The significance of magnets and magnetic fields will be explored July 2 during a lecture on "Magnets: Science, Technology and 'Magic Tricks' " at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Frances Hellman, a professor of physics at the University of California at San Diego, will present the free public lecture at 7:30 p.m. in Duane Physics room G1B20 on the CU-Boulder campus.
During the lecture she will discuss how magnets and magnetic fields are essential to almost every aspect of people's lives, from the most fundamental science experiments to computers, cars, navigation and medical applications like the MRI.
She also will talk about some of the most current research topics in modern magnetism, such as what happens when researchers make magnets really small or when they try to blend magnets and semiconductors.
The lecture is part of the fourth annual Boulder Summer School for Condensed Matter and Material Physics hosted by CU-Boulder. This year's school focuses on the frontiers of magnetism and takes place on campus from June 30 through July 25, according to Leo Radzihovsky, a CU-Boulder physics professor and co-founder of the school.
In 2000 the National Science Foundation provided a $780,000 grant to fund the school for five years. The National Institute for Standards and Technology in Boulder contributed $50,000 and CU-Boulder provided $80,000.
Radzihovsky said the school's goal is to enable students to work at the frontiers of science and technology by exposing them to a range of concepts, techniques and applications much broader than any single graduate program or postdoctoral apprenticeship can provide.
For more information about the July 2 lecture call (303) 492-1515.