Leading physicist tells students science is fun

| 18/03/2015 | 3 Comments
Cayman News Service

Dr Stephon Alexander

(CNS): National Geographic Explorer and leading theoretical physicist, Dr Stephon Alexander, delivered the keynote address at the opening of the UCCI’s STEM conference. In an engaging talk about his life in science, interwoven with his musical prowess, he encouraged local students to press ahead into the cool and fun world of science. He described his job as hanging out with cool people in a secret society of X-man type characters who spend their time asking the big questions and thinking about the answers.

Enthusiastic about the conference, the Dartmouth professor, who was recently working with the scientists at the Hadron Collider, urged young people studying science not to worry that they came from a small island in the Caribbean as they too could be the scientists asking the big questions tomorrow. Alexander is himself originally from Trinidad but grew up in the Bronx, and despite not being the best student in school, has gone on to become a leading scientist in particle physics and cosmology, as he examines the biggest and smallest stuff in the universe and trying to find the big answers.

Demonstrating the connection between physics and music, Alexander showed his mastery of the saxophone as well as the importance of the pentatonic scale and nature’s vibrations as he played the 1967 instrument.

STEM began in earnest on Wednesday morning and will include a packed agenda of talks, presentations, special events, talks and breakout sessions covering different branches of the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths.

With jobs in this sector expected to grow more than 17%, compared to just 9% in other sectors in the coming decade, Dr Linford Pierson emphasized the importance of the STEM conference for promoting sciences.

Dr Bill Hrudey said the conference had been designed to elevate the profile of the sciences and encourage students to take related subjects and pursue careers in the sector. He said across the western world science gets the short end of the stick when it comes to education funding.

However, with its theme, ‘The Next Big Thing’, STEM Carib 2015 is about showcasing the exciting things happening in science, covering everything from paleobiology to interstellar travel, sustainable aquaculture to diagnostic imaging, cloud technology to fractals and much more. Local Issues such as the plight of the Nassau grouper and the waste-management situation in the Cayman Islands will also form part of the three day-long conference at the UCCI.

Read more on the STEM website

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Category: Science & Nature

Comments (3)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    But scientists believe in the Big Bang and evolution. They are evil.

  2. Driftwood says:

    Grapple me grapenuts! Someone who cares! Listen to him peeps!

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