HEAVENLY CLUES TO THE FUNDAMENTAL LAWS OF PHYSICS

Daniel Chung, U. W. Department of Physics, explained that the fundamental laws of physics is a way that ties explanations together (measure one thing and predict another) and it can be broken down into 2 parts:  model (specific to our world of measurements) and formalism (may apply to different worlds).  Small things are fundamental (postulate).  The reason we think this is because big things are made up of small things.  In theory, if you understand the small things you will understand the big ones.  What makes up all things? They are still hammering away to find the answer.  Traditional small scale physics was studied under colliders such as the LHC (Large Hadron Collider which is the highest-energy particle collider ever made and is considered as one of the great engineering milestones of mankind).  From the degrees that the particles collide you can actually understand what governs the physics of small things.  Events fundamentally can be qualitatively explained in terms of the following numbers when described symmetries in equations (patterns of ideas).  There are reasons that exist for us to think that all these numbers are not the whole story and that they are actually related.  Fundamental theories have a certain beauty because of these symmetries.  The symmetries described by these numbers are actually describing a pattern of ideas.   How can cosmology give us clues to the questions about the fundamental theories?  Cosmology is the study of the history and evolution of the universe.  This is interesting because it is our quest for understanding our origin and long term fate.  Cosmology is proven by looking up into the heavens where you have gamma rays, cosmic rays, neutrinos, x-rays, antimatter, etc.  where we can extract information about the universe.  According to the author of relativity and many other important ideas and educators in physics, the reason the earth moves around the sun is that space time is stretched by the presence of the sun.  Space time is like a stretchable membrane and the universe is expanding.  What is large today was small yesterday.  The study of the fundamental physics is the study of the early universe.  There is a symbiotic relationship between cosmology and fundamental physics and the following are some links:  dark matter/dark energy, Higgs & matter/antimatter and inflation and the multiverse.   Dark matter gravitates and behaves like a gas of particles that does not emit light.  Nothing in the standard model of particle physics seems to be consistent with dark matter observations.  Abundance has been more accurately measured and is as expected it is cold.  Dark matter is weakly interacting with ordinary matter than the weak force that is responsible for making neutrons into protons and electrons.  Dark energy is energy density that does not dilute as the universe expands and does not shine.  Contrast this with a gas of particles such as dark matter which dilutes like N/volume as their volume expands. The models indicate that interaction with ordinary matter is most seen through gravity with no chance of bumping into dark matter.  Inflation is a solution to the initial condition problems in cosmology.  During the inflationary process small scale quantum fluctuations get stretched and freezes due to a general relativity effect that leaves an imprint on the sky.  There are many imprints in the sky.  There is a possible universe outside of our observable patch that is sometimes investigated.  Different patches can have different laws of physics.  The universe could be been created by collusions of membranes.

Rotary Youth Exchange

Our club recently received notification from District 6220 of the county assignments for our two outbound high school students that our will be sponsoring for the 2014-2015 Rotary Youth Exchange program. Abigail Skorzewski who currently attends Fox Valley Lutheran High School will be traveling to Ecuador and Isaiah Higgs who attends the charter school at Appleton East High School has been selected to do his school exchange in Thailand.  We will hear from Abigail and Isaiah sometime this summer before their departure in August

THE ROTARY FOUNDATION

Tom Guyette, District 6220 Foundation Chair, talked about how District 6220 was established 98 years ago and encompasses the northern quarter of the State of Wisconsin and most of Upper Michigan.  Our district has 42 clubs with club sizes varying between 10 and 240 members giving a total membership of about 2,100 men and women.  Tom's job is to raise money for The Rotary Foundation.  The Rotary Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world.

The following is a list of The Rotary Foundation funds and where the funds are allocated.
 

I.    PolioPlus Contribution

     A.  PolioPlus Fund

         1.  Funds for polio vaccines

II.  Benefactor Contribution (include the Endowment Fund as a beneficiary in your estate plans   or when you donate $1,000 or more to the fund outright)

     A.  Endowment Fund

          1.  World Fund

III. Sustaining Members/Paul Harris Fellowship Contribution/Paul Harris Society Contribution

     A.  Annual Program Fund

          1.  District Designated Funds 50%

              a)  District Grants

                   (1) Local Projects

                   (2) Local Scholarships

              b) Global Grants

                   (1)  International Scholarships (formerly Ambassadorial Scholarships)

                   (2)  International Projects

                   (3)  Vocational Training  Teams (formerly Group Study Exchanges)

              c)  Packaged Grants

          2.  World Fund 50%

              a)  International Grants

              b)  International and Peace Scholarships

 
In February 2012, Tom went to India to immunize children 5 years of age or younger against polio.  One vile of the vaccine immunizes 13 children.  They also gave the children visors and whistles.  When his group was finished immunizing, they went to build a dam to raise the water table in order for farmers to plant two crops instead of one.  This was made possible by a $30,000 grant from The Rotary Foundation. 

 

The Arch C. Klumpf Society recognizes donors who give at least $250,000 to The Rotary Foundation in support of Rotary’s life-changing work around the world.  District 6220 has its first Arch C. Klumpf Society members:  John and Sandy Wiley. 

INDUCTIONS

Today, the Rotary Club of Appleton inducted Todd Brokl, Assistant Vice President of Commercial Banking at U. S. Bank; Jeff Van Ekeren, Business Lender at Horicon Bank; and Marlene Welter, Benefits Consultant at Associated Financial Group.  Welcome!

Program Theme Series - The Universe and Its Limits

This year, the Program Theme Committee will be presenting programs based on the Nobel Conference theme:  The Universe and Its Limits. 
 

February 18 - Heavenly Clues to the Fundamental Laws of Physics - Daniel Chung

March 25 - The Quest Inward: The Search for the Fundamental Laws of the Universe- Lisa Everett

April 8 - Protagoras Had No Idea:  Taking Measure of the Universe - Al White/Steve Savides

May 27 - Capturing Cosmic Neutrinos:  What the Ghost Particle Tells us about the High Energy Universe - Jim Madsen

 

FAMILY OF ROTARY REDISCOVER APPLETON

The Family of Rotary Committee invites you to Rediscover Appleton at the Hearthstone Historic House Museum on Thursday, February 20 from 5-6:30 p.m.  Guided tour includes light refreshments.  Cost is $5.00.  Please sign up at next week's meeting,

HOPE CANCER CONNECTION: SUPPORTING YOUR JOURNEY WITH HOPE

John Fuller, Affinity Health System/Ministry Health Care, discussed how Hope Cancer Connection of the Fox Valley began as a committee of caring individuals who came together in 2010 with a passion to reach out to those on the cancer journey.  Hope received its 501(c)3 status in the fall of 2012 and their website went live in September 2013.  Hope is a committee of individuals including health care professionals, health and fitness experts, representatives from the American Cancer Society, community volunteers and cancer survivors.  Their mission is to be a clearinghouse for information, resources and benefiting the cancer survivor, co-survivor and anyone whose life is touched by cancer.  Their goals are to provide the infrastructure in which existing and emerging cancer resources can easily be accessed; be a hub connecting survivors, co-survivors, supporters and community volunteers who want to give back to those in need; be a credible resource where local physicians can direct their patients; and help generate new ways to support the cancer survivor and their supporters.  Their medically approved website, connects you to the resources, support and information you need to navigate through your journey.  Brenda Bonn, Director of Hope Cancer Connection, talked about how their goal was to create a user friendly website.  The website provides what local support is available in the Fox Valley regardless where you are on your journey (starting, caregiver, survivor, hospice help, bereavement, local events, spiritual network, in the midst, personal stories and words of hope).  On the website, you will find support groups, exercise programs, nutritional information, survivor to survivor support, tips or tricks, caregiver support, insightful blogs, educational programs and a group network of connections.