Topology Seminar

Mon, 13 April, 2015 3:00pm

Topology and History of Science Seminar

Title:  A Knot's Tale: Three great men, two smoking boxes, one
brilliant wrong idea.
 
Speaker: Julia Collins (Edinburgh)

Abstract:
I will tell the story of three best friends in 19th century Scotland
and their attempt to develop an atomic theory based on knots and
links. Tait, Kelvin and Maxwell were inspired by a fantastic
experiment involving smoke rings, and their theories, whilst being
completely wrong, inspired a new field of mathematical study which is
once again becoming important in physics, chemistry and biology.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwG_uRuYkhg

 


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