Student Research Seminar Series 2022/23
by Giorgio Mentasti, Research Student, Department of Physics
Hey there! Welcome to our super exciting blog post, where we spill the beans on our epic return to the good old days before COVID hit. We’re a bunch of theoretical physicists who’ve weathered the storm, working on mind-boggling equations from our cozy abodes. But guess what? We’re finally back to the normal times together, ready to rock the scientific world.
Picture this: our research group, scattered and isolated during the pandemic, suddenly coming together like the Avengers assembling for a grand mission. The highlight of our triumphant reunion? You guessed it—pizza! And not just any pizza, my friend. Our Italian comrades made sure to choose the most delectable slices in town. It was like a cheesy, tomatoey celebration of life, reminding us that some things never change, no matter the circumstances.
But hey, let’s be real. Our journey back to normality wasn’t a walk in the park. We found ourselves in uncharted territory, trying to navigate the treacherous waters of hybrid meetings. You see, blending in-person and online interactions was like juggling quarks—tricky, to say the least. Our trusty computer systems decided to give us a hard time, playing pranks and causing hilarious technical hiccups. We laughed, we facepalmed, but we soldiered on, determined to make our meetings kick some serious scientific butt.
And guess what? We didn’t just stick to our cozy little bubble. Oh no, we went big! We managed to bring in some stellar speakers from other universities, all t
hrough the magic of the digital realm. Can you imagine the excitement? We sat on the edge of our seats, diving into mind-bending talks that expanded our universe even further. From mind-blowing calendars and categories to dynamical massive gravity (seriously, that’s what one of us does for a living), we explored the cutting edge of physics with gusto.
The excitment became a challenge where the phd group had the chance to choose a topic and two of the bravest phd decided to prepare a seminar in 24h!
As we wrap up this rollercoaster of a year, we can’t help but feel a renewed sense of purpose and camaraderie. Our reunion wasn’t just about pizza and shenanigans (although they played a major role, let’s be honest). It was about reigniting our passion for unraveling the secrets of the cosmos. We faced the challenges head-on, adapting and innovating like true science warriors. And you know what? We came out stronger, wiser, and more connected than ever before.
So, what was there on our mind-bending agenda? Well, the variety of topics was only limited by a finite number of time slots. We kept pushing the boundaries of knowledge, armed with quirky titles like:
- “The Leggett-Garg Inequalities & Tests of Macrorealism”
- “A Non-Local Vacuum for Curved Spacetime”
- “Riding on Regge Slopes”
- “The Hubble Tension and how the Astro+Theo Community can (try to) solve it”
- “Dynamical Massive Gravity; or What I Actually Do For A Living”
- “Does this theory smell off to you? EFTs and amplitudes”
- “The weak field limit of classical-quantum gravity: We’ll dive into mind-boggling bi-form symmetries and charges in gravity, because, hey, why not? The universe is our playground, and we’re ready to rock it!”
We’d like to give a massive shout-out to the Graduate School for being our partners in crime throughout this epic adventure. Their support and sponsorship have made all of this possible, and we’re forever grateful for their commitment to fostering a vibrant and collaborative research environment.
