Upcoming Events

Science on the Screen: Women Who Code with Dr. Nausheen Shah, in partnership with Aspen Film

Partner Event

Women in the Equation: Film Screening with Aspen Film

Tue, Mar 26, 6:30–9pm
Isis Theatre

AI generated image for "An Invitation to Imagine Something from Nothing" by Philip Chang, University of Florida

Public Lecture

An Invitation to Imagine Something from Nothing

Wed, Mar 27, 5:30–6:30pm
Flug Forum, Aspen Center for Physics

Public Lecture

Crazy Telescopes, Ghostly Galaxies, and the Invisible Universe

Wed, Apr 3, 5:30–6:30pm
Flug Forum, Aspen Center for Physics

“If there is a heaven for scientists, it probably is modeled on the Aspen Center for Physics.”

Now Hiring

Aspen Center for Physics (ACP) is seeking an Office and Event Assistant to join their small, hard-working, and enthusiastic team. Please see the job description and application instructions here:

Office and Event Assistant

Now Streaming: Public Lecture

Fresh Tracks into Galaxy Formation with Webb

Kate Whitaker, University of Massachusetts Amherst

The first year of observations from the James Webb Space Telescope has revolutionized our understanding of the Universe. Webb is a 6.5-meter space telescope sensitive to infrared light, detecting the light of ancient galaxies greater than 13 billion years. These first galaxies seem to be forming earlier and more rapidly than previously thought, defying predictions from our best theoretical models. And the evidence continues to mount — we now find an abundance of oversized supermassive black holes, and, when the Universe was merely one billion years old, we find examples of star formation plummeting in ‘too early’, ‘too massive’ galaxies. Taken together, our entire knowledge of early galaxy formation is in a state of flux. In this talk, Whitaker will introduce you to the capabilities of NASA’s newest flagship mission and highlight a few of the most exciting and revolutionary results to date. Among these is the story of distinguishing the most distant galaxies from those enshrouded in thick veils of dust while teasing out the hidden monsters inside.

On the Blog

Oppenheimer and Los Alamos: Beyond the Movie

Gordon Baym, University of Illinois

Oppenheimer which focusses on the remarkable character of J. Robert Oppenheimer, and especially on the confrontations at the 1954 Atomic Energy Commission hearings on his future security clearance. Only hinted at in the movie is the amazing effort to develop atomic bombs, primarily at Los Alamos – the secret town in northern New Mexico – but also at other secret laboratories including Oak Ridge in Tennessee, and Hanford in Washington State, all part of what was euphemistically called the Manhattan Project. What I would like to do in this [article] is to give you a flavor of the history of the full development of what the historian Richard Rhodes, author of the monumental book, The Making of the Atomic Bomb, called, “arguably the single most important historic development of the 20th century.”

Programs For Physicists

Winter Conferences

Dec 10 - Apr 5

Each winter, ACP hosts between six and eight week-long conferences that focus on the latest developments in physics and adjacent fields. These conferences have a typical attendance of about 80-100. Join us for a week of physics in the snowy mountains of Aspen, Colorado! Conferences include morning and evening meetings with a “ski break” in the middle of the day.

Summer Workshops

May 26 - Sept 15

We offer summer workshops ranging from two to four weeks long in biophysics, astrophysics and cosmology, high energy physics and particle physics, and condensed matter physics. Each year, around 600 scientists from around the world visit the Center to explore unanswered questions about the Universe during our summer program. We encourage physicists to come to the summer workshops with their families.

Individual Research

May 26 - Sept 15

Discover & connect on your own terms. The Center’s summer program includes ample unstructured time, for cross-pollination, informal discussions, and cross-pollination. We invite you to concentrate on individual research and the informal exchange of ideas! Applicants in this category are given as much consideration as those applying for a workshop.

Off-Season Facility Use

Rent the center

If you need a meeting space for your scientific, non-profit group, consider the Aspen Center for Physics. It is available when its summer and winter programs are not in session: mid-September through December, occasional winter weeks, and April through the first three weeks of May.

Support the Future of Physics

The Aspen Center for Physics is a non-profit Colorado corporation operated for scientists by scientists with a small administrative staff. Officers, trustees, and general members select programs and participants, guide funding, select staff and oversee all aspects of the Center’s activities. To maintain corporate memory, honorary members and trustees continue to advise the board and serve the Center after their elected terms are over. The Center is governed by a volunteer board of a maximum of 80 general members and nine trustees who are guided by its by-laws.