When studying models of the physical world, identifying symmetries can simplify the mathematics of the model, reveal important properties of the physical system, and identify novel scenarios where symmetry is maximized. The power of symmetry for analyzing physical systems is an example of what Nobel prize-winning physicist Eugene Wigner called “the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics in the physical sciences”. However, history has shown how the beauty of symmetry also can lead scientists into dead ends and even madness. In this talk, I will give examples of the power and beauty of symmetry, as well as examples of how it can mislead scientific inquiry.
Nathan Harshman
Department of Physics, American University, Washington (USA)
Nathan Harshman is a mathematical and theoretical physicist specializing in the study of symmetry in quantum systems. The unifying theme of Professor Harshman’s work is solvability and (to quote Nobel laureate Eugene Wigner) the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics in the natural sciences. Currently he studies symmetry, topology and control in low-dimensional ultracold atomic systems. Professor Harshman has published over fifty articles and book chapters across the subject of quantum physics, including high-energy particle physics, quantum information theory, ultracold atomic physics, physics education research, and the philosophy of science, and he has written book reviews for newspapers and journals.
After completing a double-major in Physics and English as an undergraduate at Duke University in 1995, Professor Harshman received his PhD in Theoretical Particle Physics at University of Texas at Austin in 2001. After two years as a post-doc at Rice University, he began his career at American University in 2003. He has taught across the curriculum in the Department of Physics and various other University level programs and won two awards from CTRL for teaching. Professor Harshman served as Department Chair of the Physics Department for ten years between 2008 and 20023. During this time, the Department grew from five full-time faculty to over thirty members of the department, including full-time, externally-funded research faculty. Among his other service contributions to American University, he is a founding member of the Initiative for STEM Education, Equity and Ethics.
Since 2017, Professor Harshman is also the Director of the NASA DC Space Grant Consortium. This project is funded by the NASA Office of STEM Engagement and was recently renewed for FY 2021-2024. The official goal of the Space Grant program is “to contribute to the NASA mission, specifically in the area of government and industry partnerships to improve America’s aerospace technologies and advance American leadership by funding education, research, and informal education projects through a national network of university-based Space Grant consortia.” All higher education institutions in DC are part of the DC Space Grant Consortium as well as several non-profit entities and professional organizations.