Chair Of Physics Research Articles

Robin Dunbar: The neurobiology of human sociality

Robin Dunbar is an eminent evolutionary psychologist and anthropologist whose pioneering work has permanently redefined how we think about human social relationships. Dunbar, who is an emeritus Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at the University of Oxford, became world-renowned for, among other contributions, his formulation of “Dunbar's number,” a theoretical limit to the number of stable social relationships an individual can maintain, typically cited as about 150. That idea, which he developed as he studied the relationship between brain size and social group size in various primate species, has since had broad influences across areas from social media design to organizational management. Over time, Dunbar's number has become more widely known and discussed, particularly with the advent of social media and online social networks. This has led to renewed interest in its implications for digital social interactions. Dunbar's illustrious career spans multiple prestigious institutions, including, prior to joining Oxford in 2007, the University of Cambridge, the University of Stockholm (Sweden), University College London and the University of Liverpool. He is a fellow of the British Academy and the Royal Anthropological Institute, a Foreign Member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, and an elected Honorary Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. His interdisciplinary expertise is reflected in his professorships in psychology, evolutionary biology, and anthropology at institutions such as Liverpool and Oxford Universities. He has held a visiting chair in statistical physics and computer science at Aalto University, Finland, which has also awarded him an honorary doctorate. Dunbar studies the evolution of social processes in primates and humans, with work that blends neurobiology, cognitive science, and the social dynamics of how we communicate via friendship networks. His insights into friendships and community cohesion continue to shape our understanding of human social behaviour in the digital age. It is an absolute pleasure that Professor Dunbar answered the Genomic Press Interview as we celebrate the extraordinary story of his scientific odyssey with our readers.

Chair of Physical and Technical Informatics of the Physics Department at Novosibirsk State University

The Chair of Physics and Technology of the Physics Department trains specialists in the field of software and hardware for physical experiments, storage, and processing of information. The program of the courses involves the study of programming methods, information technologies and hardware for experimental installations in addition to fundamental education in physics and mathematics, which all students of the physics department of NSU receive. The graduates of the chair are specialists in the field of information technology with universal general physical training.

Accelerator Physics Chair of the Physics Department at Novosibirsk State University

The article tells about the Accelerator Physics Chair of the Physics Department of the Novosibirsk State University, based at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS.

Editorial

Editorial

Feasibility of performance-based and self-reported outcomes in self-managed falls prevention exercise interventions for independent older adults living in the community

BackgroundLittle is known about associations between performance-based measurements and self-reported scales, nor about ceiling effects or sensitivity to change to evaluate effects in the target population for self-managed exercise interventions. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of using performance-based outcomes for gait speed, functional leg strength and balance, and self-reported outcomes of falls-efficacy and functional ability in two self-managed falls prevention exercise interventions for community dwelling older adults.MethodsIndependent living, community-dwelling older adults (n = 67) exercised with one of two self-managed falls prevention exercise programmes, a digital programme (DP) or a paper booklet (PB) in a 4-month participant preference trial. Pre- and post-assessments, by blinded assessors, included Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and 30s Chair stand test (30s CST). Participants completed self-reported questionnaires: Activities-specific and Balance Confidence scale (ABC), Iconographical Falls Efficacy Scale (Icon-FES), Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument Function Component (LLFDI-FC). In addition, improvement in balance and leg strength was also self-rated at post-assessment. Participants’ mean age was 76 ± 4 years and 72% were women.ResultsCeiling effects were evident for the balance sub-component of the SPPB, and also indicated for ABC and Icon-FES in this high functioning population. In SPPB, gait speed, 30s CST, and LLFDI-FC, 21–56% of participants did not change their scores beyond the Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID). At pre-assessment all performance-based tests correlated significantly with the self-reported scales, however, no such significant correlations were seen with change-scores. Improvement of performance-based functional leg strength with substantial effect sizes and significant correlations with self-reported exercise time was shown. There were no differences in outcomes between the exercise programmes except that DP users reported improved change of leg strength to a higher degree than PB users.ConclusionThe LLFDI-FC and sit-to-stand tests were feasible and sensitive to change in this specific population. The balance sub-component of SPPB and self-reported measures ABC and Icon-FES indicated ceiling effects and might not be suitable as outcome measures for use in a high functioning older population. Development and evaluation of new outcome measures are needed for self-managed fall-preventive interventions with high functioning community-dwelling older adults.

Ernest Rutherford’s ambitions

One of the pioneers of radioactivity research, Rutherford feared his work would be overlooked—and changed his publishing strategies to make sure it wasn’t.

DAMAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURAL SYSTEM BY LIGHTING WITH RAIN PRECIPITATION ON ITS SURFACE

When an aircraft is struck by lightning damage of external structural elements is primarily caused by mechanical electrical impact of discharge on the aircraft, which results in the formation of dents on the skin, bends of panel elements (there have been cases of bending turbofan blades) and other deformations. Firstly, the mechanism of such lightning effect is caused by the action of ponderomotive forces generated by the interaction of the current in the lightning channel with currents flowing through the metal structures of the aircraft. Secondly, the shockwave of lightning has a physical impact on the elements of construction. The presence of condensation (moisture, ice) on the surface of the aircraft can significantly increase the damage of fuselage skin resulting from the electromechanical impact of lightning, which was confirmed by the results of the experimental research conducted at the Chair of Physics of the Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation. The water depth (as far as it is known, thunderstorm in most cases is accompanied by rain precipitation) can be large enough especially on the ground during parking and taxiing, as well as at takeoff operation and landing. Sheet samples of aluminum alloy skin D16AT with electrical discharge parameters (current amplitude 50–60 kA, duration of the first half-wave 30 microseconds) which were relatively equal to average parameters of natural lightning strike were tested. With water depth of not over 8 mm the indentations up to 2 mm deep and 30 mm in diameter were formed on samples up to 1,5 mm thick, with a sample thickness of 0,8 mm – over 10 mm in depth and up to 60–70 mm in diameter. Educated estimates indicated that presence of water increases the electrodynamic pressure on the skin several times. Firstly, having in consideration the elastic component such deformation can bring a danger to control mechanisms and surfaces located proximately under the skin when subjected to lightning strike. Secondly, electromechanical pressure amplification coupled with the striking acoustic wave generated by lightning can result in supercritical pressures in the mounting hardware of the skin. All of this should be taken into account both at the design stage of the aircraft and during aircraft operation including in particular post-flight inspection of the aircraft struck by lightning.

Low Cognitive Function Is Associated With Reduced Functional Fitness Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Among older adults over 70, 22-30% report difficulty performing at least one activity of daily living (ADL). While the precipitants of ADL decline are multifactorial, over 50% of cognitively impaired adults require assistance with ADLs. The exact relationship between cognitive and functional decline remains unknown, but it is important to understand their relationship. Eighty-three older adults (80.9 + 5.4 years) enrolled in this study and completed functional fitness and cognitive assessments. Functional fitness assessments included: Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), 10-meter walk, dual-task, and power chair stand (average and peak). Cognition was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Visual Paired Comparison task (VPC). Categories of low cognitive function (LCF) and high cognitive function (HCF) were determined by VPC scores. SPPB was 10.2% greater among the HCF group. The HCF group walked 12.6% (0.16 m/s) faster than the LCF group. Dual-task (fast) performance was 13.2% faster among the HCF group. Additionally, when rising from a seated position during the average and peak power chair stand task, the HCF group moved 16.7% and 16.1% faster than the LCF group, respectively. MoCA scores were 2.8 points greater among the HCF group. Based on the current results, significant differences exist between cognitive groups suggesting a relationship between functional fitness and cognition. What remains unknown is the ability to influence functional fitness by changing cognition or vice versa. Future research is warranted to determine the relationship of change in either domain over time.

Electromechanical effect of lightning onto the fitting points of the aircraft skin

One of the damage factors of the outer elements of aircraft structures by lightning strike is its electromechanical effect. The most typical and diverse types of damage caused by lightning to the fittings of the aircraft skin were discovered in December 2017 in the state of Louisiana (USA) after the lightning strike to the B-52 bomber during landing. On the ground the crew found the man-sized gash in the tail unit. Similar incidents took place with a number of Russian aircraft too. Researches, conducted at the Chair of Physics of Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation by a group of specialists in the field of lightning protection of aircraft, allow to explain the mechanism of this kind of damage with a high degree of reliability. This mechanism is of a complex nature. The Electromechanical effect of lightning on the conductive skin, due to the interaction of the lightning current spreading along the skin with the magnetic field created by it, is essential as well as the pinch pressure in the discharge channel. Loading of a conductive plating is caused by ponderomotive forces in the skin and inside the channel of the lightning discharge. Coming to the edge of the trim panel stresses wave from such loads, coupled with the impact of lightning born of the shock acoustic waves, adding up to the operational, staffing loading, can overload as at the contour of the trim panel, weakened by holes for fastening elements, and at the fastening elements too (rivets, screws). The calculation of the intensity of the stresses in the skin due to ponderomotor forces in the area of the rivet connection showed that only if the amplitude of the lightning current exceeds 100 kA, supercritical stresses can take place - as normal stresses in the skin along the rivet row and tangential stresses in the narrow part of the rivet flange. Since the statistics claims that the probability of the aircraft high-current lightning strike is negligible, it is obvious that these additional factors were active in the B-52 case. In the photo of the damaged part of the tail unit of the aircraft, both types of structural damage are clearly visible: the separation of one edge of the panel from the stringer along the rivet row (the flange remains in the place) and the damage of the other edge along the rivets with the flange.

A Forgotten Italian Physicist at the Turn of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries: The Sicilian Giovanni Silio Borremans

We are presenting the scientific work of Giovanni Silio Borremans (1756-1830), a physicist almost unknown to Science historians, who worked in the city of Caltagirone (Sicily) from 1775 until his death, in 1830. An intense archival work has been carried out on this interesting scientist; it has allowed us to discover many unpublished and unknown documents that have shed a new light on Silio’s life and on his scientific activity. As visual evidence, a good number of archive images have been inserted in the text. We owe to Silio the origins of experimental physics in Caltagirone, whose good results will be appreciated after his death by his most illustrious scholar, the physicist and naturalist Emmanuello Taranto Rosso. Silio’s work started in Caltagirone in 1775 when a teaching chair in experimental physics was established at the ancient R. Academy Ferdinando IV; he held it for more than fifty years. Some manuscripts, scientific works and the dictated lessons of this learned and erudite man were found and transcribed by his most famous student, the already mentioned Taranto Rosso, who later will, become his “natural” successor in the teaching of experimental Physic at the Academy.

Research on spinalorithronics at the Department of Low Temperature Physics of Kharkov National University in 2017-2019

In this paper is presented a short review of results about spincaloritronics obtained on the low temperature physics chair of the Kharkiv National University from 2017 till 2019 years. In introduction several new directions in magnetoelectronics are discussed- spintronics, spincaloritronics and magnonics- which emerged with the aim to reduce the energy dissipation in devices of usual semiconductor microelectronics. Spintronic devices hold the promise of faster switching speeds, less total energy consumption, and higher density of circuit elements, lowering the heat production per switching element. This could be achieved by employing the spin of the electrons instead of (or in addition to) the charge. The spin corresponds to the additional quantum mechanical property of an electron that can be described as an intrinsic angular momentum. Realization of the existence of the tunneling magnetoresistance effect observed at room temperature is paving the way for the evolution of solid state memory devices, new type of the memory, and fast programmable logic circuits. In spincaloritronics, which is included as an additional complementary branch to the established field of spintronics and thermoelectricity, the transport of charge, magnetization (spin), or heat, occurs when the corresponding particles (electrons, magnons, or phonons) are driven out of thermodynamic equilibrium. Magnonics is the part of spintronics, or in a more general sense is electronics, studying physical properties of magnetic micro- and nanostructures, properties of propagating spin waves and also the possibilities of their application for construction of the elemental base of devices at nanolevel for processing, transmission and memory of the information on the basis of new physical principles. In next section the main results of the four papers, published in Physical Revew B are discussed: 1) nonlinear relaxation between magnons and phonons in insulating ferromagnets 2) role of magnons and the size effect in heat transport through an insulating ferromagnet-insulator interface 3) spin Seebeck effect and phonon energy transfer in heterostructures containing layers of normal metal and ferroinsulator 4) temperature dependence of the magnon-phonon energy relaxation time in a ferromagnet insulator.

Nanostructured Metallic Materials and Composites: Processes, Properties and Microstructures

Nanostructured Metallic Materials and Composites: Processes, Properties and Microstructures

James Francis Tait. 1 December 1925—2 February 2014

James F. Tait FRS, with his wife Sylvia A. S. Tait FRS, made an indelible contribution to life science and medicine with the isolation and characterization of aldosterone, the most potent mineralocorticoid hormone produced by the mammalian adrenal cortex.Trained as a physicist, Tait turned to endocrinology during his first academic appointment at the Medical School of the Middlesex Hospital in London, where he met Sylvia. Their collaboration resulted in this major achievement within five years of his appointment, and they were both elected to fellowships of the Royal Society in 1959, when James was just 34.Shortly afterwards the Taits moved to the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology in Massachusetts, where he virtually created the study of hormone dynamics, using sophisticated techniques involving isotopically labelled hormone infusions. Many of his most highly cited papers stem from this period.In 1970 the Taits returned to the Middlesex Hospital, when he was appointed to the Joel Chair of Physics as Applied to Medicine. Here they continued studies on aldosterone and other adrenal steroids, using animal cell models.He continued to be active after retiring in 1982, and published a history of aldosterone in 2009. As a hobby he made a magnificent photographic record of the churches and abbeys of Yorkshire.Although, initially, recognition of aldosterone's clinical significance was slow, today it is thought that 10% of the incidence of essential hypertension is attributable to excess aldosterone. Aldactone, the earliest aldosterone antagonist, as well as more recently developed blockers, have proved effective in congestive heart failure. Sixty years after its discovery, aldosterone remains a rich and dynamic research field.

Evaluation of a proposed chair with an arm support for wiring terminal blocks on a vertical plane.

To reduce the muscular exertion of an operator wiring terminal blocks on a vertical plane, a chair with a unique back that can be used as a back support or arm support is proposed in this study. A digital version of the chair was first developed based on anthropometric data and tested with a digital anthropometric subject using the Jack software before the physical chair was developed. To evaluate the effects of the physical chair, an experiment of wiring terminal blocks was conducted with 12 subjects to test whether the use of the arm support can reduce muscular exertion. The results showed that (1) exertion on the anterior deltoid, upper trapezium, and erector spinae muscles decreased with decrease in terminal block height; (2) using the arm support reduced exertion on the anterior deltoid and upper trapezium muscles; and (3) the subjects reported less self-perceived fatigue in the wrist, elbow, and shoulder regions when the arm support was used. These results confirm that the proposed chair can reduce muscular workload in the shoulder muscle over a proper range of working heights. However, using the arm support may restrict certain working postures and lead to force generation in upper extremity muscles.

Division of the Chair of Physics at the University of Lviv into the Chairs of Theoretical and Experimental Physics as reflected in documents

Division of the Chair of Physics at the University of Lviv into the Chairs of Theoretical and Experimental Physics as reflected in documents

The Effectiveness of Using Stereoscopic 3D for Proportion Estimation in Product Design Education

In product design education, identifying proportion and manipulating proportional relationships are important practices in form-giving training. However, using conventional 2D displays with monocular depth cues to train students with different spatial abilities remains a great challenge. Although, some literature has indicated that stereoscopic 3D (S3D) displays were helpful for depth-related tasks, whether S3D is helpful for proportion estimation is an open question. Therefore, the objective of this research was to study whether using S3D for design department students could assist them in improving their ability to interpret the proportions of products. The independent variables of the experiment included spatial ability, task complexity, and display mode. Spatial ability was a between-subject variable. Students aged 20–25 years were recruited as participants and were categorized into high-, moderate-, and low-performance groups depending on their score on a spatial ability scale. Task complexity and display mode were within-subject variables. In the experiment, three chair styles were used as samples. Digital models of three chairs with distinct proportions were displayed in two conditions: 2D mode with monocular depth cues and S3D mode. Participants were asked to compare the proportions of a physical chair and three digital chairs and then select the digital chair with the correct proportions in the 2D and S3D modes. The dependent variable were the score of selecting the 3D digital models with correct proportions compared to the physical objects. The result indicated that students could perceive proportions more accurately in the S3D mode than in the 2D mode. In particular, when using S3D, participants with low spatial ability demonstrated overall performance that was equal to that of participants with high spatial ability.

14th International Conference on Fluid Control, Measurements and Visualization (FLUCOME 2017)

Peter GarnavichProfessor, Department Chair Astrophysics/Cosmology Physics University of Notre DameTitle:The Accelerating Universe and the Discovery of Dark EnergySummary. One of the most dramatic scientific revolutions of the last fifty years is the discovery that the rate of expansion of the universe is accelerating. The source of acceleration is thought to be a mysterious “dark energy” that makes up 3/4 of the content of the universe, but more exotic causes are possible. This is a story that begins with Einstein and Hubble but shifts to two research teams racing to find the ultimate fate of the universe using exploding stars and new detector technology.Bio. Peter Garnavich is a Professor and Chair of Physics at the University of Notre Dame. Previously he was a Research Fellow at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and received a M.Sc. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. from the University of Washington. His research interests include cataclysmic variable stars, supernovae and cosmology. He is co-recipient of the 2007 Gruber Prize in Cosmology and the 2015 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. Garnavich was a key member of the “High-Z” team that discovered the universal expansion rate is accelerating. The discovery of the accelerating universe was awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics.William SaricDistinguished Professor of Aerospace Engineering George Eppright ‘26 Chair in EngineeringTexas A&M University Aerospace EngineeringTitle:Flight experiments on discrete roughness element technology for laminar flow controlWilliam S. Saric has been Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University since January 2005. He received his PhD in Mechanics from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1968 and has held appointments at Sandia Laboratories (Atomic and Fluid Physics, 1963-1966, 1968-1975), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Engineering Science and Mechanics, 1975-1984), Tohoku University, Japan (Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1991-1992), and Arizona State University (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, 1984-2005).He is a registered Professional Engineer in Virginia and was an Aerospace Engineering Evaluator for ABET.He is a Fellow of AIAA, APS, and ASME. He received the AIAA Fluid Dynamics Award in 2003, the G.I. Taylor Medal from SES in 1993, the Scientific Achievement Award from AGARD (NATO) in 1996, and the Alumni Research Award from V.P.I.&S.U in 1984. In 2006, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for “contributions to the fundamental understanding and control of shear-flow and boundary-layer transition”.He has established two major wind tunnel research facilities and a flight research center at Texas A&M University and was the Director of the AFOSR/NASA National Center for Hypersonic Laminar-Turbulent Transition Research.Most recently, he has conducted experimental, and flight research on stability, transition, and control of two-dimensional and three-dimensional boundary layers for subsonic aircraft, supersonic aircraft and reentry vehicle applications.Gennaro CardoneProfessor, Dr., Chair of Aerospace Engineering Study CourseUniversità degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II”, Italy Department of Industrial Engineering – Aerospace divisionTitle:Thermo‐fluid‐dynamic analysis of innovative synthetic jet devicesSummary: Synthetic jets are largely used, especially in the field of electronic cooling; indeed their heat transfer performances have been widely investigated and some of the work performed at University of Naples Federico II is herein described. Heat transfer coefficients have been enhanced through the design of innovative synthetic jet devices; in particular, twin synthetic jets, multi orifice nozzles, chevron exit nozzles are considered. Obviously, the heat transfer performances of both the classic and innovative devices are strictly related to their impinging flow field on the surface to be cooled. In this work the behavior of innovative impinging synthetic jets is experimentally investigated by using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and IR thermography leading to both time average and phase average flow velocity and heat transfer measurements. Three-dimensional coherent vortex structures, time-averaged and phase-averaged means, as well as turbulent statistics of flow fields and wall heat transfer data are presented and discussed.Bio. Born in Naples (Italy) on 1963. Graduated in Mechanical Engineering with summa cum laude (1988). PhD in Aerospace Engineering (1991). Assistant professor (1992). Associate professor (1998). Actual position: Full Professor of Fluid Mechanics (2010) and Chair of the Aerospace engineering study courses, at the University of Naples Federico II, Department of industrial engineering, aerospace division. Scientific interests: two-beam and reference beam interferometry; velocimetry techniques such as PIV, Stereo-PIV and Tomo-PIV and their developments; heat transfer measurements with the infrared thermography technique, particularly focused on heat flux sensors and thermal image restoration; steady and unsteady natural convection; boundary layer diagnostics; transition detection and flow field visualization from subsonic to hypersonic flow regimes; free and impinging synthetic jets; swirling jets; aerodynamic heating and its thermal visualization; thermal measurements in investment casting.

Pere Vieta (1779-1856), promoter of free public teaching of physics in Catalonia

Free public teaching of physics in Catalonia started in the early 19th century, even if the interest in experimental physics goes back to the 18th century, where this discipline was discussed at various learned societies. The first chair of Physics in Barcelona was not a university chair but that of the Junta de Comerc de Barcelona (Trade Board of Barcelona), which had several scientific-technical Schools. In fact, at that time, Barcelona had no university, because it had been supressed by King Felipe V after the War of the Spanish Succession (ended in 1714). The promoter of free public teaching of experimental physics was Pere (Pedro) Vieta i Gibert (1779–1856), who was the first professor of that subject both at the School of the Trade Board and at the University of Barcelona, once it was restored in 1842. Vieta, who was a surgeon in the Army, combined his two professions and his interest in meteorology, he having recorded meteorological observations in Barcelona for many years. Many of his students were influential people in the scientific, intellectual, political and economic history of the 19th century in Catalonia and Spain. [Contrib Sci 11:237-247 (2015)]

Physics at the University of Lviv since the 17th century until the second world war: Addenda to the bibliography

Previously, an attempt was made to compile in a series of papers a complete bibliography of works related to physics at the University of Lviv. The period since the foundation of the University in 1661 until the division of the Chair of Physics in 1872 was discussed by Rovenchak (2014). Special attention was paid to the development of theoretical physics, starting from the first professor, Oskar Fabian (Rovenchak 2009), followed by the famous physicist Marian Smoluchowski (Rovenchak 2012), and finally the Interbellum (Rovenchak 2013). The history of astronomy at the University of Lviv, albeit without a special bibliographic section, is presented by Novosyadlyj (2011) and Apunevych et al. (2011). The development of the experimental physics since 1872 still awaits a detailed study. The present paper will provide some additions to this bibliography: firstly with the descriptions of several missing early works from the 17th and 18th century and then, with a presentation of the activity of Wojciech Urbański. It is followed by a couple of works by Oskar Fabian and Marian Smoluchowski. Finally, minor complements to the bibliographic lists from the 1930s will be made, including popular newspaper articles. We strive to present the bibliographic description as completely as possible, in particular by avoiding abbreviations in names and titles, so that readers can extract any information of their interest. All items were examined de visu except for those marked with an asterisk (*) after the number. Przedstawione materiały, dotyczące fizyki na Uniwersytecie Lwowskim na przestrzeni wieków od XVII do XX, będą przydatne dla dalszych badań historii fizyki i bibliografii nauk przyrodniczych w Europie Środkowej i Wschodniej.

Lorentz en Einstein. ‘U hier als opvolger te begroeten is een wens die ik lang gekoesterd heb’

Lorentz and Einstein This paper discusses the special connection between Lorentz and Einstein, and especially Lorentz’ wish to be succeeded by Einstein on his Leiden chair of physics. The relation between the two scholars is one of great mutual respect, which can be illustrated in many ways. After an introduction to illustrate their strikingly different early careers, their interests in early quantum problems and relativity are sketched. These originate from a shared interest in the problems that arose in the electromagnetic theory around 1900. Lorentz’ electron theory, which then counted as the standard electromagnetic theory, had to cope with new fundamental questions. The focus is then shifted to Lorentz’ wish to get Einstein a chair in theoretical physics in The Netherlands. Two attempts in the years 1911–1912 failed, but Lorentz finally succeeded in 1920. Furthermore, this article describes how the first Solvay Council acted as a remarkable catalyst for the changes in the careers of Lorentz, Einstein and Ehrenfest in 1912.