Listening - Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski: Planes, Symmetries, and a New Map of the Universe

Watch the video and complete the activities below.

ACTIVITIES

Exercise 1: Multiple Choice

Listen to the video and choose the correct answer for each question.

1. What is the origin of the painting in Sabrina’s office?

a) It is an original Van Gogh painting she bought. b) It was a gift from the Perimeter Institute. c) Her mother painted it for her in the style of Van Gogh. d) She painted it herself during the Day of Discovery.

2. Sabrina originally thought she wanted to be a(n):

a) Theoretical Physicist. b) Aerospace Engineer. c) Astronomer. d) Artist.

3. What achievement from her youth is mentioned in the video?

a) She discovered a new star at age 14. b) She built a single-engine airplane at age 14. c) She won a Nobel Prize for physics. d) She flew solo across the Atlantic.

4. Who else received an award at the ceremony shown in the video?

a) A famous astronaut. b) The director of the Perimeter Institute. c) Simone Biles. d) Her physics professor.

5. According to Sabrina, what is the advantage of the environment at the Perimeter Institute?

a) It allows people to work more collaboratively instead of just fighting the competition. b) It pays more than other universities. c) It focuses strictly on individual prizes and awards. d) It has better flight simulators for pilots.

Exercise 2: True, False, or Not Given

Decide if the statements below are True, False, or Not Given based on the video.

1. Sabrina is currently the lead of the celestial holography initiative. Select... True False Not Given

2. Sabrina says that flying a plane feels exactly like driving a fast car. Select... True False Not Given

3. Sabrina has written three bestselling books about quantum gravity. Select... True False Not Given

4. Sabrina believes that to do amazing physics, you must be realistic about who you are individually. Select... True False Not Given

5. She says that at the Perimeter Institute, she is unable to find people who think like her. Select... True False Not Given

Exercise 3: Gap Fill

Listen to the video and complete the sentences with the exact word you hear.

1. "I am a physicist at Perimeter Institute."

2. "By celestial we literally mean look up at the sky."

3. "The thing that I love the most... is that you're part of this long of trying to understand the fundamental laws of nature."

4. "Anything that's not a physics textbook is a from someone."

5. "I think being a physicist at Perimeter means doing your research but also caring about the physics ."