This year's photo competition of the Institute of Physics surprised the jury not only by the number of images submitted, but also by the variety of topics chosen by the contestants. This year's main theme was physical phenomena.
This year's Researchers‘ Night at the Institute of Physics, although rainy and gloomy, attracted 494 visitors to the premises of the Institute of Physics, who overcame the bad weather to immerse themselves in the world of science. Participants were impressed by the beauties of the microworld, the starry sky in the mobile planetarium, scintillating crystals and followed the tracks of invisible particles in the fog chamber. Physics enthusiasts could attend a panel discussion with leading scientists. Yet the evening was not only about science. The program also featured the Sleeping Lion drama group with a two-act comedy from the period of the First Republic and a screening of photo contest images. The contest winner announcement ended the night's program.
On (not only) open questions in physics with David Hlaváček
In the "Open Questions in Physics" interview series we introduce you to different research areas and personalities of the Institute of Physics. At the Department of Astroparticle Physics, David Hlaváček is involved in the design of one of the control modules of the upcoming LISA space mission, which aims to capture gravitational waves possibly dating back to the very beginning of the universe. In addition, he is also involved in the outreach and philosophy of science. Where does he see physics going, what will LISA tell us about the cosmos and why is it important to inspire new generations of scientists?
On open questions in astroparticle physics with Jakub Vícha
Where do high-energy cosmic ray particles come from and how can we even learn what they are? Can they open up an opportunity for us to discover completely new physical processes? And can cosmic rays influence the weather? These questions have not been answered yet, but research by Jakub Vícha from the Department of Astroparticle Physics at FZU is bringing us closer to unravelling these mysteries.
Enthusiasm for science is the driving force behind success. This is also demonstrated by Lindau Meetings, where for decades young scientists from all over the world have been meeting Nobel laureates. "The atmosphere of togetherness and mutual support they experience there is an invaluable source of inspiration," says this year's participant Petr Veřtát, a postdoctoral fellow from the Department of Magnetic Measurements and Materials at the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
A book titled "Věda je odvaha” (Science Requires Courage) presenting life stories of sixteen inspiring scientists has just been published. One of the stories in this book is dedicated to Hana Lísalová, head of the Laboratory of Functionl Biointerface of the Division of Optics at the Institute of Physics.
Eleven enthusiastic students from high schools in and around Olomouc participated in the Summer School of Optics, which was organized for the tenth time by the Joint Laboratory of Optics. A week full of science allowed them to take a peek into the secrets of optics and get acquainted with the latest findings in this promising field.
It is not a common thing that a new telescope for detecting cosmic rays is introduced to the world. The feat of our colleagues from the Joint Laboratory of Optics in Olomouc can thus be seen as unique.
The latest episode of the popular series Nezkreslená věda focuses on a key topic of our time – the photovoltaic harnessing of the Sun's energy.
