July 2008 Volume 17, No. 7 www.aps.org/publications/apsnews APS NEWS Election Preview A Publication of the American Physical Society • www.aps.org/publications/apsnews Page 6

2008 US Physics Team Training Camp: Sights Set on Vietnam By Nadia Ramlagan brightest, most disciplined high tial nominee John Kerry. Students school physics students in the also presented a physics-related Richard Berg of the University United States. Five of these stu‑ toy to their own Senators and of Maryland is standing on top dents will be chosen to represent Representatives. of a desk, one arm outstretched the US at the 67th International “Only special kids get to this and grasping a slinky. The bottom Physics Olympiad July 20-29 in level of math and physics, they end isn’t touching the ground. Hanoi, Vietnam. have to push themselves. This What happens to the bottom end The daily routine is intensive, means doing extra problems on if the upper end is released? An studying physics from 8:00 a.m. to their own time. The most reward‑ eager group of hands shoots up 9:30 p.m. “I wish we could sleep ing aspects of this experience in the air. Welcome to the 2008 in at least one day,” says Tucker are interacting with the kids, and US Physics Team training camp. Chan, a senior from Princeton pushing them further intellectu‑ The students were responding to High School in Princeton, NJ. ally. Many times they push you,” Berg’s question during his phys‑ The week consists of 5 mystery says coach David Jones, an in‑ ics IQ test lecture, one of the labs, 7 exams, and daily lectures structor at Florida International many entertaining but challeng‑ on oscillations, waves, relativity, University and high school teach‑ ing events the team will experi‑ and thermodynamics. er of 20 years. ence during its 10-day stay at the Scattered throughout the week The students, ranging from campus in College Park. were games, including frisbee freshmen to seniors and coming The 24 students attending most nights, and a trip to Con‑ from a variety of backgrounds, camp were selected through a gress in Washington DC, where are enthusiastic about camp, ready Photo by Nadia Ramlagan highly competitive elimination the students toured the city and to absorb as much information as Richard Berg challenges the members of the US Physics Olympiad team to pre- process, and they represent the met former Democratic presiden‑ CAMP continued on page 5 dict what will happen when he drops the slinky. PhysicsCentral Takes on a New Look and Feel Finalists Vie for APS Industrial Physics Prize When PhysicsCentral, the of the public with an interest in The site now features its own blog, Five finalists are competing for spun off from Bell Labs in 2000 to APS website for the public, was science, especially students at all Physics Buzz, and APS Head of the first APS Prize for Industrial Ap‑ commercialize a unique chemistry launched in late 2000, the web was levels from middle school through Public Outreach Jessica Clark, plications of Physics, launched this for the storage media and the archi‑ a very different place. The original university. Rather than do it piece‑ who runs PhysicsCentral, is busy year. As reported in the January APS tecture for a holographic drive, with PhysicsCentral (below, left) was meal, it was decided last year to collecting a series of podcasts and News, the prize, sponsored by Gen‑ a storage lifetime of 50 years and all text and pictures, with an occa‑ undertake a complete redesign. vodcasts that will augment the text eral Motors and presented biennially, density and cost comparable to mag‑ sional animated gif to liven things The new PhysicsCentral was and pictures format of the earlier is intended to recognize cutting-edge netic tape. However, the most daunt‑ up. But now the web is filled with launched in May, and as can be material. technologies, and is especially target‑ ing remaining challenge was finding ed at physicists working in smaller a light source for the drive. Commer‑ companies. cial holography requires a laser with To encourage nominations, the spectroscopic quality, in a small ro‑ selection process has two stages: first, bust package that costs a small frac‑ preliminary nominations are submit‑ tion of the total $18,000 drive. ted by the deadline of April 1. The ECLDs have been used since the selection committee picks a small early 1990s to apply semiconduc‑ number of finalists, who then submit tor laser diodes to high-resolution more complete nomination packages spectroscopy, but while the perfor‑ by July 1, from among which the mance specifications met InPhase’s committee will recommend the re‑ needs, the cost to scale up efficiently cipient to the APS Executive Board. to manufacturing volumes was too This year 16 preliminary nomina‑ high: Ensher and Hunter aimed for a tions were received. “I was delighted cost 10 times lower than ECLDs of Before After that there were so many nominations comparable performance. The usual of high quality,” said Greg Meisner, approach is to make the ECLD con‑ podcasts and vodcasts, blogs and seen by comparing the two pic‑ “A lot of work went into the the selection committee chair. “But it tinuously tunable in a single mode RSS feeds, words that didn't even tures, the look is very different. redesign,” says Clark. “The new made choosing the finalists very dif‑ using an expensive cavity and very exist back then. Underneath the design is a dy‑ site is interactive with tons of ficult.” precise tuning mechanism. Ensher Clearly PhysicsCentral needed namic architecture that accesses fun new features which will en‑ The finalists selected by the com‑ and Hunter realized it would be an upgrade if it wanted to main‑ the content more efficiently and gage all levels of users, from K mittee are: much cheaper to design a cavity that tain its core audience of members brings more of it to the home page. to grey.” Jason Ensher and Susan Hunter minimizes laser mode-hops that can Jason Ensher and Susan Hunter also detect when the laser mode is DAMOP Holds Annual Meeting in State College, PA applied tunable External Cavity La‑ degrading thanks to the incorpora‑ ser Diodes (ECLDs) to holographic tion of a mode sensor combined with Recent progress towards achiev‑ proaches to achieving a viable quan‑ photons in a solid state environment. data storage. Holography holds great a digital control algorithm. ing quantum storage in solid state tum memory. Matthew Sellars of His ensembles employ rare‑earth potential for storing information be‑ Ensher and Hunter’s ECLD au‑ devices, manipulating single‑elec‑ the University of Otago described a ions–a “frozen gas of atoms”–doped cause holograms can be multiplexed tomatically senses the laser mode tron spins in quantum dots, and laser method for storing light that operates into dielectric crystals, which can in in three dimensions, rather than be‑ and feeds back this information to cooling of mechanical oscillators by controlling the local group veloc‑ principle store single photos and re‑ ing limited to the surface of the stor‑ correct the laser cavity length–they were among the highlights of the ity of light in a crystal, using an ap‑ call them with high efficiency using a age medium. InPhase Technologies PRIZE continued on page 5 2008 meeting of the APS Division plied electric field. He maintains that modified photon echo approach. Dif‑ of Atomic, Molecular and Optical unlike other proposals for quantum ferent wavelengths of absorption can Physics (DAMOP), held 27‑31 May memories, his method requires no be achieved depending on the choice in State College, Pennsylvania. optical control pulses, thereby sim‑ of rare‑earth ions employed. De Quantum Memory. Quantum plifying the operation of the memory Riedmatten finds that erbium-doped VOTE in the APS News memories are likely to be critical and improving its signal to noise. solids are an especially attractive components in any future long‑range Hugues de Riedmatten of the candidate for a quantum memory at Caption Contest!! communications network, and sev‑ University of Geneva is develop‑ telecommunication wavelengths. eral talks at the DAMOP meeting ing atomic ensembles to realize a The “holy grail” of research into See page 4 focused on various methods and ap‑ quantum storage device for single DAMOP continued on page 3 2 • July 2008 APS NEWS Members in the Media This Month in Physics History July 1820: Oersted and electromagnetism “Most every problem you National Geographic News, y the end of the 18th century, scientists had Some people have suggested that this was a can imagine has been solved by May 16, 2008 Bnoticed many electrical phenomena and totally accidental discovery, but accounts differ on nature. Nature got there first. many magnetic phenomena, but most believed whether the demonstration was designed to look for All that is left is to rationalize “We’re motivated by the that these were distinct forces. Then in July 1820, a connection between electricity and magnetism, or nature’s designs, many of which physics questions we’re trying Danish natural philosopher Hans Christian Oersted was intended to demonstrate something else entirely. are remarkably subtle.” to answer, and we’re willing to published a pamphlet that showed clearly that they Certainly Oersted was well prepared to observe such John Bush, MIT, Boston move heaven and Earth to get were in fact closely related. an effect, with the compass needle and the battery Globe, May 19, 2008 the experiment built to answer Hans Christian Oersted was born in August 1777, (or “galvanic apparatus,” as he called it) on hand. these fundamental questions in Rudkobing, Denmark. He was educated mainly Whether completely accidental or at least “Nature has simple ways of about the universe.” at home, and showed some interest in science as a somewhat expected, Oersted was intrigued by making structures and materials Paul Padley, Rice University, child. At age 13 he apprenticed himself to his father, his observation. He didn’t immediately find a that are still unobtainable with on the LHC, The Houston a pharmacist. In 1794, he entered the University of mathematical explanation, but he thought it over our million-dollar instruments Chronicle, May 25, 2008 Copenhagen, where he studied physics, philosophy for the next three months, and then continued to and engineering strategies.” and pharmacy, and earned a PhD in philosophy. experiment, until he was quite certain that an electric Michael Bartl, University of “Still, it’s incredibly hard for He completed his PhD in 1801, and, as was current could produce a magnetic field (which he customary, he began traveling around Europe, called an “electric conflict”). Utah, on a beetle whose scales Americans to be effective on a visiting Germany and France and meeting other On July 21, 1820, Oersted published his results in are photonic crystals, The Salt European experiment.” scientists. One person he met, a pamphlet, which was circulated Lake Tribune, May 23, 2008 David Toback, Texas A&M and may have been inspired by, privately to physicists and University, on the LHC, The was Johann Ritter, one of the few scientific societies. His results “He really changed our Houston Chronicle, May 25, scientists at the time who believed were mainly qualitative, but concept of how space and time 2008 are put together.” there was a connection between the effect was clear–an electric electricity and magnetism. current generates a magnetic William H. Wing, University “Congress had to have some of Arizona, in an obituary for Returning to Copenhagen in force. symbol of fiscal restraint, and 1803, Oersted sought a university His battery, a voltaic pile using Willis Lamb, Washington Post, we were it,” May 19, 2008 position teaching physics, but 20 copper rectangles, probably Roy Schwitters, University of didn’t immediately get one. produced an emf of about 15-20 Texas, on the cancellation of the “The discovery of dark Instead he began giving lectures volts. He tried various types of SSC, The Houston Chronicle, energy has greatly changed privately, charging admission. wires, and still found the compass May 25, 2008 how we think about the laws of Soon his lectures became popular, needle deflected. When he nature.” and he was given an appointment reversed the current, he found the “The specific experience you Edward Witten, Institute for in 1806 at the University of needle deflected in the opposite get doing that stuff doesn’t have Advanced Study, The New York Copenhagen, where he expanded direction. He experimented with applications outside that narrow the physics and chemistry various orientations of the needle Times, June 3, 2008 world. It’s not obvious that I will program and established new Hans Christian Oersted and wire. He also noticed that be able to be fully employed.” laboratories. He also continued the effect couldn’t be shielded by “We caught the whole thing Ken Sale, a nuclear weapons his own research in physics and other areas of placing wood or glass between the compass and the on tape, so to speak. I truly won science. His first scientific paper was on electrical electric current. the astronomy lottery. A star expert who was recently laid off and chemical forces. He investigated a variety of The publication caused an immediate sensation, in the galaxy exploded right in from Lawrence Livermore Lab, problems in physics, including the compressibility and raised Oersted’s status as a scientist. Others began front of my eyes.” The Associated Press, June 3, of water and the use of electric currents to explode investigating the newly found connection between Alicia Soderberg, Princeton 2008 mines. electricity and magnetism. French physicist André University, on discovering a Oersted made the discovery for which he is Ampère developed a mathematical law to describe supernova as it was beginning “These results strongly imply famous in 1820. At the time, although most scientists the magnetic forces between current carrying wires. to explode, The New York that no more than 4 percent of thought electricity and magnetism were not related, Starting about a decade after Oersted’s discovery, Times, May 22, 2008 the pulsar’s energy loss is due to gravitational radiation.” there were some reasons to think there might be a Michael Faraday demonstrated essentially the Michael Landry, LIGO, on connection. For instance, it had long been known that opposite of what Oersted had found–that a changing “If you’re wearing gold a compass, when struck by lightning, could reverse magnetic field induces an electric current. Following jewelry, it came from a new data from the Crab Pulsar, Tri City Herald, June 3, 2008 polarity. Oersted had previously noted a similarity Faraday’s work, James Clerk Maxwell developed supernova explosion.” between thermal radiation and light, though he did Maxwell’s equations, formally unifying electricity Robert Kirshner, Harvard not determine that both are electromagnetic waves. and magnetism. “Looking out of the University, The New York He seems to have believed that electricity and Oersted continued working in physics. He started Milky Way, we can see some Times, May 22, 2008 magnetism were forces radiated by all substances, the Society for Dissemination of Natural Science, supernova explosions with and these forces might somehow interfere with each which was dedicated to making science accessible to optical telescopes across half of “Because we see this extra other. the public, something he thought was very important. effect, we can either blame it on the Universe, but when they’re During a lecture demonstration, on April 21, 1820, In 1829 he established the Polytechnical Institute in the left-hand side of the equation in this murk, we can miss them while setting up his apparatus, Oersted noticed that Copenhagen. He was also a published writer and and say we don’t understand in our own cosmic backyard.” when he turned on an electric current by connecting poet, and contributed to other fields of science, such gravity, or we can blame it on Stephen Reynolds, North the wire to both ends of the battery, a compass needle as chemistry–for instance, in 1825 he produced the right-hand side and say Carolina State University, on held nearby deflected away from magnetic north, aluminum for the first time. Oersted died in 1851. His there’s this extra stuff.” the discovery of the youngest where it normally pointed. The compass needle 1820 discovery marked the beginning of a revolution Adam Riess, Johns Hopkins supernova in the Milky Way, moved only slightly, so slightly that the audience in the understanding of electromagnetism, providing University, on dark energy, Reuters, May 14, 2008 didn’t even notice. But it was clear to Oersted that the first connection between what had been thought something significant was happening. to be two very different physical phenomena.

Series II, Vol. 17, No. 07 For Nonmembers–Circulation and Fulfillment Division, Editor-in-Chief Wolf (Ohio Section), Heather Galloway (Texas Section), July 2008 American Institute of Physics, Suite 1NO1, 2 Huntington Gene Sprouse*, Stony Brook University (on leave) Amber Stuver (Forum on Graduate Student Affairs) APS NEWS Quadrangle, Melville, NY 11747-4502. Allow at least Past-President © 2008 The American Physical Society 6 weeks advance notice. For address changes, please Leo P. Kadanoff*, University of Chicago ADVISORS send both the old and new addresses, and, if possible, General Councillors Representatives from Other Societies Coden: ANWSEN ISSN: 1058-8132 include a mailing label from a recent issue. Requests Robert Austin, Christina Back*, Marcela Carena, Eliza‑ Fred Dylla, AIP; Lila Adair, AAPT from subscribers for missing issues will be honored beth Beise, Katherine Freese, Wendell Hill*, Ann Orel*, Editor•...... Alan Chodos International Advisors Staff Writer...... Ernie Tretkoff without charge only if received within 6 months of the Richart Slusher*, issue’s actual date of publication. Periodical Postage Paid International Councillor Francisco Ramos Gómez, Mexican Physical Society Contributing Editor ...... Jennifer Ouellette Louis Marchildon, Canadian Association of Physicists Art Director and Special Publications Manager...... Kerry G. Johnson at College Park, MD and at additional mailing offices. Sabayasachi Bhattacharya Design and Production...... Nancy Bennett-Karasik Postmaster: Send address changes to APS News, Mem‑ Chair, Nominating Committee bership Department, American Physical Society, One Philip Phillips Staff Representatives Proofreader...... Edward Lee Alan Chodos, Associate Executive Officer; Amy Flatten Science Writing Intern ...... Nadia Ramlagan Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844. Chair, Panel on Public Affairs Miles Klein Director of International Affairs; Ted Hodapp, Director of Education and Diversity; Michael Lubell, Director, APS News (ISSN: 1058-8132) is published 11X yearly, ed to: Editor, APS News, One Physics Ellipse, College APS COUNCIL 2008 Division, Forum and Section Councillors Public Affairs; Dan Kulp, Editorial Director; Christine monthly, except the August/September issue, by the Park, MD 20740-3844, E-mail: [email protected]. President Charles Dermer (Astrophysics), P. Julienne (Atomic, Mo- Giaccone, Director, Journal Operations; Michael American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, Col‑ Arthur Bienenstock*, Stanford University lecular & Optical Physics) Robert Eisenberg (Biologi- Stephens, Controller and Assistant Treasurer lege Park, MD 20740-3844, (301) 209-3200. It con‑ Subscriptions: APS News is an on-membership publi‑ President-Elect cal), Charles S. Parmenter (Chemical), Arthur Epstein tains news of the Society and of its Divisions,Topical cation delivered by Periodical Mail. Members residing Cherry Murray*, Lawrence Livermore National Labora- (Condensed Matter Physics), (Computational-TBA), Administrator for Governing Committees Groups, Sections and Forums; advance information on abroad may receive airfreight delivery for a fee of $15. tory James Brasseur (Fluid Dynamics), Peter Zimmerman* Ken Cole meetings of the Society; and reports to the Society by its Nonmembers: Subscription rates are available at http:// Vice-President (Forum on Education), Roger Stuewer (Forum on Histo- committees and task forces, as well as opinions. librarians.aps.org/institutional.html. Curtis G.Callan, Jr.*, Princeton University ry of Physics), Stefan Zollner (Forum on Industrial and Executive Officer Applied Physics), David Ernst* (Forum on International * Members of the APS Executive Board Letters to the editor are welcomed from the member‑ Subscription orders, renewals and address changes Judy R. Franz*, University of Alabama, Huntsville Physics), (Forum on Physics and Society-TBA), Steven ship. Letters must be signed and should include an ad‑ should be addressed as follows: For APS Members– (on leave) Rolston (Laser Science), Leonard Feldman* (Materials), dress and daytime telephone number. The APS reserves Membership Department, American Physical Society, Treasurer Akif Balantekin* (Nuclear), Janet Conrad (Particles the right to select and to edit for length or clarity. All One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844, Joseph W.Serene*, Georgetown University (emeritus) & Fields), Ronald Ruth (Physics of Beams), David correspondence regarding APS News should be direct‑ [email protected]. Hammer (Plasma), Scott Milner (Polymer Physics), Paul APS NEWS July 2008 • 3

Washington Dispatch Committee Holds New York Meeting A bi‑monthly update from the APS Office of Public Affairs

ISSUE: Science Research Budgets

As of June 2nd, the APS News filing deadline, the House and Senate had passed separate bills for Fiscal Year 2008 supplemental appropriations, intended principally to fund the ongoing Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Science lobbyists had hoped that an intensive five-month effort would pay off with the inclusion of several hundred million dollars of emergency research funding to address the serious shortfalls in last December’s Omnibus funding bill. But the House was unable to muster enough votes even to pass the Iraq and Afghanistan provision. And ultimately it sent a stripped- down bill to the Senate that contained money for the support of veterans’ education, an extension of unemployment benefits, international food and disaster assistance, and strengthening of the New Orleans levees. In spite of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s expressed intention to include science, it was conspicuously absent from the list.

By contrast, the Senate delivered on its promise to provide additional funding for science research and education. Its supplemental bill, which passed by a veto-proof margin of 75 to 22, contained $1.2 billion allocated to four key agencies: . NSF–$150 million for Research and Related Activities (much of it for graduate traineeships) and $50 million for science and math education programs (teacher training and graduate fellowships); . DOE–$100 million for the Office of Science and $300 million for Environmental Management (nuclear waste clean-up, targeted for Hanford, WA); Photo by Rob Steiner . NASA–$200 million for a new account related to the Space In May the APS Committee on Informing the Public, together with visitors and APS staff, met at the American Museum Shuttle return to flight; and of Natural History in New York. Front row (l to r): James Riordon (APS), Laura Greene (U. of Illinois), Bo Hammer, Chair . NIH–$400M. (Franklin Institute), Alan Chodos (APS), Jessica Clark (APS), Gianfranco Vidali (Syracuse U.), Sean Carroll (Caltech), Dan Dahlberg (U. of Minnesota), Larry Gladney (U. of Pennsylvania), Ivan Schuller (UCSD), Becky Thompson-Flagg The Senate bill represents a major step forward, but it leaves unaddressed (APS), Paul Chaikin (NYU), Brian Schwartz (CUNY). Back row (l to r): Tyrannosaurus Rex, Apatosaurus. the inability of the DOE national laboratories to continue their operations under the FY 2008 Omnibus appropriations bill, without eliminating thousands of jobs and seriously reducing the availability of its users DAMOP continued from page 1 facilities. The House-Senate conference that is needed to resolve the quantum memory is a system that described a series of cooling experi‑ on development of a novel mag‑ differences between the two versions of the Supplemental Bill could provide would allow high‑fidelity storage ments–inspired by gravitational wave netic sensor that can operate at room an opportunity for Congress to remedy the flaws in the DOE allocation. and retrieval of an arbitrary optical detectors–to trap and cool gram‑scale temperature ambient conditions and Although final passage of the Supplemental Bill could occur in mid-June, state. Alexander Lvovsky of the Uni‑ mirror oscillators. To achieve this, her could provide an “unprecedented there is a strong possibility that President Bush will veto it. Should he choose versity of Calgary reported on the team had to use a variety of cooling combination of ultra‑high sensitivity to do so, and should Congress fail to override the veto, a compromise will potential for storage of squeezed light techniques that employ frictionless and spatial resolution.” Among other have to be worked out. That could provide an opening for lawmakers and to serve as a step towards a universal forces. Such forces are created from applications, the new sensor could the President to deliver on their expressed desire to keep the American science enterprise healthy and competitive. quantum memory. He presented re‑ either radiation pressure in a detuned enable sensing of nanotesla magnetic sults from a functioning testbed for optical resonator, or from electronic fields with resolution below 50 nm– To track the progress of the appropriations bills and the emergency such a system, bringing together the feedback forces in an active servo. allowing for the detection of a single supplemental bill, visit http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/approp08.htm or go to quantum state, the memory cell, and They predict that as the experiments nuclear spin’s precession within http://www.aps.org/policy/issues/research-funding/index.cfm. full characterization of both the input approach the quantum regime, an as‑ one second. Cappellaro’s team took ISSUE: Nuclear Forensics and the retrieved state in a single ap‑ sortment of non‑classical behavior advantage of recently developed paratus. and effects become evident, such as techniques for coherent control of As reported in the May Washington Dispatch, the APS Panel on Public Quantum Dots. David Awscha‑ quantum radiation pressure noise, solid‑state electronic spin quantum Affairs, in cooperation with the American Association for the Advancement of bits, specifically, the use of spins as‑ Science (AAAS) Center for Science Technology and Security Policy, issued lom of the University of California, and squeezing and entanglement an unclassified report that reviews the US nuclear forensics program. The Santa Barbara’s Center for Spin‑ of the light and mirror states. With sociated with nitrogen‑vacancy cen‑ report provides a summary of the techniques and capabilities and identifies tronics and Quantum Computation upgrades to their current apparatus, ters in diamond. five areas for improvement. The report can be downloaded from the APS reported that his research group has Mavalvaya hopes to observe these Biomolecule Precursors in website: http://www.aps.org/policy/reports/popa-reports/index.cfm. demonstrated the non‑destructive effects in the near future. Space. It is a topic of intense debate Since then, both the House of Representatives and the Senate detection of a single electron spin Runaway Electrons. In 2005, to what extent biomolecule precur‑ implemented the report’s recommendations in their Defense Authorization in a quantum dot. The ability to se‑ the Reuven Ramaty High Energy sors have been synthesized on plan‑ Bills. The Senate bill calls for $25 million for forensics-related research quentially initialize, manipulate and Solar Spectroscopic Imager recorded etary surfaces or in the interstellar and fellowships, while the House bill also incorporates the policy recommendations of the APS/AAAS report, including the establishment of read out the state of a qubit, such as gamma‑ray flashes of atmospheric medium. Advanced biomolecules a federal Nuclear Forensics Advisory Panel and the development of an an electron spin in a quantum dot, is origin, thereby revealing the presence such as amino acids are unlikely to international forensics database. Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL), a physicist who necessary for virtually any scheme of relativistic electrons in Earth’s survive the strong YV field present won a special House election in March, had previously proposed the policy for quantum information process‑ mesosphere, with energies up to 40 under disc and planetary formation, language in H.R. 5929, which the House adopted as an amendment to the Defense authorization bill on May 23rd. ing. The dot in this case is formed MeV. E.E. Kunhardt of Polytechnic but precursor molecules like nitriles by interface fluctuations of a gallium University in New York examined are present abundantly in the inter‑ ISSUE: Campaign Education Project arsenide quantum well, and embed‑ the origin of these bursts in runaway stellar medium, and could possibly ded in a diode structure, positioned electrons, which are not, on aver‑ be delivered to planets by comets or The American Physical Society, in cooperation with 10 science and within a vertical optical cavity to age, in dynamical equilibrium with meteorites, according to Wolf Gep‑ engineering organizations, hosted a “Campaign School” on May 10th in Washington DC. The purpose of the event was to educate members of the enhance the small single spin signal. the background gas, and move pro‑ pert of Stockholm University. He pre‑ participating organizations on how to run for state and local elected office. Awschalom’s group has also recently gressively towards higher energies. sented recent measurements on the The workshop was highly successful and received coverage not only in developed a scheme for high‑speed A collisional avalanche mechanism rate constants and branching ratios APS News, but also in USA Today and Physics Today, among other media all‑optical manipulation of the spin seems likely, but would have to over‑ of several protonated nitriles gleaned outlets. state that enables multiple opera‑ come the fact that the peak ambient from a storage ring experiment. In For more information, please contact Francis Slakey at slakeyf@ tions. electric fields in the mesosphere are planetary atmospheres, nitriles can georgetown.edu. Cool Runnings. Laser cooling of too low, even during thunderstorms, polymerize to tholines, which can macroscopic mechanical oscillators for electrons to overcome collisional form amino acids and nucleobases. ISSUE: Washington Office Media Update has applications in high‑precision losses and accelerate to such high en‑ Furthermore, the Cassini‑Huygens The Courier-Journal in Kentucky published an op-ed on April 28 by University measurements, gravitational wave ergies. mission revealed that protonated of Kentucky President Lee T. Todd Jr. regarding the importance of including detectors, and exploration of the Magnetic Sensing. Paola Cap‑ nitriles are abundant in Titan’s atmo‑ critical science funding in the FY ‘08 supplemental spending bill. classical‑quantum transition, accord‑ pellaro of the Harvard‑Smithsonian sphere, which may resemble that of Physics World magazine ran a story on April 15 about a group of 20 ing to MIT’s Nergis Mavalvaya. She Center for Astrophysics reported early Earth. American Nobel Laureates in the physics field who wrote to President Bush, urging him to include crucial science funding in the supplemental Living on the Air in Saint Louis legislation. Michael Mandel, a journalist who covers hot economic issues It had been a long day. As reported in last for BusinessWeek magazine, published the APS news release regarding month's APS News, Nancy Ellen Abrams the Nobelists’ letter on his blog, “Economics Unbound.” Mandel commented and Joel Primack (left) delivered a suc- on May 7, “I just got this press release from the American Physical Society. cessful APS-sponsored public lecture at the This is the sort of thing which depresses me. If we can’t find the money Saint Louis Science Center, based on their to spend on science and innovation, then my optimism index goes way book The View from the Center of the Uni- down.” verse. But after a late dinner, Abrams and Primack had more work to do–an appear- Log on to the APS Web site (http://www.aps. ance on late-night radio at KMOX, chatting with host Jon Grayson (right). Who knows org/public_affairs) for more information. how many of their listeners drifted off to sleep dreaming of galaxies far, far away? Fortunately for Abrams and Primack, once the interview was over, their hotel was close, close by across the street. Photo by Brian Mosley 4 • July 2008 APS NEWS Letters Teaching is an Independent Skill In response to the letter in the material. For me, the balance needs school but rather that most students who have played soccer at much In any field of human activity, May APS News from Kashyap to be addressed because subject mat‑ only take physics for one year in high higher levels than I ever played (col‑ mastery of the skills of the activity Vasavada titled “Education Courses ter familiarity is required to teach school. I acknowledge that my “not legiate and even professional) who does not necessarily imply mastery- Don’t Help”: I agree that the balance effectively, but it is not sufficient. enough students take physics” was a wish to coach. These players often or even competence–in teaching between hours of education classes Therefore, education classes do (or at misleading way to express this point, are frustrated by the certification those very skills to others. I have been and classes in one’s target subject least should) help. and I am sorry for any confusion this requirements–they believe that since teaching some subject continuously required for a teaching certification Dr. Vasavada was surprised by my may have caused. they play the game arguably better since I was 17, when I was first cer‑ needs adjustment. However, in my statement that “...in most schools, too One of my outside pursuits for than the instructors, that they have tified by the Red Cross to teach first opinion, education classes do help. few students take physics to justify the past 12 years has been coaching nothing to learn in the coaching clin‑ aid and CPR. Whether it’s first aid, Even someone who understands full-time physics teachers.” The rea‑ youth soccer. I am rather too fond ics. Many can and do go on to coach music, scuba diving, soccer, Sunday the subject material can’t neces‑ son for this situation is that, although of saying that I encounter nothing well, but many do not–the control school, or even physics, my experi‑ sarily teach it effectively. To teach large percentages of students take 1 in my profession as a university re‑ parameter in my view being the style well requires a commitment to the year of physics (100%?), those same searcher, graduate student and post‑ and effectiveness of the player's own ences tell me that this is a universal process of enabling learning and students take 2-4 years of English, doctoral advisor, and K-12 science coaches. Just as we tend to emulate truth. I hope that the physics commu‑ development in others, and this trait history/social sciences, and math. For education outreach presenter, that I our parents (for better and worse) nity will remember this “truth” when is not correlated with proficiency in this reason, the physics teachers often don’t see on the soccer field in the when rearing our own children, we working to improve the training of one’s field. However, understanding teach one or more of the other sci‑ interactions of 10-15 players, their often tend also to emulate our teach‑ physics teachers. the principles of effective teaching ences the students take. So the issue parents, and the coaching and refer‑ ers when teaching–which is why doesn’t mean you can teach a subject isn’t the percentage of students who eeing staffs. Of relevance to this dis‑ effective mentoring is so important, Rick Moyer well when you don't understand the take physics at some point in high cussion, we frequently have coaches and can have such a big impact. San Diego, CA Make Physics More User-friendly “Mixed Reality” Might Influence Real Life In response to K. Vasavada’s let‑ diligent students have been turned Alfred Hubler’s “Mixed Re‑ cal system itself is affected in pled to a running model, will it ter about few students taking high off high school and college phys‑ ality” state, as described in the any way. As a thought experi‑ really affect outcomes? Or when school physics: If high school phys‑ ics. Unnecessary struggling with a May APS News, couples a real ment, if we could couple real making one’s life decisions ics is a voluntary course, the reason problem is really a waste of time. It physical system, through sen‑ weather measurements and ac‑ when coupled to one’s image in few students take it is because the is only successful problem-solving sors and actuators, to a running tuators (a thought, remember) to the model, Second Life? Could high school mathematically-based that turns novice students positively model of the system in a high a running model of the weather, physics course is not user-friendly. onto physics. Principles of educa‑ speed computer. When the two could we be able to influence such intense “Mixed Reality” Besides bad teaching, the texts are tional psychology are not being used finally get correlated, it leads to the weather through this “Mixed be any different from learning generally badly written. Most high in either the teaching of high school some interesting speculations: Reality”? Or more specifically, by being coupled physically to school students have to do problems or college physics, resulting in low Digital computing is as good as in his coupled pendulum case, a superb running model with which they cannot readily solve since enrollments from high school to col‑ analog coupling. Such correla‑ is there anything different about feedback, as in a flight simu‑ there is no example. In reality most lege. The students are voting about tion really validates the model, the first real pendulum, or its average and better high school stu‑ physics with their feet–not taking lator? Or are we talking about making its stand-alone use more coupling to another “virtual” dents can solve even difficult physics physics when it can easily be made creating the “holodeck” on the trustworthy. One can study the pendulum? problems if given an example in the more user-friendly. effects of extending the physi‑ When it comes to human be‑ Enterprise? text. Under the erroneous idea that if cal system without having to havior as part of the feedback, a student struggles with a problem, Stewart E Brekke build it. perhaps being coupled to the Henderson Cole he/she is “thinking,” many good and Downers Grove, Il But one wonders if the physi‑ stock market while it was cou‑ Danbury, CT Proposed Constitutional Amendments Regarding Updating APS Treasurer Position to Treasurer/Publisher Over the years, APS journal production and dissemination has become much more complex. With the introduction of online publications, tier pricing, consor- tium agreements, and the need for an international marketing effort, the position of Treasurer has broadened and assumed the usual responsibilities of Publisher. The Lighter Side of Science For the last six year the Treasurer has in fact given two reports to the Council: the Treasurer’s report and the Publisher’s report. The proposed Constitution and By- Vote in the APS News Caption Contest laws amendments below are an effort to reflect the current operating procedures and clarify this in the statutes of the Society. OK, we lied. In the April APS way more than one entry per per‑ submitting captions, but to those News, we said we’d post the best 3 son, but we’re happy that 48 dif‑ judging them. It has proved ex‑ APS CONSTITUTION captions for our readers to vote on. ferent people submitted entries, traordinarily difficult to narrow ARTICLE IV-COUNCIL We thought we might get a dozen ranging from the sublime to the the selection to five, much less 2. Duties. The functions of the Council shall include the following: entries. Little did we suspect that ridiculous. And of course the more three, but after an epic struggle b. Elect the Operating Officers, which are theE xecutive Officer, theT reasurer/ the total would be 137. It’s true ridiculous the better. we have decided on five captions Publisher, and the Editor in Chief. 3. Composition. The Council shall consist of the President, the President that two very prolific caption writ‑ The range of opinion on what's as the finalists in our contest. Here Elect, the Vice President, the most recent Past President, the Chairperson of the ers broke the rules and submitted funny extended not only to those they are: Nominating Committee, the Chairperson of the Panel on Public Affairs, who is elected by Council according to procedures specified in theB ylaws, the Operating Partway through their argu‑ Officers (Executive Officer, Treasurer/Publisher, Editor in Chief), and Councilors: ment, Mary realizes that Albert eight General Councilors, one International Councilor, whose primary residence does not understand the gravity is outside the United States, and Councilors representing the Divisions, Forums and Sections. The value of the percentage X which appears in other Articles and of the situation. affects the composition of Council, shall be determined by Council and specified –Robert Collyer, Baton Rouge, LA in the Bylaws. There may sit with the Council as advisors such persons as Council “I think you lost a minus deems desirable. sign.” ARTICLE V – OFFICERS –David Kaz, Somerville, MA 1. Officers: The statutory Officers of theS ociety are the President, the Presi- Only in his 3rd year of teach‑ dent Elect, the Vice President, the Executive Officer, theT reasurer/Publisher, and the Editor in Chief. The President, the President Elect, and the Vice President ing did the physics department shall assume office as hereinafter provided.T he Executive Officer, theT reasurer/ become aware that Professor Publisher, and the Editor in Chief are the Operating Officers.T hey shall be elect- Wilberforce was actually a heli‑ ed by the Council as specified in the Bylaws. um-filled balloon. 6. Duties of the Treasurer/Publisher: The Treasurer/Publisher shall be re- –Roger Johnston, Argonne, IL sponsible for the conduct of the financial affairs of the Society and shall oversee the financial affairs of the Divisions, Topical Groups, Forums, and Sections. The “On our next date, can we Treasurer/Publisher shall have direct responsibility for the financial aspects of the please sit next to each other in the Society’s publishing operations, such as contracts with outside vendors, market- centrifuge?” ing, subscriptions and consortia agreements, and pricing, and shall share with the –Elissa Dunn, New Haven, CT Editor in Chief responsibility for non-editorial matters that have strong financial implications, such as copyright and policies for electronic access. The Treasurer/ “When I said you have poten‑ Publisher shall supervise the staff and operations of the office of the Treasurer/ tial as a physicist, I didn't mean Publisher. Each year, the Treasurer/Publisher shall prepare a budget of income mgh.” and expenses and a report on the financial condition of the Society and its units for review by the Executive Board and the Council. The Treasurer/Publisher shall –Loren Booda, Arlington, VA receive, disburse, and invest funds as authorized by the Council or the Execu- It's easy for readers to vote. Just tive Board. The Treasurer/Publisher shall provide regular reports to the Executive go to www.aps.org/publications/ Board and Council on the financial status of theS ociety. The Treasurer/Publisher shall perform such other duties as specified in theC onstitution and Bylaws and as apsnews/poll/ and click on your the Council or the Executive Board may assign. favorite caption. One vote per per‑ 7. Duties of the Editor in Chief: The Editor in Chief shall have editorial and son. Voting ends as of August 31. operational responsibility for the research journals published by the Society and The winner will be announced in shall share with the Treasurer/Publisher responsibility for non-editorial matters the October APS News. AMENDMENT continued on page 7 APS NEWS July 2008 • 5

PRIZE continued from page 1 call this Automatic Mode Control added a counterintuitive “auxiliary ed from selected sectors of the beam several issues: the piezoelectric used, then joined H-P Laboratories in 1972. (AMC)–thereby enabling the ECLD inductor” to the traditional tuning by clearing electrodes while the pres‑ ZnO, was difficult to process; the Larson began working with Ruby in to produce holograms for hours at a circuit. sure of the background chamber gas gold electrodes used also had pro‑ 1996 and began modeling, giving time, over a wide temperature range. One of the most critical applica‑ was controlled automatically. In this cessing problems and poor Q; and valuable insight as to the acoustics of The entire laser fits into a small pack‑ tion areas for handheld NMR is the system most of the focusing was due it was difficult to make free- stand‑ the device. Later, he found a low-cost age measuring 5 cm x 14 cm x 3 cm. detection of pathogenic bacteria in to beam self-forces, while the focus ing membranes. In addition, a sim‑ manufacturable method to “tune” all Manufacturing of the first prototypes biological samples, such as blood. adjustment and shaping of the beam pler competing technology, surface the filters on a silicon wafer to one began in May 2008. The first cus‑ Contaminated blood can lead to sep‑ spot were achieved by means of sole‑ acoustic wave (SAW) filters, already frequency, and invented many new tomers for holographic storage are sis and death if not diagnosed and noid and quadrupole coils. existed. tools to improve the manufacture of likely to be TV networks and major treated quickly. Over 200,000 people Rand’s work resulted in 25 pat‑ Ruby began working on the FBAR FBAR. media companies. Further in the fu‑ in the US die each year from sepsis. ents and a publication in the Journal technology in 1993. He developed it Paul Bradley received a PhD in ture, holography might be the basis Combined with immuno-magnetic la‑ of Applied Physics. Electron Beam into a practical device by using a dif‑ physics from UC Berkeley in 1988. for the next generation of consumer beling of target entities, McDowell’s Computed Tomography, as the tech‑ ferent piezoelectric material, alumi‑ From 1989-1997 he worked at Hy‑ optical storage devices, selling mil‑ technology results in unprecedented nology is called, is used to detect cal‑ num nitride, different electrodes, and pres, a low temperature supercon‑ lions of units per year. sensitivity and speed of detection. cification of coronary arteries, which a surface micro-machined process to ductivity fabrication and design com‑ As a graduate student in the mid The technology allows for detection is a heath risk factor that cannot be create the free standing membrane. pany in Elmsford, N.Y. He joined the 1990s, Ensher worked with Eric and identification of bacteria in blood quantitatively measured with as HP Labs/Agilent Labs/Avago team Cornell and Carl Wieman at the Uni‑ samples within minutes, compared much accuracy by any other device. in 1997 and became the key designer versity of Colorado on laser cooling to 12 to 24 hours for conventional Competing technologies expose the of the early filters and most impor‑ and trapping of atoms, which led to blood cultures. A start-up company patient to a much greater radiation tant, the PCS duplexer (a particularly the creation of the first Bose-Einstein based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, dose. demanding filter-pair used in many condensate of dilute alkali gases. called nanoMR, has been formed to Rand earned his B.Sc. and Ph.D. cell phones today). After a postdoctoral position at the commercialize this technology. from University College London. Philip Wyatt University of Connecticut, Ensher McDowell earned his PhD in From 1960 to 1981, Rand was em‑ Wyatt pioneered the commercial‑ worked with laser diodes for ILX physics from Cornell University ployed at various times at University ization of laser light scattering (LLS), Four FBAR filters in an all-silicon pack- Lightwave, and then worked on tun‑ and was a postdoctoral fellow at College London, Daresbury Nuclear age (WLP) placed on a single grain of a method with much practical benefit able lasers for Precision Photonics Washington University in St. Louis Physics Laboratory in England, Stan‑ rice for both the chemical and pharma‑ Corp. He joined InPhase Technolo‑ before joining the faculty of Knox ford University in California, and ceutical industries. Wyatt first be‑ gies in 2006. College. He worked as a scientist for the University of Western Australia. Larson joined the project in 1996, came interested in the practical appli‑ Hunter began working on 3D New Mexico Resonance prior to co- He worked in high energy phys‑ working on modeling the device and cations of the classical inverse scat‑ optical data storage and specialized founding ABQMR in 2005. ics, nuclear physics, and accelerator on controlling the frequency across tering problem in 1967, suspecting lasers as a graduate student at the Roy Rand physics. In 1981 he was asked by a a whole wafer of filters. Paul Brad‑ it might prove to be a useful tool for University of California, San Diego. As the vice president for research former colleague, Douglas Boyd, to ley, who joined the group in 1997, identifying bacteria and spores, espe‑ She continued that work over an 11- and development of a small start-up join him in founding Imatron as Vice worked on modeling and designing cially those that might be deployed year career at Hewlett-Packard (later company, Imatron, Inc., Roy Rand President of Research and Develop‑ filters using the FBAR resonator as in biological warfare. He modified Agilent Technologies). She joined played a key role in the development ment. Imatron manufactured and the “engine.” He measured and mod‑ a traditional light scattering photom‑ InPhase Technologies in 2005. of an innovative cardiac CT scanner. sold about 200 cardiac CT scanners eled the package as well as the device eter by replacing the usual Hg arc Andrew McDowell The scanner Imatron developed had throughout the world. The com‑ and began designing a PCS duplexer, lamp with the then-newly- available Andrew McDowell developed the much shorter scan time than conven‑ pany was eventually bought out by which would become critical for cell HeNe laser source, and used his pro‑ first hand-held detector capable of tional CT scanners at the time, mak‑ General Electric in 2001, and Rand phones. totype to demonstrate its ability to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) ing possible clear images of a rapidly retired shortly after. Since then he Cell phones shrank dramatically differentiate between some species spectroscopy of hydrogen. NMR moving heart. has consulted for various companies with the first duplexers using FBAR in liquid, to measure physical proper‑ techniques are popular because of Conventional CT scanners use on electron beam technology and is technology. Duplexers, which sepa‑ ties of a bacterial cell, and to detect their broad applicability to the study an x-ray tube that is swept mechani‑ currently involved in designing an rate transmitted signals from received the effects of antimicrobials within a of chemical, physical and spatial cally; the Imatron scanner works electron beam baggage scanner and signals, were previously made from few minutes. properties of samples, without dam‑ with no moving parts–the x-ray explosives detector. ceramic, and were much larger. The He founded a company to aging or destroying those samples. beam is swept electronically, and Richard Ruby, John Larson FBAR filters are typically the size of commercialize these laser-based Modern NMR instruments, while therefore can be swept much faster. and Paul Bradley a grain of sand. The first FBAR du‑ instruments, which closed after sophisticated, are large, expensive, To do this, x-rays are generated us‑ Sleek thin cell phones packed with plexers were sold in 2000, and now 12 years, and founded the Wyatt must be installed in special rooms, ing an electron beam that traverses a features are possible thanks to work over a billion FBAR filters have been Technology Company (WTC) and require periodic maintenance. stationary tungsten X-ray target. For by Richard Ruby, John Larson, and sold. in 1982 with funding from the This makes it difficult to bring NMR this application, an electron beam Paul Bradley of Avago Technologies. Rich Ruby obtained his PhD from Department of Defense. Over techniques out of the lab into applied with high power (up to 140 kW) and They developed filters and duplex‑ the University of California, Berke‑ the next 20 years, WTC’s multi‑ industrial settings on the “factory a small beam spot (much less than 1 ers using FBAR (free standing bulk ley, in 1984. Ruby then joined HP angle light scattering photometer floor.” mm) was needed. These parameters acoustic resonator) technology. The Labs. In 1993, he began research‑ moved from use by manufactur‑ McDowell set out to reduce the hadn’t been thought achievable, due FBAR resonator consists of a piezo‑ ing FBAR technology as a means ers of synthetic polymers to the size and cost of NMR instrumenta‑ to space charge repulsion. electric layer sandwiched between to making high-Q, ultra-miniature pharmaceutical industry, which tion by combining nanoliter volume Rand began a theoretical study, two electrodes. The device resonates filters for rf applications. In 1999, recognized the potential of such “microcoil” detectors with small per‑ and realized that the necessary con‑ in the GHz frequency range, and be‑ Ruby became part of Agilent (a spin- instruments in the development manent magnets, which can generate ditions could be achieved by neutral‑ cause it is a mechanical resonator, off of HP) and moved to the Wireless of new biologicals, including vac‑ magnetic fields of between 1 and 2 izing the space-charge of the electron the Q (quality factor) is exceptionally Semiconductor Division of Agilent. cines and protein-based products. Tesla. While this is weak compared beam and using “gas focusing.” high. This division became part of a new By the turn of the century, the to superconducting NMR magnets, it Rand’s study resulted in a beam-op‑ In the early 1980s FBAR tech‑ spin-off to a company called Avago product line had expanded to in‑ is strong enough for portable NMR tics system utilizing neutralization of nology looked promising, but by the Technologies. clude differential refractometers applications. To allow the operation the beam by means of its own beam- end of the decade researchers had John Larson earned his Ph.D. and devices to fractionate liquid of the tiny coils in the weak field, he generated plasma. Ions were extract‑ lost interest in the technology due to from Stanford University in 1971, dispersed samples.

CAMP continued from page 1 they can, make new friends, and toys and glowing balls in between thought about majoring in phys‑ competitors are Tucker Chan; Ed‑ ics Teachers, which also selects share their passion for physics bites of spaghetti and meatballs. ics in college, it’s always been a ward Gan; Rui Hu, a senior from the participants and organizes the with others. “You would expect it to be re‑ hobby of mine. But the lab expe‑ the Charter School of Wilmington training camp at the University Edward Gan, a junior from ally competitive, but there is a rience I’ve gotten from camp has in Delaware; Joshua Oreman, a of Maryland. Additional funding Montgomery Blair High School real collaborative spirit, everyone made me want to do more,” she junior from Harvard Westlake comes from the American Insti‑ in Maryland, discusses the expo‑ is helping each other out,” notes says. School in California; and Danny tute of Physics and its member sure to university-level work and Kiranmayi Bhattaram, a junior The feeling seems to be recip‑ Zhu, a junior from Stuyvesant societies, including APS. equipment the camp provides. from San Jose, California. Many rocal. Head coach Robert Shultz High School in New York. Created in 1967 by Eastern “Camp gives you direction. They students are just happy to be in says, “I enjoy the challenge in More information about the European nations, the first Phys‑ give you all the materials and the company of others who share working with high school stu‑ traveling team, and the rest of the ics Olympiad was held in War‑ everything you need to do labs, similar interests. dents. I get a lot of questions I US participants, can be found on saw, Poland. Western countries things you don’t have at home, With a talent for mentorship, have to think about, and it is re‑ the web at http://www.aapt.org/ began to participate throughout like lasers. The best part is, if you coaches are largely responsible warding to see the student’s hard olympiad2008/. 1980’s, with the US entering in do it right you might actually get for the student’s enjoyment, and work pay off.” Shultz has been The traveling team will head to 1986 as the program expanded. a right answer, whereas at home they work hard to ensure campers coaching the US team for the past the west coast, meeting for 3 days Since then, the US has continu‑ you wouldn’t.” are prepared for the difficulties of 8 years. of rigorous preparation at Cali‑ ally ranked near the top 10 of all Despite the fact that students international competition. “The After a careful selection pro‑ fornia State Polytechnic Univer‑ participants. Today, high school are competing against each other coaches here aren’t like regular cess (based mainly on exam and sity before flying to Hanoi. Last students from over 60 countries for a spot on the traveling team, teachers. They put life into their mystery lab scores), the five fi‑ year’s team traveled to Isfahan, take part in the nine-day compe‑ the atmosphere is jovial. Students teaching, and they’re really fun to nalists selected to comprise the Iran where they won two gold and tition. The Vietnamese Physical and coaches crack jokes and hang around,” says Alesia Dech‑ traveling team were announced three silver medals. Society and Ministry of Educa‑ laugh constantly at dinner, play‑ kovskaia, a junior from Durham, the last day of camp before a fi‑ The event is sponsored by the tion and Training organized this ing around with optical illusion North Carolina. “I hadn’t really nal dinner reception. The 2008 American Association of Phys‑ year’s Olympiad. 6 • July 2008 APS NEWS 2008 GENERAL ELECTION PREVIEW

It’s that time of year again, when APS members have the opportunity to elect next Elect of the Nominating Committee, and two General Councillors. All votes must be year’s leadership from a slate of candidates selected by the APS Nominating Committee. entered by Noon, Central Daylight Time, September 1, 2008. Full biographical informa‑ Brief biographical descriptions for each candidate can be found below. Those elected tion and candidates’ statements can be found at http://www.aps.org/about/governance/ will begin their terms on January 1, 2009. Members will elect a Vice President, Chair- election/index.cfm.

Teachers. Barish is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Na‑ VICE PRESIDENT tional Academy of Sciences. He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Bologna and the University of Florida. Barry C. Barish California Institute of Technology Chris Quigg Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Dr. Barish earned his B.A. in 1957 and PhD in 1963 in physics from the University of California, Berkeley. He came to Caltech in 1963 as Chris Quigg graduated in physics from Yale in 1966 and part of a new experimental effort in particle physics using frontier particle received his PhD at Berkeley in 1970 with J. D. Jackson. Af‑ accelerators at the national laboratories. Among Dr. Barish’s noteworthy ter four years in the Institute for Theoretical Physics at Stony experiments were those performed at Fermilab using high-energy neu‑ Brook, he moved to Fermilab, which has been his scientific trino collisions to reveal the quark substructure of the nucleon. These experiments were among home ever since. He was for ten years Head of Fermilab’s Theoretical Physics De‑ the first to observe the weak neutral current, a linchpin of the electroweak unification theories of partment, and held a joint appointment at the University of Chicago from 1974 to Glashow, Salam, and Weinberg. 1991. In 1987 he returned to Berkeley to serve for two years as Deputy Director In the 1980s, Barish initiated an ambitious international effort to build a sophisticated under‑ of the Superconducting Super Collider Central Design Group. He has held visiting ground detector (MACRO) in Italy in the promising and emerging field of particle astrophysics. Re‑ professorships at École Normale Supérieure in Paris, Cornell, and Princeton, was sults from MACRO provided the best limits on the density of Grand Unified magnetic monopoles Erwin Schrödinger Professor at the University of Vienna, and is a regular visitor to in the universe, ruling it out as a major contributor to the dark matter. The experiment also provided CERN. He has lectured at summer schools around the world, and is much in demand key evidence for atmospheric neutrino oscillations, helping to establish that neutrinos have mass. as a keynote and summary speaker. Barish became Principal Investigator of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observato‑ Chris Quigg is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and of the American ry (LIGO) project in 1994 and served as Director of the LIGO Laboratory from 1997 to 2005. LIGO Association for the Advancement of Science, and held a Sloan Fellowship. He has has recently completed a one year long data run at design sensitivity and is presently in the midst of just received an Alexander von Humboldt Senior Scientist Award. Quigg has been analyzing that data for gravitational wave signals. The experiment has already set the best limits on Divisional Associate Editor of Physical Review Letters (1980-1983), Associate Edi‑ most candidate sources at levels that are becoming astrophysically interesting. The interferometry tor of Reviews of Modern Physics (1981-1993), and Editor of the Annual Review of technique works very well and a major upgrade is now underway to improve the sensitivity by more Nuclear and Particle Science (1994-2004). As Chair of the APS Division of Par‑ than an order of magnitude. ticles and Fields, he led the organization of Snowmass 2001: a Summer Study on the Barry C. Barish is presently the Director of the Global Design Effort for the International Lin‑ Future of Particle Physics. He has served the Society in numerous capacities, most ear Collider (ILC) and Linde Professor of Physics, Emeritus at the California Institute of Technol‑ recently as chair of the task force on the future of the April Meeting. His work for ogy. The ILC is the highest priority future project for particle physics worldwide, as it promises to the physics community includes membership on experimental advisory committees, complement the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in exploring the TeV energy scale. This ambitious visiting committees, and government advisory committees in the US and abroad. effort is being uniquely coordinated worldwide, representing a major step in international collabora‑ Quigg was a charter member of Saturday Morning Physics, Fermilab’s enrich‑ tions going from conception to design to implementation for large scale projects in physics. ment program for high school students, and served as Trustee of the Illinois Math‑ In October 2002, Dr. Barish was nominated to the National Science Board; the 24-member ematics & Science Academy. He has lectured and written frequently for the general board that oversees the National Science Foundation (NSF) and advises the President and the Con‑ public, and was featured in The Ultimate Particle, a road movie of particle physics gress on policy issues related to science, engineering, and education. He is a fellow of the American broadcast in France and Germany. Physical Society and has received the Klopsteg Award from the American Association of Physics

CHAIR ELECT, NOMINATING COMMITTEE Divisional Councilor for DAMOP (2003-07) and elected to the currently a member of the University of California Academ‑ Executive Board of APS (2005-06). In addition she has served ic Council Special Committee on (National) Lab Issues. Kate Kirby as Vice-Chair, Chair-Elect, and Chair of DAMOP (1995-98). Other activities include membership on the Basic Energy Harvard-Smithsonian Center GENERAL COUNCILLOR Sciences Advisory Committee (2003-2008) and co-chair of the for Astrophysics BESAC Subcommittee on Theory and Computation, member Nergis Mavalvala Kate Kirby received her B.A. in of the NAS/NRC Decadal Assessment Committee for Atomic, Massachusetts Institute Chemistry and Physics from Har‑ Molecular and Optical Science (AMO2010), Chair of the In‑ vard/Radcliffe College in 1967 and ternational Conference on Photonic, Electronic, and Atomic of Technology her PhD from the University of Chi‑ Collisions (2001-2003), and member of the Editorial Board of Nergis Mavalvala is an asso‑ cago in 1972. After a postdoctoral Reports on Progress in Physics (2007-present). ciate professor of Physics at the fellowship at the Harvard College Observatory (1972-73), she Massachusetts Institute of Tech‑ was appointed as research physicist at the Smithsonian Astro‑ Clare Yu nology. She works on experi‑ physical Observatory and Lecturer in the Harvard University University of California, Irvine mental gravitational wave detec‑ tion and precision measurement at the quantum limit. Department of Astronomy (1973-86, and 2003-present). From Clare Yu is currently a professor 1988 to 2001 she served as an Associate Director at the Harvard- She received her B.A. in Physics and Astronomy from of Physics and Astronomy at the Wellesley College in 1990, and completed her PhD in Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, heading the Atomic and University of California, Irvine. Molecular Physics Division. In 2001 she was appointed Direc‑ 1997, under the supervision of Rai Weiss at MIT. Her She received her B.A. and PhD in thesis work involved developing and testing the align‑ tor of the NSF-funded Institute for Theoretical Atomic, Molecu‑ physics from Princeton University. lar and Optical Physics (ITAMP) at Harvard and Smithsonian. ment sensing and control systems for the LIGO (Laser She was a postdoc at the Universi‑ Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) inter‑ Kirby’s research interests lie in the area of theoretical atomic ty of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and Los Alamos National ferometers. As a postdoctoral researcher at the California and molecular physics, particularly focusing on the calculation Laboratory before joining the faculty at UC Irvine. Institute of Technology, she was heavily involved in all of atomic and molecular processes important in astrophysics Her present research interests include biological physics aspects of the design and commissioning of the LIGO and atmospheric physics. Recent work has included studies of and condensed matter physics. In biological physics she is detectors. Since 2002 she has been on the Physics faculty collision-broadened alkali atom resonance lines (seen in the at‑ working on intracellular transport and developmental biol‑ at MIT, where she has continued her involvement with mospheres of brown dwarf stars), electron impact excitation of ogy. Her condensed matter physics interests include glassy LIGO, but has also branched out into experimental quan‑ highly-charged ions (to understand astrophysical x-ray spectra), and disordered systems, noise, and superconducting Joseph‑ tum optics and quantum measurement in macroscopic molecular line opacities in cool stellar atmospheres, and forma‑ son junction qubits. She has also contributed to problems mechanical systems. Nergis has been a Sloan fellow and tion and destruction of small molecules in astrophysical envi‑ in strongly correlated electrons, quantum magnetism, super‑ enjoys teaching and interacting with students as much as ronments. In addition she is working on processes for forming conducting vortices, phase transitions, and quantum solids. she does her research. ultracold polar molecules via laser-induced photoassociation She was an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow and is a Fellow of the Nergis’s research interests span two related fields– and using such systems as a platform for robust quantum com‑ American Physical Society. She has served as a member- experimental gravitational wave (GW) interferometry, putation. In 1990 she was elected to Fellowship in the APS. at-large of the executive committee of the APS Division and the quantum limits of precision measurement. She Kirby has both chaired and served on numerous commit‑ of Condensed Matter Physics (DCMP), and as a member has been involved in experimental activities within the tees of the American Physical Society, including the Fellowship of the nominating committee of the APS DCMP. She was LIGO Laboratory over the past fifteen years, including design and implementation of interferometric sensing Committee (1993-95), the Nominating Committee (1994-96), a co-organizer of the 2006 Workshop on Opportunities in and control systems, commissioning of the initial LIGO the APS Ethics Task Force (2002-2003), the Committee on Biological Physics sponsored by the APS Division of Bio‑ detectors, study of quantum effects in future GW detec‑ Prizes and Awards (2005-2006), and the Search Committee for logical Physics. She was co-leader of a Campus-Laboratory tors, use of squeezed quantum states of light to enhance APS Leadership Positions (Editor-in-Chief and Treasurer, 2005- Collaboration (involving 5 campuses and Los Alamos) on 06). She was elected APS Councilor-at-Large (1991-93) and GW detector performance, and measurement of quantum Superconducting Vortices and Related Phenomena. She is behavior of macroscopic objects. APS NEWS July 2008 • 7

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Shekhar Mishra Jorge Pullin Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Louisiana State University Now Appearing in RMP: Shekhar Mishra is Deputy International Lin‑ Recently Posted Reviews Jorge Pullin is the Horace Hearne Chair in The‑ ear Collider Program Director at Fermilab and oretical Physics at the Louisiana State University. and Colloquia adjunct professor of physics at University of His research interests center in theoretical gravi‑ You will find the following Delhi, India. He received his B.S. in Physics tational physics, both in its classical and quantum at Patna University, India in 1980, his M.S. in aspects, including the application of numerical in the online edition of Physics in 1983 and Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics techniques. Reviews of Modern Physics in 1987 at the University of South Carolina. He conducted his M.S. He recently served as the chair of the Topical Group in Gravitation of at and PhD thesis work in part at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility the American Physical Society. His administrative experience also includes (LAMPF) and the Swiss Institute of Nuclear Research. From 1987- serving as associate director of Penn State’s Center for Gravitational Physics http://rmp.aps.org 1989, Mishra was a Research Associate in the Physics Division, Los and Geometry and as co-director of the Horace Hearne Jr. Institute for Theo‑ Alamos National Laboratory. As a young research associate Mishra retical Physics at Louisiana State. He is a managing editor of International Many‑body physics was also co-spokesperson of three nuclear physics experiments at Journal of Modern Physics D, serves on the editorial board of Living Reviews with ultracold gases LAMPF. He was visiting scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Relativity and the New Journal of Physics, and served on the board of and Fermilab. In 1989, Mishra joined the Fermilab staff as a Research Classical and Quantum Gravity. He is one of the US representatives at the Immanuel Bloch, Jean International Committee for General Relativity and Gravitation. Associate and played a leading role in design, construction, running, Dalibard and Wilhelm Zwerger and analysis of a B Meson experiment. In 1991, he became a staff He has received several distinctions, including Alfred P. Sloan, John S. scientist in the Fermilab Accelerator Division as a member of Main Guggenheim and Fulbright fellowships, a Career Award from the National Injector design team. Science Foundation and the Edward Bouchet Award of the American Physi‑ Ultracold gases have had Mishra’s research interests are in a broad range of accelerator phys‑ cal Society. He is also a corresponding member of the National Academies a surprising impact on con- ics, design, construction, and operation, as well as in experimental of Science of Argentina and Mexico and of the Latin American Academy densed matter physics: they high energy physics. In the Accelerator Division, he has held posi‑ of Sciences. He is a fellow of APS, of the Institute of Physics (UK) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He got his doctorate allow for an experimental tions of Head of Main Injector Commissioning (1998-1999) and Head realization of simple models of the Main Injector Department (1999-2003). He played a central in physics from the Balseiro Institute in Argentina in 1989. for many‑body physics, such role in the design, construction, and commissioning of two new ac‑ celerators, the Main Injector and Recycler at Fermilab. While a mem‑ Sriram Shastry as the Hubbard model. This ber of the Main Injector Design team, he continued his HEP interest University of California, Santa Cruz review explains how the flexi- by pursuing B-Physics at Fermilab’s DZero detector and its upgrade Sriram Shastry is a professor in the University bility of trapped atomic gases (1990-2004). of California at Santa Cruz. He received his B.Sc. can be used to observe im- in Physics from Nagpur University; his M.Sc. In 2003, Mishra returned to accelerator design, this time to work portant phenomena, such as on the design of the proposed International Linear Collider. He was from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras the superfluid to Mott‑insula- initially involved in the design of the ILC Main Linac with the key in 1970 and his PhD from the Tata Institute of issue of beam emittance preservation to maximize the luminosity. He Fundamental Research, Bombay in 1976. He did tor and Kosterlitz‑Thouless played a central role in the ILC Main Linac technology selection by postdoctoral work at the Imperial College London 1979-1980, and at the transition, the exactly inte- the International Technology Recommendation Panel. Since the selec‑ University of Utah 1980-1982. He was a faculty member at the Tata In‑ grable Lieb‑Liniger gas, and stitute 1982-1987, visiting faculty at Princeton University 1987-1988 and tion of Superconducting Radio Frequency technology, he is leading the BCS‑BEC crossover by the Fermilab R&D on superconducting cavities and cryomodules for a Member of Technical Staff at AT&T Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill 1988-1994. He was a professor at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore means of optical lattices and future accelerators. 1994-2003 and has been at Santa Cruz since 2003. Feshbach resonances. Mishra has served on many review committees, including the US Shastry is a theoretical condensed matter physicist who has worked Department of Energy, Spallation Neutron Source project review in a wide variety of problems, from exactly integrable and exactly solv‑ team. He chaired the Committee for the Joint University-Fermilab able models of quantum spins, to problems involving phenomenological Visit Doctoral Program in Accelerator Physics (1997-2000) and served as a modeling of experiments such as NMR relaxation rates, the Hall con‑ committee chair for two PhD theses in high energy physics from the APS stant, and Raman Scattering in high Tc systems. He is the co-inventor News University of Delhi. He enjoys working with students and research of some popular models of quantum magnetism in low dimensional associates. systems, where quantum fluctuations are dominant. He is mainly con‑ Online Mishra is actively involved in promoting international participa‑ cerned, these days, with transport problems in strongly interacting elec‑ tion in accelerator research and most importantly collaboration on a tronic systems. future lepton collider. Since 2002 he has been actively involved in the He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, a Fellow of the development of collaboration of US and Indian laboratories on accel‑ Indian National Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of the Indian Academy www.aps.org/publications/apsnews erator development. The collaboration is working on R&D for future of Sciences, and a Fellow of the TWAS (Academy of Sciences for the colliders and on each nation’s domestic accelerator program. He is Developing World, Trieste, Italy). He received the 1998 TWAS award in the US laboratories’ liaison for this Accelerator R&D collaboration. physics for his work on interacting quantum many body physics.

AMENDMENT continued from page 4 with strong financial implications, such as copyright and policies for each year to review the financial and investment policies of the So- the Treasurer/Publisher, and the Editor-in-Chief. The most recent electronic access. The Editor-in-Chief shall supervise the staff and ciety and shall make recommendations to the Executive Board and Past-President shall be the Chairperson of the Review Committee. operations of the Society's research journals. The Editor-in-Chief to the Council concerning these policies. The Review Committee shall be responsible for reviewing the per- shall implement policies relating to editorial policy and publications 8. Committee on Meetings.-The membership of the Commit- formance of the Executive Officer, theT reasurer/Publisher, and the operations as approved by the Council or the Executive Board. The tee on Meetings shall consist of the Executive Officer, the Treasur- Editor-in-Chief, and it shall report its findings to the Council. Editor-in-Chief shall submit periodic reports regarding the status of er/Publisher, and six members appointed by the President-Elect to the Society's publications to the Council and the Executive Board staggered three-year terms. The President-Elect shall appoint the ARTICLE VII – NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS and shall perform such other duties as specified in the Constitution Chairperson from among these six members. The Committee shall 6. Nominations for Executive Officer, Treasurer/Publisher, and Bylaws and as the Council or Executive Board may assign. propose guidelines and rules for the organization and operation of or Editor-in-Chief.-Nomination to fill a vacancy in the offices of all meetings of the Society and its units and shall provide oversight Executive Officer, Treasurer/Publisher, or Editor-in-Chief shall be ARTICLE VI - EXECUTIVE BOARD AND COMMITTEES for meetings-related publications, including the Bulletin of the Amer- solicited from the entire membership of the Society by announce- 1. Executive Board. There shall be an Executive Board con- ican Physical Society. The Committee shall recommend procedures ments in publications of the Society and the American Institute of sisting of the President, the President Elect, the Vice President, the for Society sponsorship of other meetings. Physics. The Review Committee, defined in Article VI, Section 2 of most recent Past President, the three Operating Officers (Executive 11. Budget Committee: The membership of the Budget Com- these Bylaws, shall select one or more candidates and shall present Officer, Treasurer/Publisher, Editor in Chief), and eight additional mittee shall consist of the President-Elect and four members of the their names to Council for election according to Article IV, Section Council members to be elected by Council as follows: Council appointed by the President to staggered two-year terms. 2b of the Constitution. The functions of the Executive Board shall include the follow- The President-Elect shall serve as Chairperson. The Committee shall meet with the Operating Officers during the initial budget plan- ing: ARTICLE VIII - DIVISION, TOPICAL GROUP, FORUM, AND ning process to establish overall goals and objectives for the next c. Review the budget recommended by the Treasurer/Publisher SECTION CONCERNS fiscal year and again as the budget is in the final stages of prepa- before adoption by the Council, and authorize expenditures for cur- 1. Division, Topical Group, Forum and Section Finances.- ration. The Committee shall provide the Treasurer/Publisher with rent operations. Funds collected by the Society for Division, Topical Group, Forum, strategic guidance and with critical consideration of fundamental and Section membership dues, funds appropriated by the Council budget assumptions. APS BYLAWS in lieu of dues, and funds collected by the Divisions, Topical Groups, Forums, and Sections shall be kept by the Society in internal ac- ARTICLE III - STANDING COMMITTEES ARTICLE V - FINANCES counts in the name of each such unit. The Society shall deduct from A. OPERATING COMMITTEES 3. Bonding.-The Executive Officer and theT reasurer/Publisher 2. Publications Oversight Committee.-The membership of shall give the Society bond in the amount required by the Council, the accounts the itemized expenses incurred by the Society for ser- the Publications Oversight Committee shall consist of the Editor-in- at the expense of the Society, for the faithful performance of the du- vices requested by these units and for services rendered them as Chief, the Executive Officer, theT reasurer/Publisher, four members ties of their office and for delivery, upon demand by the Council, of approved by Council. The Secretary-Treasurer or a designate of a elected by Council to staggered four-year terms and four members all records, money, and other property belonging to the Society that Division, Topical Group, Forum, or Section may authorize the dis- appointed by the President-Elect to staggered four year terms. The have been in their custody. bursement of funds by the Treasurer/Publisher of the Society for President-Elect shall appoint a Chairperson from among these eight expenses consistent with the general policies of that unit. Financial members. The Committee shall propose guidelines for the operat- ARTICLE VI - POLICY ON TENURE OF OFFICERS records shall be kept on an annual basis consistent with the fiscal ing philosophy of publications and shall oversee general editorial 1. Appointment and Tenure of Officers.-The Executive Offi- policies of the Society. Statements of receipts and disbursements policy. It shall meet at least twice each year and shall make recom- cer, the Treasurer/Publisher, and the Editor-in-Chief shall be elected for a Division, Topical Group, Forum, and Section shall be submitted mendations to Council regarding the research publications of the by the Council to renewable five-year terms. A review of an incum- at least quarterly by the Treasurer/Publisher of the Society to the Society. bent Executive Officer, Treasurer/Publisher, or Editor-in-Chief shall appropriate Secretary-Treasurers. Divisions, Topical Groups, Fo- be carried out by the Review Committee within the penultimate year rums, and Sections may generate income from and incur expenses 4. Investment Committee.-The membership of the Investment of the term of office or sooner if so desired byC ouncil. Council shall for activities, such as meetings, that are consistent with the Consti- Committee shall consist of the Treasurer/Publisher, the Executive retain the power to replace an incumbent officer at any time follow- tution and Bylaws and the fiscal policies of the Society. Petty cash Officer, the Vice-President, and three other members appointed by ing a review. accounts may be maintained by the Secretary-Treasurers of Divi- the President-Elect to staggered three-year terms. The Treasurer 2. Review Committee.-The Review Committee shall consist of sions, Topical Groups, Forums, and Sections with the authorization shall serve as Chairperson. The Committee shall meet at least twice the members of the Executive Board except the Executive Officer, of the Treasurer/Publisher of the Society. 8 • July 2008 APS NEWS The Back Page

n 2007, Bill Gates spoke to Congress about using a response to the flight of high tech facilities Iscience and technology to improve innovation and APS, Physics: Aspirations and Goals abroad. The flight is a scary symptom of US competitiveness in American industry: “In my view, decline. our economic future is in peril unless we take three By Leo Kadanoff Many industrial and scientific leaders felt important steps: First, we must equip America’s stu‑ it was imperative to arrest this decline. With dents and workers with the knowledge and skills they staffing in part drawn from the APS Washing‑ need to succeed in today’s knowledge economy. Sec‑ ton office, these leaders produced a series of ond, we need to reform our immigration policies for highly skilled workers so reports and meetings with public officials. The most influential report, “Rising that we can be sure our workforce includes the world’s most talented people. And above the Gathering Storm” advocated (in its priority ordering) third, we need to provide a foundation for future innovation by investing in new 1. better education in schools ideas and providing a framework for capturing their value.” This statement is part 2. financial support for useful research in physical sciences of a movement by leaders in industry and science, including our own American 3. support for higher education Physical Society (APS), to invigorate US physical sciences. 4. more immigration of high tech workers Here, I’ll talk about physics: its position at the top of the heap after World War 5. lower taxes on high tech in industry II, its rapid decline during and after the Vietnam War, its efforts to rise again. At 2007: A good year foreseen the moment, APS’s attempts to boost physics are based upon lobbying for in‑ Last year, 2007, started out as a very good year for both the American Physical creased governmental funding of research. At the end of this talk, I’ll suggest that Society and American Physics. The previous year had brought broad support to APS increase its own effectiveness by making a substantially expanded parallel the ideas of “Rising Above...” Early in 2007, authorization bills had been passed, effort on improving education. which would, if converted into action, support both research and education as Looking Back; looking down suggested in “Rising Above...”.These bills got support from the White House, both Houses of At a recent University cocktail party, a colleague asked me about how I felt about physics’ Congress, and both Democrats and Republicans. All that was needed was an appropriation which decline in public prestige. This was to some extent a putdown. He is an economist. Then and now would convert the plans into reality. APS continued to press for our own main goal: better support economists were to be found at the top of my university’s status tree. They had replaced physical of research. scientists in the perches on the topmost limbs. One might be able to see on the horizon, clouds, no larger than a man’s hand, which could mar Looking down from the top is jolly good fun. In 1960, I took up a postdoc in Copenhagen. this potentially fine picture. First cloud: Congressional talk about the previous two appropriation That in itself was exciting. Nobody in my family had crossed the ocean in a civilian role since bills had promised great leaps in physical science funding. In both cases the leaps disappeared at my mother’s steerage passage in 1911. The Bolshoi Ballet came to town. As the highest cultural the last moment. Second cloud: the push toward new research funding was built upon the premise institution in the USSR they could only meet with ... us! So the often shy and awkward physicists that business creativity would arise from a fertile research establishment. A buzzing of business came to dance with the ballerinas. Those graceful creatures moved under the watchful eyes of opinion, for example in The Economist magazine, put forward the contrary premise that the im‑ heavyset women who worked, no doubt, for the Soviet version of intelligence or security agencies. portant factor in corporate innovation was the creative push of business managers. Third cloud: Promptly at 11:15 the watchers clapped their hands, the Bolshoi left. We were left behind, much although the support for increasing research and education was very broad, it was also very shal‑ impressed with our own social status. low. The same businesses which were now pushing federal support of research had previously Soon thereafter, as an assistant professor, I went to a scientific meeting in a very nice Ital‑ rejected supporting US research within its own organizations. What would happen when push ian town, Ravello, high above the Amalfi Drive. A movie company settled in our hotel. Like the came to shove? Bolshoi the movie people thought that we could share their status at the top. They drew us into All through the year, APS’ lobbyists kept pushing government on the numbers in the various their circle, asking what we thought of the perpetual motion machine (first kind) that one of them bills that were intended to support research. In this way, APS worked to ensure that physics got (Ronald Colman) had invented. We were indeed pleased and flattered, most especially by their the full dose, or more, of the moneys which had been quasi-promised in the authorization process. almost first-hand gossip about their social world, including things about the sex life of Bertrand APS kept its eye on the research money, only on that money. Well, push did come to shoving be‑ Russell. tween White House and Congress. Toward the end of the appropriations process there was a $20 Quite a while later, I attended that cocktail party in which my colleague jabbed at me with the billion difference between congressional bills and presidential statements. The president threat‑ fact that physics had fallen off its pedestal. “How did I feel about our no longer being in intellectual ened a veto over that $20 billion. The people in Congress, our supporters, and our critics agreed to ‘high society’?” “Just fine,” I said, “it gives me more time to work on the really worthwhile thing: a final bill half way between the President’s number and Congress’. In that compromise, almost all physics” ( I’m not quite sure I really said that. Memory is often flattering.) increases for physical sciences were eliminated. A Golden (or maybe Silver) Age Now we are in a tight spot. We were speaking out for doubling the research spending of three Physics and physicists started the period after World War II with a great public reputation pro‑ federal agencies: DOE, NSF, NIST. Much of the momentum of this process has been lost. In duced by the world-shattering work of Einstein, the inventors of quantum mechanics, and the contrast, in the next months, the nation is planning to spend more than $400 billion over budget to developers of nuclear weapons. (Radar, codes, computers, and operations research counted too.) make up for some errors of greedy moneylenders. As far as I can see, our more modest numbers We helped invent new industries. We offered advice at the highest levels of government. have been drowned in that ocean of money. In this period, monetary support for physics and jobs for physicists came from a myriad of Back to Basics governmental labs and agencies, both civilian and military. Parallel support came from excellent In my view, we have to go back to the beginning and make a new long-range plan. To do this industrial labs with major components of both basic and applied work. Widespread public enthu‑ we have to recognize that our industrial partners in “Rising above the Gathering Storm” and as‑ siasm for our work was kept going by the invention of the laser, maser, and transistor and later, in sociated efforts are mostly concerned about workforce issues, and only secondarily worried by response to Sputnik. the relative decline in the US capacity for basic research. The workforce could be improved by But then things started falling apart. better education. APS can improve the effectiveness of its advocacy and of its partnership with Decline: Disaster after Disaster industry by making its goals equally education and research. If we argue and work for research, Our mutually supportive arrangement with the military fell away when physicists did not but not education, we will appear to be crass and selfish. The APS, its members, and physicists fully support the Vietnam war. The river of military money became a trickle. in general should, I believe, follow the mandate of the APS Council which tells us that Scientific jobs in US industrial labs also started to disappear. Industrial labs often seem A strong educational program in Science and Mathematics is crucial for our to have a roughly seven year lifetime of vibrant activity. They then shrink or close and are national well-being. [...] Science literacy for all citizens is necessary to ensure full participation in the society of the future. (1983) replaced by new labs. Only a few have a long life. This dynamic worked just fine in the US until, in recent years, the replacement labs in the physical sciences stopped coming. In parallel I would thus urge APS lobbyists and policy makers to spend as much time on educational many firms moved facilities abroad or built them anew in places like Ireland or India or China. issues as upon research budgeting. APS concerns should include the entire spectrum of educa‑ Why? Some firms perhaps were looking for a less expensive and better educated workforce. tion: from pre-school programs to graduate training to science literacy for all. In particular, In addition, these facilities do serve as an advertisement for the firms in their growing mar‑ APS should take a much larger role in asking for better training of teachers. kets. Overall, our industrial research showed a gradual decline over a long period, punctuated Further, I would suggest that the richer of the physicists’ institutions–Stanford, Princeton, by the abrupt decline of Bell Labs, Xerox PARC, and Exxon’s central research facility. With Chicago, etc.–and the richer of the associations of scientists–AIP, APS, AAAS, etc.–should de‑ the decline and flight of industrial research, more than half the financial base for US physics vote a small percentage (perhaps 2% per year) of their savings and endowment to the enhance‑ disappeared. ment of pre-college education. They can accomplish this by freeing the time of concerned Military sponsors also fell away. I recently attended an Army Research Office (ARO) con‑ staff members to lead and participate in educational programs, both nationwide and local. In ference intended to celebrate 50 years of ARO’s accomplishments. They gloried in their past particular, they should take a much larger role in the training of teachers. A similar contribution support for basic research, including the developments in atomic physics, by Dan Kleppner might be expected from government labs and agencies containing scientists. and others, which made possible the global positioning satellite system. They also pointed out One success might be particularly close at hand. APS, AAPT, and AIP could contribute to that future accomplishments would be very different from past ones. No more basic research. high school physics teaching by using their resources to double the size of their very successful Instead ARO wanted to support work on the immediate problems posed by the redesign of PhysTEC and PTEC teacher training programs. the army for much more intense firepower. They mentioned, for example, developing a better I shall close with a comment by APS President Arthur Bienenstock. In his work in the (US) Pres‑ cloth for parachutes. ident’s Office of Science and Technology he had a major interest in educational issues. He said that High energy physics was struck by its own very significant disaster: the closure of the this interest paid off not only in the improvement of education but also enabled his involvement in Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) project in 1993. This Texas machine would have kept alliances that made him more effective on other issues. I advocate forAPS use of precisely that synergy. the center of particle physics in the US for a substantial time. The world is flat; we are sliding off Copyright Leo Kadanoff (2008) That’s ancient history. Let’s jump to more recent events. After a long dry period for the Leo Kadanoff is the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Distinguished Service Profes- physical sciences, about three years ago industrial leaders including Norman Augustine, for‑ sor Emeritus at the University of Chicago. He served as APS President in 2007. This article mer head of Lockheed, and Craig R. Barrett, the chairman of Intel, began to lobby intensively is adapted from his retiring Presidential address, delivered at the APS April Meeting in St. for better federal support for the physical sciences. As I see it, this effort was in large measure Louis.

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