We enjoyed having Chiara Saffirio here, who is an assistant professor at the department of mathematics and computer sciences at the university of Basel. We received a thought-provoking talk, where she successfully took on the challenge of presenting a time paradox to an audience unfamiliar with the realms of mathematical physics. Starting off with everyday examples for reversible or irreversible processes in time (for example you can’t unbreak an egg, but a billiard ball’s path is not a one-way street), she eased us into Newton’s laws of physics – according to which the collisions of atoms are reversible. On the contrary the existence of entropy opposes this idea. It was interesting to see how this paradox was resolved using purely mathematical concepts.
Thank you, Chiara, for broadening our horizons by giving us insight into your fascinating area of expertise. It was a pleasure!
Studentinnenhaus Sonnegg 