Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1516724
8 SMT007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2024 Nolan's Notes by Nolan Johnson, I-CONNECT007 The Time is Now Time marches on—or does it? Researchers in a subfield of wave physics found evidence that it is possible to reverse time. Sort of. Here's how they do it: Since light can be both a wave and a particle, and just as a regular mirror reflects light, thus changing its location in space, researchers have been able to create a "metama- terial" that reflects photons back on their exact path through time, rather than space. 1 Science can make light seem to go backward, but not forward. is may seem a little eso- teric, but it's still fascinating. While we might all like to go back in time and re-do the past, for most of us, we continue looking forward— just as we're doing with this issue of SMT007 Magazine. We're unashamedly and excitedly looking ahead. Welcome to our IPC APEX EXPO preview issue. ere will be some déjà vu for some of you now that IPC APEX EXPO is back at the Ana- heim Convention Center. Fortunately, you can expect the same high-value programs as ever, just in a different location. We dedicated this issue to exploring the top- ics, events, speakers, meetings, and themes of IPC APEX EXPO 2024. e weeklong event, April 6–11, features several overlapping pro- grams. ere's the standards committee work at the heart of the IPC mission, and the tech- nical program boasting papers and presenta- tions on some of the most influential research in our industry. ere's the enormous expo por- tion, of course, and if that weren't enough, the Electronic Circuits World Convention (a once- every-three years PCB symposium) will take place in parallel with IPC APEX EXPO. en there are the professional development courses, the special sessions on emerging technical topics, plus keynotes from industry leaders, awards banquets, and networking opportuni- ties galore—both formal and informal. Whether your role is technical or business, and your expe-