/
Article

Of higher symmetries

OCT 01, 1965
Theorists from East and West recently spent two months at the IAEA Trieste Center discussing particles and high energies. The author, a reader in theoretical physics at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of Trinity College, recalls here what was said of SU(6), relativity, “nearly conserved” parity, and broken symmetries.
J. C. Polkinghorne

During the past year the in‐trays of elementaryparticle physicists have been brightened by a new type of preprint cover, the cool blue and white of the International Center for Theoretical Physics at Trieste. The preprints inside have been remarkable for their number, their interest, and the diversity both of their subjects and the home countries of their authors. A truly international institute, drawing postdoctoral workers from every continent, has come into being and has enjoyed a remarkable first year of fruitful activity. This activity reached an appropriate climax in the Seminar on High‐Energy Physics and Elementary Particles, held during the months of May and June, 1965, just three years after the first such seminar, held in Trieste in 1962, under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The 160 participants came from 29 different countries and the two‐month seminar provided a unique and valuable opportunity for survey in depth and continued discussion of all the most important aspects of the subject. Such a period of sustained communal activity provides an altogether different experience from the fleeting contacts possible at conventional short conferences. It constitutes an opportunity for the physicist from a developing country to make lasting contacts with workers from all over the world. However, it is equally welcome to all physicists since the complexities of modern problems demand a time scale of weeks rather than days for their discussion.

This article is only available in PDF format

More about the authors

J. C. Polkinghorne, University of Cambridge.

Related content
/
Article
At the end of the turbulent 1960s, the postwar funding boom in US physics came to a crashing halt. The lessons learned then may be helpful to today’s physicists.
/
Article
Interviews with 22 successful early-career physical scientists and engineers reveal that networking has been one of the most critical ways to nurture their careers.
/
Article
Myriad solutions emerge in the stressful process of balancing professional ambition and personal happiness.
/
Article
An interview with a prominent member of the Marshallese diaspora delves into the ongoing impact of aboveground US nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific archipelago.
This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_1965_10.jpeg

Volume 18, Number 10

Get PT newsletters in your inbox

pt_newsletter_card_blue.png
PT The Week in Physics

A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.

pt_newsletter_card_darkblue.png
PT New Issue Alert

Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.

pt_newsletter_card_pink.png
PT Webinars & White Papers

The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.

By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.