Today the Xplanation presents an interview with physicist Jeffrey Hangst. In November 2010, Hangst was a member of an international team of physicists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) that not only trapped 38 antihydrogen atoms but managed to keep them around for more than a tenth of a second, which, when it comes to antimatter, is apparently a pretty long time.
jeff_hangst_102
- What’s your favorite physics and/or mathematical law, and why?
I couldn’t possibly choose a favorite. The law’s the law. My favorite rock song about the law is “I Fought the Law” – The Clash version. You know, “I fought the law, and the law won.” Sums up many a failed physics experiment.
- At what age did you realize your mind worked differently than the other kids?
I’d say at about 34; that’s when I heard about and became interested in antihydrogen. Many of the other kids thought it would be impossible to make antihydrogen, let alone trap and study it. But here we are.
- If you could invite to a dinner party any five people from throughout history until present day, who would you invite?
I won’t name names – they would be politicians and founders of religions – but I can tell you the question I would ask: “What the hell were you thinking?” I have a secret fear that many historical figures would be deathly boring, like you would be embarrassed to take them to your local pub with you.
- Who’s the bigger genius – Newton or Einstein, and why?
Guys like that – we must include Dirac – have one or two extra gears the rest of us simply don’t have, so I am not even qualified to judge. It is best to know your place here in the grand scheme of things. People who invent whole new ways of thinking don’t need to be ranked. Okay, let’s do it anyway. I would say Newton, because there was much less in the way of a scientific framework in place for him.
- What’s the last novel you read?
I spend a lot of time in airplanes, so I read a steady stream of popular fiction, purchased in airports. I have no delusions about being an intellectual. The last one was “Lustrum” by Robert Harris. It is a historical novel about the Roman orator and consul Cicero. Ancient Rome has always fascinated me; I even studied Latin in high school. The last important book I read was “The End of Faith” by Sam Harris. I only read books by guys named Harris.
- What’s your favorite movie?
The original “Alien.” I love horror movies and science fiction. This movie is the best example of how to combine the two. I can still remember being terrified when seeing this for the first time in the cinema.
- If you had a career outside the sciences, what would you do?
I would probably be a musician. I play acoustic blues and electric rock guitar and even get paid for it sometimes. Or maybe I would work on a Formula One racing team. I like working on cars, and I have a Lotus Esprit that I completely dismantled and restored. But not a modern team – one before fuel injection, computers, and telemetry. Eight or twelve cylinder engines with big Weber carbs; those were cool.
- Are there some things scientists will not be able to figure out, or, given enough time, will the human mind eventually have answers to all its really big questions?
The best way to embarrass yourself in science is to rule out something that seems unlikely in your time. I do this regularly when I tell reporters that we will never have enough antimatter to make a weapon or a rocket fuel. I hope that there is an endless supply of big questions. I often think the worst thing that could happen would be if a superior alien race showed up and explained all of physics to us. Maybe this is just because I like to publish first. The question of what happened before the Big Bang is one that can drive you crazy – science can only address things through observation.
- What’s so fascinating about antimatter?
Its absence. Why do we have matter instead of antimatter? Obviously, it also fascinates me that you can get paid to worry about this.