ARPICO and PROF. DOUW STEYN PRESENT:
Six Great Ideas That Changed Science and the World (Part 2)
a talk by Prof. Douw Steyn
In the second part of this two-part series, Prof. Steyn will illuminate three more revolutionary ideas and the minds behind them:
Douw Steyn, PhD, ACM, FCMOS is a Professor Emeritus of Atmospheric Science at The University of British Columbia, in the Department of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences. His professional, teaching and research activities are in the field of air pollution meteorology, boundary layer meteorology, mesoscale meteorology, environmental science and interdisciplinary science. His research involves measurement and modelling studies of regional air pollution, especially in regions…
- Quantum Mechanics. Einstein single handedly overturned our understanding of energy at a molecular and sub-atomic level. The idea of energy quantization explained the three great outstanding ideas of physics in the early 1900s, and laid open the way for a deep understanding of matter. Today we have LED lights, quantum computing, nuclear power (and bombs).
- Relativity. Einstein single handedly overturned our ideas of the absolute nature of space and time. The discovery (together with quantum mechanics) has lead to a deeper understanding of the origins of the universe, but also to essential applications like GPS navigation and satellite orbital dynamics.
- Mathematics. All of science is embedded in mathematics, which is both the queen of sciences and the servant of all sciences. As an example, Prof. Steyn will present Fermat’s last theorem, and its 300 year delayed solution.
May 22, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Museum of Vancouver - History Room - 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver, BC, V6J 3J9