02/06/2026
Happening tomorrow: Neutrinos - The Quest for the Ghost Particle with Tony Gwyther
Wednesday 3rd of June at the Subud Centre, Lewes BN7 2DS, 7.30pm.
Summary: This is the story of the discovery of the neutrino and its role in preserving the law of energy conservation.
In the late 19th century, discoveries by Wilhelm Röntgen (X-rays), Henri Becquerel (radioactivity), and J. J. Thomson (the electron) revolutionized our understanding of the atom. Ernest Rutherford further identified different types of radiation—alpha, beta, and gamma—and later discovered the proton.
In 1905, Albert Einstein showed with E=mc² that mass and energy are interchangeable. While this explained most radioactive processes, beta decay appeared to violate energy conservation because emitted electrons had varying energies.
To resolve this, Wolfgang Pauli proposed an unseen, neutral particle carrying away the missing energy. Although initially overlooked, his idea was developed by Enrico Fermi, who named the particle the “neutrino.” It was finally detected decades later by Fred Reines and Clyde Cowan, with further studies by Ray Davis confirming its nature.
This will be followed by a tea break (free tea, coffee and biscuits included).
Followed by our what to look out for in the sky this month talk with Paul Whitmarsh.
Everyone is welcome. Members go free, Non-members ÂŁ4.
Image from the inside of MiniBoonNE Neutrino detector.
