Physics Colloquium, May 1, 2007
Secrets in the Ancient Goatskin: Archimedes Manuscript under X-ray Vision Uwe Bergmann

Stanford

Archimedes of Syracuse (287 - 212 BC) is considered one of the most brilliant thinkers of all times. The privately owned parchment document known as the Archimedes Palimpsest is the oldest and unique source of several of the great Greek's treatises. A breakthrough in uncovering missing writings was achieved recently with the help of an intense x-ray beam. The x-ray images revealed writings from some of Archimedes' most important works covered by mold stains, biblical texts and forgeries. Please join me in a fascinating journey of a 1000 year old parchment from its origin in the Mediterranean city of Constantinople to a particle accelerator in Menlo Park, California.

Dr. Bergmann's Talk

Dr. Bergmann's Web Site

4:00 p.m., Physics Research Building (PRB), Room 1080

Reception at 3:45 p.m., Atrium, PRB