Berry教授是布里斯托大學的著名物理學家，以其在量子力學中提出的Berry phase（貝里相位）而聞名，然而，有趣的是，他在2000年還曾獲得一個幽默的榮譽——搞笑諾貝爾獎（Ig Nobel Prize）。
先來談談他獲得的搞笑諾貝爾獎：漂浮的青蛙
Michael Berry與Andrey Geim共同獲得了搞笑諾貝爾獎，他們利用了強磁場，使得一隻青蛙得以漂浮在空中，這項實驗說明了物質被強磁場影響時，會產生與磁場相反的微小磁性，被稱為「抗磁性」，而且能夠對抗重力，使得像青蛙這樣的物體能夠漂浮。
這個實驗看起來像在搞笑，卻刷新了我們對磁力和重力作用的認識，也打破了人們對非磁性物質（如水或有機物質）在強磁場下完全無反應的錯誤觀念。
2000 Ig Nobel Prize Winner in Physics – Michael Berry, Not Just a Laugh: He Could Be This Year’s Nobel Prize Laureate
As the announcement of the 2024 Nobel Prizes draws near, there’s growing speculation in the scientific community that Professor Michael Berry may be in line to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics.
Professor Berry, a renowned physicist from the University of Bristol, is famous for his contribution to quantum mechanics through his theory of the Berry phase. Interestingly, however, he also received a more humorous distinction in 2000 – the Ig Nobel Prize.
First, Let’s Talk About His Ig Nobel Prize: The Flying Frog
Michael Berry and Andrey Geim jointly received the Ig Nobel Prize for their experiment, in which they used a powerful magnetic field to make a frog float in mid-air. This experiment demonstrated how materials, when exposed to a strong magnetic field, exhibit a tiny magnetic response that opposes the magnetic field, known as “diamagnetism.” This response can counteract gravity, allowing objects like frogs to float.
Though this experiment might seem laughable, it actually challenged our understanding of magnetic and gravitational forces, debunking the misconception that non-magnetic substances (like water or organic materials) are entirely unaffected by strong magnetic fields.
The Discovery That Might Win Him the Nobel Prize: The Berry Phase
While the floating frog experiment brought Berry considerable attention, his true academic achievement lies in his work on the Berry phase in quantum mechanics.
The Berry phase is a “geometric phase” that occurs when a quantum system’s parameters change slowly over time and ultimately return to their original configuration, causing the system to accumulate an additional phase – the Berry phase. This discovery even hints at the possible existence of extra dimensions in our world.
Imagine walking along a winding path around a mountain, eventually returning to your starting point. Even though you’re back where you began, your direction may have changed (for example, you may start facing north but end up facing east).
The Berry phase provides insights into various physical phenomena, from the operation of topological insulators to electron behavior in the quantum Hall effect, and has established a theoretical foundation for quantum computing and advanced materials research.
Will Professor Berry become a dual laureate, winning both the Ig Nobel Prize and the Nobel Prize? Let’s wait and see!
Timothy Huang 物入奇途
2000年搞笑諾貝爾物理獎得主—Michael Berry，他並不是真的在搞笑，他很可能在今年(2024)獲得諾貝爾物理獎。
隨著2024年諾貝爾獎即將公布，有不少科學界的猜測，Michael Berry教授可能會成為物理學獎的獲獎者。
Berry教授是布里斯托大學的著名物理學家，以其在量子力學中提出的Berry phase（貝里相位）而聞名，然而，有趣的是，他在2000年還曾獲得一個幽默的榮譽——搞笑諾貝爾獎（Ig Nobel Prize）。
先來談談他獲得的搞笑諾貝爾獎：漂浮的青蛙
Michael Berry與Andrey Geim共同獲得了搞笑諾貝爾獎，他們利用了強磁場，使得一隻青蛙得以漂浮在空中，這項實驗說明了物質被強磁場影響時，會產生與磁場相反的微小磁性，被稱為「抗磁性」，而且能夠對抗重力，使得像青蛙這樣的物體能夠漂浮。
這個實驗看起來像在搞笑，卻刷新了我們對磁力和重力作用的認識，也打破了人們對非磁性物質（如水或有機物質）在強磁場下完全無反應的錯誤觀念。
可能獲獎的發現：Berry Phase
雖然漂浮青蛙帶給了Berry許多關注，但他真正的學術成就是在量子力學中的Berry phase。
Berry phase是一種「幾何相位」，當量子系統的參數隨著時間緩慢改變並最終回到原點時，系統會累積一個額外的相位——這就是Berry phase，這一個發現甚至暗示了我們的世界可能存在其他的「維度」
想像你在一座山的環繞小徑上散步，最後回到出發點。在這過程中，儘管你回到了起點，你的方向可能發生了變化（例如，開始時面朝北，但最後可能是面朝東）。
Berry phase的發現為許多物理現象提供了一個嶄新的視野，從拓撲絕緣體的運作，到量子霍爾效應中的電子行為，Berry phase也為量子計算和先進材料研究打下了理論基礎。
到底Berry教授會不會成為搞笑諾貝爾獎以及諾貝爾獎的雙得主呢？讓我們拭目以待!
2000 Ig Nobel Prize Winner in Physics – Michael Berry, Not Just a Laugh: He Could Be This Year’s Nobel Prize Laureate
As the announcement of the 2024 Nobel Prizes draws near, there’s growing speculation in the scientific community that Professor Michael Berry may be in line to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics.
Professor Berry, a renowned physicist from the University of Bristol, is famous for his contribution to quantum mechanics through his theory of the Berry phase. Interestingly, however, he also received a more humorous distinction in 2000 – the Ig Nobel Prize.
First, Let’s Talk About His Ig Nobel Prize: The Flying Frog
Michael Berry and Andrey Geim jointly received the Ig Nobel Prize for their experiment, in which they used a powerful magnetic field to make a frog float in mid-air. This experiment demonstrated how materials, when exposed to a strong magnetic field, exhibit a tiny magnetic response that opposes the magnetic field, known as “diamagnetism.” This response can counteract gravity, allowing objects like frogs to float.
Though this experiment might seem laughable, it actually challenged our understanding of magnetic and gravitational forces, debunking the misconception that non-magnetic substances (like water or organic materials) are entirely unaffected by strong magnetic fields.
The Discovery That Might Win Him the Nobel Prize: The Berry Phase
While the floating frog experiment brought Berry considerable attention, his true academic achievement lies in his work on the Berry phase in quantum mechanics.
The Berry phase is a “geometric phase” that occurs when a quantum system’s parameters change slowly over time and ultimately return to their original configuration, causing the system to accumulate an additional phase – the Berry phase. This discovery even hints at the possible existence of extra dimensions in our world.
Imagine walking along a winding path around a mountain, eventually returning to your starting point. Even though you’re back where you began, your direction may have changed (for example, you may start facing north but end up facing east).
The Berry phase provides insights into various physical phenomena, from the operation of topological insulators to electron behavior in the quantum Hall effect, and has established a theoretical foundation for quantum computing and advanced materials research.
Will Professor Berry become a dual laureate, winning both the Ig Nobel Prize and the Nobel Prize? Let’s wait and see!
1 year ago (edited) | [YT] | 7