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SUMMARY:Vikings in shades: navigating by skylight polarization - Dennis\, 
 M (University of Bristol)
DTSTART:20121218T113000Z
DTEND:20121218T123000Z
UID:TALK42093@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Mustapha Amrani
DESCRIPTION:The hypothesis that Vikings navigated at sea using 'sunstones'
  to detect the direction of skylight polarization has excited controversy 
 for almost 50 years. It is possible to understand the necessary crystal op
 tics\, and light scattering in daylight\, with only a minimum of linear al
 gebra. In this talk I will describe the viking navigation hypothesis\, and
  in doing so reveal the deeper and surprising relationship between polariz
 ation in birefringent crystals and in the blue sky\, based on a topologica
 l understanding of the tensors involved in the propagation and scattering 
 of light. \n\n
LOCATION:Seminar Room 1\, Newton Institute
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