Alejandro Jenkins facts for kids

Alejandro Jenkins is a scientist from Costa Rica. He was born on October 17, 1979, in San José, Costa Rica. He is a professor at the University of Costa Rica. He is also a member of Costa Rica's National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Jenkins studies how the universe works. He looks at tiny particles and the universe's big picture. He also researches how things move on their own and how energy works at a very small level.

Becoming a Scientist

In 1997, Alejandro Jenkins started studying math at the University of Costa Rica. Later, he went to Harvard College in the United States. In 2001, he earned a degree from Harvard in both physics and mathematics.

He then went to Caltech for his Ph.D. in theoretical physics. He finished his studies in 2006. His main project was about "Topics in particle physics and cosmology beyond the Standard Model". This included looking at ideas about dark energy. Dark energy is a mysterious force that makes the universe expand faster.

After getting his Ph.D., Dr. Jenkins worked as a researcher. He was at Caltech (2006), the MIT Center for Theoretical Physics (2006-2009), and Florida State University (2009-2012). In 2013, he became a physics professor at the University of Costa Rica. Two years later, in 2015, he joined Costa Rica's National Academy of Sciences.

What He Studies

Dr. Jenkins's research covers several interesting areas. He explores how the universe could be different. He also studies how things move and use energy.

Life in Different Universes

Dr. Jenkins has explored a big question: Could life exist if the universe were slightly different?

The "Life-Friendly Universe" Idea

The "anthropic principle" is an idea in physics. It suggests that the universe must be suitable for life. This is because we, as living observers, are here to see it. Scientists noticed that the rules of nature and its basic numbers seem just right for life. If these numbers were even a little different, life as we know it might not exist. The anthropic principle says this isn't a coincidence. It's a necessity for us to be here.

Dr. Jenkins's Discoveries

To test this idea, Dr. Jenkins worked with other scientists. They changed the "masses" (or weights) of tiny particles called quarks in their computer models. They wanted to see how this would affect life. Specifically, they looked at how stable forms of carbon and hydrogen would form. These elements are key for organic chemistry, which is the chemistry of life.

They found that life could still develop in many of these "different" universes. Even if carbon forms we know were unstable, other stable forms might appear. This work was featured in Physics magazine. It was also in Scientific American magazine's January 2010 cover story. Dr. Jenkins even talked about his work on the TV show Through the Wormhole in 2015.

How Things Move and Use Energy

Dr. Jenkins also studies "self-oscillators." These are systems that can keep moving or vibrating on their own. He wrote a big review about this topic in 2013.

He has also worked with other scientists on how energy works. They look at non-equilibrium thermodynamics. This is about how energy moves in systems that are not perfectly balanced. They apply these ideas to things like solar cells. They also study the triboelectric effect, which is how static electricity is made when things rub together. With another researcher, he also created a new model for how batteries create power.

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