# ESP Biography

## ANTONY SPERANZA, MIT Senior majoring in Physics and Mathematics

Major: Physics and Mathematics

College/Employer: MIT

## Brief Biographical Sketch:

I am currently a double major in physics and mathematics. I find the universe a profoundly interesting place, and my hopes are to be able to continue to study some of the more elusive aspects of theoretical physics. Most recently, I have been studying black holes and researching some of their thermodynamic properties. The fact that these properties involve physics on very large scales (i.e. general relativity) and on very small scales (i.e. quantum mechanics), makes black holes remarkable objects.

Outside of school, I enjoy running along the Charles River, and going hiking in New Hampshire and Maine whenever I get a chance.

## Past Classes

(Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

M5690: Relativity in HSSP Spring 2012 (Feb. 18, 2012)
Probably the most well-known equation in all of physics was derived by Einstein in 1905: $$E=mc^2$$. This equation came with a radical new notion of how space and time are related. Einstein's theory, dubbed the Special Theory of Relativity, is now an essential part of our understanding of the universe. This course will cover the main ideas of special relativity, including length contraction, time dilation and the invariance of the speed of light. Time permitting, we will discuss how the effects of relativity have major implications to how charges and currents interact, and may also touch on ideas from General Relativity, which is the most successful theory of gravity to date.

W5153: Physics Circus in Splash! 2011 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2011)
Do you like playing with lasers? Ever wonder how a gyroscope moves? Magnets - how do those work? Come join us for some fun physics demos including air tracks, pendulums and experiments you can play with for yourself!

S5154: Modern Physics Lecture Blitz in Splash! 2011 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2011)
Physics is all around us. Every day we hear stories about bigger and better particle colliders, an expanding universe, and new forms of exotic matter. This course is geared at getting you up to speed on some of the newest and most exciting discoveries in modern physics. MIT's Society for Physics Students have compiled a set of lightning lectures on topics including: -Cosmology and the Big Bang -Quantum Mechanics and Particle Physics -Relativity and Gravity -Statistical Mechanics -Astrophysics Come be a part of the cutting edge of physics.

M5166: What is Infinity? in Splash! 2011 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2011)
Most people have heard of the concept of infinity, but pinning down a definition for it can be tricky. One might say that $$\infty$$ is larger than any number you can think of, but in that case, what can we say about $$\infty+1$$? Is there only one type of infinity, or can you make something that is strictly bigger than $$\infty$$? Similarly, is it possible to make something infinitely small? Another line of questioning comes from asking why should we care? If it is not possible, for example, to own $$\infty$$ dollars, then what use is infinity in the first place? We will discuss applications in physics where using infinity actually simplifies our problems. By the end of this course, you should have a sense of how infinity is a real and useful thing.