Physics Colloquium: Neutrino Mistakes

Thursday, April 18, 2019

3:30 PM-4:30 PM

Maury Goodman, PhD, Argonne National Laboratory

In experimental physics as in life, we learn from our mistakes. The recent History of Neutrino conference focused on the enormous progress in understanding the neutrino since its birth in the 1930’s. Along the way, there have been many instances of misunderstanding which led to wrong measurements or speculation for new features of neutrino physics that are not now accepted as correct. This is part of the natural process of science, but it is worthwhile to look at some examples and see what the lessons might be. Each branch of experimental physics has similar stories to tell. Here I’ve chosen to describe 7 of the 25 results I listed which might be termed “neutrino mistakes,” with the fact in mind that there is no well-accepted definition of a mistake, and no unique threshold for counting something as a mistake when you change your mind after you obtain more information. No clear conclusions were drawn from this exercise, but each story has some lessons worthy of discussion.

Contact Information

Professor Charles Lane
lane@duphy4.physics.drexel.edu