Seminar: Important mistakes in physics' history

Cold Fusion or N-Rays? Such are mistakes buried deep in the past one might guess - if not lately the announcement of the discovery of neutrinos travelling faster than light would have been a scientific sensation. Physics, that shall be taught here, is also a history of dead ends. But soon after a in retrospect obvious misconception had spread, it is very likely to be banned from the covers of scientific journals. We want to shed light on such hypotheses, which did not stand the test of time, and ask: What have been the reasons for the wrong interpretation? How had the theses been judged at the time they emerged? What about alternatives? How did the general consensus turn towards the 'new paradigm' and what can we learn nowadays for coming new approaches?

The seminar is held in collaboration with Ernst Peter Fischer, Professor for history of science and author of a manifold of popular scientific books shedding light on the individuals behind the well-known academic oeuvre of persons like Max Planck and Wolfgang Pauli.

The first meeting will take place on
Wednesday, 30th of April, 11 AM ct, Seminarbox 1.107 INF 227

Main Seminar Slot

Time: Monday 14:15-16:00

Location: Physikalisches Institut, INF 226 Seminarraum

Dates of the term