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Quantum Information Meets Condensed Matter
08/12/2014

Quantum Information Meets Condensed Matter

Cynthia Eller
Xie Chen comes to Caltech after a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at UC Berkeley. She recently discussed with us her research interests and ambitions for her Caltech career.
The Birth and Death of Our Solar System
08/05/2014

The Birth and Death of Our Solar System

Cynthia Eller
An interview with Konstantin Batygin, who recently joined the Caltech faculty as assistant professor of planetary science.
Konstantin Batygin
Sean Carroll Brings Physics to the Masses
07/30/2014

Sean Carroll Brings Physics to the Masses

Douglas Smith
Sean Carroll, a senior research associate in physics at Caltech, has won the 2014 Andrew Gemant Award from the American Institute of Physics.
TMT Construction Gets Green Light
07/28/2014

TMT Construction Gets Green Light

Kathy Svitil
The Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources has given the official green light for construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on the summit of Mauna Kea, home to many of the world's premier astronomical observatories.
50 Years of Quarks
07/22/2014

50 Years of Quarks

Douglas Smith
Caltech's Murray Gell-Mann simplified the world of particle physics in 1964 by standing it on its head. He theorized that protons—subatomic particles as solid as billiard balls and as stable as the universe—were actually cobbled together from bizarre entities, dubbed "quarks," whose properties are unlike anything seen in our world. Unlike protons, quarks cannot be separated from their fellows and studied in isolation; despite this, our understanding of the universe is built on their amply documented existence.
Yuval Ne'eman and Murray Gell-Mann in 1964.
Ed Stone Honored
07/22/2014

Ed Stone Honored

Douglas Smith
Ed Stone, Caltech's David Morrisroe Professor of Physics, has won the aerospace equivalent of an Oscar. On Wednesday, July 16, the American Astronautical Society (AAS) presented him its sixth Lifetime Achievement Award for his "sustained and extraordinary contributions to America's space programs, including innovative planetary missions."
Edward C. Stone
Future Electronics May Depend on Lasers
07/17/2014

Future Electronics May Depend on Lasers

Jessica Stoller-Conrad
Caltech researchers stabilize microwave oscillators with optical frequencies from a silicon chip. The approach could ultimately replace more conventional methods that rely on crystal references.
Kip Thorne Discusses First Discovery of Thorne-Żytkow Object
06/27/2014

Kip Thorne Discusses First Discovery of Thorne-Żytkow Object

Cynthia Eller
We recently sat down with Kip Thorne to ask how it feels to have astronomers discover something whose existence he postulated decades before.
40-Year Service Awardees
05/30/2014

40-Year Service Awardees

Douglas Smith
The 59th Annual Staff Service Awards, presented in Beckman Auditorium on Monday, June 2, honored more than 250 staff members whose service ranges from 10 to 50 years. We profile three staff members celebrating 40 years at Caltech.
40-Year Service Awardees
Supernova Caught in the Act by Palomar Transient Factory
05/21/2014

Supernova Caught in the Act by Palomar Transient Factory

Cynthia Eller
The problem with observing supernovae is knowing just when and where one is occurring and being able to point a world-class telescope at it in the hours immediately afterward.