EVENT:
Jonathan Feng, professor of physics and astronomy, will talk on "Discovering the Quantum Universe" as part of the 2006-07 Discover the Physical Sciences Breakfast Lecture Series at UC Irvine.

WHEN:
7:30-9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28. Continental breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m., lecture at 8 a.m.

WHERE:
Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering,
100 Academy, Irvine. Map: www.uci.edu/campusmap

INFORMATION:
Free and open to the public. For reservations, call 949-824-7252 or email events@ps.uci.edu. For more information, call 949-824-7252 or visit www.physsci.uci.edu.

BACKGROUND:
The Large Hadron Collider, a massive multibillion dollar particle collider in Switzerland set to begin operation in 2007, will seek to recreate conditions just moments after the Big Bang, providing a window into the early history of the universe. Scientists worldwide are excited about the collider's potential to shed light on black holes, dark matter and other celestial mysteries. It also could reveal new forms of matter, new forces of nature, and possibly new dimensions of space and time.

Professor Jonathan Feng will explain how the collider will provide scientists with an unprecedented look at the formation of the universe and why researchers expect it to help them answer some of the most outstanding questions in science today. Feng and colleagues at UCI are working on various projects involving the collider.

Feng received his doctorate from Stanford University. He held research positions at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J., and Massachusetts Institute of Technology before coming to UCI. His research is supported by NASA, a Sloan Research Fellowship and the National Science Foundation's CAREER Award.