On October 16th, the Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT) and the Department of Theoretical Physics at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) will host a new edition of the DIFT Colloquium, featuring a talk titled “Gamma Ray Bursts, Cosmic Rays and the Sociology of Science.” The event will take place in the Aula Polivalente from 15:30 to 17:00.
The speaker, Álvaro de Rújula, a distinguished physicist from IFT and CERN, will present his perspective on the nature of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) and Cosmic Rays (CRs). According to de Rújula, both phenomena can be understood through the emission of highly relativistic “Cannonballs” (CBs) from quasars, micro-quasars, and core-collapse supernovae. His explanation challenges mainstream interpretations within astrophysics.
In addition to discussing these cosmic processes, de Rújula will reflect on the sociology of science, highlighting how “official experts” in the field have resisted unconventional but evidence-based interpretations — a stance he characterizes as “explicitly inquisitorial.”
