February 2013 • Vol. 22, No. 2

Top Physics Newsmakers of 2012 A Publication of the American Physical Society see page 6 www.aps.org/publications/apsnews

sition on this complicated issue mission to advance and diffuse Funding Uncertainty Plagues Science The new task force will identify, the knowledge of physics as well create and coordinate opportuni- as on the current financial model as Sequestration Cuts Still Threaten ties to communicate APS recom- for the entire organization.” The By Michael Lucibella federal agencies would have seen mendations to leaders in govern- task force includes the four- The eleventh hour decision by an 8% cut to non-defense spend- ment agencies, science policy member Presidential Line, the Congress to postpone across-the- ing, and an 11% cut to defense makers, other publishers, and the Society’s three Operating Offi- board cuts to spending (the so- spending. The major source of Open Access physics community. cers and APS Director of Public called “fiscal cliff”) has done little funding for fundamental science is Task Force Formed Calls for greater public access Affairs, Michael Lubell. to settle uncertainty surrounding the federal government, adminis- to the peer reviewed research lit- According to APS Treasurer/ the future of federally supported tered primarily by the National Sci- APS has formed a new, top- erature have grown dramatically Publisher Joseph Serene “Coun- scientific research. Experts expect ence Foundation, the Department level Task Force on Open Ac- in recent years. APS policies and cil has resolved that APS sup- the total amount of federal dollars of Energy, NASA and the National cess, led by President Michael practices on open access, includ- ports the principles of open devoted to research to decline in Institutes of Health, as well as the Turner, to better coordinate APS ing their history and context, access to the maximum extent the coming year, but it is unclear Departments of Defense and Com- activities on this topic and to en- were reviewed in a Back Page ar- possible while maintaining the by how much, making it difficult merce. sure its leadership role. The task ticle in the November 2012 issue quality and impact of our jour- for scientists to plan for the future. How lawmakers will ultimately force is charged with develop- of APS News. nals and the long-term financial On January 1st the House and resolve the impasse is unclear. Re- ing a compelling narrative and The task force is a top priority stability of the Society. Our chal- Senate agreed to maintain most tax publicans have been pushing for a clear set of “talking points” on for the leadership of APS. Turner lenge is to strike this balance in rates at their current levels and de- spending cuts to reduce the federal open access that are consistent calls open access “an existential practice and to influence public lay the onset of imminent “seques- deficit, and it is likely that there with APS policies and that will issue for APS because of its po- policy to facilitate this goal.” tration” spending cuts until March. will be some form of spending serve to articulate the APS po- tential impact on the Society’s TASK FORCE continued on page 5 Had sequestration gone into effect, FUNDING continued on page 4 APS Sponsors the Conference for APS Membership Stands at 49,653; Undergraduate Women in Physics Students, Foreign Members Increase By Halleh B. Balch zational support and resources to The official APS membership only for the year. For the first time in its six-year the conference,” says Kate Kirby, count for 2012 has been tabu- “One of the bright spots in history, the Conference for Un- APS Executive Officer. lated, and stands at 49,653 total these numbers is that the number dergraduate Women in Physics The Conference for Under- dues-paying members in the So- of paying student members is up (CUWiP) has taken place with of- graduate Women in Physics was ciety. The count is down about over four hundred,” Lettieri said. ficial APS sponsorship. On Janu- conceived by two graduate stu- 402 people from last year, but She commended the APS Educa- ary 18-20, six universities across dents at the University of South- still up more 1,390 over the year tion Department for reaching out the country hosted the Conference ern California in 2006 and is still before. to students. “APS has been work- under the aegis of the APS Com- organized and run by students at “Although it’s disappointing to ing hard to offer great benefits to mittee on the Status of Women in the host universities. Through in- not have another record this year, our student members and to keep Physics. vited talks by successful women we’re still showing growth over them engaged.” “Encouraging women to pur- in physics, panel discussions on the long run,” said Trish Lettieri, In addition, the number of in- sue physics is a top priority for us. graduate school and physics ca- the director of APS Membership. ternational members has shown CUWiP has been very successful reers, and the opportunity for She said that one of the rea- consistent growth. The count this over the years and we are delight- students to present their own re- sons for the slight decline may year showed almost 400 new in- ed to be able to lend our organi- CUWIP continued on page 6 have been the popularity of last ternational members, about a fifth year’s March Meeting in Boston. of which came from China. Let- The meeting drew nearly 10,000 tieri credited the efforts of the physicists, about 1,500 more than APS Office of International Af- Beller, Marshak Lectures to Enhance usual. It’s likely that some frac- fairs for the continued member- Graphs are on different scales and show tion of the extra attendees joined ship growth from overseas. March and April Meeting Programs totals from January 2013

APS has announced the recipi- Hoffman Beller and the Marshak ents of the 2013 Beller and Mar- lectureship was established by APS Releases Colorful New Science App shak lectureships, who will deliver Ruth Marshak in 1996 in honor SpectraSnapp, a new app re- their talks at this year’s March and of her late husband, former APS leased by the APS outreach de- April meetings. The APS Commit- president Robert Marshak. The partment, is now available free of tee on International Scientific Af- recipients of both awards receive charge on Apple’s iTunes store. It fairs selected the recipients from travel stipends to attend either the allows users to turn their iPhone nominations submitted by various March or April meetings. Recipi- or iPad into a spectroscopic device APS units. ents have traveled to the United that can analyze common sources Rupert Oulton from Impe- States from as far abroad as India, of light. rial College London and Naoto Israel and France. “SpectraSnapp is an app that Nagaosa of the University of To- During the focus session on APS developed that can break kyo will present two of the Beller Nanostructures and Metamaterials down any incoming light into its Lectures at the March Meeting in in March, Oulton will speak about various wavelengths,” said James Baltimore while Linda Strubbe his research into nano-lasers. Roche, a public outreach special- from the Canadian Institute for “The Beller lectureship came ist at APS who helped develop the Theoretical Astrophysics will de- as a wonderful surprise to me and I app. “You can turn your iPhone liver the third at the April Meet- am honored to have been selected. into a personal spectroscope.” Photo credit: Michael Lucibella ing in Denver. Lilia Meza-Montes The APS meetings provide a great The SpectraSnapp app comes from the Universidad de Puebla in forum for communicating current with directions to build a simple APS Public Outreach Specialist James Roche demonstrates SpectraSnapp in ac- Mexico will give the Marshak lec- results, learning about progress in spectrometer that fits over the tion. Using the simple spectrometer attached to his iPhone, he compares the spec- trum from a fluorescent light (bottom) to the spectrum of neon from the library in the ture at the March Meeting. a wide range of fields in Physics phone’s camera. All that is re- app, thus showing conclusively that the light in question is not produced by neon. The two endowments bring and of course meeting new friends, quired is a tube made out of con- physicists from around the world colleagues and collaborators,” struction paper, with a thin diffrac- its component wavelengths, which app what the light source you’re to speak at the March and April Oulton said. “The Beller lecture- tion grating at the end. The grating, the camera sees as a series of col- pointing the camera at is made out Meetings. The Beller lectureship ship is an excellent advertisement available online for less than a ored lines. of,” Roche said. was endowed in 1994 by Esther LECTURES continued on page 7 dollar, breaks the light apart into “You can determine through our APP continued on page 4 2 • February 2013

Members This Month in Physics History in the Media February 26, 1870: First pneumatic powered subway line in New York City “In the robotics world this is bers of atoms at different speeds. very, very exciting because it’s a Now if you give more energy to unnels and pneumatic transportation systems gantic fans. He first built a prototype above-ground blob that has no hard components the gas into a system where there Tare a staple of classic science fiction, start- model, which debuted at the 1867 American Insti- in it… For us mere mortals, we are more atoms that are moving at ing with Jules Verne’s Paris in the 20th Century tute Fair. It was little more than large wooden tube would say, ‘Well, gee, isn’t that high velocities than at low veloci- (1863), in which the author envisions tube trains (roughly six feet in diameter and 100 feet long) ca- just a deflated soccer ball?’ But it is ties, this corresponds to a negative stretching across the ocean. In 1882, Albert Robida pable of holding a small vehicle with a ten-person a big deal because of the potential temperature, something that would described not only tube trains, but pneumatic postal capacity, with a gigantic fan on one end capable of that it holds. ... You can imagine not easily naturally occur.” delivery systems in his novel, The Twentieth Cen- funneling a blast of air to propel the car through the that it would have, for example, a Vladan Vuletic, Massachusetts tury. Those authors based their fictional creations tunnel. When the fan was reversed, it would pull payload that it could take with it Institute of Technology, on how a on real systems that were actually built, some of the car back to the origin point. and then disperse at the other end. temperature can be “negative,” which still exist today. The demonstration was a huge success, and Or it could pick up some liquid NPR, January 4, 2013. In 1812, a man named George Beach proceeded to solve the prob- that’s maybe dangerous and bring Medhurst speculated that it might lem of digging a tunnel underneath it to a decontamination area.” “There is an all-star cast here… be possible to blow carriages laden the buildings of lower Manhattan: Heinrich Jaeger, University of It didn’t hurt that we had a major with passengers through a tunnel, he invented a hydraulic shield tunnel Chicago, on his research building discovery; that played a central but he never got around to building driller capable of moving left, right, flexible robots, Chicago Tribune, role in many of the discussions.” such a system. He lacked a pump up or down, while minimizing dis- December 16, 2012. Howard Haber, University of with enough power to generate the turbances to the streets above. But California Santa Cruz, on a recent requisite air pressure. By the mid- he couldn’t get permission from the “I tell people, don’t quit your symposium about the Higgs boson 1850s, there were several rudimen- city to construct a prototype under- day job, pay your rent, and for God and supersymmetry, San Jose Mer- tary “atmospheric railways”–in ground system, given the political sakes, do your laundry.” cury News, January 6, 2013. Ireland, London, and Paris–and corruption in City Hall at the time. Michio Kaku, CCNY, on what while the London Pneumatic Des- So Beach sneakily built the under- he says to people who thought “Making the transition from patch system was intended to trans- ground pneumatic subway anyway, the world would end on 12/21/12, graduate student to postdoc is a port parcels, it was large enough to Alfred Ely Beach pretending he was really building a CNN.com December 21, 2012. difficult step…They had a huge ef- handle people. In fact, the Duke of pneumatic mail delivery system, fect on my career; they set me up.” Buckingham and several members and he did it right under the nose of “For nearly a century, astrono- Patrick Fox, Fermilab, on how of the company’s board of direc- City Hall, beneath a rented store- mers have studied a mysterious UCSC helped with his career, San tors were transported through the front across the street. substance that appears to fill our Jose Mercury News, January 6, pneumatic system on October 10, On February 26, 1870, Beach universe and that we ignorantly 2013. 1865, to mark the opening of a new unveiled his masterpiece, and it refer to as dark matter. One of the station. A prototype pneumatic rail- was an immediate novelty attrac- reasons we believe this substance “My research shows that based way was exhibited at the Crystal tion for the public, especially given exists is that when we study galax- on the physics and physiology that Palace in 1864, with plans to build the luxury of the station: it boasted ies, the stars in the galaxies move we know muscle mass from ste- a version connecting Waterloo and a grand piano, chandeliers, and a as if only ~10% of the mass in roid use is sufficient to turn a play- Charing Cross by running under the fully operational fountain stocked the galaxy is located in the stars. er with the home run productivity river Thames. with goldfish. There was a single Indeed, the name ‘dark matter’ of a Hank Aaron into a player with Those early efforts inspired a car to fit within the tube, which reflects our belief that this matter the home run activity of Barry man named Alfred Ely Beach back Entrance pneumatic transit spanned nine feet in diameter and exists, but we can’t see it.” Bonds. So in that sense, no, I don’t in the United States. Born in 1826 ran from Warren Street to Mur- Bhaskar Dutta and David To- think the impact of PEDs is over- in Springfield, Massachusetts, Beach’s father was ray Street at 10 MPH. A giant fan nicknamed “the back, Texas A&M University, The stated.” a prominent publisher, and his son followed in his Western tornado” supplied propulsion via a steam Houston Chronicle, December 26, Roger Tobin, Tufts University, footsteps, eventually purchasing a fledgling maga- engine that drew in air through a valve and directed 2012. Time Magazine, January 10, 2013. zine called Scientific American. But he was also an it into the tunnel. Upon reaching the Murray Street inventor and patent lawyer, patenting his design for station, the car would trip a wire that rang a bell “We’re not coming up with “Do you lie awake at night a typewriter for the blind–an invention that gar- back at Warren Street. The engineer on duty then new color names or descriptions wondering if you should be look- nered him a gold medal at the 1853 Crystal Palace reversed the blower, sucking the car back to the sta- for things we’ve already estab- ing for something positive?” Exposition–and founding his patent agency with tion, “like soda through a straw.” lished… A lot of the new words Jay Pasachoff, Williams Col- his friend, Orson Desaix Munn. The subway proved to be a popular attraction for that we see are related to comput- lege, asking physicists if they From his office window in downtown Manhat- the first year or so, and Beach fought for the next ers.” thought that repeated negative tan, Beach could see the congested traffic along three years to get a construction permit to extend Alex Petersen, IMT Lucca, on results in the hunt for dark matter Broadway in particular and pondered the possibility the line uptown all the way to Central Park, com- the usage of newly invented words, and dark energy was discourag- of a public transport system. He dismissed the idea peting with a plan for an elevated viaduct that had FoxNews.com, December 28, ing, The Los Angeles Times, Janu- of an elevated train on the grounds that it would the support of key politicians in the state legisla- 2012. ary 10, 2013. be noisy and unsightly, focusing his attention on an ture. Alas, while he ultimately succeeded–despite underground option. He published an 1849 article two vetoes by the governor–it proved an empty leg- “In measuring a gas at room “It’s not just one new particle in Scientific American suggesting a system employ- islative victory: a stock market crash (the “Panic of temperature, that means atoms, and we’re done… Hopefully there ing horse-drawn cars to carry passengers instead of 1873″) crushed his dream for good. He had to close molecules are racing around, some are new forces in the dark sector. conventional steam engines, which would produce his pneumatic subway for financial reasons. at slow velocities, some at faster … It could be a whole new branch too much soot. Gasoline and electric motors were Beach’s failure didn’t keep others from specu- velocities. But there’s more atoms of physics, and we just don’t know not yet widely available. lating on so-called “vactrains” (vacuum tube at slow velocities than at fast veloc- until we look.” Then Beach discovered pneumatics: “A tube, a trains). The US government considered the possi- ities. As you heat the gas up, many Douglas Finkbeiner, Harvard- car, a revolving fan! Little more is required!” he bility in the 1960s of running a vactrain–combining more atoms go to fast velocities. Smithsonian Center for Astrophys- enthusiastically exclaimed. The idea was to put pneumatic tubes with maglev technology–between At very, very high temperatures, ics, on the hunt for dark matter, people in carriages and propel them through un- Philadelphia and New York City, but the project like on the sun, there are more at- derground tubes using air pressure generated by gi- SUBWAY continued on page 4 oms–there are almost equal num- MEMBERS continued on page 7

Series II, Vol. 22, No. 2 both the old and new addresses, and, if possible, include Past-President (Physics of Beams), Vincent Chan* (Plasma), TBA February 2013 a mailing label from a recent issue. Requests from sub- Robert L. Byer*, Stanford University (Polymer Physics), Nan Phiney (California Section) scribers for missing issues will be honored without charge © 2013 The American Physical Society only if received within 6 months of the issue’s actual date General Councillors ADVISORS of publication. Periodical Postage Paid at College Park, Haiyan Gao*, Marcelo Gleiser, Marta Dark McNeese, Representatives from other Societies Coden: ANWSEN ISSN: 1058-8132 MD and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send Pierre Meystre*, Warren Mori, Keivan G. Stassun Fred Dylla, AIP; Gay Stewart, AAPT Editor•...... Alan Chodos address changes to APS News, Membership Department, American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, College International Councillors International Advisor Staff Science Writer ...... Michael Lucibella Park, MD 20740-3844. Marcia Barbosa, Annick Suzor-Weiner Gabor Kunstatter, Canadian Association of Physicists Art Director and Special Publications Manager...... Kerry G. Johnson APS COUNCIL 2013 Chair, Nominating Committee Staff Representatives Design and Production...... Nancy Bennett-Karasik Sally Dawson Alan Chodos, Associate Executive Officer; Amy Flatten President Director of International Affairs; Terri Gaier, Director Proofreader...... Edward Lee Michael S. Turner*, University of Chicago Chair, Panel on Public Affairs of Meetings, Ted Hodapp, Director of Education and APS News (ISSN: 1058-8132) is published 11X yearly, Subscriptions: APS News is an on-membership publi- Rob Rosner Diversity; Trish Lettieri, Director of Membership, Dar- President-Elect monthly, except the August/September issue, by the cation delivered by Periodical Mail. Members residing lene Logan, Director of Development, Michael Lubell, Malcolm R. Beasley*, Stanford University American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, Col- abroad may receive airfreight delivery for a fee of $15. Division, Forum and Section Councilors Director, Public Affairs; Dan Kulp, Editorial Director; lege Park, MD 20740-3844, (301) 209-3200. It contains Nonmembers: Subscription rates are available at http:// Neil Cornish* (Astrophysics), Thomas Gallagher (Atom- Christine Giaccone, Director, Journal Operations; Mi- Vice President news of the Society and of its Divisions, Topical Groups, librarians.aps.org/institutional.html. ic, Molecular & Optical Physics), Jose Onuchic (Bio- chael Stephens, Controller and Assistant Treasurer Samuel Aronson*, Brookhaven National Laboratory Sections, and Forums; advance information on meetings logical), TBA (Chemical), Francis Hellman (Condensed (Retired) of the Society; and reports to the Society by its commit- Subscription orders, renewals and address changes Matter Physics), Steven Gottlieb (Computational), James Administrator for Governing Committees tees and task forces, as well as opinions. should be addressed as follows: For APS Members– Wallace (Fluid Dynamics), TBA (Forum on Education), Ken Cole Executive Officer Membership Department, American Physical Society, Eric Sorte, (Forum on Graduate Student Affairs), Mi- Kate P. Kirby*, Harvard Smithsonian (retired) Letters to the editor are welcomed from the member- One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844, chael Riordan (Forum on History of Physics), Gregory * Members of the APS Executive Board ship. Letters must be signed and should include an ad- [email protected]. Meisner (Forum on Industrial and Applied Physics), Treasurer/Publisher dress and daytime telephone number. The APS reserves Herman Winick* (Forum on International Physics), Joseph W. Serene*, Georgetown University (Emeritus) the right to select and to edit for length or clarity. All cor- For Nonmembers–Circulation and Fulfillment Division, Lowell Brown (Forum on Physics and Society), Anthony respondence regarding APS News should be directed to: American Institute of Physics, Suite 1NO1, 2 Huntington Johnson* (Laser Science), TBA (Materials), David Editor-in-Chief Editor, APS News, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, Quadrangle, Melville, NY 11747-4502. Allow at least 6 McIntyre (Northwest Section), Wick Haxton* (Nuclear), Gene D. Sprouse*, Stony Brook University (on leave) MD 20740-3844, Email: [email protected]. weeks advance notice. For address changes, please send Marjorie Corcoran* (Particles & Fields), John Galayda February 2013 • 3

Washington Dispatch A bimonthly update from the APS Office of Public Affairs

ISSUE: BUDGET The Fiscal Cliffhanger–What has happened so far Congress struck a last minute deal to avoid the fiscal cliff – a combination of increases in tax rates, expiration of tax credits, and massive cuts Teaching Intuition in Honduras in government discretionary spending that were set to occur on Jan. By Giulio C. Rottaro 2, 2013. There was, however, no grand bargain on deficit reduction; instead, the lesser compromise focused almost solely on taxation. When I was younger I had the The Bush era tax rates were made permanent for 99.1 percent of all privilege of going to a school Americans and a number of tax credits, such as the one for wind energy with plenty of resources. If my development, were also extended. biology teacher said that all liv- The issues of entitlement reform, across-the-board budget cuts ing things are made of cells, (sequester), and debt-ceiling limit were not addressed. Instead, the she had a microscope and some sequester was delayed by two months and moderately reduced. The slides and she could prove it. across-the-board budget cuts to non-defense discretionary funding fell Only after being a teacher for a from 8.2 percent to 5.9 percent due to the agreement on taxation. The year have I come to understand percentage cut on defense discretionary funding decreased from 9.4 how important those resources percent to 7.3 percent. are in scientific education. I used to think that those little simple The Fiscal Cliffhanger–Where are things heading The deal on tax rates has, in effect, removed any new revenue from experiments and demos were just the table as House Republicans have publicly stated they will not neat gimmicks that were comple- accept any further tax increases. House Republicans will be looking to mentary to my scientific educa- reduce the deficit through entitlement reform and reduced discretionary tion, but I am starting to believe spending. that they WERE my scientific education. Senate Democrats, in preparation for the debate on the new fiscal cliff, In 2010 I took a year off have indicated that they will not consider any changes to entitlement school to volunteer as a bilingual programs. They are also highly unlikely to consider sparing the defense Giulio Rottaro (far left) enjoys a light moment with his students in Honduras. teacher in a small town in Hon- budget from the sequester if it places the burden squarely on non- defense discretionary funding, as a number of House Republicans have duras. I was assigned the posi- dominantly agricultural nation it a fifth grade lesson on the large urged. tion of resource teacher where I is easy to develop their Natural- intestine we used water and pow- would pull underperforming stu- ist Intelligence, one of the nine dered drinks, and we reenacted House and Senate Republicans have warned that they are loath to raise dents out of class for one-on-one types of intelligence accepted by peristalsis like a play out in the the debt ceiling without corresponding cuts to government spending. or small group sessions. This po- educational theorists. It’s not rare school’s auditorium. I called that The White House has stated it will not negotiate raising the debt ceiling sition gave me a great viewpoint for the students to lend a hand on one “The Poopopera Lesson”. since it represents an obligation to pay bills previously incurred by from which I could observe how their parents’ or grandparents’ When it came time for the Congress. all the subjects were being taught farms or for students to have fruit middle school science fair, the at all grade levels. The first and With the compromise on taxes, the path to reducing the deficit has trees at home. Given their love students’ intuition shortcomings narrowed significantly. The impasse between Republicans and second graders learn about mea- of soccer there are also plenty became very clear. Because of Democrats over entitlement reform, spending cuts, and the debt-ceiling suring and simple words like of students with Bodily-Kines- the lack of resources, especially may very well lead to a scenario in which 1) the reduced sequester “hot”, “cold”, “solid”, “liquid”, thetic Intelligence. I took this as when these students were in pri- occurs in March 2013; 2) the Continuing Resolution (currently funding ”gas”, etc. Third and fourth grad- evidence that my students could mary school and the school had federal programs) is extended through the end of Fiscal Year 2013; ers learn about the water cycle, indeed learn subjects to the point just been founded, they were un- and, 3) the debt ceiling is raised for one year. The White House and the difference between natural of intuition. So I tried to identify able to intuit the answers to their Congress would then be able to move on to Fiscal Year 2014. and artificial, rocks, etc. The fifth the aspects that allowed them to science-fair problems and there- and sixth graders learn about learn these skills and bring them fore got stuck in the hypothesis Fiscal Year 2014 Presidential Budget Request The White House has indicated that the president’s budget request, the scientific method and more to the classroom. step of the scientific method. A typically delivered the first Monday in February, is likely to be delayed complex ideas. And finally the That’s when I realized how lot of students traced back and until March. middle schoolers learn biology, important those little experi- tried to find a new question that physical sciences and earth sci- ments and demos are. Not only was closer to their comfort zone. ISSUE:Key Scientific Posts in the Second Obama Administration ence, in that order. are they fun for the students, they This was obviously not a valid In Obama’s second term many of the agency leadership positions are I had no prior teaching ex- actually teach intuition through problem-solving strategy. For expected to remain unchanged. Likely to stay for at least another four perience so my understanding experience. Unfortunately, with- example, a student wanted to years are: OSTP Director John Holdren; NIST Director Patrick Gallagher; of education was only from the out beakers, hot plates, scales, create a man-powered electrical NASA Administrator Charles Bolden; and NIH Director Francis Collins. perspective of a student. I figured multi-meters, etc. we had to get generator but he was unable to Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Office of Science Director Bill that science education could be creative to come up with experi- intuit how the magnets may in- Brinkman are expected to leave their posts. divided into two elements: lan- ments. For a second-grade lesson teract with the coil or even with guage and concepts. First you on the water cycle, I dragged a each other. (Nowadays our kin- NSF Director Subra Suresh is on a six-year cycle. teach the student about the lan- skillet and a propane tank into dergarten and pre-k students play guage of science and then you the classroom, boiled some wa- with magnets on a daily basis.) ISSUE: POPA apply that language in teach- ter on a pot and condensed it on Thanks to the hard work of A study of the technical issues surrounding the extension of nuclear ing them concepts. But there is a cool glass above the pot. The the middle school science teach- reactor licenses from 60 to 80 years is under way. The Study Committee a third element that is the most children all held their hands er and some of my help, the sci- has been selected, and a meeting will be held in Washington, D.C. in February. important for both students who above the pot and felt the steam ence fair was a huge success and will go into sciences and students rise. They noticed the water level most projects were quite impres- A study for the Department of Homeland Security’s Domestic Nuclear who will not: intuition. dropping and the condensed wa- sive. However the obstacles that Detection Office (DNDO) regarding trends in nuclear and radiological For students from this pre- ter building up on the glass. For HONDURAS continued on page 6 detection, sponsored jointly by APS and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), is under review and will be released in 2013. Pines Honored by AAPT A tactical nuclear weapons workshop, sponsored by the State Depart- ment, in conjunction with the Center for Strategic & International Stud- APS Fellow David Pines re- ies (CSIS), will be held in February. ceived the John David Jack- son Award for Excellence in A template for study proposals can be found online, along with a sug- gestion box for future POPA studies, by visiting:http://www.aps.org/ Graduate Education from the policy/reports/popa-reports/suggestions/index.cfm. American Association of Phys- ics Teachers (AAPT) at their re- ISSUE: MEDIA UPDATE cent meeting in New Orleans. In APS student members Kelly Reidy, John Mergo and Brian Tice recently the photo, Pines (left) receives authored op-eds on the devastating effects that would occur to science the award from AAPT Past- under sequestration. President David Sokoloff of the The Cleveland Plain Dealer published Reidy’s piece, “U.S. must avoid University of Oregon. Pines is deep science cuts,” on Dec. 20, 2012. The Ithaca Journal ran an op-ed emeritus professor at the Uni- co-authored by Mergo and Tice headlined, “Sequestration would harm versity of Illinois at Urbana- future of science” on Dec. 28, 2012. Champaign, and the Founding Director of the Institute for Com- The students pointed out in their pieces that their careers and America’s economic growth would be jeopardized under sequestration. plex Adaptive Matter. Photo by Matthew Payne DISPATCH continued on page 5 4 • February 2013 G. N. Lewis Column Stirs Memories I enjoyed the “This Month in off their supply of D O, and Crane sults at the seminar, insisting that Letters 2 Readers interested in submitting a letter to APS News should Physics History” column in the had to set up apparatus to make his the neutrons he detected must December APS News on G. N. own. have been bouncing off furni- email [email protected] Lewis, which reminded me of a I visited Rob Varney and Leon ture and walls. Varney and Fisher Criticism of Inquiry-based Learning Strikes Home couple of anecdotes: Fisher (both of whom died recent- added that when Lewis repeated David Klahr in his Back Page based. What a delightful irony that At the Centennial meeting of ly) a few years ago in California. the experiments out-of-doors he “Inquiry Science rocks: Or does he faults much of physics educa- APS in 1999, H. Richard Crane They had been grad students at found no such focusing of neu- it?” in the December APS News tion research for its lack of meth- (my academic grandfather) gave Berkeley in the late 1930s to early trons, and that the humiliation clearly shows that the inquiry- odological rigor and clear defi- a talk about his days working 1940s and used to play bridge with seemed to have taken the steam based emperor, despite his le- nitions–properties which many with Lauritsen at Caltech in the G. N. Lewis. Varney and Fisher out of him. They felt that he didn’t gions of loyal followers, has no physics education researchers 1930s on accelerated deuterons, said that after Berkeley became do much after that, but of course made possible by a gift of D O by recognized for nuclear physics, by that time he was getting on in clothes. The most telling criticism presume to be hallmarks of their 2 in Klahr’s essay is the lack of any field, perhaps by virtue of their be- G. N. Lewis. Someone in the lab Lewis was determined to do nu- years [Lewis was born in 1875– clear “dose-response” correla- ing physicists, unlike Klahr. mentioned to a journalist about clear work on his own. He gave a ed.]. I’ve always wondered if this the connection of D O to nuclear seminar in physics telling of being story is at all widely known. tion between positive results of 2 particular educational materials Bob Ehrlich physics, and the subsequent news- able to focus neutrons using a par- and their degree of being inquiry- Fairfax, VA paper story was like something affin lens in his lab. They said that you’d see in the National Enquirer both Lawrence and Oppenheimer Thomas M. Miller FUNDING continued from page 1 today. Lewis was furious and cut mercilessly ridiculed Lewis's re- Lexington, MA cuts, but it is unclear what might wind power as well. be cut and by how much. If sequestration sets in, all pro- Arms Policy Demands Broader Perspective “Both parties agree that they grams and line items across the The debate on the Benefits and try to prevent “others” from ac- More physicists, engineers and don’t want to see these [seques- board are supposed to be reduced, Risks of Laser Isotope Separation quiring the deadly weapons that other scientists ought to try and tration] cuts move forward,” said though it is also possible that law- between Mark Raizen and Francis we so dearly guard because we have a broader perspective and Matt Hourihan, director of the makers will seek to safeguard Slakey (January APS News Back are “civilized” while they are recognize the plight of people all R&D Budget and Policy Program some favorite programs. In the Page) raises interesting points not, these others will eventually around the world. In that way per- at the American Association for more likely scenario where Con- that, ultimately, are relevant to also acquire them. The reason is haps we could persuade our poli- the Advancement of Science. “It’s gress and the White House come the development of any defense simple. All technology is based ticians to also look at the world hard to envision what that deal to some kind of agreement over (but therefore also war-enabling) on science and, if we have learned without the blinders they seem to might look like and what the actual smaller cuts, it’s possible that sci- technology that some possess but anything from the latter, it is that have on. Then they may not be as impacts on science funding will ence funding might fare better than do not wish others to have. Raizen what can be done in one place at trigger-happy. be.” average. and Slakey could have been talk- one time can be repeated in any I cannot help but make one fi- The looming cuts stem from “In recent years, there are a few ing about bows, arrows, guns and other place at any other time. The nal comment, though. Admirably, a political fight over the national areas that have done pretty well,” gunpowder that all have access laws of physics are invariant. Slakey exhibits that broad per- deficit and the federal debt ceil- Hourihan said, highlighting the to now. Or, they could have been If we have nuclear technology spective and refers to the poverty ing in 2011. Concerns about the DOE’s Office of Science and the talking about nuclear, biological today others will acquire it tomor- of many in the world. I do take growing national debt prompted NSF. “My guess is there probably and chemical weapons that all do row. If we fly drones over other issue, however, with the “tribes- the passage of the Budget Control is an interest in preserving DOE not have today–but which are like- countries today they will have the woman” appellation applied to Act of 2011, which empowered a science funding ahead of other ar- ly to become widespread, if we do capacity to do the same over ours that woman trekking miles to fetch Congressionally appointed “Super eas.” not change our ways. –one day. water. One of the problems we Committee” to come up with a def- The Obama administration has Unfortunately the debate does We may try to continuously have here in the “West” is that we icit reduction plan, or else face se- defended research funding, mostly not address the root cause of many stay a step ahead and hope that often look at those whose cultures rious across-the-board budget cuts sparing science from cuts that have of our difficulties: We do not rec- our defenses will be able to shield we may not understand well as be- to every part of the federal govern- befallen other programs. Lubell ognize that our conflicts can only us while they attempt to catch up. ing somewhat inferior. ment. The Super Committee failed said he is hopeful that funding for really be resolved by negotiation But that is a dangerous game. A to reach an accord, setting the US science will continue to escape the rather than by slaughtering one perfect shield against any weapon Amin Dharamsi on a course toward sequestration. axe. another. No matter how hard we is an impossibility. Norfolk, VA Few observers expect the deep “Science is a good story to tell,” APP continued from page 1 sequestration cuts will come to Lubell said. “It really does have a Different light sources produce “We hope in the future to pro- vices, but the team is exploring pass, but any solution would re- great deal to do with economic de- different spectral signatures, de- vide access to a library of user options to develop a version that quire accord between the two par- velopment.” pending on their chemical com- generated spectra samples you works with Google’s Android op- ties. Congress can overturn their Experts worry that should sig- position. The spectrometer lets can cross-reference on the inter- erating system. own law, but getting the two par- nificant cuts materialize, the De- users see that white light given net,” Roche said. “We developed This is the first app put out by ties to agree to any kind of com- partment of Energy’s Offices of off by different types of bulbs is a this to make a fun app,” Roche the APS Outreach Department. promise budget has been intrac- Fusion Science and especially Nu- combination of different emission added. He said that on the surface It’s aimed at anyone in the general table thus far. clear Physics (NP) could be in the lines. A fluorescent bulb will have it’s a tool for people to find out public with an interest in physics Michael Lubell, APS Director most trouble. The latter has already a different series of lines than a what different lights are made out and science. In 2010 the outreach of Public Affairs, worries that this been facing a funding crunch. sodium light, while an incandes- of, but it’s also a springboard for department produced a kit, not an deep partisan split will continue In 2007, the Nuclear Science cent bulb emits a continuous spec- members of the public to learn a app, called SpectraSound, that can or possibly even worsen. Recent Advisory Committee put together a trum. The app comes with a spec- bit more about the wavelengths of transmit sound from an iPod or redistricting might have made the long-range plan under the assump- tral library of twenty of the most light and the quantum nature of similar device to a speaker using House more polarized than before tion that budgets would continue to common light sources, which the atoms. a laser beam. SpectraSound is for the election. Every ten years voting increase as they had for the DOE’s team anticipates expanding as the Initially, the SpectraSnapp app sale through the APS online store districts are redrawn following the Office of Science in the previous app becomes widely used. is available only for Apple de- at store.aps.org (under “toys”). census, and lawmakers often try to years. Instead, the agency’s budget influence how they’re drawn, by remained flat while Jefferson Lab’s SUBWAY continued from page 2 grouping together their constituen- Continuous Electron Beam Accel- was deemed prohibitively expen- Very High Speed Transportation His subway was forgotten until cies. erator Facility received an upgrade sive, and was scrapped. An engi- system, conceived by Robert M. 1912, when a construction crew “If anything the House prob- and while Michigan State Univer- neer with Lockheed named L.K. Salter of RAND in the 1970s to digging a tunnel for a new line ably tilts a little further to the right sity began using federal dollars to Edwards proposed a Bay Area run along what we now call the running under Broadway knocked than it did before,” Lubell said. “If move towards construction of its Gravity-Vacuum Transit system Northeast Corridor. through a wall and found the old you’re a Republican and you’re Facility for Rare Isotope Beams. for California in 1967, designed Beach caught pneumonia Warren Street station. The passen- sitting in one of those districts, Combined with the continued op- to run in tandem with San Fran- and died on January 1, 1896, ger car was still on its track. The you’re not afraid of being attacked eration of Brookhaven’s Relativis- cisco’s BART system, then under and didn’t live to see the debut City Hall station on what is now by someone to the left of you, tic Heavy Ion Collider, these pro- construction. It, too, was never of New York City’s first under- the BMT line boasts a plaque in you’re afraid of being attacked grams have put NP in a bind. built. Nor was the underground ground train (the IRT) in 1904. Beach’s honor. from the right.” “Not everything is going to fit,” Conservative Republicans have said Robert Tribble, a physicst at amount as the previous year, which, increases are not going to material- However nothing is official, and led the charge to reduce federal Texas A&M University who is because of inflation, somewhat re- ize,” Lubell said. RHIC’s recent upgrades have spending overall, and Lubell says heading a commission to make duces its buying power. “It’s pretty The committee expects to sub- boosted its science output signifi- that with a more conservative budget recommendations to the clear that it is not possible to keep mit its recommendations by the end cantly. House, “It’s going to be even dic- Department of Energy. everything going under flat flat,” of January, after APS News goes to “The budget situation is so unre- ier to achieve anything on reduc- “The charge was to provide a Tribble said. press, and could not discuss any spe- solved at the moment, it’s not clear tions.” strategy to implement the 2007 The committee is not contem- cific recommendations until then. it makes the most sense to come The agreement reached to delay long-range plan recommendations plating scenarios involving either Because of the uncertainty over up with contingency plans now,” cuts until March did contain a few under two budget scenarios,” Trib- modest budget cuts or the more future budgets, long range planning said Berndt Mueller, Brookhaven’s provisions beneficial to scientific ble explained. The first scenario al- drastic cuts that would happen un- has been difficult for the projects new Associate Laboratory Director research. It extended the federal lowed for a slight increase in the der sequestration. “The notion of that will likely be most affected. for Nuclear and Particle Physics. R & D Tax Credit, which has been budget, while the second assumed increases in the next two years, on News reports have indicated that “We would have to see how it is in place since 1981, and included that the budget remains “flat flat,” which the planning for DOE facili- RHIC might be facing significant distributed across the various sub- tax credits towards development of meaning that it’s the same dollar ties was based, is unrealistic. Those cuts, or might even be shut down. programs in the Office of Science.” February 2013 • 5

Ozel, Alexander Convey the Excitement of Physics Education C orner By Michael Lucibella Astronomers have been keep- Whether these tools are quan- A column on educational programs and publications Each year APS presents two ing tabs on a cloud of gas and dust tum gravity or his saxophone, special awards; one, the Maria that should pass in front of the su- Alexander likes to use them to Goeppert Mayer Award for out- permassive black hole at center of explore new ideas and concepts. Task Force on Teacher Education in Physics standing achievement by a woman our galaxy sometime in the middle To him a big part of the process is The full report of the Task Force on Teacher Education in Physics of 2013. Ozel has been working on learning from mistakes, whether is now available. A printed copy of the report will be sent to all physicist in the early years of her career, and the other, the Edward what astronomers should look for they are arrangements that just physics departments and schools of education, and a PDF version when it does. In addition she has don’t work out, or calculations that will be made freely available on the PhysTEC website. See www. A. Bouchet Award, to recognize been helping develop the next gen- ultimately don’t add up. PTEC.org/taskforce for more information and a copy of the report a distinguished minority physicist synopsis. who has made significant contri- eration of satellites that will peer “It’s exactly those mistakes that butions to physics research. into the hearts of neutron stars. tell you how close or far you are Change the Equation publishes 2012 Vital Signs The recipient of this year’s Ma- from the correct answer,” Alex- The nonprofit initiative Change the Equation (CTEq) published ander said. He added that he uses its 2012 Vital Signs, which offers a state-by-state measure of the ria Goeppert Mayer Award is Fer- yal Ozel, an associate professor of intuition and free association to health of K-12 STEM education. Among other statistics, these explore new ideas, “but at the end reports break down the availability of jobs for STEM versus non- astronomy and physics at the Uni- STEM majors, and also provide data on the percentage of students versity of Arizona. In addition to of the day if you’re on to some- in schools that do not offer challenging physics as well as other a certificate honoring her achieve- thing, you can use tools to get the math and science courses, by race/ethnicity. See http://vitalsigns. ment, she will receive $2,500 plus answer.” changetheequation.org/ for more information. $4,000 in travel allowances to be Alexander is an associate pro- Sign up for the Wavefront Newsletter used towards speaking at up to fessor of Physics and Astronomy Educators, stay informed! APS Wavefront is a free electronic four US universities and at an APS at Dartmouth. He will receive newsletter for physics educators. Sign up to stay informed about meeting. $3,500, plus travel to an APS APS programs, upcoming meetings, recent APS actions, and Feryal Ozel Ozel’s research delves into Meeting to receive the award and activities within the physics community. See http://www.aps.org/ deliver a presentation on his work, programs/education/wavefront.cfm the extreme astrophysics of black holes and neutron stars. She said as well as funds to cover travel to at least three academic institutions Career Workshop with Peter Fiske at APS March Meeting that it’s the idea of solving the In this workshop with celebrated author and science career coach mysteries of the universe that to talk about his research. Peter Fiske, students will learn about job search strategies, draws her in. How matter won out over an- interview writing and networking skills, and effective career planning “Astronomy is an observational timatter, and what that has to do for scientists. This extremely popular event is FREE and open to science… we typically work with with quantum gravity is the central all meeting attendees–however, space is limited! Please RSVP clues we’re offered, so like detec- question behind much of Alexan- to Crystal Bailey ([email protected]) to reserve your seat. For more der’s work. information, please visit:http://www.aps.org/careers/guidance/ tives we try to put together the “I use cosmology as a window webinars/fiske.cfm whole picture from the clues we can obtain,” Ozel said. “I love to probe fundamental physics such Career and Networking Events at the APS March Meeting the fact that we can address basic as theories of quantum gravity and The APS is offering a number of career and professional development physics questions by looking at theories beyond the standard mod- related events at the APS March Meeting in Baltimore. In addition Stephon Alexander el,” he said. to the Sunday evening career workshop with Peter Fiske, there these particular types of objects. “By measuring the macro- The path that brought him to will also be a Tuesday lunchtime session focusing on Industrial theoretical cosmology was any- Careers. Topics will include the nature of a successful physics scopic properties of neutron stars, career in industrial contexts, how to effectively build your network what their masses are, what their NASA’s Neutron Star Interior thing but straightforward and was for industrial physics jobs, how to successfully apply and interview radii are, we want to be able to get Composition Explorer, or NICER, full of unexpected turns and career for these jobs, and how to take your innovations from academic a handle on what makes up their is in development to look for the changes. research and build new opportunities–such as starting your own interior. Neutron stars and black X-ray emissions coming from a Alexander was born in Trini- company. The APS is also hosting its annual Job Expo at the March neutron star’s magnetic field. If se- dad, and moved with his family to Meeting on March 19–21. We are expecting a large number of holes are my specialty.” Originally from Istanbul, Ozel lected by NASA, it should launch the Bronx when he was eight. He recruiters from industry, national labs, and academia this year, and in the summer of 2016. A similar went through the public schools Job Seekers will be able to apply and interview for jobs directly on- found herself drawn to the idea of site. For more information on the Job Expo, contact Crystal Bailey traveling abroad for college. Her mission, the Large Observatory in New York and counted him- ([email protected]). high school teachers were instru- for X-ray Timing, or LOFT, is self lucky to have had the science mental in guiding her towards op- in development by the European and math teachers he did. He re- Please continue to check the APS March Meeting webpage for tions in the United States. Space Agency and slated to launch members many of his high school more information on Career Events as it becomes available in the in 2022. Ozel is doing theoreti- teachers as having advanced de- coming weeks. She found the flexibility she was looking for at Columbia Uni- cal work on what these telescopes grees so they could talk about ev- should look for. erything from the fundamentals of Special Undergraduate Events at APS March and April Meetings versity in New York. She tried a APS and SPS are once again teaming up to offer events specifically couple of different areas of science “I am very excited about these physics, to what was cutting edge. for Undergraduates at the APS March and April Meetings. In addition before settling on a double major missions,” Ozel said. “There’s “I think growing up in a very to the SPS Undergraduate Research Presentation sessions, we in physics and applied mathemat- also data coming in at other wave- diverse background in the Bronx are also having a Student Welcome Reception and Career Panel ics. lengths.” really made a difference because (where students can learn more about exciting career paths and “It was a very enriching expe- When not unraveling the mys- in my field, it’s so international,” interact with a panel of working physicists), a Graduate School teries of the neutron stars and Alexander said. Fair (where students can meet one-on-one with recruiters from rience,” Ozel said. “At that time black holes, Ozel is an avid triath- After he finished high school, Graduate Programs to learn more about research opportunities), I thought of going into particle and a special Awards reception where the top presenters will be physics, but it has been the golden lete. She recently ran a half Iron he went to Haverford College in recognized and receive fun prizes. era of astronomy with a lot of new Man in Phoenix, Arizona where Pennsylvania. Starting out he was data coming in from satellites and she placed third in her age group, unsure of what path to take. A limited number of travel awards will also be available for and a sprint triathlon in Tucson “I had really no ambitions to undergraduate students who are presenting at the meetings! Earth-based telescopes… I could still do basic physics and address where she placed first. She’s plan- become a physicist,” Alexander For more information, please visit our APS Future of Physics ning to run the Boston Marathon said. “I knew I liked physics, and Days pages: http://www.aps.org/programs/education/undergrad/ the questions that interest me, but students/futurephysics/ the amount of data that has been in the spring. I knew it came a little bit easier coming in in astronomy has been Though she is always involved than some of the humanities. But 2013 PhysTEC Conference very exciting.” with new and exciting projects, I didn’t really think I was going to The 2013 PhysTEC conference will be held March 16-17, 2013 in After graduating from Colum- family is just as important to Ozel. be a physicist.” Baltimore, MD, immediately preceding the APS March Meeting. bia she received her master’s de- She and her husband, who’s also Then during his freshman year, For info on the 2013 PhysTEC conference, visit www.ptec.org/ an astrophysicist, have made a big he met physics professor Lyle Ro- conferences/2013/ gree at the Niels Bohr institute in Copenhagen and her PhD at Har- effort to be as involved as possi- elofs, who became a role model vard University. She then received ble in their six and eight year old for Alexander. TASK FORCE continued from page 1 a NASA Hubble fellowship at daughters’ school and activities. “He worked me very hard. He APS Executive Officer Kate Already task force members Princeton’s Institute for Advanced “It’s not always easy,” Ozel had very high expectations but at Kirby adds that “We’re looking have met with representatives Study. said. “Anyone will tell you it’s the same time he made it known at strategies for allowing greater from the National Science Foun- “That was awesome,” Ozel a juggling act, and I completely to me that physics was available to public access, while preserving dation and the Department of said. “I loved the environment at agree with that.” me if I wanted to pursue it.” the contributions that publishers Energy, and future meetings are the Institute for Advanced Study… For this year’s Bouchet Award At around the same time, Alex- make to the scientific enterprise.” being scheduled. “I thought it was a great place to recipient, Stephon Alexander, jazz ander was introduced to Jim Gates be a postdoc.” and theoretical physics go together at a National Society of Black like peanut butter and jelly. Physicists meeting. Gates made a DISPATCH continued from page 3 From there she joined the fac- ulty of the University of Arizona “I’ve gained a lot of inspiration major impression on Alexander. In a related item, Michael Lubell, director of public affairs for APS, in 2005. Currently she is on sab- from the art and practice of mu- He realized that people of any eth- was quoted in a Nature story on Jan. 2, 2013, titled, “U.S. fiscal deal batical at the Radcliffe Institute sic,” said Alexander, who is a jazz nicity could be theoretical physi- leaves science vulnerable.” for Advanced Study at Harvard. musician himself. “The idea is that cists. She said it’s given her a chance to you have sharply tuned tools… Alexander delved into studying Lubell noted science may end up in better shape under the new [and] you can use these tools to physics, and was involved with re- fiscal deal due to reductions in proposed funding cuts. work on a new range of projects. make new creations.” EXCITEMENT continued on page 7 6 • February 2013

Top Physics Newsmakers of 2012

Each February APS News looks appearance at sea. discovered elements were given peared to be the long sought-after of the arctic, 18 percent below the back to see what physics news sto- Daya Bay names after the physics labs that Higgs boson. The laboratory was 2007 record, and 49 percent below ries grabbed the most headlines in The international Daya Bay discovered them. Number 114 guarded in its original announce- the 1979 through 2000 average. the previous year. The list is a com- Reactor Neutrino Experiment, an- is flerovium (Fl) after the Flerov ment, saying only that they had Climatologists pointed to this as pilation of not necessarily the most nounced in March the success- Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions found a boson with Higgs-like more evidence that climate change “important” advancements of the ful measurement of the neutrino in Dubna, Russia, and number 116 properties. The accomplishment is a major concern and that rising year, but the stories that captured mixing angle θ13. Six detectors is livermorium (Lv) after the Law- caps decades of work and billions global temperatures are having an the attention and interest of the measured the neutrinos emitted rence Livermore National Labora- of dollars building the Large Had- impact on the environment. world. In roughly chronological by China’s Daya Bay nuclear re- tory in Livermore, California. In ron Collider. The discovery con- Retractions order, the Top Physics Newsmak- actors, looking for differences in September researchers at the RIK- firms the existence of a “Higgs Physicists had to make two ma- ers of 2012 are: the number of electron antineutri- EN laboratory in Japan claimed to field” that gives matter its mass, jor retractions this year. In Feb- Exoplanets nos detected. Neutrinos oscillate have successfully generated atoms first proposed almost 50 years ago. ruary CERN announced that the 2012 was a big year for the dis- between different flavors, and 13θ , of element 113. If confirmed, it New Physics Prize controversial claim a year before, covery of planets outside of our the parameter that governs the rate would be the first new element to Russian billionaire Yuri Milner that neutrinos appeared to travel solar system, and many scientists at which electron neutrinos morph be discovered in East Asia, though is giving the Nobel Prizes a run for faster than the speed of light, was believe that the discovery of a po- into other flavors, was the last to be researchers in the US and Russia their money with his announce- likely the result of a loose cable. tentially habitable planet like Earth measured. The collaboration found have also claimed to have synthe- ment in July of the new Funda- Two months later, the lead sci- is not far away. January brought the angle was relatively large, mak- sized the element in the past. mental Physics Prize. Each of the entist of the team that made the the announcement of the discovery ing it easier for physicists to inves- Supercomputer nine inaugural winners, primarily announcement stepped down. In of a system of planets around the tigate the origin of matter-antimat- The title of the “World’s Fastest theoretical physicists in cosmolo- October, Moses Chan officially re- star Kepler-42 with planets simi- ter asymmetry in the universe. Computer” returned to the United gy, mathematics and string theory, tracted his 2004 announcement of lar in size to Venus and Mars, the Pioneer States this June when Lawrence received $3 million. Milner per- the discovery of supersolids. In an smallest discovered yet. In Feb- The “Pioneer anomaly” has Livermore National Laboratory’s sonally chose the first round, but experiment designed to eliminate ruary, astronomers announced vexed physicists since it was first Sequoia machine topped out at past recipients will in part choose a source of error first identified in the discovery of Gliese 667Cc noticed in the early 1980s. The two 16.2 petaflops. Then in Novem- future winners of the new annual 2007, Chan was unable to recreate only 22 light years away, the first Pioneer probes, numbers 10 and ber, Oak Ridge National Labora- award. In December, Milner made the effects observed in his first ex- planet discovered inside of a star’s 11, have been inexplicably slowing tory one-upped them with its Titan two special awards, one to Stephen periments, and subsequently pub- habitable zone. The discovery of down more than expected on their supercomputer, which hit 17.59 Hawking, and another to be shared lished his new results in Physical Alpha Centauri Bb, a planet orbit- way towards interstellar space. petaflops. US computers now hold amongst top scientists at CERN for Review Letters. ing the star closest to Earth, was Numerous explanations have been the top two slots for the first time discovering the Higgs Boson. Water announced in October, hinting put forward, ranging from leaking since 2009, beating out Japan’s K Maser Throughout the year, the news that planets might be very common gas to a fundamental reworking of computer. Sequoia is used by the Researchers in England an- has been dominated by headlines around stars. In December the general relativity, but in April, an military to simulate nuclear deto- nounced in August that they were five-planet system around Tau Ceti analysis by Slava Turyshev pub- nations while Titan is an open ma- able to build the first solid-state about water being found in unex- was discovered, which included lished in Physical Review Letters chine leasable by the public. maser that works at room tempera- pected places throughout the solar two planets far enough away from finally determined once and for all Teleportation ture. The very first masers were system. In June an article in Sci- their parent star that liquid water that pressure from uneven thermal Teams on opposite sides of the built in 1954 but were weak and re- ence said that the Cassini space- could exist on their surface. radiation has been the culprit for all globe have been duking it out to quired extremely low temperatures craft found evidence of a liquid Majorana Fermions of these years. hold the title of the farthest dis- to operate. Soon thereafter, the ocean of water deep under the icy In February, physicists from Traffic Ticket tance two quantum particles can be first solid-state masers were built, shell of Saturn’s moon Titan. In Delft University found evidence of In April Dmitri Krioukov ar- kept in an entangled state. In May which offered more power, but still September, scientists announced Majorana fermions, particles that gued his way out of a traffic ticket a team in China shattered the exist- required near zero temperatures that NASA’s Curiosity rover found are their own anti-particles, in the using physics. In a paper published ing record by teleporting a photon to operate. The team from Impe- beds of rounded pebbles, evidence behavior of electrons in a semicon- on the ArXiv, Krioukov claimed 97 kilometers, nearly 100 times the rial College in London developed a that water likely once flowed in ducting nanowire. The team did that a confluence of coincidences, existing record. In September a completely new technique to create deep streams across the surface not observe the particles directly, including his sudden deceleration team from Austria working in the a collimated beam of microwaves of Mars. Also in September, sci- but they were able to infer hints of and acceleration, an optical illu- Canary Islands was able to teleport using p-terphenyl as a gain medi- entists announced that they unex- their existence by detecting minute sion making objects farther away a pair of photons 147 kilometers, um rather than traditional crystal- pectedly found water on the aster- electrical currents that matched seem to be moving faster, and an between two islands, hoping to line ruby. oid Vesta. Rounding out a year of predictions. Scientists are excited obstructing car made it appear that pave the way to teleport a pair be- Sea Ice soggy discoveries in November, because such particles could form he drove through a stop sign, when tween an orbiting satellite and the In September, the National NASA’s Messenger spacecraft the basis for a future quantum com- in fact he had stopped. The judge planet’s surface sometime in the Snow and Ice Data Center an- found evidence of frozen water un- puter. Fermions that are their own seemed to agree and rescinded the future. nounced that 2012 broke the re- derneath the surface of the closest antiparticles were first predicted traffic offense. Higgs cord set in 2007 for the lowest planet to the sun, Mercury. by Ettore Majorana in 1937, just Elements On the 4th of July, CERN an- amount of sea ice ever. Ice only –list compiled by Michael Luci- months before his mysterious dis- In May, the two most recently nounced that it had found what ap- covered 1.32 million square miles bella

HONDURAS continued from page 3 CUWIP continued from page 1 were encountered highlighted that assertion and ask for evi- search through talks and a poster WiP will formalize a national ability to apply for multi-year another aspect of the importance dence. session, the Conference aims to organizing committee to main- grants will be very important to of experienced-based science Now that we have enough give young women the resources, tain continuity in future years. the future of the conferences,” learning. A lot of the students had momentum to write our own cus- motivation, and confidence to The national committee will be says Bortoletto. difficulties learning the differ- tomized science curriculum go- pursue graduate work in physics composed of undergraduates who “APS sees it in its mission to ence between anecdotal evidence ing into the new school year, we and in careers related to physics. have led past conferences, those back these ideas,” says Hodapp. and empirical research, not only can carry these lessons forward The focus of APS sponsorship who hope to organize future “We put our name behind it; we because they are kids who have and hopefully address the issues. will be to provide an institutional conferences, as well as a current put our resources behind it.” been taught to believe everything Some Caltech undergrads have home for the conference, which member of the Committee on the Bortoletto agrees. When she their elders say, but also due to generously donated some lightly has grown from twenty-nine at- Status of Women in Physics, and helped host the conference at the fact that they live in a small used lab equipment, and we can tendees in 2006 to almost five a representative from the APS Purdue in 2011, APS provided third-world town where the main start adding more awesome ex- hundred in 2011. This year, the Education and Diversity depart- information on physics graduate source of information is hearsay. periments. To all you APS read- conference organizers expect al- ment. and career resources. “Even hav- By performing their own experi- ers out there, if you know of any most one thousand students. “Among the goals of the na- ing the information around made ments in the classroom, the stu- noteworthy and resourceful ex- “Adding APS sponsorship has tional organizing committee”, the students more aware of what dents familiarize themselves with periments that could inspire curi- been very transformative,” says says APS Director of Education APS can do for them. APS really how the scientific method works osity among my students, I am all Daniela Bortoletto, a professor of and Diversity Ted Hodapp, “is does offer a lot of information for and they also learn how to ques- ears. And yes, we already built a physics at Purdue University and to think about how you bring the students; through the conferenc- tion it. While presenting their re- Rubens’ tube. the present chair of the CUWiP organization forward, and learn es, there is a more direct contact sults, two fifth graders who were Giulio C. Rottaro graduated faculty committee. “We needed a from past conferences.” between students and the APS.” assigned to determine whether from Caltech with a BS in Phys- framework that would enable us Apart from the new CUWiP This year’s conferences were candles float or not, realized that ics this past June. During the to organize more effectively.” wiki that both organizes meeting held at the California Institute they should determine if lighting 2010/2011 academic year he vol- Organization is a particularly notes and outlines how to orga- of Technology, Colorado School the candles would make a differ- unteered with Bilingual Educa- challenging task for CUWiP be- nize a conference, APS sponsor- of Mines, Cornell University, ence. Students also learnt the im- tion for Central America (BECA: cause each satellite conference is ship enables CUWiP to apply for University of Central Florida, portance of repetition and replica- www.becaschools.org) as a re- organized by the local undergrad- multi-year funding grants from University of Illinois at Urbana- bility. Next time they hear from a source teacher for San Jeronimo uate students, sometimes with the federal and private organizations. Champaign, and the University family member that the humans Bilingual School. He is now in his help of graduate students, post- Until now, organizers had to ap- of Texas at Austin. A report on have been infecting the chickens first year at Yale School of Medi- docs and faculty. ply for new government and uni- these meetings will appear in in the farm, they can challenge cine. With APS sponsorship, CU- versity grants every year. “The next month’s APS News. February 2013 • 7

ANNOUNCEMENTS Preparing the Next Generation Reviews of Modern Physics of Physics Teachers Nuclear spin physics in quantum dots: An optical investigation Bernhard Urbaszek, Xavier Marie, Thierry Amand, The Nation’s largest meeting dedicated to physics Olivier Krebs, Paul Voisin, Patrick Malentinsky, teacher education; featuring workshops, panel Alexander Högele, and Atac Imamoglu discussions, and presentations by national leaders Individual electrons and holes confined to a semiconductor quantum in the field. dot can be manipulated in optics and transport schemes that aim PhysTECPhysTEC for control on a single spin and single photon level. The coherence properties of these single carrier states are governed by the interac- ConferenceConference tion with the mesoscopic nuclear spin ensemble of the lattice nuclei TM ® that form the dot. This article reviews the highly nonlinear electron March 16-17, 2013 spin-nuclear spin interaction in quantum dot optics experiments that Baltimore, MD www.ptec.org/conferences/2013 explore ways of controlling this coupled spin system. http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/RevModPhys.85.79

Physicists and physics graduate students in India and the United http://rmp.aps.org States can apply for travel grants to pursue opportunities in the other country. The APS-IUSSTF Professorship Awards in Physics funds physi- Brazil-U.S. cists in India or the U.S. wishing to visit overseas to teach Exchange Program short courses or provide a physics lecture series at a U.S. or Indian university. Awards are for up to U.S. $4,000. Accepting Applications Through the APS-IUSSTF Physics Student Visitation Program, he American Physical Society is now accepting applications from U.S. appli- U.S. and Indian graduate students may apply for travel cants for the Brazil-U.S. Exchange Program. funds of up to U.S. $3,000 to pursue opportunities in physics. T Travel funds could be used to attend a short-course or summer institute, Through the Brazil-U.S. Physics Student Visitation Program, or to work temporarily in a laboratory, for example. This program graduate students can apply for travel funds to pursue opportunities in physics, mostly aims to support graduate student travel to India by U.S. citizens, such as: 1) attending a short-course; 2) visiting with a professor in his/her field while enabling some students of Indian citizenship to travel to the United of study; 3) working temporarily in a lab; or 4) another opportunity that the

TM States. student and host professor feel is worthy of travel support. Grants are for up to USD $3,000. This program is sponsored by the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Fo- rum (IUSSTF) and administered by the American Physical Society (APS). The Brazil-U.S. Professorship/Lectureship Program funds physicists in Brazil and the United States wishing to visit overseas to teach a short Application deadline: Sunday, March 31, 2013 course or deliver a lecture series in the other country. Grants are for up to USD Further details including proposal guidelines: www.aps.org/programs/ $4,000. international/us-india-travel.cfm The application deadline for U.S. applicants traveling to Brazil is Sunday, March 31, 2013. Applications from U.S. applicants should be submitted to Michele Irwin, APS Office of International APS Bridge Program June 27-29, 2013 Affairs, [email protected]. Additional information, including application guidelines, American Center for Physics is provided at: www.aps.org/programs/international/ Summer Meeting College Park, MD Information for Brazilian applicants is available from SBF: The APS Bridge Program Summer meeting will bring together experts to discuss efforts www.sbfisica.org.br/v1/ to increase the number of underrepresented minorities who receive PhDs in physics. Workshops, panel discussions, and presentations will address topics such as: This program is sponsored by the Sociedade Brasileira de • mentoring TM Física (SBF) and APS. • bridge program logistics • cultivating faculty/administrative support • building a sense of community for students EXCITEMENT continued from page 5 Conference designed for faculty, administrators, and students from prospective and ex- search for three of the four years faculty positions at Penn State and isting bridge program sites, as well as interested graduate programs. he was at college. After receiving his alma mater Haverford, before www.APSBridgeProgram.org his BS, he went to Brown Uni- accepting the Ernest Everett Just versity initially with the intent to 1907 Professor of Natural Scienc- LECTURES continued from page 1 study experimental quantum op- es chair at Dartmouth. for my research field of nanoscop- sion organized by the Forum on point for joint work in the region.” tics. When not unraveling the mys- ic lasers, which is relatively new, International Physics titled “Re- Strubbe’s talk at the April Once he arrived though, his teries of quantum gravity, Alexan- and I hope it helps highlight my cent Advances in Condensed Mat- Meeting will focus on the “expect- focus changed and he started re- der has been also been delving into talk against the backdrop of this ter in Latin America.” ed signatures of tidal disruptions” searching neuroscience with No- the mysteries of music. He’s been important physics meeting.” “It will give support to the of black holes. bel Laureate Leon Cooper. Al- working with mathematicians at exander got his first real taste of Berkeley looking for organizing Also at the March Meeting, work that I and some other physi- “I study how stars get ripped cosmology when he decided to principles that might apply to mu- Nagaosa will speak at a sympo- cists in Latin America are doing to apart by massive black holes in the write his dissertation on neural sic harmonic structure. sium titled “Stabilization and Dy- develop science in our region. It centers of galaxies,” Strubbe said. namics of Magnetic Skyrmions” will also give visibility to female networks applied to large-scale “Why and how music works in “It’s a really exciting time to study structures in the universe. terms of principles of physics?” which is sponsored jointly by the physicists, help to attract attention black holes eating stars–for the Division of Condensed Matter of our male colleagues to gender He traveled to Imperial College is the central question he’s been first time, we’re starting to be able Physics and the Topical Group on issues, and even in the long term in London for his postdoc, where looking at. “It’s also a good teach- to discover and observationally Magnetism. to convince administrators in uni- he studied how cosmic inflation ing tool. It’s a good way to get stu- follow up this type of event in real “This is a great honor, and I versities, agencies and govern- could arise from string theory. dents interested in physics.” time. My research is specifically am very much encouraged by this ment to develop specific public During the summers, he worked He’s also been working on his award, which will stimulate the policies such as funding of pro- on predicting and understanding on string theory at Columbia Uni- own jazz album with a producer in further studies on the related top- grams which motivate young girls the light emitted in these events, versity with Brian Greene. New York. ics. Especially, I am now excited to study physics and the setting of important for helping us find black After his stay in London, Al- He said that he was honored about the dynamics of the topo- better conditions for female scien- holes eating stars and interpreting exander traveled to SLAC to con- to receive the award. “It came as tinue pursuing the connection be- a shock, I wasn’t expecting this logical spin textures in magnets, tists,” Montes said. “In my person- newly discovered events. I have tween the origin of matter in the kind of recognition from my col- which will be even more exciting al case, it is a turning point since quite a bit of experience teaching universe and inflation after the Big leagues,” Alexander said. “The in the near future.” Ngaosa said. it allows me to stop for a while and giving talks, so I think I’ll be Bang. It was there that he started past winners are all people I’ve Montes will deliver her talk, and reflect on what we have done able to do a good job explaining thinking about handedness in na- looked up to.” “Women in Physics: Increasing in and what still remains to be done. and reviewing the physics of this ture. Only one force, the weak He added that he plans on us- number, and what else?” at a ses- I hope also this will be a starting phenomenon to a broad audience.” force, has a preferred handedness. ing the award to talk about his re- MEMBERS continued from page 2 Alexander postulated, however, search at other institutions, and to The Los Angeles Times, January atomic clock based on a single whether it’s going to blow up on that gravity might be a sort of sister get more young people involved 10, 2013. atom, MSNBC.com, January 11, the launch pad or dump one of force to the weak force and might with science. 2013. their precious nuclear weapons also have a preferred handedness “It’s important for me to pass “We have demonstrated that into the Pacific Ocean.” in certain quantum regimes. on the torch and to mentor other you can make a clock from a single “They could put up something David Wright, Union of Con- “It’s going to be a new unified minorities in physics and in par- massive particle.” that would look like a credible cerned Scientists, on the missile theory between gravity and the ticular to identify and have some Justin Brown, University of missile but ... it’s not really much threat from North Korea, The Los weak interaction,” Alexander said. PhD students of my own from California , Berkeley, on his team’s of a threat… They have no idea Angeles Times, January 13, 2013. After SLAC, Alexander held those backgrounds.” 8 • February 2013 The Back Page

he development of the APS Bridge Pro- Sharif v. New York State Education Department, Tgram (APS-BP) [http://www.aps.org/ in which a federal court found that the sole use programs/minorities/bridge/] provides our Admissions Criteria and Diversity of SAT scores for awarding scholarships violated community with a great opportunity to help Title IX because of the exam’s gender gap. While physics shed the notoriety of being the least in Graduate School one hopes cut-off scores are not being intention- diverse of the sciences. We can all play a role ally employed for admissions, it is awfully easy in this effort, whether or not our individual By Casey W. Miller to sort a spreadsheet by GRE score and start programs are or will become affiliated with from the top of the list, giving this metric undue the APS-BP. In this article, I hope to raise weight. How different is sorting from a cut-off? awareness of some relatively simple but im- Can this approach actually provide equal oppor- pactful means to enhance racial and gender diversity. What tunity for admission? follows is hardly comprehensive, but hopefully suggests While I’m sure no one fully understands the origins of pragmatic next steps that can be widely and rapidly imple- the data in the figure, there are well documented points mented. faculty should note. With other factors equal (e.g., GPA), There are about 180 physics programs listed in the AIP women score lower on high-pressure timed tests than men. Graduate Programs book. The General GRE is required As a result, for example, it is recommended in Graduate by 96%; a quarter of these have an explicitly stated mini- Education in Physics: Which Way Forward? [http://www. mum Quantitative GRE (QGRE) score for admission, with aps.org/programs/education/graduate/conf2008/index.cfm] the median stated cut-off being 700 (64th–70th percentile, that time constraints on qualifying exams be eliminated. depending on year). As educators, we naturally expect ex- Minority students often graduate with relatively limited ad- ams to be meaningful. Most people believe this is the case vanced physics coursework. This cannot explain the QGRE for the GRE exams, and may thus prefer high scores. But results, but is worth noting for programs that use the Phys- analysis of the data often finds no significant correlation ics GRE (for which no equivalent to the figure is publicly between long-term success and GRE scores (the stated pre- available, to my knowledge). Language must play a role to dictive power is limited to first-year grades). In my time on some extent (probablemente yo no haría un buen examen the Graduate Council of the University of South Florida, si estuviera escrito en perfecto español). Finally, there is I have seen few programs that have taken the time to cor- a strategy for taking the tests that can be learned (would relate “success” with admissions materials. Of these, none, Casey W. Miller businesses like The Princeton Review exist otherwise?) Are including my program, have concluded the GRE predicts any of these points relevant for predicting success in your success in research, which no one argues is the aim of the gender, there is not a single section of the GRE general test graduate program? PhD. Our analysis finds that the QGRE correlates with only in which women outscore men, regardless of how the data It is my hope that the biases noted here, along with the one metric, the graduate GPA (but it is such a weak correla- are diced. Isn’t the ubiquity of these patterns odd? emerging body of evidence questioning the utility of the tion the scientist in me rebels when fitting it to a line). That The results of Fig. 1 are not new, but are not trumpeted GRE, will nucleate a transformation in admissions prac- said, we find undergraduate GPA to be a better predictor of loudly or often enough to be well known among physicists. tices. To be clear: this is not to suggest that we admit less graduate GPA. We also find that undergradu- qualified students for the sake of diversity, but ate GPA is correlated with all three sections of From ETS document rather a call for us to acknowledge that the the General GRE. “Factors that can in uence performance on the GRE general test 2006-2007” historical importance given to GRE scores So why use the GRE at all? One cer- exceeds its predictive capabilities, and has 800 tain answer: national rankings. Consider US societal implications that we may not have News, whose rankings of graduate programs 750 anticipated. One approach we are pursuing are widely influential among both prospec- 75% to address this issue involves developing a 700 tive graduate students and administrators. coarse-grained admissions rubric that ranks In the US News formula, the weight given 650 applicants based on a variety of factors we to the mean GRE score is 12% (6% each to have determined to be useful in predicting re- 600 Verbal and Quantitative). The acceptance rate search success: GPA, recommendations, per- weighting of 6% is added to give “student se- 550 sonal statement, and undergraduate institution lectivity” a total weight of 18%. This exceeds 25% (liberal arts students are very successful in our 500 student/faculty ratio (4.5%), percent of fac- 50% program…please apply!). While we still have ulty with awards (2.5%), and doctoral degrees 450 more to learn, instituting meaningful admis- granted (5%), and is far too close in my opin- sions practices can help lift physics out of the ion to tangible productivity measures such as 400 diversity basement. research expenditures (15% each for dollars 350 In closing, Physics has the opportunity to per program and dollars per faculty member). move forward on the major issue that is di- This weighting can lead administrators to the 300 versity in physics. If many parties participate, simple conclusion that their rankings will go even with small steps, progress can be acceler- up if they only admit students with perfect ated. While none of these will be sufficient to GRE scores. When a skeptical colleague asserts, “something is wrong completely address diversity, I would like to propose sev- Justifying using the GRE becomes significantly more with those data!” I point out that they come from ETS, the eral challenges to the community: complicated, however, when the test results are dissected company that administers the GRE (nevertheless, even though I accept their validity, I wholeheartedly support the • To PIs: get involved–helping to reform your gradu- by race and gender. The figure plots QGRE scores by race/ ate program is a long-term investment, but your ethnicity and gender for US citizens whose intended gradu- assertion that something is wrong). Others have noted the impact of the GRE on diversity in physics, hopefully not gains will start immediately, e.g., by enabling mean- ate major was “physical sciences”. The top and bottom of ingful broader impacts statements. the lines are the 75th and 25th percentiles of the score dis- limited to: “How Not to Pick a Physicist?” Glanz, Science tributions, respectively; the tick is the mean. This pattern is 274, 710 (1996); “Fighting the Gender Gap: Standardized • To programs: determine (and share!) admissions qualitatively unchanged when controlling for undergradu- Tests Are Poor Indicators of Ability in Physics,” APS News factors that actually predict research success (the ate GPA. Note the implications for diversity of using 700 5, #7 (1996); “Views from an Affirmative Activist,” Geor- aim of the PhD) and develop corresponding admis- as a minimum acceptable score: nearly three quarters of gi, from Status: A Report on Women in Astronomy (2000); sions practices; reduce the unintentional weight Hispanics would be rejected, and significantly more than “Where are the Female Physicists? Ehrlich, from CSWP GRE scores presently receive. this for American Indians, African Americans, and Puerto Gazette 26, 3 (2007). Perhaps of interest to administrators, • To administrators: encourage and reward appropri- Ricans; similarly, women are filtered out at a higher rate “Legal Implications of Gender Bias in Standardized Test- ate admissions practices (practices, not policies). than men. Mixing cut-off scores with these racial and gen- ing,” Berkeley Women’s Law Journal 7, 13 (1992). • To program ranking entities: abandon using the der disparities sets the foundation of a glass ceiling erected Do we physicists appreciate how significantly admis- GRE in program evaluations–this puts downward by the lopsided treatment of minorities and women before sions practices can impact diversity? It should be clear that pressure on diversity. they even set foot in grad school. using “minimum acceptable” scores to filter applicants will The Asian>White>Hispanic>Black pattern permeates have adverse unintended consequences. Applicants send • To professional societies (AAAS, APS, NSBP, standardized testing: it is the same for the SAT, and is reflect- many items, and we all aim to take the whole package into NSHP, SACNAS, AWIS, etc.): develop statements ed in the recent race-based levels set by Florida and Virginia consideration. However, I grow curious when programs re- regarding the GRE exams and their usage by gradu- for grade schoolers’ performance on state-wide standard- port average GRE scores that are nearly perfect, particu- ate programs–your guidance is crucial. larly given that the published standard measurement error ized tests [http://www.npr.org/2012/11/12/163703499/fire- • Finally, to the next generation: your voices are more is on the order of 60 points (i.e., 740/80th percentile is in- storm-erupts-over-virginia-s-education-goals]. The GRE powerful than you think, and are needed more fre- significantly different from a perfect 800). For the record: pattern, however, must be more complex in origin than a quently than every four years. property tax distribution problem–these are students who the Guide to the Use of Scores published by ETS states, have done so well in college that they consider themselves “A cut-off score (i.e., a minimum score) should never be Casey W. Miller is Associate Professor of Physics and serious enough candidates for graduate studies to spend used as the only criterion for denial of admission or award- Associate Director of Physics Graduate Programs at the hundreds of dollars on the tests and score reporting. As for ing of a fellowship.” The latter sentiment refers, likely, to University of South Florida. He is a recipient of the AFOSR Young Investigator and NSF CAREER Awards. APS News welcomes and encourages letters and submissions from its members responding to these and other issues. Responses may be sent to: [email protected]