General News

The School's Society of Physics Students (SPS) was named Outstanding Chapter for the 2014-2015 school year. The honor was awarded by the national organization and is based on the breadth of activities offered by the group.

Scientists at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) confirmed that they have observed gravitational waves for the first time. These ripples in the fabric of spacetime caused by a cataclysmic event in the distant universe, were predicted by Einstein a hundred years ago, but never before observed. Physicists have concluded that the observed waves were produced during the final fraction of a second of the merger of two black holes to produce a single, more massive spinning black hole. This collision of two black holes had been predicted but never observed. More »

School of Physics and Astronomy Professor Vlad Pribiag has received an National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Development (CAREER) Award. The award which amounts to more than $642,000 for a period of five years was given for his research in "Backscattering, Confinement and Superconductivity in a Two-Dimensional Topological Insulator." More »

School of Physics and Astronomy Professor Emeritus, Homer Mantis passed away age 98. Mantis' area of expertise was in physical meteorology and atmospheric physics. More »

Staff writer, Maura Lerner wrote an article to help the Physics Force annual series of January shows.

Professor Martin Greven has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). More »

The Physics Force will perform at the Math and Science Family Fun Fair, this Saturday, November 21 at noon and 2:00 p.m. Astronomy outreach efforts The ExploraDome and "Be an Astronomer" will be ongoing between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. More »

The Open House will take place on Thursday, November 5, 2015 from 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 - 8:15 p.m. in room 110 of the Physics and Nanotechnology Building. The day session will feature a pizza lunch, overview of the physics program, lab tours, and a SPS panel discussion. The evening session will include a performance by the Physics Force, lab tours and admissions information. More »

Brian Arthur Anderson, 64, of Ely, passed away at his home Monday, October 19, 2015. Anderson worked for 23 years at the Soudan Underground Laboratory in Northern Minnesota. "He was an important member of the mine crew, helping build both the Soudan and MINOS detectors as well as keeping things operating smoothly," said William Miller, who was laboratory supervisor while Anderson worked at Soudan. More »

The Physics Force will present their annual week of shows for area school children, at Northrop Auditorium on January 11-15, 2016. They will also perform a free public show on Thursday, January 14 at 7 PM. The show lasts about an hour. More »