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2006 Misel Lecture
Speaker: Frank Wilczek, Massachussetts Institute of Technology
Herman Feschbach Professor of Physics and
2004 Nobel Laureate
Public Lecture: Wednesday, October 4, 2006, 4:00 p.m., Tate Lab of Physics
The Origin of Mass and Feebleness of Gravity
Einstein's famous equation E=mc2 asserts that energy and mass are different aspects of the same reality. It is usually associated with the idea that the small amounts of mass can be converted into large amounts of energy, as in nuclear reactors and bombs.
For fundamental physics, however, the more important idea is just the opposite. We want to explain how mass itself arises, by explaining it in terms of more basic concepts.
An important part of my work has been to show that this goal can, to a remarkable extent, be achieved. I'll discuss how - it's quite beautiful! I'll also discuss some of the consequences - an explanation of why gravity is so feeble, and suggestions for new physical phenomena at the large hadron collider.