Timothy P. Smith will be available at Jefferson Lab to sign copies of his new book, "Hidden Worlds: Hunting for Quarks in Ordinary Matter."
Jefferson Lab's 2003 Spring Science Series kicks off February 26 with author and Dartmouth College professor Timothy P. Smith, and a discussion of his book "Hidden Worlds: Hunting for Quarks in Ordinary Matter."
His book addresses questions such as: How can we know anything about things we can't see? How can we see a part of nature that is smaller than light itself? No one has ever seen an isolated quark, and there is good reason to think that no one ever will. Still, we know a great deal about these ubiquitous elementary particles, Smith explains.
In his presentation he will talk about how we can see things that are 100,000 times smaller than an atom, and explain the basis for experiments taking place at places like Jefferson Lab and elsewhere.
He will paint for the audience a picture of how quarks align to make ordinary matter, and describe what they naturally do — how they whirl and twirl and dance around each other. With the audience, he will explore the hidden world of quarks — shrouded inside of everything, everywhere.
"It will be a great pleasure to speak at Jefferson Lab, where so much of this research is going on right now," says Smith, who worked at Jefferson Lab for three years in a post doctoral position.
Smith's book will be available for purchase, and time will be available after the presentation for book signing. This Science Series event begins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 26, in Jefferson Lab's CEBAF Center auditorium, located at 12000 Jefferson Ave., Newport News. The presentation will last about one hour with a question and answer period at the end. It is free and open to anyone interested in learning more about science. For security purposes during the event, enter at Jefferson Lab's main entrance (Onnes Dr.). Everyone over 16 is asked to carry a photo I.D., and security guards may perform vehicle checks.