Jan. 15, Thursday -- Nobel Prize winner and MacArthur Fellow Douglas Osheroff will give a free, public lecture, “Because of Science: Advances in Life,” at 7 p.m. in the AGR room of the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center on the UC Davis campus.

Osheroff, a professor of physics at Stanford University, will explore how advances in science and technology have profoundly enriched society. By drawing attention to widely used technology originally invented for basic research, he aims to inspire a new generation of students to take up careers in science.

Born and raised in a small town on the coast of Washington state, Osheroff received his Ph.D. at Cornell University. In 1996, he shared the Nobel Prize in physics for his work on “superfluid” helium at temperatures close to absolute zero, work which has led to a deeper understanding of quantum systems.

After spending 15 years as a researcher with Bell Laboratories, Osheroff moved to Stanford University in 1987. His work focuses on the properties of condensed matter at near absolute zero temperature. Among his many awards are a MacArthur Fellowship and the Walter J. Gores Award for Excellence in Teaching, from Stanford University.

Osheroff’s lecture is the second of the Department of Physics Centennial Speaker Series, presentations by three of today’s best-known physicists. It is supported by contributions from members of the department, by the Office of the Chancellor and Provost and by the dean of Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

For more information contact Amanda Price, College of Letters and Science, (530) 752-9023, amprice@ucdavis.edu.