Before this summer, the words “quanta” and “quasars” existed only as academic terms which I never had a reason for using or even thinking about. These terms evolved into actual starting points that enabled me to discover the universe and scientific concepts and the global scientific community during my two transformative weeks in Sydney Australia.
I was selected for the opportunity to join the Professor Harry Messel International Science School (ISS) at the University of Sydney as one of five American students. As part of students from ten countries I got to engage with this year's subject which focused on “Quanta to Quasars.” The phrase "Quanta to Quasars" served as more than clever words since it embodied the incredible span of educational content that covered quantum physics particles and astrophysical dimensions.
Every weekday brought lectures from exceptional scientists and researchers who were building the future of their respective fields. The lecture series revealed to me how particles behave in a vacuum environment but also revealed to me the potential origins of the universe from "nothing" while "nothing" turned out to be more complex than we had previously thought.
The academic program was equally impressive to the transformative effect the people I encountered had on me. I would have conversations late into the night with my roommates who were from Singapore and Australia. Although none of us were in the same color group as them, we still would talk for hours on end and one of us would have to force the group to actually sleep.
These 2 weeks in Australia showed me that science isn't just mathematical equations and laboratory experiments but more about the community and the people you get to meet.
Written By Stellar Student Yuki Soda
