The Quantum Matrix League, a recently established club focusing on physics and astronomy, visited the Queens College Science Building and toured the labs with physics teacher Joshua Ragunath on Thursday, February 6.
Professor Steven A. Schwarz, who teaches astronomy and telecommunications, led the members through 3 labs in the building where graduate students worked on their research and discussed the research being done at Queens College in a presentation. He also gave students the opportunity to ask questions ranging from specific research to the details of pursuing a degree in physics and engineering. He then led the members to a machine shop, where they were able to ask questions and learn about conducting research in such controlled settings.
“[The tour was] pretty complex because all of these things are college courses guided to grad students. I didn’t understand but it seemed interesting,” said sophomore Sky Jiang. A few things stood out to him, specifically the new discoveries being made. “There were two professors exploring phenomenons,” he said “[One Professor] wanted to create a metal, like the battery inside of a phone, but so that it doesn’t heat up as much and is more efficient at charging.”
Sophomore and a club leader Alyssa Dong added, “ One professor was doing an experiment on photons and light and we got to see the machinery they used. They showed us the contraption they used to capture radiation.” Although they weren’t able to handle the equipment and be within close proximity due to safety precautions, the professors thoroughly explained their functions and purpose to the members.
Alyssa said, “ This tour gave us an inside view about what they do in college. Seeing it from this point of view, and not just hearing about it, but looking at it makes it more interesting. We got to see all of the machinery and equipment you don’t get to see outside.”
For those interested in the world of physics, she said, “Join if you’re interested in how our world works…We can get creative and hands-on to better understand science.”
