The old idea of a luminiferous ether got a bad reputation, but in modern physics we've discovered that it is very fruitful to regard empty space, or vacuum, as a material. Vacuum can be polarized, or act as a catalyst, for example, and it is a superconductor. Conversely, materials can be viewed "from the inside" as the vacua of alternative worlds, which often have exotic, mind-expanding properties. These ideas suggest new possibilities for cosmology, and bring to life a profound question: What is a Universe? 

 

Refreshments will be served in Chemistry-Physics Building Room 179 at 3:15 PM