“I’ve never been in a place with such brilliant students”, said Vítor Cardoso, a professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, during the last edition of the 2023/24 MasterTalk series. The Técnico professor at the Department of Physics addressed topics such as the Universe’s fundamental laws, black holes, telescopes and quantum physics.
While sharing various curiosities, the lecturer recalled several unsolved mysteries in astrophysics. The question of ‘dark matter’, for example, was raised because the expansion behaviour of stars and galaxies in the Universe did not coincide with predictions, and it was necessary to create a new hypothesis to explain this discrepancy between theory and experimental observations. The professor also shared his enthusiasm for the scientific instruments that are currently being developed which in his opinion will bring greater capacity to analyse the Universe – “there has never been an era as remarkably productive for physics as this one”, he said.
Vítor Cardoso recalled that, as a student, he also faced difficulties during his course. To those who may be going through the same situation, he left words of encouragement – “quality work always pays off”. “If you don’t think you’re at the point you’d like to be yet, work calmly and persist”, he recommended, arguing that from his experience “persistence and quality work always pay off”.
Alexandre Matos has always been interested in Physics. The student has just finished an Undergraduate Programme in chemical engineering at another college. He considers Técnico to be “a prestigious college with very good professors”, and he came to the MasterTalk because he felt “attracted by the mysteries of astrophysics, such as ‘what is the matter?’ at the invitation of Sofia José, who is about to start a Master’s Programme in Biomedical Engineering at Técnico. She has studied at another institution, but she has “friends who study here and say they really like it here”.
The Department of Physics is responsible for coordinating the Master’s Programme in Engineering Physics.
This edition brings to an end a series of MasterTalks that showcased the Master’s Programmes offered by Técnico. Each of the eleven departments has highlighted its Master’s Programmes and the professional and research opportunities, aiming to enlighten the hundreds of students who have attended each session over the course of this academic year.
