A public lecture will be held by Dr. Francesco Vissani (INFN-LNGS) on Wednesday 17/9/2025 at the "Luigi Zordan" Congress Centre, piazza San Basilio 3, L'Aquila
"From Pythagoras to antimatter"
Abstract
In this discussion, we will argue how certain lines of thought that emerged in ancient Greece have evolved and refined over time, influencing significant developments in science to this day. In particular, we will demonstrate how the concept of antimatter - seemingly a wholly modern idea - took shape and matured with the help of these ancient insights.
Plan of the presentation:
1. Repetitive Phenomena and Waves (Pythagoras, Philolaus, Hippasus, etc.)
2. Commentary on Physics and Metaphysics (Descartes, Gamow, and others)
3. The Greek Theory of Sound (Archelaus and Chrysippus)
4. Connection between Light and Sound (from Huygens to Maxwell, from the Atomists to Einstein)
5. The Wave Theory of Matter (from de Broglie to Schroedinger)
6. The Discovery of Antimatter (from Dirac to Anderson)
7. The Wave Point of View Emerges (Pauli Weisskopf, Majorana, Stueckelberg)
8. A Modern Argument (Feynman)
The oral presentation will be in English, the slides are in Italian
