the top achievements in the sciences and the arts, but many are unaware of how these accomplishments will impact them,” said Deborah Buszard, UBC deputy vice-chancellor and principal of the Okanagan campus.
“Nobel Night gives us all a chance to hear from our own experts in these fields, whose research builds on the great achievements of past Nobel winners,” she said.
“This is a unique opportunity for the public and our campus community to learn about the latest ground-breaking research from the perspective of our faculty who are active in research and teaching in these disciplines right here in the Okanagan.”
This is a public event and all are welcome to attend. Admission is free and light refreshments will be provided.
The event is from 7 to 9 p.m. Dec. 10 in the Engineering, Management and Education building (EME 0050 Lecture Theatre) at the UBC Okanagan campus, opposite the Kelowna International Airport.
Registration is required for this discussion, so please visit the website http://nobelnightubc.eventbrite.com.