This November, hundreds of physics students, faculty, and practicing physicists will converge in the San Francisco Bay area for a meeting unlike any other: the 2016 Quadrennial Physics Congress (PhysCon)!

Peruse the links below to explore the lives of the PhysCon plenary speakers, including one who speculates that we might, in fact, be living in a giant computer simulation, and another whose childhood fascination with black holes ultimately landed him at LIGO, an observatory that recently confirmed the existence of gravitational waves.

The countdown is on, so mark your calendar for November 3–5! Now is the time to make up a budget, apply for money from your student government, plan your fundraisers, and ask your department what else you can do so that you can pack your bags for an incredible experience.

• Dame Jocelyn Bell-Burnell: No asking, just telling
• For Patrick Brady, LIGO's Success is Just the Beginning
• Eric Cornell and his Cool Condensate
• Persis Drell Keeps Asking the Big Questions
• The Universe According to Jim Gates
• Neil Turok on Investigating the "Unpopular"

DIG DEEPER

Visit the PhysCon website for details on the workshops, poster sessions, art contest, tour sites, dance party, and logistical details.