The power of light in the palm of your hand
2015 is the UNESCO International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies. It celebrates many key milestones over the ages, going back a thousand years to the birth of modern optics, through to new discoveries, enabled by light, awarded the 2014 Nobel prizes in physics and chemistry.
What do we mean by "light-based technologies"? What is photonics and how does it touch our everyday lives? What does quantum mechanics have to do with light? How do lenses work and how thin can we make them? If we could make them paper-thin, what applications would that lead to? How will photonic technologies evolve in the future?
In this talk, Andrew Forbes will share with us some of the wonders of light, what we understand about it, what we don’t, how it has impacted on our daily lives, and how light
has driven new paradigms in the way we interact with technologies.
As Andrew Forbes will explain, the story of light goes beyond science, touching on art, culture and life itself.
After the talk, photonic cocktails will be served at the bar while the Peter Sklair quartet plays radiant jazz.
Image: Thai Lanterns (Mark Fischer/flickr). Licenced under Creative Commons
Andrew Forbes
The power of light in the palm of your hand
What do we mean by "light-based technologies"? What is photonics and how does it touch our everyday lives? What does quantum mechanics have to do with light? How do lenses work and how thin can we make them? If we could make them paper-thin, what applications would that lead to? How will photonic technologies evolve in the future?
Talk by
Andrew Forbes
Andrew received his PhD (1998) from the University of Natal, and has
spent several years working as an applied laser physicist, first for the
South African Atomic Energy Corporation and then later as Technical Director
of a private laser company. In 2004 he joined the CSIR National Laser Centre
where he was Chief Researcher and Research Group Leader, and joined the University of the Witwatersrand on the distinguished professor programme in 2015. His research interests include laser beams and resonators, digital holography, orbital angular momentum and quantum optics.
Music by
Peter Sklair Quintet
Peter Sklair is a freelance bassist and composer based in Johannesburg. He has performed and recorded with artists such as Estudio, Manfred Mann, Katherine Jenkins, Gilberto Gil, Hugh Masakela, Andy Narrell, McCoy Mrubata, Vusi Mahlasela and Yonatan Razel, and released two albums with the group Unofficial Language (along with Paul Hanmer and Ian Herman). He also teaches electric bass and jazz at the Tshwane University of Technology. Tonight's quintet consists of Paul Hanmer (piano), Mike Bester (guitar), Sam Ibeh (drums), Dr. Roland Moses (piano) and Peter Sklair (bass).
