October 2016 • Vol. 25, No. 9

A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Physicists Who Blog APS.ORG/APSNEWS Page 3

Promoting Physics Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education: the PIPELINE Program First Palestine Advanced Physics School By Crystal Bailey, APS Careers various PIE activities at member By Rachel Gaal Program Manager institutions during each academic The Arab American University year of the three-year grant, revis- APS is proud to announce a new in Jenin (AAUJ) recently hosted ing approaches (or where appro- NSF-funded project, PIPELINE, the 5th Palestinian Conference on priate, “swapping” them between to promote innovation and entre- Modern Trends in Mathematics

institutions) during each iteration, Scientists for Palestine preneurship education in phys- and Physics (PCMTMP-V), and finally documenting and dis- ics at the undergraduate level. which is one of the main scien- seminating the developed curricu- This project will combine efforts lum. PIPELINE will also develop tific events in Palestine. Over of six institutions — Loyola research tools for investigating two hundred students from the University Maryland, Rochester the link between PIE experiences Palestinian Territories and abroad Institute of Technology, William and student and faculty attitudes gathered over three days to dis- and Mary, The George Washington about innovation and entrepre- cuss advances in theoretical and University, the University of neurship; these tools can be used applied mathematics and physics. Colorado Denver, and Wright State by physics departments at other The keynote speakers — Jonathan University — to develop and dis- institutions for gauging, monitor- Ellis of King’s College London and seminate new curricular and co- ing, and improving institutional Charles Doering of the University curricular approaches to physics of Michigan — gave plenary talks; Students attending the Palestine Advanced Physics School at the Arab- change around PIE. Throughout American University in Jenin. innovation and entrepreneurship the project’s lifespan, findings and Ellis spoke on the physics beyond (PIE) education. This project will materials will be broadly shared the standard model, and Doering This year, the PCMTMP-V was 30 graduate students from a number also advance our understanding with the physics community at on the 100-year history of the accompanied by another notable of universities in Palestine for three of how these practices affect stu- APS and AAPT meetings, in APS mathematics behind Rayleigh- event at AAUJ — in fact, the days of instruction. Created by a dent and faculty attitudes towards News and other publications, as Bénard convection. Other invited first of its kind in the Palestinian newly founded international group, innovation and entrepreneurship well as on the new project website speakers and attendees presented Territories. The first Palestinian Scientists for Palestine, and co- in physics. go.aps.org/2d7AqtL their research to round out the Advanced Physics School preceded funded by CERN and the Sharing PIPELINE will implement PIPELINE continued on page 4 conference. the conference, attracting around PALESTINE continued on page 6

2016 LeRoy Apker Award Recipients physics.aps.org Research News: Editors’ Choice By Rachel Gaal with topology-dependent molecu- A Monthly Recap of Papers Selected by the Editors Two young physicists have lar compaction and elongation” won the 2016 APS LeRoy Apker appeared in Soft Matter, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry. On the Edge of “Acoustic Award for exceptional undergradu- ate research: Stephanie Gorczyca of She was recently accepted into Graphene” the University of California, Researchers in China have the University of San Diego, and Nick Rivera of the Massachusetts Los Angeles and University of

crafted the acoustic equivalent Nature Physics Institute of Technology (MIT). California, San Francisco Doctor of a topological insulator (TI) of Dental Surgery/Ph.D. programs, that exhibits the quantum spin Gorczyca and Rivera will receive their awards at the where she hopes to Hall effect for sound. This is the continue her research. hallmark of TI behavior in which March Meeting 2017 in New Orleans. The APS Working under the waves cannot propagate through supervision of Marin the bulk of the material but only at Council approved the finalists in mid-Sep- Soljacic, Rivera is the material’s edges. He et al. have a joint Department constructed a newer, more robust tember, following the LeRoy Apker Award of Energy / MIT experimental setup compared to Selection Meeting in School of Science previous studies. As described July 2016. fellow. Currently a in Nature Physics (doi:10.1038/ Adjacent metal rods of two different radii create an acoustic topological The research car- Ph.D. candidate in nphys3867), their TI is composed Stephanie Gorczyca insulator through which sound waves propagate without resistance caused ried out by Gorczyca MIT’s Department of macroscopic stainless-steel by defects. in the Physics and of Physics, he com- rods arranged in air to mimic the Proton Radius Puzzle Widens the collaboration used precision Biophysics Department pleted his undergrad honeycomb structure of graphene. The deuterium nucleus — made laser spectroscopy to determine at the University of research with the MIT Within a constant lattice structure, up of one proton and one neutron the deuterium nuclear radius to be San Diego investi- Photonics and Modern the radii of the rods, which are — appears to have the same “size 2.12 femtometers, which is signifi- gated crowding effects Electromagnetics analogous to atom radii, are varied problem” as the proton does. In cantly (7.5σ) smaller than previous on the diffusion and Group. He is the lead to create different regions with an 2010, researchers studying an estimates based on spectroscopy conformation of DNA author on a recently interface that behaves like a TI. By exotic form of hydrogen reported of “nonexotic” atoms, as well as molecules. Under the published article in launching sound waves through the an unexpectedly small value for electron scattering. The cause of supervision of Rae M. Science reporting on material, the researchers observed the proton radius. Now that same this size discrepancy — as well as Robertson-Anderson, Nick Rivera this work, “Shrinking that the waves propagated via the group, the CREMA collaboration, that for the proton radius — has she manipulated sizes, shapes, light to allow for- edge states along the interface. has performed a similar study with not yet been deciphered, but one and concentrations of crowding bidden transitions on the atomic They then carried out experiments exotic deuterium, in which a muon tantalizing possibility is a new molecules in solutions embedded scale,” which lies at the intersec- to demonstrate the topologically takes the place of the atom’s usual fundamental force acting between with ring or linear DNA. Gorczyca tion of nanophotonics and quan- protected nature of such states: electron. The larger mass of the muons and protons. showed that both shapes of DNA tum electrodynamics. Rivera and the acoustic waves were unaf- muon means the muonic orbitals Digging Out the Qubits molecules undergo topology-driven his collaborators showed theoreti- cally that spontaneous emission of fected even when certain defects overlap with the nucleus much Although quantum computers conformational changes to facili- photons can become the dominant were introduced at the interface, more than the normal electronic made from qubits (short for quan- tate movement through the high- transition in an excited system. By like cavities (missing rods), lattice orbitals do. This greater overlap tum bits) are thought to be the viscosity environments. The work using plasmonic excitations associ- disorder, and bends. This acoustic makes certain atomic transitions in ultimate code crackers, the ability uncovered a possible mechanism ated with the 2D material graphene, TI could serve as a model system muonic deuterium extremely sensi- to use and apply qubits is limited within DNA that inhibits movement the researchers showed that sponta- to study topological phenomena tive to the radius of the deuterium by their lifespan (that is, how long in various biological processes. without the complications of con- nucleus. As reported in Science “Universal scaling of crowding- neous emission can be controlled, ventional solid-state TIs. (DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf2468), RESEARCH continued on page 7 induced DNA mobility is coupled APKER continued on page 6

Revised 10/11/2016 2 • October 2016

This Month in Physics History “Debbie was a role model for physicist Percy Paul, who grew up me – a hero. … The talks she gave in the English River First Nation in October 19, 1955: Discovery of the Antiproton Announced were a model of clarity. … She was northwest Saskatchewan, thestar- so famous, but still someone you phoenix.com, September 15, 2016. cientists in the early 20th century assumed that could talk to very easily.” a particle’s energy must always be a positive Ana Maria Rey, University “The more I started taking S number. That changed in 1928, when Paul Dirac of Colorado Boulder and JILA, courses at the university, the more formulated an equation to describe the behavior of on the passing of Deborah Jin, I realized that I don't really like relativistic electrons in electric and magnetic fields. CU Boulder Today, September math. Computer science is boring. He suggested that antiparticles could exist as well 22, 2016. And everything that had to do with as particles, each with the same mass as its twin, the little physics that they forced only with the sign of both of the electrical charge “A lot, lot harder. … What did you to take was very interesting. and the energy reversed.

come out was more impressive than So I converted completely.” Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Following Dirac’s work, the race was on to find I thought would be possible.” Or Hen, Massachusetts Institute some experimental means of proving the existence Nobel laureate Carl Wieman of Technology, on becoming a phys- of antiparticles — and it took only four years. In comparing Deborah Jin’s research icist, dailypress.com, September August 1932, a young Caltech postdoc named Carl with his work with Eric Cornell 5, 2016. Anderson recorded an historic photograph: the track producing the first Bose-Einstein of a positively charged particle passing through a condensate, New York Times, “Scientists learn in the lab but cloud chamber. It was neither a proton nor an elec- September 21, 2016. are sometimes unprepared for the tron traveling backwards; it was an antiparticle, real world. Our book tells scientists later dubbed the positron. Despite initial skepticism “His deportation without any how to find a job, get funding, and from other physicists, his result was confirmed the explanation is something that get your ideas published.” following year. The discovery snagged Anderson makes me feel ashamed for my Federico Rosei, Institut a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1936, at the age of 31 Berkeley physicists Edward McMillan and Edward country. … If there is no objec- National de la Recherche — one of the youngest people to be so honored. Lofgren, shown here on the shielding of the Beva- tive reason for this extreme act, Scientifique, Montreal, on the death tron, which was used to produce antiprotons. McMil- (Dirac won the prize three years earlier.) the Brazilian government should of his co-author, plasma physicist lan was the co-inventor of the synchrotron. The success of Dirac’s theory led physicists to revoke the act of deportation and Tudor Johnston, The Globe and would cover that distance 11 nanoseconds faster. conclude that it could also be applied to protons — request the French authorities to Mail, September 18, 2016. It was still possible to get two pions mimicking an and that meant there must be antiprotons. But the send him back to Rio.” antiproton signal, however, so the physicists also accelerators available at the time simply weren’t Ron Shellard, director of the “It’s a seductive idea to think brought in two detectors of Cerenkov radiation — powerful enough to create them. So at his “Rad Brazilian Center for Physics that human impacts aren’t a major one using a liquid fluorocarbon as a medium and Lab” in Berkeley, California, Ernest O. Lawrence Research (CBPF), on the deporta- driver of climate change.” the other using quartz. The first would measure set out to build a synchrotron machine capable tion of physicist Adlène Hicheur, Robert Davies, Utah State the velocity of any particles traveling faster than of producing the 2 billion electron volts required Nature, September 14, 2016. University, on policymakers avoid- an antiproton, while the second was designed to to create proton-antiproton pairs. It was called ing the challenges of global warm- detect only those particles moving at exactly the the Bevatron, since at the time the unit acronym “The game is to try to match ing, thespectrum.com, September predicted speed for antiprotons. for a billion electron volts was BeV (now known the mutation in the tumor cells to 15, 2016. As one last safeguard against a false detec- as GeV). responding T cells to see if we can tion, there was one other experiment deployed. There were two separate teams assigned the task figure out which T cell response is “Biologists and perhaps physi- It involved photographic emulsion stacks to pick of hunting for the antiproton. Edward Lofgren led caused by which mutation.” cists will understand much better up the telltale star-shaped bursts indicative of an one team, and Emilio Segre and Owen Chamberlain Curtis Callan, Princeton how the brain works. But why annihilation event from a proton-antiproton pair. headed up the other. The Bevatron had the high University, on his collaboration something that we call conscious- The two teams began alternating experimen- voltage to produce antiprotons. The challenge with cancer researchers, Wall ness goes with those workings, I tal runs in August 1955, although the Bevatron would be detecting them amid the myriad other Street Journal, September 25, 2016. think that will remain mysterious. I broke down on September 5, right in the middle of particles that would also be produced in the colli- have a much easier time imagining Segre and Chamberlain’s second run. Once it had sions in the ten millionth of a second between the “He’s a really interesting case. how we understand the Big Bang been repaired, Lofgren generously gave them his appearance of an antiproton and its annihilation … There are really smart people in than I have imagining how we can scheduled beam time so they could complete their upon contact with a proton. They concluded that all corners of the world.” understand consciousness… .” experiment. And that run proved to be the decisive they needed to precisely measure two properties to James Forrest, Perimeter Edward Witten, Institute for one, yielding the first evidence of antiprotons. make an identification based on mass and charge: Institute and University of Advanced Study, futurism.com, In order to analyze all the data from thousands momentum and velocity. Waterloo, Ontario, on his colleague August 28, 2016. of particle interactions, the teams recruited human The teams opted to measure momentum using operators — such as the wives of graduate students an elaborate system of magnetic quadrupole lenses. — working with big measuring machines (dubbed When the proton beam collided with the copper “Frankensteins”) to follow the particle tracks. The target, it would send particle fragments flying in all operators used a foot pedal to punch the data into directions, and only those within certain momentum IBM cards. Then early computers reconstructed APS News intervals could pass though the lens system, which those particle tracks to calculate the momentum online deflected any negative particles through collimator and energy of each one, enabling them to identify apertures and blocked any positive particles. which particles had been produced. Finally, the For their velocity measurements, the physicists emulsion-stack images were reviewed to verify aps.org/apsnews used scintillation counters to time how long it took any annihilation events. particles to travel between two detectors separated All told, Segre and Chamblerlain’s experiment by 12 meters. This would help them distinguish between pions and antiprotons, since the former ANTIPROTON continued on page 3

Series II, Vol. 25, No. 9 APS COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES 2016 International Councilors Staff Representatives October 2016 Marcia Barbosa, Eliezer Rabinovici, Johanna Stachel, Mark Doyle, Chief Information Officer; Amy Flatten President © 2016 The American Physical Society Kiyoshi Ueda Director of International Affairs; Ted Hodapp, Director Homer A. Neal*, University of Michigan of Project Development and Senior Advisor to the Chair, Nominating Committee Department of Education and Diversity; Trish Lettieri, Editor...... David Voss President-Elect Paul Chaikin Director of Membership; Irene Lukoff, Director Laura H. Greene*, Florida State University Science Writer ...... Rachel Gaal of Development; Michael Lubell, Director, Public Chair, Panel on Public Affairs Affairs; Daniel T. Kulp, Editorial Director; Christine Contributing Correspondent ...... Alaina G. Levine Vice President Julia Phillips Giaccone, Director, Journal Operations; Terri Olsen, Roger W. Falcone*, University of California, Berkeley/ Art Director and Special Publications Manager...... Kerry G. Johnson Director of Meetings; Monica Plisch, Director of LLBL Editor in Chief Education and Diversity; Matthew Salter, Publisher; Design and Production...... Nancy Bennett-Karasik Pierre Meystre* Michael Stephens, Controller and Assistant Treasurer; Past-President Proofreader...... Edward Lee James W. Taylor, Deputy Executive Officerand Chief Samuel H. Aronson*, Brookhaven National Laboratory Division, Forum and Section Councilors Operating Officer APS News (ISSN: 1058-8132) is published 11X yearly, Subscriptions: APS News is an on-membership publica- (Retired) Miriam Forman (Astrophysics); Timothy Gay* monthly, except the August/September issue, by the tion delivered by Periodical Mail Postage Paid at Col- (Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics); Jose Onuchic * Members of the APS Board of Directors American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, Col- lege Park, MD and at additional mailing offices. Chief Executive Officer (Biological); Amy Mullin* (Chemical); John Bradley lege Park, MD 20740-3844, (301) 209-3200. It contains Kate P. Kirby*, Harvard Smithsonian (retired) Marston (Condensed Matter Physics); Giulia Galli news of the Society and of its Divisions, Topical Groups, For address changes, please send both the old and new (Computational); Ann Karagozian (Fluid Dynamics); Sections, and Forums; advance information on meetings addresses, and, if possible, include a mailing label from Speaker of the Council Gay Stewart* (Forum on Education); Julia Gonski of the Society; and reports to the Society by its commit- a recent issue. Changes can be emailed to membership@ Nan Phinney*, Stanford University (Forum on Graduate Student Affairs); Dan Kleppner* tees and task forces, as well as opinions. aps.org. Postmaster: Send address changes to APS (Forum on History of Physics); John Rumble, (Forum News, Membership Department, American Physical Treasurer on Industrial and Applied Physics); Young-Kee Kim* Letters to the editor are welcomed from the member- Society, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740- James Hollenhorst*, Agilent Technologies (Forum on International Physics); Pushpa Bhat ship. Letters must be signed and should include an ad- 3844. (Forum on Physics and Society); Nicholas Bigelow* dress and daytime telephone number. APS reserves the Corporate Secretary (Laser Science); James Chelikowsky (Materials); right to select and to edit for length and clarity. All cor- Ken Cole Wick Haxton* (Nuclear); P. Michael Tuts (Particles respondence regarding APS News should be directed to: Coden: ANWSEN ISSN: 1058-8132 & Fields); Thomas Roser (Physics of Beams); Cary Editor, APS News, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, General Councilors Forest (Plasma); Mark Ediger (Polymer Physics); Nan MD 20740-3844, Email: [email protected]. Marcelo Gleiser, Nadya Mason, Gail McLaughlin*, Phinney* (California Section); Carlos Wexler (Prairie Bonnie Flemming Section) October 2016 • 3 Virtual Think Tanks: Physicists Who Blog

Washington Dispatch By Rachel Gaal From the APS Office of Public Affairs Physicists typically show- POLICY UPDATE case their research by preparing a journal article or giving a lec- ISSUE: CONGRESSIONAL ACTIONS With the clock ticking down on the start of the new fiscal year and Election ture. Blogging about discoveries Day, it came as no surprise that November 8 campaign priorities won out is not part of the job description, over October 1 budget obligations. Congress left town without passing but some physicists choose to dive the required set of 12 appropriations bills needed to keep the government into this endeavor to answer ques- operating beyond September 30. Instead, as in almost every year during tions, stimulate creative thought, or the last two decades, lawmakers resorted to a continuing resolution that to simply have their followers learn would put federal programs on autopilot and extend existing activities what science is all about. through at least December of this year. Several APS members are among those physicists who Even passage of that stopgap measure proved politically challenging. actively blog, and some of their blogs are hosted by mainstream Senate Republicans demanded that the $1.1 billion in emergency funding outlets like Forbes, Medium, and for the Zika virus be offset with cuts to other programs, and that Planned National Public Radio (NPR). No Parenthood of Puerto Rico be barred from using any of the funds. Demo- matter the topic, blogging gives sci- crats objected, and the impasse temporarily threatened a government ence enthusiasts an inside look at shutdown. what makes these physicists tick, showcasing what are essentially Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) insisted on adding a provision to the short-term their informal “think tanks.” spending bill that would prevent the White House from transferring over- Marcelo Gleiser: 13.7 - Cosmos Clockwise from upper left: Sabine Hossenfelder of Backreaction; sight of world-wide-web domain name registrations to a Los-Angeles-based & Culture: Commentary on Ethan Siegel of Starts With a Bang; Marcelo Gleiser of 13.7; and the multinational private organization known as the Internet Corporation for Science and Society anonymous blogger of the Physics ArXiv blog. Assigned Names and Numbers. Named after the estimated age of promote awareness and cultural of knowledge itself. No matter the the universe, 13.7 billion years, and understanding. topic, Gleiser and other contributors Finally, Democratic language to raise the Export-Import Bank loan limit quite possibly a reference to the fine- Besides his collection of phil- keep readers on their toes, urging above $10 million ran into a buzz saw of conservative opposition in the structure constant, 13.7 – Cosmos osophical science books and his them to discover unseen connec- Senate. What should have been a well-paved path to an early exit from & Culture is NPR’s only opinion appearances in science documen- tions and to consider the culmina- the Capitol turned into an acre of quicksand. blog, focused on sparking conversa- taries, Gleiser has a constant pres- tion of science through different tions at the intersections of science And those were only the obstacles in the Senate. Across the way, the ence on 13.7, where he regularly philosophical viewpoints. His first and culture. Co-founder Marcelo contributes his thoughts on a num- blog post, titled Science For A New far-right GOP House Freedom Caucus, the nemesis of the Republican Gleiser, a cosmologist, treats 13.7 leadership, threatened to hold up passage of any continuing resolution ber of topics. NPR launched 13.7 Millennium, discussed the inven- as a constructive platform to talk in 2009, featuring Gleiser, along that would allow a “lame-duck” session (i.e., one that meets after the tion of science itself, connecting its about spirituality, human culture, with astrophysicist Adam Frank, November general elections) of Congress to write a spending bill for fiscal history to “the same curiosity that and everyday science. who also is a regular contributor. year 2017. They insisted on a resolution that would either carry through has moved our collective imagi- Specializing in astrobiology, Many of 13.7’s commentaries the middle of March or cover the full fiscal year. nation for thousands of years.” cosmology, and nonlinear phys- are geared toward how our culture Expressing his excitement for the ics, Gleiser teaches at Dartmouth perceives attributes of science — Desperate to avoid a government shutdown, legislators finally agreed to launch of 13.7, Gleiser stresses the College, where he is a professor like our existence in three spatial a December 9 termination date. The internecine battles will likely resume importance of the blog, claiming of physics and astronomy. As dimensions — but some delve then, unless lawmakers decide that the holidays are more important than it to be a “wonderful opportunity” the director of the Institute for into religious topics, current hot partisan jousting and either pass combined appropriations bills (one or to be a part of and to share in the Cross-Disciplinary Engagement topics in science (including scru- several) or extend the continuing resolution until sometime into the new ongoing conversation with readers at Dartmouth, Gleiser believes tiny of new physics beyond the calendar year. around the world. the general public should actively Higgs boson), and deep-think dia- discuss scientific discoveries to logues, including the possible end BLOG continued on page 4 Members of Congress who authorize programs in each chamber arguably made somewhat better although still limited progress. The Senate passed bipartisan bills authorizing science activities housed in the National Insti- tute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy, while the House managed only to pass an International News Energy authorization bill almost entirely along partisan lines. It remains The European Scientific Advice Mechanism Puts Science at the Heart of Policy for House and Senate Energy conferees to try to resolve their differences in conference, which will be a challenging task given the hyper-partisan- By Rolf-Dieter Heuer ship in the House. In January 2014, the European evidence-based debate in the pol- The European Commission has Commission President-elect, Jean- icy arena. By moving away from its own research capacity in the A House rule — in effect for the last four years — that requires authoriza- Claude Juncker, triggered outrage reliance on a single advisor to a form of the Joint Research Centre tions above current spending levels to be offset with cuts from other among Europe’s scientific commu- mechanism that allows for a much (JRC), which carries out research programs has made it extremely difficult for lawmakers to take a long-range nity when he chose not to renew broader, structured consultation relevant to policy making. Recent outlook. The Senate Energy bill, for example, authorizes Office of Science the role of Chief Scientific Advisor among the scientific community, JRC reports cover subjects from the expenditures only one year ahead. In essence, the House rule has made to the Commission. At the time, the kind of debate needed becomes robustness of natural ecosystems in authorizers almost superfluous, except for policy considerations. But there I remained cautiously optimistic not only possible but inevitable. the face of climate change to the is little chance the rule will be eliminated unless the House changes hands. and urged the community to wait safety of inks used in tattoos (the DISPATCH continued on page 6 and see what Mr. Juncker would latter reflecting the growing popu- propose instead: I could not believe larity of tattoos among the young). that he would simply rip science The SAM draws on all this out of policy making. My opti- expertise, working through a mism proved to be well founded, high-level group of seven scien- ANTIPROTON continued from page 2 since one year into his mandate, in tific advisors supported by a strong November 2015, the Commission secretariat in Brussels. I have the detected 60 antiprotons. The team in Physics for their discovery. As launched the Scientific Advice privilege of being one of the seven announced this momentous dis- for the Bevatron, it would continue Mechanism (SAM). by virtue of my longer-than-I-care- covery at a press conference on operating for the next 40 years, The SAM is, in my opinion, a to-admit career in particle physics October 19, 1955, publishing the reinventing itself in 1971 as an much more robust method of pro- and the management of big science. paper in Physical Review Letters on injector for heavy ions. The beam viding scientific advice than plac- Rather than working alone, I share November 1 — just eight days after officially shut off in 1993 and the ing the entire responsibility on the the responsibility with a molecular it had been submitted. Naturally structure was finally demolished shoulders of one individual. When biologist, a sociologist, a materials Rolf-Dieter Heuer the discovery made national head- in 2011. Mr. Juncker did away with the role scientist, a meteorologist, a math- lines, although a reporter at the References: of Chief Scientific Advisor, it was So what is the SAM? To answer ematician, and our chairperson, a local Berkeley Gazette declared it Anderson, Carl A. (1933) “The positive against a backdrop of sometimes- that question, it’s first necessary to microbiologist. Together, we see a “grim new find,” misunderstand- electron,” Physical Review 43(6):491. vitriolic attacks on the incumbent, understand how science is orga- things from all angles, and we have ing the nature of matter/antimat- Chamberlain, Owen et al. (1955) “Ob- Anne Glover, a vocal proponent nized in Europe. Much science in access to a vast range of expertise. ter annihilation. Apparently he servation of antiprotons,” Physical Re- of genetically modified organisms Europe is conducted at the national The way it works is via a two- believed if a person came into con- view Letters 100: 947. (GMOs). In such an environment, it level, with national communities way flow of information. We are tact with an antiproton, that person Dirac, Paul A. M. (1928) “The quantum became impossible to have a ratio- represented by national academies asked by the Commission to pro- would explode. theory of the electron,” Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, nal public debate on the subject, and learned societies. In addition, vide scientific advice for policy Both Chamberlain and Segre Physical and Engineering Sciences and whatever we may feel about there are international bodies, such were awarded the 1959 Nobel Prize 117 (778): 610. GMOs, they deserve a rational, as the European Physical Society. SAM continued on page 6 4 • October 2016

PIPELINE continued from page 1 Atomic Physicist Loses Battle with Cancer at Age 47 Motivation for this project that the development of PIPELINE Deborah S. Jin, adjunct profes- scientific colleague and friend,

stems from the fact that 90 per- materials and practices are guided sor of physics at the University of this news is absolutely devastat- JILA cent of physics students, including by well established innovation and Colorado Boulder, and a Fellow ing,” said APS CEO Kate Kirby. half of all Ph.D. recipients, find entrepreneurship expertise. Also, at JILA (a joint institute of the “Her passing leaves a gaping hole employment outside of traditional the project will develop approaches National Institute of Standards in our physics community and in faculty positions — yet there are that are diverse in terms of over- and Technology and the University our hearts.” very few experiences incorporated all resource and time commitment of Colorado), died on September Jin received her A.B. from into the standard undergraduate required to implement, so that 15, 2016. Princeton in 1990 and her Ph.D. physics degree which explicitly future adopters can identify and Considered by her colleagues to in physics from the University help to prepare students for these use models that best fit their own be a pioneer in ultracold atom and of Chicago in 1995. She was career eventualities. Examples resources and needs. molecule research, Jin had received involved in the early work at JILA include relating physics content to But perhaps the greatest obstacle numerous awards, including a in ultracold atom research and its real-world applications, building to widespread adoption of these MacArthur Fellowship, the APS Bose-Einstein condensates with students’ communication skills, or practices is the sense that PIE adop- Maria Goeppert-Mayer Award, Eric Cornell and Carl Wieman. Deborah Jin familiarizing students with basic tion is tantamount to undermining the APS I. I. Rabi Prize, and the She turned to the study of ultra- NIST colleague and Nobel laure- business concepts, both of which physics as a “pure science,” seeking Isaac Newton Medal of the Institute cold fermionic gases and in 2003 ate William Phillips wrote in an are important for successful private to transform it into a “vocational” of Physics. She was a Fellow of her group made the first fermionic email. “Her pioneering of degen- sector careers. It has been shown field. However, these approaches the APS and a member of U.S. condensate. erate Fermi gases, paired Fermi that [1] physics programs which are intended to build upon, rather National Academy of Sciences. “Debbie, quite simply, changed condensates, the observation of provide engaged learning envi- than replace, “traditional” physics “To those of us who have had cold atom physics in wonderful the BCS-BEC crossover, and so ronments focused on future career education in that they can be easily the privilege to know Debbie Jin and lasting ways whose impor- much more, enriched the field and development have higher retention integrated into existing courses or as an amazing and accomplished tance cannot be overstated,” her all of us.” rates and improved student experi- added as co-curricular activities. ences, and that future employabil- To be effective teachers and men- ity is an especially important factor tors, most academic physicists must BLOG continued from page 3 for students from underrepresented learn something about “entrepre- groups when choosing a major [2, neurial” subjects like project man- Sabine “Bee” Hossenfelder: Ethan R. Siegel: Starts With greatest papers submitted through 3]. Therefore, a program that incor- agement, resource management, Backreaction A Bang the open-access preprint server, porates workforce-relevant training funding, and intellectual property. Hosting a pool of questions and “The Universe is out there, wait- arXiv (although the blog is inde- into the curriculum could lead to By integrating PIE material into the vignettes, Sabine Hossenfelder’s ing for you to discover it.” The tag- pendent). arXiv.org is hosted by better enrollment, retention, and physics discipline, we would not personal blog Backreaction offers line for this popular blog, authored Cornell University, and contains diversity of new majors, as well as only be supporting the vast major- original thoughts and ideas based and edited by astronomer Ethan R. thousands of submitted math- generating more workforce-confi- ity of our students destined for the upon her experience as a theoreti- Siegel, embodies the idea of scien- ematics, physics, and technology dent graduates. private sector, but also the small cal physicist. Known through her tific discovery and the fascination research papers, with monthly sub- At the same time, by its very percentage who will become per- blogger pseudonym “Bee,” she that goes along with the story of missions reaching over 8,000. nature physics research prepares manent academic physicists as well. isn’t afraid to speak her mind, can- the universe. While Siegel himself Because of arXiv’s popularity, physicists to be generalists. Most of By supporting the widespread didly stinging others in her writing; writes much of the content, he hosts @KentuckyFC’s prime goal is to the world’s greatest game-changing adoption of practices which explic- Hossenfelder uses Backreaction a number of physicists and science sort through weekly submissions technologies (e.g. the transistor, the itly promote innovation, career con- as a gateway to allow followers to writers on his blog, including Sabine and write brief pieces for the gen- laser, medical devices, and the fiber fidence, and career preparedness know her philosophical side, rather Hossenfelder from Backreaction, eral public on papers that appear in optic cable) have originated in the among physics majors, PIPELINE than solely her track record within Jillian Scudder, author of the Q&A the preprint server. Started in 2007 minds of physicists, who are able has the potential to improve stu- academia and research. platform Astroquizzical, and Paul on the The Physics ArXiv blog, the to draw upon a deep understand- dent learning and career outcomes, Currently a research fel- Halpern, author of multiple science coverage was picked up by main- ing of the physical world to cre- and to elevate the profile of private low at the Frankfurt Institute for books and articles. stream media and regarded highly ate new, out-of-the-box solutions sector and entrepreneurial paths as Advanced Studies in Frankfurt, Siegel has become a sizable — particularly by Wired.com, which which in turn lead to new technolo- legitimate career trajectories for Germany, Hossenfelder aims to presence in scientific communi- called it “the web’s best physics gies. Widespread incorporation of physics faculty and students. These uncover new physics beyond the cations: At the beginning of his blog” in 2008. Only a few years technology-focused experiential changes will not only positively standard model — the current the- career in academia and research, he passed before Technology Review, learning spaces in physics depart- impact physics as a discipline, but ory of fundamental particles and moved toward the educational side published by the Massachusetts ments will leverage students’ ver- indeed the entire STEM workforce. forces — and find new evidence of science, writing as a columnist Institute of Technology, picked up satility, curiosity, and creativity, Physics faculty who are interested of quantum gravity. After receiving for NASA’s The Space Place, and the blog in 2009 and transitioned and allow them to apply that deep in learning more about PIPELINE her Ph.D. in theoretical physics, recently publishing a book geared its content to more technology- and knowledge to addressing important can visit the project webpage, Hossenfelder conducted research toward budding astronomers — computer science-focused posts. human needs. go.aps.org/2daD11M/, for infor- as a fellow at many institutions, Beyond the Galaxy: How Humanity While The Physics arXiv Blog still Despite the many advantages mation about member institutions, including the University of Arizona Looked Beyond Our Milky Way and exists on Medium, most posts are of incorporating more workforce- links to join the PIPELINE mail- and the University of California, Discovered the Entire Universe. featured on Emerging Technology relevant activities into the physics ing list, and announcements about Santa Barbara. She frequently pub- Created in 2008, Starts With A from the arXiv, which is part of Technology Review. curriculum, there are a variety of upcoming PIPELINE sessions and lishes on topics like black holes and Bang was hosted on ScienceBlogs, For instance, prototype WiFi- challenges to widespread adoption conferences. Additional questions quantum gravity, while also writing until the mainstream outlet Forbes enabled contact lenses seem of PIE practices. These include can be directed to Crystal Bailey as a freelancer for major publica- picked it up in 2016. Siegel’s stories impossible to decipher if one is (1) a lack of faculty awareness ([email protected]). tions and other science blogs. capture a variety of audiences with Created in 2006, many of her not familiar with biomedicine or of actual employment outcomes [1] 1.R. Hilborn, R. Howes, and K. his passionate approach, and he Drane, “Strategic Programs for posts reflect her interest in the soci- computing science. Emerging for physics graduates, and there- won the 2010 Physics Blog Award Innovations in Undergraduate ology of science, like the similari- Technology from the arXiv takes fore limited understanding of the from the Institute of Physics, and a need for experiences relevant to Physics: Project Report,” The ties of quark-gluon plasmas and a crack at explaining this technol- American Association of Physics Charm Quark writing award winner bananas, or the consensus defini- ogy to the layperson, taking into a non-academic career path; (2) Teachers, College Park, MD, Janu- from 3 Quarks Daily. tion of the big bang. Others simply account the strange feats that go into discomfort with incorporating ary 2003.2. In the blog’s monthly podcasts address news within the physics these technologies, (like convert- entrepreneurial content because it [2] S. J. Basu, “How Students Design for followers, he feasts on topics and Enact Physics Lessons: Five community, or try to explain com- ing Bluetooth frequency to WiFi seems foreign to those with purely like dark energy, interstellar travel, academic backgrounds; and (3) a Immigrant Caribbean Youth and plex subject matter. In line with the frequency). Chock-full of intriguing the Cultivation of Student Voice.” and whether there is life on Mars. lack of institutional buy-in, such personal flavor of Backreaction, submissions, like the future of real Journal of Research in Science Written posts embrace physics and that adding a new course, track or Hossenfelder occasionally offers estate on the moon, or the strange Teaching, vol. 45, no. 8, pp. 881 – astronomy themes (like why some facility seems too ambitious for 899,2008.3. unadulterated opinions. Her posts correlation between major aircraft galaxies appear “dustier” on one many departments. PIPELINE [3] S. J. Basu, A. C. Barton, N. Clair- often include tags like “rant,” accidents and humans’ morbid inter- half than the other), and encourage hopes to address these challenges mont, D. Locke, “Developing a “humor,” or “random.” est in their details, the contents of @ followers to get involved in dis- by involving physics faculty who framework for critical science agen- Recently discussing the “night- KentuckFC’s posts always include cy through case study in a concep- cussion. The featured “Ask Ethan” have already built successful entre- mare scenario” of the Large Hadron a straight break-down of what you tual physics context.” Cultural Stud- posts — recently, for instance, preneurship programs (e.g., at Case Collider (LHC), following the need to know from these papers. ies of Science Education, vol. 4, no. answering the question of where Western and Carthage College), so 2,pp. 345 – 371, 2008. demise of the 750 GeV “dipho- No matter the subject, the secret ton” bump, Hossenfelder expresses exactly the big bang occurred formula for a successful science her worry that scientists will “fail — showcase inquiries from fans blog seems to hinge on triggering to learn from failure.” Asserting around the world. Stunning cosmic the imagination. Discussing where Authors of Papers in APS Journals: that particle physicists “are play- pictures flood the homepage, fur- science has been and where it’s ing today by the same rules as in ther drawing in a curious audience. headed, an effective blog draws in The APS Office of Public Affairs 1973,” around the time the Standard @KentuckyFC – The Physics readers of all backgrounds — eager wants your views on issues Model was created, she feels no ArXiv Blog to learn the thoughts behind the involving “open data.” shame in challenging her followers’ Concealed behind the fast- people immersed in the daily life opinions, stirring up both support food-themed twitter handle @ of a scientific researcher. For more Watch your inbox this month and controversy over the future of KentuckyFC, The Physics arXiv physics blog sites, see the online for a brief survey! particle physics in the comments of Blog is an independent science version of this article at aps.org/ her posts. news outlet covering the latest and apsnews October 2016 • 5

APS Historic Sites: Oak Ridge National Laboratory Q&A with Jürgen Kluge

By Alaina G. Levine ORNL Each year, a group of Nobel Laureates in physics and chem- istry meets with about 400 early career scientists and engineers from over 80 nations. This conference is known as the Lindau Meetings, and APS News had the opportunity to talk with Jürgen Kluge, the new Chairman of the Foundation Lindau Nobel Laureates Meetings. Kluge, who has been associated with the Meetings since the early 2000s, worked for McKinsey & Co. for 25 years, where he concen- APS honored ORNL's Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility asa trated his efforts in the automotive, Historic Physics Site with a plaque on July 25, 2016. The Holifield mechanical engineering, electron- Radioactive Ion Beam Facility and its predecessors, the Oak Ridge ics, utilities, and telecommunica- Isochronous Cyclotron (ORIC) and the Holifield Heavy Ion Research tions industries. He has served on Facility, supported five decades of nuclear physics and astrophys- ics research at ORNL. At the plaque ceremony, from left to right: Alan numerous boards of directors for Jürgen Kluge Tatum (ORNL), Jim Ball (ORNL), Johnny Moore (ORNL), Paul Halpern international companies, and cur- (Chair of APS HIstoric Sites Committee, University of the Sciences), They are amazingly normal people approach. First you see a problem, rently is a senior advisor at Bank Alfredo Galindo-Uribarri (ORNL), Laura Greene (APS President-Elect, of America Merrill Lynch. His (laughs). In a sense they are super then you need a coordinate system Florida State University), Mark Riley (Florida State University), and Jim Ph.D. is in experimental phys- good and they know they are super to describe it. That’s the act of cre- Beene (ORNL). ics, and he is an honorary profes- good. They cruise with weightless ativity and where you need experi- sor of mechanical engineering at speed. I like it relaxed. The Nobel ence, to find a coordinate system Technische Universität Darmstadt Laureates like it relaxed. So the that’s suitable for the problem you in Germany. (This interview has young people shouldn’t be shy. have. [As a physicist], I look at Lindau: The Day I Got the Nobel Prize been edited for length and clarity.) They approach them, they take problems in that structured way. By Alaina G. Levine So having had a taste of Lindau, AGL: Why did you become photos. Selfies are the thing of the AGL: That’s why I think I knew what to expect this year: involved in the Lindau Meetings? day and they don’t mind. They even physicists are particularly well- So I was minding my business at brilliance, brilliance, creativity, and JK: I became involved by sign copies of books. And they are suited for … a conference in Bavaria this sum- brilliance. There are formal lectures Wolfgang Schurer, my good friend approached for advice. That’s what JK: Every problem! Exactly. mer when something rather bizarre given by the laureates in the morn- and predecessor, basically 10 - 15 it’s all about. We are so lucky in Germany with occurred. I got the Nobel Prize in ing, and then master classes and years ago. The meeting had prob- AGL: How has the Lindau Angela Merkel that in times of Physics. semi-private meetings that take lems: financial, organizational, and conference changed over the crisis, we have a trained [physical Allow me to explain. For the place between the Laureates and so forth. Wolfgang had to fix it and years, as science and technol- chemist]. A skill that I have is to last three score and six years, the the students in the afternoons. As he asked me if I could help. I helped ogy has advanced in different explain difficult things in a simple tiny hamlet of Lindau, Germany a journalist, I can only attend the recruit a few sponsors, for example directions? way that normal people understand; has played host to the world’s most “public” events, so as much as I Siemens, who is still a good friend JK: Standstill is not an option; to quote Einstein, as simple as pos- dense aggregation of brainpower. would have liked to send a drone of the meeting, and a few others, we have to make it contemporary, sible, but no simpler. The Lindau Nobel Laureates in to check out what atomic physi- like the Mars Corporation. With without sacrificing the quality and AGL: At this conference Meetings take place here annu- cist and former U.S. Secretary of Wolfgang’s efforts and my little eternal values. But the main pur- what were you especially excited ally, in which multitudes of Nobel Energy Steven Chu was saying to help, it turned around and became pose is not changing. Young scien- about? Were there certain Laureates and hundreds of hungry the kids, I maintained decorum and stable and much better and now it tists and Nobel Laureates 50 years Laureates you wanted to meet? young scientists from over 80 coun- relied on the occasional Snapchat is what it is. ago and in 50 years will be the JK: Steven Chu is always a tries in a particular field flood onto from carefully sourced insiders. AGL: What has been and will same. So that’s enduring. To engage delight. I met the guy who wanted this island town to do what they At this year’s meeting, I spent be the legacy of Lindau? the sponsors, we invented some- to hire me (as a postdoc), Ted do best: talk about science with the week interviewing various lau- JK: It’s called the Lindau thing called “the innovation forum” Hӓnsch; he’s a super guy. He’s so scientists. reates, including Brian Schmidt, Nobel Laureates Meeting but it as a pre-meeting. This time we had pragmatic and he’s kind of a busi- I first attended this confer- Dan Shechtman, and Bill Phillips, should rather be called the young 30 CEOs and CTOs, for example nessman. I like him. But I like all ence four years ago, the last time all gracious and enthusiastic. I scientists meeting. Priority num- from Siemens and Novartis, and of them. it focused on physics. That was a attended lectures by Roy Glauber, ber one is the young scientists, 12 Nobel Laureates, and Vint AGL: Going forward, what mind-blowing adventure, because who walked us down memory lane and frankly that’s why the Nobel Cerf [one of the originators of can we expect next year? never had I been around so many of the days with Feynman and Laureates come here. They come the internet who was at Lindau in JK: It’s just a superbly orga- Laureates in one place. But being Oppenheimer, and went to press here to meet the young scientists, an exchange with the Heidelberg nized, beautiful meeting in a superb that it was summer of 2012, there conferences concerning migration to help them, mentor them, coach Laureate Forum]. We had discus- setting, carried by the goodwill of was also another pinch-me moment in science, women in science, and them, talk to them, and exchange sions about quantum computing nearly everyone here. So I would that took place that year: the Higgs ideas. They are excited by them and artificial intelligence and self- be a fool to make dramatic changes. Boson was announced. LINDAU continued on page 7 because they see their mirror image driving cars. The topics have to be I will make small changes. The and it makes them really happy. current. Innovation Forum will be renewed The second thing is here they meet AGL: What else are you inter- and even better. It will be even the other Laureates. It’s like seeing ested in? more global. We now have 83 or family and friends. JK: I drive race cars from time so nationalities. We will go for AGL: Why is networking such to time, which teaches you disci- even more people from all over an important aspect of this con- pline, otherwise you hurt yourself. the world. We are very engaged ference? Why does it underscore I also do charity. 10 years ago I with Africa. And we usually sign everything you do? helped found Little Scientists’ Memoranda of Understanding, and JK: Because networking is House (now supported by the this time, we signed MOUs with probably the most value added Siemens foundation) to support Pakistan, China, South Africa, and activity you can do in a week. natural science experiments in kin- the American University in Beirut. Inviting one young student, it costs dergartens. We wanted to do some- AGL: Anything else you’d like us X but the value created scales thing covering the whole country in to share about Lindau? with X squared. We have 30,000- Germany and now we are in 28,000 JK: There’s an old saying: If 35,000 alumni from the last 66 kindergartens, doing natural sci- you want people to say that you meetings and we will get them on ence experiments in classes. My are funny, don’t tell them you’re the database and try to get them dream is when I am really old and funny, tell them the joke. With involved on a regular basis. These I’m going to die, there will be a Lindau, I hope you can sense and are the best and the brightest. So Nobel Prize Laureate and he will embrace the spirit and I hope it why not leverage that? be asked “Where was your first radiates for itself. It’s a piece of AGL: What advice do you contact with science?” and he will art in a sense. All small pieces have have for the early career sci- say in the Little Scientists’ House. to fall in place for the mood to be entists who attend Lindau, in AGL: How did your work at created here. regards to interacting with the McKinsey prepare you for your The author expresses apprecia- Nobel Laureates? role with Lindau? tion to the organizers of the Lindau JK: They shouldn’t be shy. JK: In consulting, the approach Nobel Laureates Meetings for a The Nobel Laureates aren’t shy. I took was always a scientific partial travel fellowship to attend. Klaus von Klitzing sharing his physics Nobel prize with Alaina Levine 6 • October 2016

SAM continued from page 3 DISPATCH continued from page 3 — as opposed to policy advice for the greatest successes of the for each of them requires science. WASHINGTON OFFICE ACTIVITIES science — on a range of specific European project. Over the years, And for policy makers to steer the ADVOCACY questions. At the moment, we are the European Commission’s right course, they need access to At the 2016 APS April Meeting and the Division of Atomic, Molecular and looking at cybersecurity and CO2 Framework programmes have clear, level-headed advice on sub- Optical Physics meeting, 652 attendees contacted Congress about the emissions from light commercial catalyzed cross-border research in jects that frequently elicit an emo- priorities of the physics community, prime among them sustained science vehicles. Before delivering our Europe, leading to the establish- tional response. The SAM provides funding. At the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) site leader advice, we will consult any rele- ment of a genuine research area the mechanism for that to happen. meeting on July 17, 2016 in Sacramento, APS Government Relations vant research being carried out at across the continent. This was I am thoroughly enjoying my Specialist Greg Mack held a workshop focused on advocacy for state the JRC, and interrogate Europe’s the reason for my cautious opti- first year of service on the SAM’s funding of PhysTEC sites via the Every Student Succeeds Act, which national and international acad- mism back in 2014, and I’m very group of seven. It’s still early days became federal law in December 2015, replacing the Bush era "No Child emies and learned societies on the pleased that my instinct proved to for us, and to paraphrase our chair- Left Behind" act. scientific evidence they are able to be correct. person speaking at our last meet- provide. As an example of the day- In establishing the SAM, Mr. ing during this year’s EuroScience As a benefit to APS members and others in the physics community, visits to-day work we do, at an upcoming Juncker has taken the provision of Open Forum conference, the SAM by APS Washington office staff to Wisconsin, Ohio, and Tennessee in the workshop in Vilnius, I will be the independent scientific advice to the is still a child just learning to walk. second half of the year have highlighted the importance of advocacy for rapporteur on secure digital identi- next level, acknowledging that sci- Nevertheless, I think we’re learn- physics. If you'd like us to visit your home state and provide resources ties for a single digital market in ence is essential to policy making. ing fast, and the longer I serve, for grassroots advocacy, contact Greg Mack at [email protected]. Europe, which will provide valuable Science is everywhere. It permeates the more convinced I am that Mr. input to the cybersecurity question. every aspect of modern life, and Juncker and the Commission have MEDIA UPDATE As well as responding to specific it is to science that we must turn done both Europe and science a APS Director of Public Affairs Michael S. Lubell published an op-ed in requests from the Commission, we when we address the major societal great service by establishing such The Hill on September 9 highlighting the destructive impact of congres- will also provide advice on subjects issues facing the world and shaping a well thought-out, well structured sional budgetary dysfunction on science. Read the piece at go.aps. that our combined experience and our future. Issues such as climate, and robust mechanism for deliver- org/2daDZer expertise allow us to identify as energy, food, and water are chal- ing independent scientific advice to important potential meeting points lenging the way we inhabit and policy making. Piali De, co-founder and CEO of Senscio Systems, authored a guest for science and policy over the long share this planet. They all present Rolf-Dieter Heuer is president editorial September 2 in the Vermillion Plain Talk in South Dakota on the term. We’re currently examining a major hurdles to overcome, and of the German Physical Society and link between scientific research and innovation. Read the editorial at variety of interesting topics. none can be resolved by policy is the former director-general of go.aps.org/2daEBRx Scientific research is one of alone. To find a sustainable solution CERN. APS member Mina Hanna, a software consultant at Synopsys, published an op-ed in The Houston Chronicle on August 23, arguing that science should not be politicized, as it benefits all Americans. Check out the op-ed at go.aps.org/2daEx4b PALESTINE continued from page 1 Knowledge Foundation, the school Have something important to say? APS Members have a resource in provided master’s-degree-level Press Secretary, Tawanda Johnson. Contact her with your story at tjohn- students with activities and over- [email protected]. view lectures led by internationally recognized experts, shedding light APS PANEL ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS ACTIVITY APS, in partnership with the American Chemical Society (ACS) and

on recent research developments Scientists for Palestine and opportunities within modern Materials Research Society (MRS), recently launched a first-of-its-kind physics. website, connecting researchers who use liquid helium with vendors of The various lectures covered equipment that reduces helium consumption. The website is conserve- topics in prominent research, rang- helium.org ing from symmetry breaking to modern particle physics, as well as APS is hosting the website in response to recommendations included in recent research at the Synchrotron- the recently released Panel on Public Affairs report, “Responding to the light for Experimental Science U.S. Research Community’s Liquid Helium Crisis: An Action Plan to Pre- and Applications in the Middle serve U.S. Innovation.” The report is available at go.aps.org/2daGI7w East (SESAME). Presented with a plethora of subjects, the students The report, produced in collaboration with ACS & MRS, outlines the were exposed to both familiar and importance of liquid helium to the U.S. research enterprise and highlights new areas of research, promot- the issues currently confronting researchers in the face of increasing ing possible collaboration in the prices and unreliable supply. It offers a series of actionable recommenda- future. CERN recently signed an A number of female physics students traveled to AAUJ to attend the ad- tions that could have a transformative effect on the ability to maintain a agreement with the Palestinian vanced physics school. ready availability of helium. The website should prove beneficial to research- Territories that will let Palestinian The Facebook page of Scientists for imposed by the Israeli occupation ers considering solutions to the liquid helium dilemma. researchers join the ATLAS experi- Palestine featured brief statements of Palestine. Students from Gaza ment. Those involved hope to get of select students to raise aware- were not granted permission to Website visitors can quickly learn whether investing in new equipment, more scientists in the lab by foster- ness of the successful and inaugu- travel to the meetings, which pre- which either dramatically reduces or eliminates their helium use, might ing scientific collaboration and bet- ral event. vented one student from attending make economic sense for them. The website provides contact information ter relations in the region, which the “Being at the first Palestinian the school, and also prevented two for multiple vendors that specialize in systems that recycle helium and/or school effectively accomplished. Advanced Physics School was a scientists from giving their talks at are cryogen-free. The website also enables researchers to submit contact “The school was a great suc- wonderful experience,” comments PCMTMP-V. All three individu- information and have vendors reach out to them directly. Additionally, the cess,” wrote David Marsh of the Waad Awad, a student working on als are from the Islamic University website includes information on various helium conservation technologies. University of Cambridge, in an her master’s degree in physics at of Gaza and requested they not be For more information, visit conserve-helium.org email to APS News. He served as Birzeit University and attendee of identified. one of the international organizers the school. “We feel lucky to have “Access to higher education is a of the school, along with Nabil Iqbal a chance to improve our physics human right, and it is deeply regret- APKER continued from page 1 (University of Amsterdam), Mario knowledge … [meet] scientists table that this right is not respected extending the spectrum of optical an additional $5000 each to support Martone (University of Cincinnati), from all over the world … and now by the ongoing Israeli occupation,” emitters. undergraduate research. Andy O’Bannon (University of we know about [potential oppor- stated Marsh in an email. A state- Gorczyca and Rivera will each Learn more about the LeRoy Southampton), and Kate Shaw (The tunities and] training at SESAME ment by Scientists for Palestine, receive an award stipend of $5000, Apker Awards at go.aps. Abdus Salam International Centre or CERN!” released at the end of July 2016, and their departments will receive org/17NMsc2 for Theoretical Physics). Falastine Abu Saif, also an asserted the organization’s posi- “We organizers and the lecturers attendee of the school, and a tion is to ensure equality of human were very happy with the outcome physics master’s degree student rights despite the restrictions. of the school, [and] the interna- at An-Najah National University, “Despite the hardships caused tional reception from fellow scien- emphasizes her take on the school’s by the occupation, science in tists [is] overwhelmingly positive. impact: “It is great to hear lectures Palestine continues to grow and [This] has been a great encourage- directly from world experts and strengthen its international connec- ment to us all to continue our work connect with them, and it’s the most tions. Scientists for Palestine will with supporting the development of helpful way to get involved. … be proud to continue to support this science in Palestine,” Marsh noted. [Palestine has] plenty of potential, development,” the statement said. The students in attendance felt and very smart people. We just need To overcome the imposed travel News and commentary about research likewise — through immersion more support and encouragement,” restrictions, Scientists for Palestine in problem-solving sessions and she said in her interview. broadcast the school’s program to from the APS journals applied particle physics tutorials, While the students and organiz- the Islamic University in Gaza. the school offered them opportuni- ers alike benefited from both excur- When contacted, the Israeli gov- ties that would normally not be part sions, some students were unable to ernment refused to comment on the Sign Up for Alerts: physics.aps.org of their regular university curricula. participate due to travel restrictions matter. October 2016 • 7 ANNOUNCEMENTS

Reviews of Modern Physics APS Conferences for Metallic quantum ferromagnets Undergraduate Women in Physics M. Brando, D. Belitz, F. M. Grosche, and T. R. Kirkpatrick A full understanding of long range ferromagnetic order in metallic systems reflects a variety of phenomena which are best understood in the context of quantum phase transitions (QPTs). This review presents experimental data on ferromagnetic QPTs in metals, confronting results with currently available theory. The coverage of clean materials, materials with varying January 13-15, 2017 degrees of disorder, and materials with phase diagrams is exhaustive, revealing a trend where the QPTs of clean systems driven by a control parameter are first order compared to more disordered systems where the QPTs are second order. dx.doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.88.025006 · Harvard University · University of Colorado, · McMaster University, Boulder journals.aps.org/rmp Ontario · University of Wisconsin · Montana State University · Virginia Tech · Princeton University · Wayne State University · Rice University · University of California, Los Angeles #apsCUWiP SAVE THE DATE Application deadline: www.aps.org/cuwip October 14, 2016 2017 PhysTEC CONFERENCE

Preceding the AAPT Winter Meeting LINDAU continued from page 5 artificial intelligence. I ate dinner I asked Von Klitzing what his February 17 - 18, 2017 with the delegation of students advice was for getting a Nobel from the States, which was one of Prize. It turns out that he had a Hyatt Regency Atlanta the largest contingents there. I sat few tricks up his sleeve. One was in on panel discussions relating to that he had already worked into Join the nation's largest meeting particle physics and education. I his speech some tips for actually dedicated to the education of future learned about leadership from a landing the coveted prize. physics teachers — featuring workshops physicist’s perspective during a But then something magi- on best practices, panel discussions, breakfast sponsored by McKinsey cal happened. And this is what I presentations by national leaders, as & Co. and featuring Schmidt, who mean by a classic Lindau moment. well as networking opportunities for this year was named vice-chancel- Because this has never happened to physics teacher educators. lor (essentially the president) of me before, and in particular, it has Australian National University. never happened to me at a science Lindau is filled with what I conference. Von Klitzing just casu- HALF-DAY PRE-CONFERENCE SESSION can only describe as odd experi- ally reached into his jacket pocket Next Gen Physics of Everyday ences, or essentially “classic” and handed me his Nobel medal. Thinking (PET) Workshop www.phystec.org/conferences/2017 Lindau moments. A moment like I suddenly realized I was looking February 16, 2017 · 1:00 – 5:00 pm when Phillips, who loves when down in my own hands and hold- students ask him questions about ing a Nobel Prize in Physics. It was physics, was mobbed behind a shiny. It was heavy. Parts of it were piano at the evening poster ses- faded and worn. I asked why that National sion. As I watched I noticed that was and Von Klitzing explained the more animated and happy that he takes the medal with him to Mentoring Phillips became, the more the stu- every Lindau and is happy to share SUPPORTING dents’ confidence blossomed and it with the young kids that attend. Community DIVERSITY the more they engaged him. This Many are very eager to hold it IN PHYSICS also led to more pupils being drawn themselves and to take snaps with into the vortex, unable to escape him and it. Currently accepting new faculty the excitement of the experience of I realized that in my life this talking with a Nobel laureate next moment will probably never hap- mentors & undergraduate to a musical instrument. pen again. Yes, I might run into mentees! Another classic Lindau Von Klitzing in some airport en moment occurred on the first eve- route to Lindau again, fingers Learn more about the benefits go.aps.org/nmc-mentors ning I was chatting with a phys- crossed, and he could hand it to and join online. ics Nobel Laureate (in this case, me to hold while he checks his who shall remain nameless) who boarding pass, but there is no cer- shared that he sadly would have to tainty. The Nobel Prize will always leave the conference early due to be both in my possession and not. RESEARCH continued from page 1 another engagement taking place So I had to act quickly to measure, they remain coherent). Known to con. This greater lifetime is com- does not. The technique builds up in the celebrity world of physics. quantify, and secure this moment in be on the order of a few microsec- parable to the coherence times of images by combining information Specifically, Stephen Hawking was time and space with a photograph. onds, a qubit’s lifetime is reduced qubits on sapphire, a high-quality from a single-pixel detector prob- having his 75th birthday party on And because Von Klitzing is such a by interactions with materials in the but expensive substrate with prop- ing the object beam and a 2D detec- an exotic island on Earth that week classy guy, he was more than happy experimental setup. To combat this, erties that minimize dielectric loss tor probing the reference beam. and the laureate was on his way to to take a picture with me and it, the qubits are usually kept as far away in superconducting qubits. Crucially, in this form of imaging, the celebration. Nobel Prize in Physics that I had from other materials as possible to Seeing What’s There by the object doesn’t have to receive And then there was the special just received. decrease the effects of dielectric Looking Elsewhere a high dose of radiation because loss and decoherence. Chu et al. the object beam can be weak if moment when I sat down with So you see, fairy tales do come Two research groups have now investigated ways to alter the geom- the reference beam is strong. The Klaus Von Klitzing. I interviewed true at Lindau. You can meet shown that the counterintuitive etry of materials and interfaces that two new studies, both published him on 27 June, which was also and greet and learn from Nobel technique of “ghost imaging” is contribute to loss of coherence, and in Physical Review Letters, coincidentally his birthday. So Laureates left and right. You can describe in Applied Physics Letters not restricted to infrared and vis- one by Yu et al. (DOI: 10.1103/ I wished the physicist a happy discuss your true love, science, (DOI: 10.1063/1.4962327) a pro- ible wavelengths, but works with PhysRevLett.117.113901) and birthday. Now, Von Klitzing is with others from around the world cedure using micromachining to x-rays too. Conventional imaging the other by Pellicia et al. (DOI: an interesting chap for many rea- who are just as passionate about it. “dig out” an aluminum qubit. This methods capture an image of an 10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.113902) sons. As he revealed to me in the You can gain insight and advice to involves removing the silicon sub- object by recording, in a multi- now extend this imaging capabil- conversation, he is the only Nobel take your scientific endeavors into strate under the qubit with an ion pixel detector, the intensity and ity to the x-ray regime. This wave- Laureate who has ever applied to novel and innovative directions. etch, leaving it suspended over the color of light that reflects from, length domain is widely used in attend Lindau as a youngster and And sometimes, when the stars and remaining silicon in a vacuum. passes through, or is emitted by medical imaging, so the approach was turned down. “As a young Laureates align, you can also get the This methodology resulted in an object. Ghost imaging is dif- could pave the way to reducing the student, I applied and I wasn’t Nobel Prize. decreased dielectric loss on silicon ferent. It forms an image of the damage incurred by radiation expo- accepted,” he recounts with a The author expresses apprecia- and longer lifetimes of qubits than object by recording correlations in sure in such imaging. (For more, chuckle. “So I decided to get the tion to the organizers of the Lindau nonsuspended ones — around 60 the intensities of two light beams, see the Viewpoint “Ghost imaging Nobel Prize, because then you are Nobel Laureates Meetings for a microseconds, a factor of 10 larger an “object beam” that strikes the with x rays” by Dilano Saldin at invited every year.” partial travel fellowship to attend. than most aluminum qubits on sili- object and a “reference beam” that physics.aps.org/articles/v9/103) 8 • October 2016

Why Does the Universe Exist? By Sean Carroll

idney Morgenbesser, a much-​beloved professor of phi- as a superposition of various classical possibilities. It’s like Slosophy at Columbia University, renowned for his apho- we take different ways a classical world could be and stack ristic wisdom, was once asked, “Why is there something, them on top of each other to create a quantum world. Imagine rather than nothing?” that we take a very specific set of ways the world could be: “If there were nothing,” Morgenbesser immediately configurations of an ordinary classical universe, but at dif- replied, “you’d still be complaining.” ferent moments in time. The whole universe at 12:00, the Let’s start with the relatively straightforward, science-​ whole universe at 12:01, the whole universe at 12:02, and oriented question: could the universe exist all by itself, or so on — but at moments that are much closer together than does it need something to bring it into existence? a minute apart. Take those configurations and superimpose As Galileo taught us, one of the foundational features of them to create a quantum universe. modern physics is that objects can move, and tend to do so, That’s a universe that is not evolving in time — the quan- without any need for an external cause or mover. Roughly tum state itself simply is, unchanging and forever. But in speaking, the same goes for the universe. The scientific any one part of the state, it looks like one moment of time question to ask isn’t “What caused the universe?” or “What in a universe that is evolving. Every element in the quantum keeps the universe going?” All we want to know is “Is the superposition looks like a classical universe that came from existence of the universe compatible with unbroken laws of somewhere, and is going somewhere else. If there were nature, or do we need to look beyond those laws in order to people in that universe, at every part of the superposition they account for it?” would all think that time was passing, exactly as we actually do think. That’s the sense in which time can be emergent in quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics allows us to “The scientific question to ask isn’t “What consider universes that are fundamentally timeless, but in caused the universe?” or ‘What keeps the which time emerges at a coarse-grained level of description. universe going?’ All we want to know is ‘Is And if that’s true, then there’s no problem at all with there the existence of the universe compatible with being a first moment in time. The whole idea of “time” is just an approximation anyway. unbroken laws of nature, or do we need to look beyond those laws in order to account for it?’” “Quantum mechanics allows us to consider universes that are fundamentally timeless, but This question is complicated by the fact that we don’t eternal, one where it had a beginning. That’s because the in which time emerges at a coarse-grained know what the ultimate laws of nature actually are. Consider Schroedinger equation of quantum mechanics turns out to level of description. …And if that’s true, then an issue that is inextricably tied to why the universe exists: have two very different kinds of solutions, corresponding to has it existed forever, or did it come into existence at some there’s no problem at all with there being a two different kinds of universes. particular moment, presumably the Big Bang? first moment in time. The whole idea of “time” One possibility is that time is fundamental, and the uni- Nobody knows. If we were Pierre-​Simon Laplace, who verse changes as time passes. In that case, the Schroedinger is just an approximation anyway.” believed in the classical physics of Newton and scoffed at equation is unequivocal: time is infinite. If the universe truly the idea that God would ever interfere in the workings of nature, the answer would be easy: the universe exists forever. evolves, it always has been evolving and always will evolve. I’m not making this up — this kind of scenario is exactly Space and time are fixed and absolute, and it doesn’t really There is no starting and stopping. There may have been a what was contemplated by physicists Stephen Hawking and matter what happens to the stuff that is moving around inside moment that looks like our Big Bang, but it would have only James Hartle back in the early 1980s, when they helped pio- space. Time stretches from the infinite past to the infinite been a temporary phase, and there would be more universe neer the subject of “quantum cosmology.” They showed how future. Of course you are always welcome to consider other that was there even before the event. to construct a quantum state of the universe in which time theories, but in unmodified Newtonian physics the universe The other possibility is that time is not truly fundamental, isn’t truly fundamental, and in which the Big Bang represents has no beginning. but rather emergent. Then, the universe can have a beginning. the beginning of time as we know it. Hawking went on to Then in 1915 along comes Einstein and his theory of The Schroedinger equation has solutions describing universes write A Brief History of Time, and become the most famous general relativity. Space and time are subsumed into a four- that don’t evolve at all: they just sit there, unchanging. scientist of the modern age. dimensional spacetime, and spacetime is not absolute — it Sean Carroll is a is dynamic, stretching and twisting in response to matter and theoretical physicist at “The ‘state of the universe’ in quantum mechan- energy. Not long thereafter, we learned that the universe is the California Institute expanding, which led to the prediction of a Big Bang singu- ics isn’t simply a particular configuration of of Technology. After larity in the past. In classical general relativity, the Big Bang spacetime and matter. The quantum state is a receiving his doctor- is the very first moment in the history of the universe. It is superposition of many different classical pos- ate at Harvard, he pur- the beginning of time. sued his research at Then in the 1920s we stumbled across quantum mechan- sibilities. This completely changes the rules MIT, the Institute for ics. The “state of the universe” in quantum mechanics isn’t of the game.” Theoretical Physics in simply a particular configuration of spacetime and matter. The Santa Barbara, and the quantum state is a superposition of many different classical University of Chicago. possibilities. This completely changes the rules of the game. You might think that’s simply a mathematical curiosity, He is also the author In classical general relativity, the Big Bang is the beginning irrelevant to our actual world. After all, it seems pretty obvi- of From Eternity to Here of spacetime; in quantum general relativity — whatever that ous that time does exist, and that it’s passing all around us. and The Particle at the may be, since nobody has a complete formulation of such a In a classical world, you’d be right. Time either passes or it End of the Universe. This article has been adapted from theory as yet — we don’t know whether the universe has a doesn’t; since time seems to pass in our world, the possibility his book The Big Picture (copyright 2016) published by beginning or not. of a timeless universe isn’t very physically relevant. Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, with There are two possibilities: one where the universe is Quantum mechanics is different. It describes the universe permission of the publisher and author.

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