News

Three years ago, history was made when the first image of a black hole inspired wonder and awe around the world as we glimpsed the shadow of light escaping from the supermassive black hole M87*. Today, history is being made again as the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration releases the image of a second black hole — Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) — the one at the centre of our own Milky Way galaxy.

A major hurdle for work at the forefront of fundamental physics is the inability to test cutting-edge theories in a laboratory setting. But a recent discovery opens the door for scientists to see ideas in action that were previously only understood in theory or represented in science fiction and advances our understanding of theory of relativity and quantum mechanics.

The Amit & Meena Chakma Awards for Exceptional Teaching by a Student recognize up to four students from across the University of Waterloo for excellence in teaching of all kinds (e.g., teaching assistant, laboratory demonstrator, sessional lecturer) by registered students.

Two researchers in the Faculty of Science have received funding from the Government of Canada’s New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF): Holger Kleinke from the Department of Chemistry and Will Percival from the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

We are pleased to announce that the winners of this year’s Faculty of Science Excellence in Science Teaching Awards are Professor Keith Delaney from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Professor Stefan Idziak from the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Robert Mann, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, has been named a University Professor by the University of Waterloo.

The world watched breathlessly as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched on Christmas morning and travelled 1.5 million kilometres to its earth-trailing orbit. Now, we breathe a sigh of relief as the telescope has begun sending us the first images as it aligns and prepares for research, launching a new chapter in humanity’s endeavour to study the universe.

Atoms and molecules are the building blocks of chemistry and are important to our understanding of the world. By cooling atoms and molecules to ultracold temperatures it opens up a new understanding of quantum chemistry. Working with nanokelvin temperatures, one billion times colder than Antarctica during winter, researchers can observe and control particles in ways not possible at room temperature. When really cold, particles behave in strange and exciting ways. Researchers are discovering unexpected results by looking at particles from a quantum perspective.

Firas Kamal Mansour, 50, passed away on December 29, 2021. An exceptional teacher and colleague, Firas dedicated his professional life to physics education and to the well-being of his students. With a larger than life personality replete with wit and charm, Firas had a passion for physics and physics education.

The graphics processing unit (GPU) was a windfall for artificial intelligence, as the architecture turned out to be well-suited for deep learning. What if quantum computing enabled an even more advanced form of artificial intelligence (AI)?