Lecture named in honour of St John’s Nobel prize-winner will examine ‘beautiful relationship’ between maths and physics
Second Penrose Lecture to take place on 19 November 2024
Theoretical physicist Professor David Tong will give the 2024 St John’s College Penrose Biennial Lecture, named in honour of Sir Roger Penrose, the renowned mathematician, physicist and Nobel Laureate.
Professor Tong, Professor of Theoretical Physics in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of Trinity College, will give the second public lecture in the series, titled Maths vs Physics: The Smackdown.
“One of the great mysteries of physics is that the closer you get towards the fundamental laws that govern our universe, the more beautiful and mathematically elegant they become. And yet, at the same time, the foundations of physics as we currently understand them look nothing like the foundations of mathematics,” said Professor Tong.
“In this talk, I'll explore this surprising and slightly unbalanced relationship between maths and physics. No mathematical fluency will be assumed, although it might help.”
Sir Roger, an Honorary Fellow and alumnus of St John’s, gave the inaugural Penrose Biennial Lecture in February 2022 before a packed audience. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2020 for work on black holes and he invented twistor theory, a key tool in quantum theory. His mathematical discoveries include a non-periodic form of tiling called Penrose tiling, an example of which can be seen at the entrance to the College’s Library in Chapel Court.
Professor Tong has worked on many different aspects of physics, including quantum field theory, general relativity, cosmology, and condensed matter physics.
His lecture takes place on Tuesday 19 November at 5.30pm in the Main Lecture Theatre of the Old Divinity School at St John’s College. It will be followed by a drinks reception in the Central Hall.
Members of the public are welcome to attend. The closing date to apply for tickets is 12 November but early registration is advisable as places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. An email will be sent ahead of the event to confirm places.
Register for the 2024 Penrose Lecture
Published: 22/10/2024