Off-topic, LHC: The calendar shows that tomorrow, Wednesday, is the final twenty-four hours of the proton-proton collisions inwards 2016. Both detectors volition convey accumulated almost precisely 40/fb of information inwards 2016. CMS is 1/fb ahead of ATLAS, in all probability to compensate that it used to hold out the other agency around inwards previous years. LHC statusTwo weeks ago, kids in addition to teenagers began to inundation YouTube alongside their 5-minute videos on string theory in addition to other topics which they had created during the previous month. It seems to me that the theme wasn't explicitly required to hold out string theory but real many contestants mean value that it's the most probable theme that tin terminate brand them win a $250,000 Breakthrough Junior Prize (see the announcement equally a video). In total, $400,000 goes to diverse related prizes.
I convey some problem alongside such contests. To shoot a pop video on scientific discipline is something that a rather high percent of kids or teenagers may practise – it's non something that proves that the writer is exceptionally talented or going to practise particular science. Moreover, many parents in addition to other mature relatives empathise that $250,000 is a lot of coin fifty-fifty for the parents in addition to thence they won't hesitate to assist their kids etc.
At whatever rate, I mean value that the winner hasn't been picked nevertheless – am I right? – fifty-fifty though the deadline was Oct 10th. So nosotros may play some of the videos.
Here, Darren Suen explains string theory past times badly laced shoes that brand him fall, quarks, painting of Witten in addition to M-theory, in addition to a supermarket. You demand to spotter the video for a longer fourth dimension if y'all desire to gain a to a greater extent than intelligent review of the content than I did. :-)
Leonidas Ramirez Quintero enumerates 4 forces inwards Nature in addition to claims that they've been divided similar that for seventy years – a historical claim I disclose controversial. He builds on a forest, big trees, a Newton-like apple, a daughter alongside a guitar, a football, in addition to explains the Planck scale in addition to the seat out of dimensions.
Tristan Pang is simply 14, lives inwards New Zealand, in addition to starts alongside Einstein in addition to GR. It's most the unification of forces, cartoons of weight lifting etc. It is amazing if he created the video past times himself:
Vinayak Joshi wants to scare y'all in addition to aspect at a cup. It's made of drinking glass i.e. of opened upwards in addition to shut strings. ;-) Dimensions in addition to other things are talked about. His 7-minute video in all probability shows that he overlooked the 5-minute limit.
Daniel Oleksiyenko asks which string in addition to what it's made of? Lots of animated filaments in addition to skyscrapers inwards the video.
OK, I must halt instantly because I've realized that in that place are dozens of other videos primarily focusing on string theory in addition to maybe one-thousand of other videos inwards this challenge. The most widely watched videos are most the wave-particle duality (by Ace Nallawar), the path integrals (by a young, thoughtful, creative, in addition to in all probability non-criminal Hillary), in addition to the nature of matter. Are the commission members expected to fully spotter every unmarried video inwards this ensemble? That could hold out quite hard: banker's complaint that five minutes times 1,200 is 6,000 minutes or 100 hours (correct?).
If y'all believe in addition to realize that 1,000 videos similar that convey been created, it's non besides bad for a $250,000 investment. In fact, I am confident that the overall sum of travel that has gone to the creation of these videos exceeds $250,000. So fifty-fifty though I volition in all probability convey some doubtfulness that the winner of the challenger is "qualitatively better" than all other contestants, the prize may convey a positive return-on-investment.
Popular videos are prissy but the kids should hold out encouraged to written report modern scientific discipline seriously. It seems to me that the full general demand for novel scientific discipline past times Earth has dramatically decreased. In 2025 when the dystopia of Idiocracy volition aspect closer than e'er before, I believe that foundations such equally the Breakthrough Foundation volition laurels millions of dollars to the tike below eighteen years of historic menstruum who learns a string theory textbook ameliorate than others or other things.
If i could brand dozens if non hundreds of kids learn a string theory textbook inwards some particular for $250,000, that would quite something.
I don't claim to convey watched most of the videos, non fifty-fifty a visible fraction of the 600 hours, but Hillary Diane Andales of the Philippines in addition to her musings most the path integral could hold out my winner – given my express exposure.
It has some idiosyncrasies in addition to maybe fifty-fifty somewhat unscientific memes such equally the harmony in addition to synergy encoded inwards the path integrals (her framing of the classical boundary arising from the path integral formalism), but the textile stands at a higher "mathematical" grade than the mass of the videos which are laymen-oriented in addition to she did a lot to convince me that she sees some truthful scientific beauty behind the physical concept in addition to that she has articulated her ideas in addition to feelings most it herself – spell many others are simply repeating things that convey been aired inwards pop programs many times.
Hillary's victory could compensate some other Hillary's coming loss inwards the the United States of America elections. I also liked that she has been skillful at some math contests in addition to thence she's non simply some teenage filmmaker.