"Technology and Us"
School of Technology
Centennial Symposium
An Extended Celebration

Spring Semester 2003

A Century of Physics and Technology

Dr. Keith Andrew

The interaction between physics and technology for the last century, and for the foreseeable future, has been an intricate dance, first one, and then the other, leading at a pace of such rapidity and with such unexpected twists and turns that the results have been at once breathtaking and beautiful yet quite often surprising. There is no doubt that the basic pattern of science originated from direct sensory observation and that empirical breakthroughs were both caused by and resulted in the breakdown of technological barriers. Early on patterns of observation were codified and quantified in simple mathematical expressions uncovered by the likes of Kepler, Galileo and Newton, in a formalism known today as classical mechanics. The classical world provided a reassuring philosophical view embedded in the notions of causality and determinism. Although this clockwork universe left little room for free will it ushered in a confidence and sureness to science that was built over centuries of success.

The modern era has been ushered in by the likes of Einstein, Bardeen, Kirby and Feynman. From their work has sprung the most amazing, far-reaching and profound results of early 20th century science- the discovery of atoms- their composition, properties and interactions. These are not the atoms of ancient times but unusual objects once thought invisible that obey the new laws of quantum mechanics. The insights gained by understanding quantum mechanics has led to the formulation of new materials, an understating of the basic molecular structure of all objects, from drugs to DNA, from vacuum tubes to transistors to integrated circuit chips, to CCD chips to quantum wells, to laser photonics to optical fibers, to computers and cryptography, right down to manipulating individual atoms, molecules and quanta.

Just how far, how fast, and how small can the revolution in modern physics push technological developments and vice versa? The ultimate limits are not clearly known but the direction and development in the near future may be glimpsed. The current race to gain the commercial lead in a new industry has nanotechnology and bioinformatics pushing the very edge of understanding. Perhaps there is even some sense where a futuristic technology that allows for the quantum manipulation of space and time itself.

Here we will look at some examples of where technology and physics combined forces to produce spectacular results in terms of the impact on the pace of fundamental knowledge or through far ranging societal impact.

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An outline of a chapter with the above title in a "Technology and Us" book. Find terms you can't quite understand? Stay tuned! Meanwhile, here is the road map:

I. Introduction- It's all atoms-quantization- it's atoms all the way down
A little history:
Planck-Einstein-Rutherford-Bohr-Schrodinger-Dirac-Feynman-Schwinger

II. Atoms and Quarks
a. Atoms
b. Transistor
c. IC
d. Controlling the Nucleus, fusion IFTR
e. New materials, smart materials, composites, screens, folding

III. Large Scale Structure: Going to the Beginning
a. Hubble
b. Surveys and Maps
c. COBE
d. SETI
e. Fundamental Issues

IV. Next Generation
a. Nanotechnology
b. MEMEs
c. Q-Chip
d. Liquid sensors
e. Photonics
f. Q-bits
g. Femto-secs, Yatto-secs

V. Conclusion
a. Smaller still
b. Faster
c. New Limits-limit breakdown