Now reading: 13 physics innovations you may not know are Canadian
Menu
Close
Close

Take a self-guided tour from quantum to cosmos!

13 physics innovations you may not know are Canadian

Canadians are a notoriously humble bunch, and we tend not to toot our collective horn about our achievements. (Sorry about that.) But this year is Canada’s sesquicentennial, so if there was ever a time to celebrate Canada’s incredible contributions to the world, this is it.

canada physics

For the sake of brevity, we’re going to focus on Canadian innovations in the field closest to our heart, physics.

We compiled this list with help from Canadian Governor General David Johnston, who collaborated with tech leader Tom Jenkins on the book Ingenious: How Canadian Innovations Made the World Smarter, Smaller, Kinder, Safer, Healthier, Wealthier, and Happier. (Watch the video interview with the Governor General at the bottom of this page.)

How many of these Canadian physics innov-eh-tions did you know about?

Slice of PI Harriett Brooks

Slice of PI - Neutron scattering

Rudolph Marcus and electron transfer theory

Victoria Kaspi and Zombie stars

Light bulb inventors

Slice of PI neutrinos

Radiotherapy

Slice of PI liquid helium

Gerhard Herzberg and molecular spectroscopy

Electronic Sackbut

Slice of PI globular clusters

Standard Model slice of PI

Slice of PI electron microscope

 

Governor General David Johnston recently visited Perimeter to discuss his book on Canadian innovation and the importance of fundamental research. Watch:

Related

Help us crown the all-time greatest physics equation with a March Madness-style showdown for the ages!

/Mar 14, 2022

In the late 19th and early 20th century, a team of scholars at the Harvard College Observatory analyzed nearly half a million  photographs of the stars.  These astronomers discovered the types of stars, created the first modern catalog of stars, and ultimately even discovered what stars are made of. They were all women.

/Feb 08, 2022

The same laws of physics apply to every Olympic athlete. Those who reach the podium have found the perfect equation for their sport.

/Jul 23, 2021