A celebration of the role of physics in our global society, led by UNESCO, will take place in 2005---the World Year of Physics.

World Year of Physics

The World Year of Physics 2005 was launched on 13-15 January at an international conference sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), ICTP's lead administrative agency.
The conference, 'Physics for Tomorrow,' which included an opening-session presentation by ICTP director K.R. Sreenivasan on physics and development, was attended by more than 1500 scientists and students from 70 countries. Eight Nobel Laureates were among the participants.
The year 2005 marks the 100th anniversary of the most remarkable year in Albert Einstein's remarkable life, and one of the most noteworthy years in the history of science, comparable only to Isaac Newton's 18-month burst of scientific genius, his annus mirabilis, in 1665-1666 during which time he invented calculus, explained how gravity works and discovered the laws of motion.
In 1905, Einstein experienced a similar burst of genius highlighted by the publication of three illustrious papers in Annalen der Physik, Germany's leading physics journal.
No other set of academic papers in the 20th century had such a profound impact on both science and society. In these papers, Einstein did no less than prove that light consists of discrete particles (photons), for which he won the Nobel Prize in 1921; provide a powerful new tool for studying the movement of atoms through his explanation of Brownian motion (which reinforced kinetic theory and laid the groundwork for quantum mechanics); and present his theory of special relativity (which transformed our understanding of the relationship between space and time and for which Einstein is best known). "A storm broke loose in my mind," Einstein later noted.
As a result, it is only fitting that the life and work of Einstein provide the impetus for the World Year of Physics 2005. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of his death.
Throughout much of the 20th century and continuing to this day, Einstein's remains the public face of physics. His unruly tufts of hair, sometimes 'spiking' upward, sometimes 'draping' downward, and earnest yet impish eyes, which have been captured on many historic photographs and, more recently, used in advertisements for an endless array of products and services ranging from computers to money market funds to soft drinks, have made Einstein the world's most recognisable scientist. Apple Computer, Daimler-Chrysler, Disney, Fiat, Fuji, France Telecom, Microsoft, and Xerox all have licensed his image. Einstein, in fact, is the Elvis Presley of science, displaying the remarkable quality of remaining as famous---and perhaps even more famous---in death than in life. But Einstein is more than a pop culture icon. How many people worldwide are familiar with Einstein's formula E=mc2? How many people can recognise one other physics formula?
Organisers and participants in the World Year of Physics 2005 hope to accomplish two goals over the next 12 months, which parallel Einstein's broad influence.
First, they plan to provide the public with easily accessible information on the current state of physics---its growing ties to biology and chemistry, its part in the development of new materials and nanotechnologies, its critical role in examinations of the cosmos and our understanding of the origins of the universe, and its centrality in efforts to develop a unified theory of nature's forces, including gravity (an effort that preoccupied Einstein during the concluding decades of his life).
Second, organisers and participants will seek to present these insights in ways that will engage---and, yes, entertain---the public. A recent survey by the European Commission, for example, shows that between 1998 and 2002 the number of physics graduates in European universities declined by 15 percent. It is hoped that the events surrounding this year-long celebration---the workshops, conferences, lectures and exhibits---will draw the attention of students, helping to spark broader interest in physics.
ICTP plans to participate actively in the World Year of Physics 2005 not only through staff presentations at conferences and workshops organised by other institutions but also by holding its own set of public lectures. The Centre hopes to build on its successful efforts to forge closer ties with the surrounding community and region---efforts begun last year during ICTP's Open Day and 40th anniversary celebrations. Information about the lectures will be posted on the ICTP website (see www.ictp.it) and published in subsequent newsletters.

For additional updated information on activities taking place around the globe celebrating the World Year of Physics 2005, see www.physics2005.org.

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