Black Holes Aren't, Case Researchers Conclude After Working on Complex Formulas
"Nothing there," is what Case Western Reserve University physicists concluded about black holes after spending a year working on complex formulas to calculate the formation of new black holes. In nearly 13 printed pages with a host of calculations, the research may solve the information loss paradox that has perplexed physicists for the past 40 years.
Case physicists Tanmay Vachaspati, Dejan Stojkovic and Lawrence M. Krauss report in the article, "Observation of Incipient Black Holes and the Information Loss Problem," that has been accepted for publication by Physical Review D.
"It's complicated and very complex," noted the researchers, regarding both the general problem and their particular approach to try to solve it.
The question that the physicists set out to solve is: what happens once something collapses into a black hole? If all information about the collapsing matter is lost, it defies the laws of quantum physics. Yet, in current thinking, once the matter goes over the event horizon and forms a black hole, all information about it is lost. Read more.
Campus News
As Case Western Reserve University prepares to welcome Barbara Snyder as its new president, University Archives has developed a Web site describing the presidents who led the university from 1830 to 2007.
In the summer of 2007, Blackboard will switch to Version 7. Some features of this new version are considerably different from the previous version. At the next UCITE session, Genevieve Mathieson of Instructional Technology and Academic Computing, who is responsible for supporting and overseeing Blackboard operations, will give an overview of the new system. Session takes place from noon to 1 p.m. on June 21 in the Herrick Room of the Allen Memorial Medical Library. Pizza and sodas will be served. RSVP via e-mail or online.
For Faculty & Staff
The Staff Advisory Council (SAC), through the SAC Fringe Benefits Committee, has a survey to gather opinions on benefits offered through the university to document the diverse experiences of the staff regarding the benefits program, as well as to have a pulse on benefits needs. Responses will provide direction to the committee for the upcoming year. The committee also is seeking input about benefits that are not currently available, and space is provided to comment on individual experiences with the benefits program (tuition, health care, dental care, vision care, etc.). The survey is short and confidential. Staff members who would like to participate in the survey and who have not already received the URL address should send an e-mail to Kathryn Howard.
The next meeting of the Act III Roundtable -- a discussion group for women in or nearing retirement -- is scheduled for 4-5:30 p.m. on June 21 in Thwing Center, Room 309. Refreshments will be provided, courtesy of the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women. To be added to the Act III distribution list, send an e-mail to the center.
For Students
This section will be updated occasionally during the summer. Refer to the "Campus News" section for general information.
Events
The Weatherhead School of Management is hosting free online workshops throughout the summer with world-renowned faculty from the organizational behavior department to explore leadership and organizational change. The first workshop will be held from 4 to 6 today, featuring Richard Boyatzis as he speaks about emotional intelligence and his best-selling book on resonant leadership. Followed by an online open house to showcase the Master of Science in Positive Organizational Development and Change. Register online and find out about future workshops.
Save the date: Case Western Reserve University is a cosponsor of the Adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine International Meeting being held in Cleveland August 27-29. The target audience is faculty, graduate students and new and experienced investigators. In addition, the committee is accepting proposals for abstracts of original investigation for consideration in the poster session and possible short talk podium presentations. Abstract submissions must be received by July 9.
Refer to the Web event calendar for a list of events and activities on campus and in the community today and in the days ahead.
