Steven Weinberg: On The Shoulders Of Giants

Each generation benefits from the insights and discoveries of those who came before. “If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants,” wrote Isaac Newton. In a new annual series, World Science Festival audiences are invited to stand on the shoulders of modern-day giants. For this year’s inaugural address, “The Future of Big Science,” Nobel laureate and physicist Steven Weinberg considers the future of fundamental physics, especially as funding for basic research is reduced. Weinberg will explore physics’ small origins, starting with the discovery of the atomic nucleus 100 years ago by a single scientist, and moving to the present-day, when collaborations involve hundreds of researchers and billions of dollars. What has motivated this growth spurt? What results has it yielded? And what would we stand to lose if Big Science were to suffer? Weinberg, one of the most revered voices in science, offers a distinguished vantage point for this crucial discussion.

The World Science Festival gathers great minds in science and the arts to produce live and digital content that allows a broad general audience to engage with scientific discoveries. Our mission is to cultivate a general public informed by science, inspired by its wonder, convinced of its value, and prepared to engage with its implications for the future.

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Original Program Date: June 4, 2011
PARTICIPANT: Steven Weinberg

Brian Greene Introduction. 00:15

Steven Weinberg Introduction. 03:28

100th anniversary of the nucleus of the atom. 04:08

Building accelerators after WWII 07:42

The Bevatron and the new particle. 12:10

The Large Hadron Collider. 14:30

We are forced into the mold of BIG science. 20:58

The new set of fields… the Higgs Boson 23:35

The pessimism of the SSC 26:44

What the senate said about big science. 29:26

There is no alternative to spending more money to advance science. 33:48

Technological spin offs of science. 39:30

Astronomy has a whole different set of problems. 43:31

The DIY of scientists. 47:05

A tremendously exciting time for science. 50:39

Colliders vs the ISS 54:00

Big science and its competition for position. 56:47