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Home , Arthur Compton, Bevatron, Brunelleschi (crater), Steven Weinberg

February 2019 • Vol. 28, No. 2

A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Q&A with Nobel Laureate Page 3 APS.ORG/APSNEWS

APS Bridge Program and the National Mentoring Community Visit Google HQ

By Leah Poffenberger From November 16 to 18, 2018 the APS Bridge Program and the Synthesizing Current Research Succinctly and Elegantly National Mentoring Community (NMC) held a joint conference for By Randall Kamien fax machines, and express mail, the first time, drawing the highest Ninety years ago the editor of this was a timely way to dissemi- number of undergraduates, gradu- the , John T. Tate, nate and educate. The very first ate students, and faculty mentors to proposed “a new type of journal article, on the probable value of the date. More than 200 attendees spent in —a journal in which physical constants by Raymond a day at the Google Headquarters would appear reports and critical Birge in 1929, was the forerun- and another two days at Stanford comments on the various branches ner to the Particle Data ’s University learning about physics of current thought and research.” ongoing mission. , with career opportunities. collaborators, published a series of trip to Google focused on ways He continues, “[w]e recognize the The APS Bridge Program and students can prepare for and suc- review articles on nuclear phys- value of this kind of thing in so the NMC partnered up for this ceed in physics careers in industry. ics in the 1930s that came to be many ways—in the symposia we conference to further the goal of Google employees were on hand to known as the “Bethe bible.” In increasing diversity of students have at our meetings—in the semi- Why can’t we replace this with talk with conference attendees and 1948, published in physics. The Bridge Program nars we hold in our research labo- video recorded lectures and dis- show them around the company’s his article on the path integral helps undergraduate students from ratories and universities. I would seminate ideas à la social media campus. approach to . underrepresented minorities enter hope that this journal would extend with hyperlinks serving up every “I didn’t know what to expect Over the years, Mermin has graduate school, and the mentor- the advantages of that sort of dis- definition and acronym, and rout- from the Google meeting since I published any number of insight- ing program helps ensure student cussion to a much wider audience.” ing us down every rabbit hole? assumed they only hired computer ful reviews, and the list goes on. success. Endorsed by a few dozen prom- Because good writing begets science degrees. It was super excit- Articles that are over 50 years old A large draw for this year’s inent , a supplement to good reading, and good reading is ing to see physics representation at are still a delight to read and can record-setting attendance was the the Physical Review was created, a deliberate exercise, not a Sunday high-level positions at Google, and now known as Reviews of Modern teach us much, from physics to chance to visit Google’s headquar- Physics. Long before the arXiv, pedagogy. RMP continued on page 7 ters in Mountain View, CA. The BRIDGE/NMC continued on page 2

APS Membership Unit Profile: One if by Land, Qubits by Sea: The 2019 APS The Topical Group on Medical Physics Meeting heads to Boston

By Abigail Dove By Leah Poffenberger With over five hundred mem- The world’s largest phys- bers and counting, the APS ics meeting will see more than Topical Group on Medical Physics 11,000 attendees, including over (GMED) explores the physics 1,000 invited speakers, flocking underlying human health and dis- to Boston to share research, net- ease—from modeling the physics work with future collaborators, of disease states to the develop- and attend many events and work- ment and optimization of medical shops. The APS March Meeting technologies and interventions. will run March 4–8 at the Boston Established in 2016, GMED is Convention and Exhibition Center one of the newest topical groups (BCEC). at APS, but the tradition of physics The 2018 in Physics in medicine dates back to discovery winners Gérard Mourou (École of radioactivity and emergence of Robert Jeraj Polytechnique and the University technologies such as radiology and of Michigan, Ann Arbor) and radiotherapy in the 19th century. ing chair), who recognized the (University of Decades later, some of today’s hot- need for an organization that Waterloo) will speak at a special test topics include particle transport brings together physicists work- Nobel Prize session on Thursday, (in scanners and tissue alike), mod- ing on questions relevant to medi- March 7 (5:45–6:30 PM). They will cine. This realization was sparked eling of tumor origins, develop- discuss the development of chirped addressing misconceptions that in part by the National Cancer by Mark D. Ediger (University ment of and response to different pulse amplification, which paved discourage students from pursu- Institute’s (NCI) Physical Sciences of Wisconsin, Madison). Sharon kinds of therapies, and extrapolat- the way for improved laser technol- ing careers as physics teachers, Oncology Centers, a network of Glotzer () ing the causal factors that lead to ogy and secured them half of the will also be held in partnership twelve research centers estab- will introduce the notion of disease. Nobel Prize. with the 2019 PhysTEC conference lished in 2009 to bring together the entropic bond in her talk The founding of GMED began This year’s Kavli Foundation (2:30–5:00 PM). A Wikipedia Edit- a diverse array of scientists (and “Colloidal Crystals, Quasicrystals with a conversation between Special Symposium, themed “from a-thon to create Wikipedia pages particularly physicists) to rethink and the Entropic Bond.” Clifford Princeton’s Bob Austin (out- unit cell to biological cell” will fea- for female and underrepresented cancer. Austin, who headed the Brangwynne () going chair) and University of ture five distinguished speakers on combines biology and soft matter minority physicists rounds out the Wisconsin’s Robert Jeraj (incom- GMED continued on page 4 March 6 (2:30–5:30 PM). Claudia physics in an exploration of self- night (6:00–9:00 PM). Felser ( institute for assembly of biological materials. The APS Prizes and Awards Chemical Physics of Solids) will The March Meeting officially Ceremony will be held Monday speak on magnetic materials called begins on Monday, March 4, but evening (5:45–6:45 PM) followed Heusler compounds and their wide a number of pre-meeting activities by a welcome reception. A special range of uses. Philip Kim (Harvard are available on Sunday, March 3, outreach session on quantum infor- University) will share research including an orientation session for mation science policy “Enabling on the emerging new physics of first-time March Meeting attendees Quantum Leap: National Quantum atomically thin structures made by (5:00–6:00 PM). A special work- Initiative” will also follow the stacking 2D quantum materials. A shop, Get the Facts Out: Changing Prizes and Awards Ceremony method of creating ultra-stable the Conversation Around STEM (7:30–9:40 PM). glass comes from research done Teacher Recruitment, aimed at MEETING continued on page 7 2 • February 2019

BRIDGE/NMC continued from page 1 it was very inspiring,” said Marcus between APS and four other sci- This Month in Physics History Dupont, a senior at Florida State entific societies—the American University. “I know that if I decide Chemical Society, the American to go into industry after my PhD, Geophysical Union, the American February 6, 1970: Luis Alvarez’s paper in Science on Google is the first place I’m apply- Astronomical Society, and the cosmic rays and pyramids ing. The conversations were very Materials Research Society—set fruitful there.” to expand the Bridge Program into hen archaeologists confirmed their discovery Stanford University hosted fields beyond physics. Wof a hidden burial chamber in an Egyptian the rest of the conference, which “The conference was very suc- pyramid in 2017, it was in some respects the cul- included a number of workshops cessful at helping physics students mination of a project undertaken in the 1960s. A for students as well as mentors from underrepresented groups named came up with attending the conference as part of wikimedia commons make important connections and the idea of using cosmic rays to map dense struc- NMC. Around 40 student attendees learn strategies for thriving in phys- tures like the Great Pyramid of Giza. also participated in a poster com- Alvarez was born in 1911 in San Francisco. ics,” said David May, Diversity and petition for both undergraduate and His father and grandfather were both physicians, Education Programs Manager at graduate students. and his Aunt Mabel was an artist. When his father APS. “In addition, APS strength- The conference also included took a job at the Mayo Clinic, the family relocated six plenary sessions covering ened its valuable connections with to Minnesota for young Luis’s high school years. important topics in physics edu- NSBP [the National Society of He attended the , ultimately cation including retention of stu- Black Physicists] and the NSHP earning his PhD in physics in 1936. During his dents, mental health in graduate [National Society of Hispanic graduate studies, he built a telescope education, and how mentors can Physicists] and is looking into run- out of Geiger counter tubes and used it to determine better support their students. At one ning a joint conference with NSBP that primary cosmic rays had a positive charge. of the plenary sessions, Theodore and APS's NMC program in 2020.” Alvarez’s sister, Gladys, worked as a secretary Hodapp, APS Senior Advisor to Links: APS Bridge Program: aps. for , so after getting his PhD, he Education and Diversity programs, org/programs/minorities/bridge/ asked if there were any job openings at Lawrence’s spoke on the Inclusive Graduate National Mentoring Community: laboratory. Lawrence offered him a job, and Alvarez joined the University of California in Berkeley to Education Network, an alliance aps.org/programs/minorities/nmc/ Nobel Laureate , left, with young work with the cyclotron. He designed experiments graduate student Luis Alvarez at the University of to study radioactive nuclei, specifically the detec- Chicago in 1933 tion of soft x-rays from a particular type of that had been predicted but not yet observed. in 1968: “For his decisive During World War II, Alvarez joined the newly contributions to elementary , in par- BRIDGE formed Radiation Laboratory at MIT, where he ticular the discovery of a large number of resonant PROGRAM developed military applications for microwave states, made possible through his development of radar. He worked on several radar projects while the technique of using bubble chambers there, and is best known for the Ground Controlled and data analysis.” Approach (GCA) system, which used a dipole His earlier cosmic ray research eventually led antenna for improved resolution. Even untrained to his 1965 proposal that one could use Student pilots could be guided through a runway landing tomography to hunt for previously undiscovered Applications by ground-based operators using the GCA system. chambers in Egyptian pyramids. Alvarez and his It was still in use in some countries as recently as interdisciplinary team of physicists and archaeolo- Now Open the 1980s. While testing the GCA in England in the gists placed spark chambers in a known chamber summer of 1943, Alvarez met a young Arthur C. beneath the second pyramid of Chephren to detect The APS Bridge Clarke, then a radar technician with the Royal Air incoming cosmic rays and measure their deflec- Program is an effort to Force, and they struck up a years-long friendship. tions as they hit the solid bricks of the structure. increase the number of That fall, Alvarez joined the . The would pass right through a chamber, physics Ph.D.s awarded One of his first tasks was to find a means of dis- however, registering a void in the resulting image. to underrepresented covering whether the Germans had any nuclear The Arab-Israeli Six Day War of 1967 inter- minority students. reactors in operation. Alvarez outfitted an airplane rupted the experiment briefly, but things resumed with a system capable of detecting the radioactive soon after, and Alvarez’s team continued taking gases such reactors would produce. Germany didn’t cosmic ray data for the next two years. At a 1969 have any reactors at the time, so the mission found APS meeting, Alvarez reported that they had suc- DEADLINE: , 2019 no such evidence, but the approach would prove cessfully surveyed about 19 percent of the pyramid, but had found no hidden chambers. He and his APSBRIDGEPROGRAM.ORG to be extremely useful for intelligence gathering in the post-War era. His final task on the Manhattan colleagues also published a paper in Science to that Project: designing small instruments to measure the effect in February 1970. strength of the shock wave from an atomic bomb. Alvarez’s natural curiosity often took him well He was present at the Test in 1945 and used outside the physics laboratory. When Life magazine his instruments aboard a B-29 to measure the blast published photographs in 1966 of President John of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima F. Kennedy’s assassination, Alvarez applied his and Nagasaki. expertise in optics and photo-analysis to the images. After the war, Alvarez applied his radar exper- His conclusions, outlined in an informal tutorial tise to improve particle accelerators, leading to the paper, went against many of the conspiracy theo- construction of the Bevatron in 1954. Alvarez’s ries circulating at the time. For instance, he found contribution was to adapt a bubble chamber so that the backward snap of Kennedy’s head is what that it could work with liquid hydrogen, the bet- would happen with a shot from behind and pointed ter to image particle interactions. He received the ALVAREZ continued on page 6

Series II, Vol. 28, No. 2 February 2019 APS COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES 2019 General Councilors Samuel Bader (Division of Materials Physics), Baha © 2019 American Physical Society Bonnie Fleming, Andrea J. Liu*, Vivian F. Incera*, Balantekin* (Division of Nuclear Physics), Elizabeth President Robin L. B. Selinger Simmons (Division of Particles and Fields), Stuart David J. Gross*, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Phys- Henderson (Division of Physics of Beams), Amitava ics, University of California, Santa Barbara International Councilors Bhattacharjee (Division of Plasma Physics), Muru- Editor...... David Voss Johanna Stachel, Marta Losada*, Ahmadou Wagué*, gappan Muthukumar (Division of Polymer Physics), Staff Science Writer...... Leah Poffenberger President-Elect Enge Wang Charles H. Bennett (Division of Quantum Information), Contributing Correspondent ...... Alaina G. Levine Philip H. Bucksbaum*, Stanford University and SLAC Noah Finkelstein (Forum on Education), Julia Gonski National Accelerator Laboratory Chair, Nominating Committee (Forum on Graduate Student Affairs),Virginia Trimble Design and Production...... Nancy Bennett-Karasik Larry D. Gladney, University of Pennsylvania (Forum on the ), John Rumble, Vice President Jr.*(Forum on Industrial and Applied Physics), Eman- Sylvester J. Gates*, Brown Theoretical Physics Center, Chair, Panel on Public Affairs uela Barzi (Forum on International Physics), Pushpa Brown University James D. Wells, University of Michigan Bhat* (Forum on Physics and Society), Philip R. John- APS News (ISSN: 1058-8132) is published monthly, Subscriptions: APS News is an on-membership publica- son (Mid-Atlantic Section), Nora Berrah (New England except for a combined August-September issue, 11 times tion delivered by Periodical Mail Postage Paid at Col- Past President Section) per year, by the American Physical Society, One Physics lege Park, MD and at additional mailing offices. Roger W. Falcone*, University of California, Berkeley Editor in Chief Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844, (301) 209-3200. Michael Thoennessen, Michigan State University (on Senior Management Team It contains news of the Society and of its Divisions, Topi- For address changes, please send both the old and new Chief Executive Officer leave) Margaret Bandera, Chief Financial Officer;Mark Doyle, cal Groups, Sections, and Forums; advance information addresses, and, if possible, include a mailing label from Kate P. , Harvard Smithsonian (retired) Chief Information Officer; Kate P. Kirby, Chief Execu- on meetings of the Society; and reports to the Society a recent issue. Changes can be emailed to membership@ Division, Forum, and Section Councilors tive Officer; Matthew M. Salter, Publisher; Francis by its committees and task forces, as well as opinions. aps.org. Postmaster: Send address changes to APS Speaker of the Council Michael Coleman Miller (Division of Astrophysics), Slakey, Chief Government Affairs Officer; James W. News, Membership Department, American Physical John Rumble, Jr.*, R&R Data Services David Schultz (Division of Atomic, Molecular, and Taylor, Deputy Executive Officer and Chief Operating Letters to the editor are welcomed from the member- Society, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740- Optical Physics), William Bialek (Division of Biologi- Officer; Michael Thoennessen, Editor in Chief ship. Letters must be signed and should include an ad- 3844. Treasurer cal Physics), Robert Continetti (Division of Chemical dress and daytime telephone number. APS reserves the James Hollenhorst*, Agilent Technologies Physics), John Bradley Marston* (Division of Con- * Voting Members of the APS Board of Directors right to select and to edit for length and clarity. All cor- densed Matter Physics), Giulia Galli (Division of Com- respondence regarding APS News should be directed to: Coden: ANWSEN ISSN: 1058-8132 Corporate Secretary putational Physics), Howard Stone (Division of Fluid Editor, APS News, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, Jeanette Russo, American Physical Society Dynamics), Beverly Berger* (Division of Gravitational MD 20740-3844, Email: [email protected]. Physics), John Fourkas (Division of Laser Science), February 2019 • 3

Impact of Women in STEM Fuzzy Fluid Dynamics: Bats, Fruit Flies, and Wombats Roadshow in India By Leah Poffenberger The 71st Annual Division of Fluid Dynamics (DFD) Meeting By Sultana N. Nahar tunities in the United States by in Atlanta last year had its fair The US Department of State interacting with alumni from US share of sessions on topics most funded project “Women in STEM universities in India and promoting people would associate with fluid Roadshow” (WSR), which ran the EducationUSA network (edu- dynamics: bubbles, drops, turbu- from October 1, 2017 to September cationusa.state.gov) that provides lence, and flows. But intermixed 30, 2018, was a huge success and information on various US educa- with research on fizzing fluids or made an enormous impact on the tional institutions and how to study whimsical waves was the science young inquisitive minds of female at one of them. behind the curiosities of creatures. students from minority and disad- WSR was structured around A number of talks covered research vantaged groups in India. The proj- nine workshops, each two days into how animals and insects use ect focused on inspiring students to long, in six cities in India—Delhi, fluid dynamics, including how choose STEM (science, technol- Hyderabad, Kolkata, Aligarh, bats suck up nectar, how fruit flies ogy, engineering, and mathemat- Kurnool, and Patna—and included fly, and how wombats create their Itai Cohen demonstrates how fruit flies can be so acrobatic. ics) fields for their education and a year-long monitoring period to unique cuboidal feces. evaluate its impact. In total, the research, study in US universities Bats battling drip Wombats going cubic WSR reached 388 participants, Acrobatic flies for higher degrees, and use their Anette Hosoi (Massachusetts Patricia Yang, a postdoctoral most of whom were undergraduate The fast-flying antics of fruit knowledge for the development Institute of Technology), recipient fellow at the Georgia Institute of students, a number of high school flies may make them a nuisance of India. of the 2018 Stanley Corrsin Award, Technology, along with her col- students, about 25 teachers, and 10 to many people, but Itai Cohen The goals of the WSR were to brought “Hairy Hydrodynamics” leagues Miles Chan, Scott Carver alumni from US institutions. The (Cornell), an invited speaker at strengthen ties between people in to DFD with her research on bats, (University of Tasmania), and number of applications overall DFD and former chair of the APS the United States and India through specifically how nectar-eating bats David Hu, set out to solve one of was higher than expected in most Forum on Outreach and Engaging exchanges of information, experi- manage to drink their dinner. The the animal kingdom’s odd myster- places, and the number of Muslim the Public, finds them fascinat- ences, and expertise; support eco- secret is tiny hair-like structures ies: How do wombats, a type of student applications was signifi- ing. In an invited talk, Cohen nomic growth and development by that trap nectar, but in Hosoi’s lab, marsupial from Australia, make cantly higher than other groups. explained—and at times demon- creating awareness of higher edu- the research team wanted to know cube-shaped poop? Yang’s stud- Sabiha Parveen, one of the strated with his own pair of scaled- cation opportunities in STEM fields more about how these structures up fly wings—how flies are able to ies of the hydrodynamics of flu- among girls and young women; and US graduates, wrote that she work: What properties allow the make quick adjustments in the air. ids in the bodies of animals sent encourage more Indian students to learned about the increasing need flying-feasters to optimize the Due to their small size, fruit her searching to see how the soft consider higher education oppor- ROADSHOW continued on page 6 amount of nectar they can grab? flies have to adjust their tissues in the wombat’s digestive Researchers created rubbery up to 100 times faster than a larger system could compact fecal mat- faux bat tongues with different animal to deal with aerodynamic ter into the odd shapes wombats densities of bristles to see their instabilities, beating their wings in leave behind. effects on trapping nectar: Too few, elegant figure-8 up to 30 Wombats create cubed poop and the nectar can flow down and to mark their territory and com- times in the blink of an eye. To fig- off the tongue, but too many and municate with other nearby wom- ure out how it is flies achieve this, there isn’t enough space between bats—and the cube shape keeps Cohen had to slow them down: By the structures to capture much nec- the scat from rolling away, unlike taking slo-mo video of flies and tar at all. Bats, as it turns out, have the spherical or cylindrical shapes using an algorithm to reconstruct just the right number of bristles from other animals. Yang obtained the image frames, the researchers to combat the drip and can pick intestines from Tasmania that had could pinpoint what allows these up 10 times more nectar than if been collected from wombats after adjustments. their tongues were smooth. Certain unfortunate run-ins with vehicles. types of parrots, a tiny Australian The research team’s results After studying the properties of marsupial called a honey possum, identified the biggest factor for large intestines, still full of feces, and honey bees all use similar flight control in fruit flies: The Yang determined that points of hair-like structures to help slurp pitch, or angle, of the wings. varying elasticity in the intestinal up their food. Smaller pitch, and the fly can gen- wall compressed the fecal matter Hosoi’s group has also used the erate more forward thrust. These as it passed through, creating the materials they developed to mimic pitch adjustments allow flies to cubed shapes. bristles on bat tongues to study the pirouette and self-correct in mid- Cubes are difficult shapes to effect of flexible hairs on the flow air, but these adjustments can only create organically, and in manu- of fluid. The subsequent findings, be made thanks to two special- facturing, cubes are generally only Workshop participant S. Nabiha (left) achieved Rank 1 position in the B.Sc. ized structures on the fly: a pair of exam and is planning on further study after her M.Sc. She received her cer- where shape of the flexible hairs made by molding or cutting materi- tificate from Sultana Nahar (right). creates drag, matches findings from organs called halteres that act as a als into a cube. Yang’s discovery previous researchers, including kind of vibratory gyroscope, and a into how wombats can naturally Stanley Corrsin, who studied pla- specific muscle that, when geneti- create cubes by compressing mate- cental blood flow through finger-like cally silenced, leaves flies unable rial may eventually lead to new structures called villus trees in 1977. to make adjustments. methods in manufacturing.

Q&A with Standard Bearer Steven Weinberg Editor’s note: This interview handed particles ( violation). first appeared in Physics (physics. In a recent essay published aps.org/articles/v11/134). in Physical Review Letters, By Michael Schirber Weinberg recounted the excitement surrounding the Steven Weinberg is well-placed during its development in the 1960s to tell the story of the standard and 1970s. Now, in an interview model of particle physics. In 1979, with Physics, Weinberg explains he was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics, along with initial reactions to the model and and Sheldon Glashow, for the unifi- why it was called “standard.” He cation of the weak and electromag- also offers advice to the current netic forces. Their “electroweak generation of particle physicists Steven Weinberg as they attempt to build a model theory,” which became the first pil- that might solve the outstanding that goes beyond the one that he lar of the standard model, assumed problems of the weak interactions. a symmetry between and helped build. There were other ideas around vector , the force carri- Your 1967 paper, “A model of at the time, but I was convinced ers of the . That ,” was a significant step that the way forward was with a symmetry, Weinberg proposed, is in the standard model’s develop- gauge symmetry that was spontane- “spontaneously” broken as a result ment. At the time, did you have a ously broken. of interactions with other fields, sense that your theory would be What was the reaction to making it unobservable. His theory so transformative? your idea? explained several puzzles in the I thought it might be. I really Just before the paper published, field, including why the weak inter- felt that I was proposing the kind I spoke about the theory at the action differs for left- and right- of theory that might be right and Q & A continued on page 7 4 • February 2019

GMED continued from page 1 The APS Office of Government Affairs Princeton center, recalled, “At the time it seemed crazy that the NCI 2018: OGA Worked with APS Members to Effectively Advance Science centers weren’t interacting more with the American Association of By Tawanda W. Johnson ing policy goals that strengthen Science and Technology Policy and Physicists in Medicine (AAPM).” The APS Office of Government the scientific enterprise,” said APS promotes the commercialization of That said, AAPM, the largest med- Affairs (OGA) worked with APS Chief Government Affairs Officer research breakthroughs during the ical physics professional group in members throughout 2018 to suc- Francis Slakey. next decade. the US, focuses primarily on the cessfully advocate for physics and Throughout 2018, OGA sur- Visas & Immigration: Alerted physics of radiation therapy and physicists, and to amplify their veyed APS members at meetings by APS members, OGA carried out medical imaging and was therefore voices for science. to determine the issues that the a survey of graduate programs that not a natural home for physicists OGA facilitated more than physics community was most con- showed there was an alarming 12% at the broadly research-focused 4,000 APS member contacts with cerned about, and OGA developed decline in international applications NCI centers. Enter GMED, which Congress—through op-eds in key strategies to respond to their needs. to US institutions, from 2017 to prioritizes implementing physics states and districts, emails, meet- Federal Research Funding: 2018. OGA responded, in part, by to understand and treat disease in ings, tweets, and phone calls—to In an ongoing effort to achieve urging Congress to make the F-1 addition to imaging it—in oncol- advance the interests of the phys- sustained and robust support for visa “dual intent”—giving inter- ogy and beyond. ics community. In particular, the federal science agencies, OGA national students the opportunity It’s clear that GMED occu- Bob Austin working with APS members, and to simultaneously study and apply office worked with APS members pies a unique niche in the physics biological systems and their many who authored opinion pieces that coordinating with other science and for citizenship in the United States. community. In addition to being variables. Furthermore, physicists appeared in various media outlets in technology organizations, advo- APS leaders, physics department distinguished from AAPM in its interested in machine learning, key states across the country includ- cated for increased funding through chairs, and members participated wider lens on modeling and inter- modeling, and other computational ing: Kristan Corwin (Kansas); Shua APS member op-eds and meetings in numerous meetings in their states ventional research, within the APS work find it compelling that the Sanchez (Washington); Justin with congressional offices. The and on Capitol Hill. During 2019, umbrella GMED differentiates Powell (Tennessee); Mike Tamor result: key science agencies saw the office plans to expand the goal itself from the similarly research- medical field is one of the most to address the broader issue of sci- (Arizona); Don Q. Lamb (Illinois); increases from fiscal year 2018 to oriented Division of Biological prolific generators of data; there entific mobility. and Sarit Dhar (Alabama). 2019. For example, the Department Physics (DBIO) by having a spe- is a wealth of possibility in these STEM Education: US Rep. Of particular note in 2018, OGA of Energy Office of Science’s bud- cific focus on human health and complex and multifactorial but also Joaquin Castro (TX-20th) and for- collected more than 1,300 signa- get increased by 5%. Additionally, disease, as opposed to fundamen- highly organized data sets. Added mer US Rep. Barbara Comstock tures on a petition that successfully the president signed the National tal biological processes writ large. Jeraj, “Many physicists may not (VA-10th) co-sponsored a bipar- opposed the PROSPER (Promoting Quantum Initiative Act into law, Roughly this also breaks down as know that their work can be trans- tisan resolution recognizing the Real Opportunity, Success and which authorizes $1.2 billion over research predominantly at the level lated into a medically useful find- importance of the APS Bridge Prosperity through Education the next five years for new quan- of organs or tissues in GMED vs. ing. It’s a very natural convergence Program in helping underrepre- Reform) Act, which would have tum information science research cells and molecules in DBIO. point for many areas of physics.” sented minorities in STEM earn decreased the quality and acces- programs at the National Science GMED’s member base, though For junior physicists still in PhD degrees in physics. The reso- sibility of student loans. Students Foundation, National Institute of relatively new, already represents training, GMED additionally offers lution followed the visits of several delivered the petition to key sena- Standards and Technology (NIST), nearly every major area of phys- valuable practical insight into the Bridge students who met directly tors in their states. and the Department of Energy. ics within APS—from biological, with some members of Congress unique career possibilities that exist “We are proud of the work The act also establishes a National computational, and nuclear phys- and shared their compelling stories in medical physics. Beyond the tra- OGA is doing to help our mem- Quantum Coordination Office ics to particle, plasma, and high ditional paths in research, academic bers make a difference in achiev- within the White House Office of OGA continued on page 6 energy physics. This bodes well for training, and industry, medical GMED’s hope of reaching across physics also offers a wide menu APS divisions and getting physi- Signal Boost is a monthly email video newsletter alerting APS mem- of options in the clinical world—a

Office of cists from different disciplines to Public Affairs bers to policy issues and identifying opportunities to get involved. setting that is likely unfamiliar to Past issues are available at go.aps.org/2nr298D. To receive Signal “share notes,” in Austin’s words. students and early career scientists. Boost and learn more about grassroots activities, contact the Office To this end, in 2019 GMED Outlining these options is a major of Government Affairs at [email protected]. will hold sessions at both the APS focus of GMED workshops and March Meeting in Boston and the Join Our Mailing List: visit the sign-up page at go.aps.org/2nqGtJP. information sessions for younger APS April Meeting in Denver. APS members, and beginning with Sessions at the upcoming March the upcoming APS March Meeting Meeting offer a deep dive on GMED is arranging a tour of the acquisition geometries, radiation FYI: Science Policy News From AIP sources, hardware, and algorithms medical physics research facilities for medical imaging and address at local Boston hospitals to bring recent advances in the use of bio- this unique dimension of the field Five Science Policy Stories to Watch in 2019 medical magnetic resonance for to life. understanding disease pathophys- At an even earlier level, cul- By the FYI Team or other politically volatile issues iology. Additionally, there is an tivating strong education around medical physics is a key element A measure of predictability could make it difficult to strike a entire session dedicated to compu- new deal, threatening the return of returned to federal science policy tational modeling, spanning every- of GMED’s vision. Given the tighter budgets and perhaps further in 2018 as Congress decisively thing from immuno-, chemo- and decades-long tradition of physicists shutdowns. rejected the Trump administration’s radiotherapy treatment response to generating advances in medicine, it proposed budget cuts. However, US–China tensions the progression of atherosclerosis may come as a surprise that most to improving influenza vaccine physics curricula lack a dedicated the partial government shutdown reverberating across to implement its provisions. The development. Although GMED that ensued at year’s end serves as research enterprise Department of Energy and National medical physics specialty or even The US government embarked has a historical grounding in oncol- a sobering reminder of the current Science Foundation will begin to medical physics elective courses. on a campaign last year to raise ogy, neurology and cardiology are political era’s volatility. In addition, establish between two and five Jeraj explained that a major goal awareness about illegal and legal widely represented as well. the sudden surge of interest in sub- research centers each, and the for GMED as the organization methods that it alleges the Chinese Notably, this diversity of jects such as quantum information National Institute of Standards expands and matures is to play a government uses to obtain for- research topics is also mirrored in science and technological compe- and Technology will convene a leading role in promoting more eign technologies. Based on con- the diversity of GMED’s member- tition with China demonstrate just consortium of stakeholders to explicit education and training in about espionage, the Trump ship. The division impressively how quickly the science policy assess research needs. The White medical physics specifically. He administration also implemented demonstrates the highest propor- landscape can change. Based on House will also stand up a national envisions a future where under- new visa screening measures for tion of women (30%) in any topi- current trends, the new year is set coordinating office and empanel graduate or graduate school pro- Chinese nationals and has report- cal group, forum, or division at to be an eventful one. Here are five an advisory committee to oversee grams can reach out to GMED for edly considered more aggressive APS. Diversity also exists at the stories to watch in 2019. the initiative. These activities will resources and support in develop- measures such as putting stricter build on efforts already underway scientific level in GMED, given Budget battles on horizon as limits on student visas. It also plans ing either a comprehensive medical to establish a national infrastructure that most medical physicists work spending caps return to establish export controls on cer- physics program or some elective of quantum computing testbeds, among extremely interdisciplin- A deal reached in early 2018 tain “emerging and foundational courses in biomedical physics. prototype communication links, ary teams. that raised caps on federal spending technologies.” However, such mea- Overall, GMED stands out as and device “foundries.” Beyond the vibrant community, enabled Congress to provide many sures also run the risk of harming Austin and Jeraj highlighted the an ambitious group with a bright science agencies substantial bud- the US economy, stifling scientific Climate change back in intellectual opportunities associ- future, and one whose contribu- spotlight get increases. Nevertheless, some collaborations, and creating bias ated with GMED as the group’s tions to scientific knowledge are The release last fall of major cli- agencies were caught in the partial against Chinese researchers. biggest draw. While the problems matched by contributions to human mate change assessments brought government shutdown and uncer- in medical physics are similar in health. More information on this National Quantum Initiative renewed attention to President tainties are likely to deepen because principle to those in traditional topical group can be found here: ramping up Trump’s rejection of the scien- the budget cap deal expires this fall. With the National Quantum physics, they have an extra dimen- aps.org/units/gmed/ tific consensus on the subject. Congress could agree to keep the Initiative Act now signed into sion of intrigue given the chal- The author is a freelance writer caps high, but the budget deficit law, federal agencies will work STORIES continued on page 6 lenges that come with complex in Helsinki, Finland. February 2019 • 5

The Dark Energy Survey’s Six-year Exploration The 2018 Gallery of Fluid Motion Comes to an End Poster Winners The Division of Fluid Dynamics meeting celebrates the interface By Leah Poffenberger of science and art through the Gallery of Fluid Motion, a yearly showcase of visually stunning fluids research. A panel of judges Six years ago, astronomers assessed this year’s entries, selecting the top video and poster sub- placed the 520-megapixel Dark missions that will be published in Physical Review Fluids in 2019. Energy Camera (DECam) onto The poster winners of the 2018 van Dyke Award and the the 4-meter Blanco telescope at APS/DFD Gallery of Fluid Motion Award listed here, along with Cerro Tololo Inter-American the video winners, can be viewed at gfm.aps.org Observatory in Chile. From this perch, it began a mission to map 2018 Milton van Dyke Award Poster Winners a portion of the sky with unprec- edented detail and to better under- stand dark energy, the mysterious accelerator of the expansion of the universe. On January 9, 2019, this project, known as the Dark Energy Survey (DES), completed its data collection after gathering from more than 300 million distant galaxies over 758 nights. DES concluded its data tak- ing with plenty to show for it: Viscoelastic Fishbones (P0045) by Bavand Keshavarz, Michela Geri, nearly 2,000 terabytes of raw data The Dark Energy Survey camera is mounted on the Blanco Telescope (cen- ter) at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. and Gareth McKinley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Collid- that collaborators can now comb ing fluid jets form a blurred liquid fan, but when illuminated with an through to look for clues about the electric spark flash the pattern is frozen in time. nature of dark energy. The National and gravitational lensing. special collaboration because you Center for Supercomputing In 2017, DES produced a always feel like you are a neces- Applications at the University of number of remarkable results, sary part of the experiment. There Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has including a measurement of the is always something useful you the task of storing the massive dark matter structure of the uni- can do for the collaboration and amount of data for analysis. The verse and detecting the most dis- for your own research.” Palmese first step to using all that informa- tant supernova to date. DES was began working on DES as a gradu- tion, especially to pinpoint dark also one of the sky surveys that ate student in 2015. energy, is getting rid of all the spotted the visible counterpart of The DECam is expected to con- noise that inevitably comes with gravitational waves caused by the tinue its survey of the night sky for detailed data collection. collision of two neutron stars, help- another ten years, continuing its “We’re trying to tease out the ing the LIGO/Virgo collaboration usefulness for a variety of astro- Delta Wing Vortices (P0020) by Sarah Morris and C. H. K. William- signal of dark energy against a usher in the era of multi- nomical observations. son, Cornell University. Although seemingly simple, counter-rotating vortex pairs created by a wing surface moving through a fluid can background of all sorts of noncos- astronomy. “Although the data-taking for produce complex three-dimensional dynamics. mological stuff that gets imprinted The DECam was constructed DES is coming to an end, DECam on the data,” said Josh Frieman, at Fermi National Laboratory in will continue its exploration of former DES director. “It’s a mas- Batavia, Illinois, before taking the universe from the Blanco tele- sive ongoing effort from many dif- the trip to the NSF-funded Cerro scope and is expected remain a ferent people around the world.” Tololo Inter-American Observatory front-line ‘engine of discovery’ for DES has already yielded more in Chile. The DES collaboration many years,” Cerro Tololo Inter- than 200 academic papers on a includes more than 400 scientists American Observatory Director variety of cosmological phenom- from 26 institutions in seven coun- Steve Heathcote said. ena, thanks to the versatility of tries. And in 2018, the first three With the launch of DES six the DECam as a tool for discov- years of DES data was publicly years ago, James Siegrist, associate ery. The goal of the project was released, allowing amateur astrono- director of science for high energy to carry out the largest galaxy sur- mers from anywhere with an inter- physics with the U.S. Department Whiskey Webs (P0002) by Stuart Williams, Martin Brown, and Adam vey ever, covering 1/8th of the sky. net connection to analyze the data. of Energy expressed the poten- Carrithers, University of Louisville. Bourbon whiskey is a colloid and as the ethanol evaporates, maturation-derived polymers and surfac- During its run, DECam was the “Working with DES has put me tial of the project. “The results of tants cause erratic fluid motion, leading to unique deposited struc- first experiment to be able to use in contact with many remarkable this survey will bring us closer to tures. four methods to probe dark energy scientists from all over the world,” understanding the mystery of dark by studying galaxy clusters, super- Antonella Palmese, a postdoctoral energy, and what it means for the 2018 APS/DFD Gallery of Fluid Motion Award novae, the clumpiness of galaxies, researcher at Fermilab said. “It’s a universe,” said Siegrist. Poster Winners

RENDERING: © 1978-2018 CERN

APRIL MEETING 2019

Liquid Deposition through Evaporation (P0056) by Asher Mouat, Clay Wood, Justin Pye, and Justin Burton, Emory University. As binary quarks cosmos liquid mixtures evaporate, they generate spreading patterns and leave behind structures that can be tuned by surface treatment.

QApril 13 - 16, 22019 Denver,C Colorado Register early and save! Experience the meeting, and explore research from the “Quarks to the Cosmos (Q2C),” which is the true essence of the meeting.

Early Registration Deadline: March 1, 2019 Painting Fluid Motion (P0004) by Maxime Bassenne, Andrew Banko, Sadaf Sobhani, Stanford University. In 1982, Milton van Dyke pub- aps.org/meetings/april lished An Album of Fluid Motion, a unique collection of over 300 black-and-white photographs illustrating a diverse set of fluid phe- nomena. Neural networks can combine the content of these photographs with the style of a timeless painting. 6 • February 2019

ALVAREZ continued from page 2 OGA continued from page 4 out several errors or omissions in that this impact did indeed about how their lives were changed an op-ed authored by the study’s Division of Fluid Dynamics (DFD) the FBI’s official analysis. trigger the mass extinction that by the Bridge Program. Brian Co-Chairs Julia Phillips and James members the ability to mitigate the Alvarez’s son, Walter, became wiped out the dinosaurs. Zamarripa Roman, Michelle Lollie, Wells. The Hill newspaper, a major effect of their travel to and from the a geologist, and became intrigued Alvarez died in 1988 from com- and Dylan Smith met directly with Capitol Hill publication, published DFD annual meeting in Atlanta. by a thin layer of clay in the strata plications of surgery for esophageal Comstock and Castro. They also their op-ed. “A key APS goal for 2019 is of a limestone gorge in central cancer. But his legacy in pioneer- visited other congressional offices. Climate Change: APS released to make sure all Society members Italy—marking the point where the ing cosmic ray imaging techniques Non-Proliferation: its full greenhouse gas emissions attending the organization’s largest dinosaurs went extinct, right at the continues to bear fruit. In addition Commissioned by the APS Panel (GHG) report, becoming the first national meetings have an oppor- Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. to Egyptian pyramids, cosmic on Public Affairs, the report, scientific organization to broadly tunity to mitigate their GHG emis- Alvarez and his son collaborated rays have been used to map lava “Neutrons for the Nation,” was assess and publicly post results sions,” said Mark Elsesser, APS with nuclear chemists at LBL on a channels in volcanoes (like Mount released. The report urged the of GHG emissions. Based on the OGA Manager of Science Policy. controversial 1980 paper suggesting Vesuvius) and on other archaeo- Trump Administration to begin report’s recommendations, APS “The environmental donation an extraterrestrial cause, such as an logical sites, and to probe the an effort to design and build a took steps to help its members miti- campaign will be an ongoing asteroid, for that extinction event. structure of Brunelleschi’s dome new research reactor for neu- gate their GHG emissions from trav- activity at APS’s major meetings Geologists were sharply critical, in Florence, Italy. tron research and development to eling to APS meetings by offering in 2019 and beyond. We hope our but subsequent analysis of the clay Further Reading: maintain US leadership. That goal them an opportunity to donate to an meeting attendees take advantage showed that it contained shocked Alvarez, L.W., “Search for Hidden has now been publicly embraced environmental organization of their of the opportunity,” he said. quartz crystals, tiny diamonds, and Chambers in the Pyramids,” Science by NIST. The report continues to choice. APS unveiled the pilot cam- The author is the APS Press 167, 832 (1970). rare minerals that only form under yield positive responses following paign in November by providing the Secretary. high pressure and temperatures. Alvarez, L.W. Alvarez: Adventures of Ten years after Alvarez died, sci- a Physicist (Basic Books, , 1987). entists discovered the Chicxulub STORIES continued from page 4 impact crater off the coast of Wohl, C.G.,“Scientist as detective: Luis Alvarez and the pyramid burial cham- Democrats are now making the More action expected against government effort. Meanwhile, Mexico, lending even more support bers, the JFK assassination, and the issue front and center. They have sexual harassment scientific societies have been revis- to the theory. By 2010, scientists end of the dinosaurs,” American Jour- established a “Select Committee on Efforts to combat sexual harass- ing their codes of conduct. For had largely reached a consensus nal of Physics 75, 968 (2007). the Climate Crisis” in the House of ment in the sciences that gained instance, the National Academy of Representatives, and several other momentum last year are set to Sciences is expected to advance House committees are planning to continue in 2019. Leaders of the a policy that enables it to expel ROADSHOW continued from page 3 hold hearings on climate change House Science Committee have members. early this year. There also are signs introduced bipartisan legislation to encourage students to pursue Hyderabad, and Kurnool work- FYI has been a trusted source the political contours of the subject that would direct federal science careers in STEM disciplines. “In shops, while one representative of science policy and funding are changing. Some Republicans agencies to adopt uniform poli- India, women in STEM fields lag spoke on EducationUSA. The are now proposing actions such as cies for addressing the problem. news since 1989, and is read by far behind their male counterparts, US alumni shared their experi- innovation-centered policy solu- The newly confirmed director of members of Congress and their and the problem is acute for women ences and spoke on the benefits tions or a carbon tax, while some the White House Office of Science staff, federal agency heads, jour- from minorities and disadvantaged of studying at a US university. We Democrats are advocating for and Technology Policy, Kelvin nalists, and US scientific lead- groups,” she said. “They are inter- invited one dedicated activist for aggressive action via a “Green Droegemeier, has also expressed ers. Sign up for free FYI emails ested in STEM, we just need to education of women to be a chief New Deal.” support for pursuing a cross- at aip.org/fyi provide a spark for them.” guest in each workshop. The most A team of four led the WSR notable one was the Governor of workshops: Anil K. Pradhan Manipur and Chancellor of Jamia (atomic astrophysicist and Director Millia Islamia (a central university of Indo-US STEM Education and in Delhi), Najma Heptullah, who Research Center at Ohio State received her PhD in zoology and Join the nation’s REGISTER NOW University(OSU)), Karen Irving became a faculty member at age largest meeting dedicated to the • Special Workshop: education of future physics teachers (PhD in Chemistry and STEM 22 before moving into government ‘Get the Facts Out’ Education at OSU), Nasreen and bringing about scientific and toolkit for recruiting Haque (a physicist by training and technological changes in India. 2019 teachers President of Intalage Inc. USA, The impact of the workshops • Study Results: involving teachers and students was extremely positive for the par- Building Thriving in the USA for STEM Education), ticipants: In follow-up reports on PhysTEC Physics Teacher and myself (physicist and founder the impact of WSR, many partici- Education Programs of STEM education and research pants enthusiastically shared their Conference • Networking with leaders programs in many institutions in academic progress reports to show in physics teacher several countries and Director of how well they were doing in their March 2-3 education WSR, OSU). pursuit of higher degrees in STEM Boston, MA And more! We had a dedicated and efficient fields. Most of them are achieving Indian team of local experts, local excellent GPAs—several ranking at contacts, and student volunteers in the top of their class—attending and phystec.org each location. Each local expert volunteering at conferences, prepar- presented STEM contributions ing for graduate school entrance by women and the need for more exams, and participating in (and women participating in STEM winning) science competitions. fields in India. “The experience of meeting Apply for the APS Guest Speaker Grant Swaleha Naseem, a local expert such great personalities was very for Minority Serving Institutions in Aligarh, wrote that “after attend- inspirational especially for myself,” ing the workshop, the students wrote a student from Aligarh. “The found themselves more confident speeches delivered by Nahar, Anil North American Minority Serving Institutions and and motivated about their fields. and others were very inspiring and community colleges can receive up to $1,000 per They acknowledged all the speak- built up the students’ confidence, year to host guest speakers for colloquium or ers at the workshop for their guid- knowledge, and the enthusiasm to seminar presentations. ance on how to improve their CVs explore the world.” Inspire your students to pursue physics as a and how they can apply to US uni- APS Fellow Sultana Nahar is career, and expose them to the breadth of physics versities for their higher education professor of astronomy at Ohio research. in STEM fields.” State University, co-director for US Consulate officials also the Research and Liaison Office of Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. joined us and presented inspir- the STEM ER Center, and adjunct ing stories in the Delhi, Kolkata, professor of physics at AMU. Learn more and apply Read APS NEWS go.aps.org/msitravel online

News and commentary about research from the APS journals

TM Sign up for Alerts: physics.aps.org aps.org/apsnews February 2019 • 7

Q & A continued from page 3 RMP continued from page 1

Solvay Conference in Brussels. development? Do you see a ben- matinee. Joyce Carol Oates argues Indeed, as the scope of APS Sciences in the Department of My talk aroused some interest, efit in revisiting that complicated “that serious reading is as sacra- expands through its member- Physics and Astronomy, University but I wasn’t carried around the history? mental an act as serious writing…“ ship, its publications, and its role of Pennsylvania. room on people’s shoulders. At I think that by studying the his- [1]. In a perfect world, everything in scientific outreach, Reviews of Reference the time, even I knew the theory tory of physics we can learn about we read and write would live up to is taking steps to 1. Joyce Carol Oates, “Literature as wasn’t complete. One missing ele- the judgments—and misjudg- this ideal. broaden the definition of “Modern Pleasure, Pleasure as Literature,” ment was the proof that the theory ments—that all physicists make. Fortunately, Reviews of Modern Physics.” We have appointed an in Woman Writer: Occasions and Opportunities (Dutton, 1988). really was renormalizable, that is, History can also be a source of Physics has been and remains a editor to cover climate science, we For more on the history of that the infinities in the calcula- motivation: By knowing the story small, curated journal with about are expanding to solicit articles tions could be eliminated. (That behind our theories, we, as physi- Reviews of Modern Physics, see 11 articles per quarter: when the on fluids, applications, and mate- the February 2019 special issue of proof came in 1971 from Gerard’t cists, can feel part of a great his- authors, referees, editors, and rials, and we continue to expand Hooft and others.) The other miss- torical progression. That sense of Physics Today (physicstoday.org). referees (the referees are very into new areas, “physics broadly At both the March and April ing item was experimental verifica- motion keeps us at our desks and important and appreciated—two construed.” We have the distinct tion, which started to happen in in our laboratories. Meetings this year, Reviews of mentions may not be enough!) are advantage that we are a journal 1973 with the discovery of neu- Where is that progression tak- Modern Physics will host special giving their all, it is possible to that can plot our own course – we tral currents in weak interactions. ing particle physics? symposia to encourage excellent aspire to this level of communica- need not be swayed by the desire to Also in 1973 came a theory of the I think the goal is a “final the- scientific communication, celebrate tion. Reviews of Modern Physics promote our articles to the popular strong force, called quantum chro- ory” that explains all forces and our 90th anniversary, and look for- should be a pleasure to read on media and we can publish articles modynamics. Those two pieces: the particles. But its form is very ward to the Reviews of the Future. all levels: the articles should have for our true constituents. Our sin- electroweak theory and the strong cloudy. At this point, such a funda- APS March Meeting - Reviews theory formed the standard model. mental theory seems farther away strong and clear introductions to cere thanks go out to the authors, of Modern Physics: The First 90 When did people start call- than ever, as there are hints that bring the reader up to speed; the referees, and editors who continue Years, Tuesday, March 5, 7:30 – ing the whole thing the stan- the required for seeing content should not only be relevant to make this possible. 9 PM, Grand Ballroom A, Westin dard model? it are beyond our reach. It’s just but also elegantly and succinctly Randall D. Kamien is the Lead Boston Waterfront. For the lat- I don’t know exactly, but I a pity that the accelerator experi- presented when possible; and there Editor of Reviews of Modern est information on the APS April remember using the name in 1973 ments haven’t yet revealed any- should be something for everyone Physics and Vicki and William Meeting sessions, see aps.org/ during a talk in Aix-en-Provence in thing beyond the standard model, in every issue. Abrams Professor in the Natural meetings/april/ France. I wanted to point out to my with the one exception of the neu- audience that we physicists had a trino masses. pretty good picture of elementary Do you think the problems particles by then, and we could use faced by particle physicists today MEETING continued from page 1 this “standard model” as a device are different from those that you As with previous APS Meetings, President and CEO March Meeting tradition—will fol- for interpreting experiments. faced as a young scientist? a number of diversity events are Kate Kirby will host a Town Hall low (9:00–10:30 PM). Did having “standard” in the I do. It was a different situa- scheduled, including an LGBTQ+ session on the Society’s newly Future of Physics Days events, name imply certainty for you? tion 50 years ago. Back then, we roundtable discussion (Wednesday, developed strategic plan (2:30–3:30 sponsored by APS and the Society I was confident that the theory had experimental data coming out 4:00–5:00 PM), the National PM). The strategic plan lays out for Physics Students, will offer was right, but my confidence was of our ears, and a lot of it didn’t Society of Black Physicists meetup APS goals and priorities for the unique opportunities for undergrad- partly shaken by data from a num- seem to fit any pattern. The prob- and reception (Wednesday, 5:00– next several years. Copies of the uate students to present research, ber of experiments in 1976 and lems seemed formidable, but there 6:00 PM), and the National Society strategic plan document will be explore graduate school and career 1977 that were hard to make sense were so many ways to go with new of Hispanic Physicists meetup and available. options, and network with peers of within the standard model. In theories. It really was a thrilling reception (Wednesday, 6:00–7:00 Extra physics fun comes in the and senior scientists. An interactive the spring of 1977, I ended up time to be a physicist. PM). Also on Wednesday, there form of a quantum-themed phys- workshop on Monday (6:00–7:00 canceling a trip I had planned Nowadays, it’s very hard to will be an Education and Diversity ics escape room, brought to the PM) will seek to give students the with my wife and daughter to go think of a challenge that we can get reception (7:00–8:00 PM). March Meeting by the Forum on tools to transition into a physics to Yosemite. Instead, I spent that our teeth into. The current puzzles On Tuesday, March 5, Reviews Outreach and Engaging the Public. career, and a graduate school fair on time working with my friend Ben don’t offer theorists many opportu- of Modern Physics (RMP) cel- LabEscape will be open from Tuesday (10:00 AM–5:00 PM) will Lee trying to find an alternative nities to propose solutions that can ebrates 90 years with talks from March 3 to March 8 for both meet- provide an opportunity for students theory that could account for the be tested experimentally. the authors of popular RMP papers ing attendees and the public. On to meet graduate school represen- experiments. I’m proud to say we Do you have any advice to and a champagne toast (7:30–9:00 Wednesday, March 6, Imaginative tatives and learn about programs. failed, as it later turned out that the offer the next generation? PM). Editors from all APS journals Performances: Quantum Voyages The March Meeting will include experiments were wrong. Winston Churchill had a motto will also be available Tuesday from and the History of Physics in 13 many more special events, ses- In the end, the issue was settled at the beginning of World War II: 4:30–6:30 PM to answer questions songs (7:00–8:30 PM) showcases sions, and opportunities to network. by a 1978 experiment at SLAC that “Keep buggering on.” In that spirit, and discuss the Physical Review events created by collaborations Visit the meeting website for the confirmed the prediction of par- I think it’s better to do something journals. between physicists and artists. A full schedule of events: aps.org/ ity violation in the interaction of than to do nothing. My advice Also on Tuesday, March 5, APS Rock-n-Roll Physics Sing-along—a meetings/march/. with nuclei. After that, I is to try crazy ideas and innova- think everyone was convinced that tive experiments. Something will the standard model was correct. come up. In your PRL essay you Michael Schirber is a Corresponding describe some of the twists and Editor for Physics based in Lyon, turns in the standard model’s France.

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Where Would We Be Without Industrial Physics – Today and Tomorrow? By John Rumble, Steven Lambert, and Robert Doering

s we contemplate our world LinkedIn pages or similar social media so students can American Physical Society Atoday and its future, we contact previous graduates. The following proposed activities align directly with the cannot help but marvel at the • Post-docs should receive career counseling about indus- new APS Strategic Plan goals. The APS Industrial Physics incredible changes in our daily trial careers. Advisory Board is ready to provide support and additional lives brought about by industrial Government information as appropriate. physics. A quick glance around The APS Office of Government Affairs has strong inter- • Make a priority of retaining industrial physicist mem- an office reveals a smartphone, actions with Congress and government agencies that sup- bers, especially early career members. computers, printers, LED , port physics. The following recommendations build on that • Offer 1- or 2-day expert meetings strongly focused on digital sound systems, flash existing work. topics of industrial physics interest to address the time drives, with microelectron- • Hyphenated-physics should be encouraged as industry and travel constraints of industrial physicists. ics, nanomaterials, lasers, and routinely combines multiple disciplines in developing • Provide industry-focused publications—peer-reviewed, micro-magnets. These are trans- new products and services. technical journals as well as popular content such as the formative technologies and have created the 21st Century now-defunct Industrial Physicist magazine. as we know it. How has this happened and what role does • Government tech-transfer policies and procedures • Provide career-growth training at major meetings aimed industrial physics play? To help answer these questions, the should be continually reviewed for effectiveness. at early-career industrial physicists, such as project APS Industrial Physics Advisory Board has just released • National physics-related facilities should have resources management, business basics, and people management. its report on The Economic Impact of Industrial Physics on readily available for industrial use, including commer- • Consider establishing a Center for Entrepreneurial and the U.S. Economy, available at aps.org/programs/industrial/ cially-conducive intellectual property processes. Industrial Physics to foster innovative programs on teach- impact-economy.cfm. • U.S. patent protection procedures should be periodically ing and promoting entrepreneurship and industrial careers. The fascinating findings of the study show that an reviewed for competitiveness. © estimated 12.6% of the U.S. economy can be ascribed • SBIR/STTR programs, especially focused on entrepre- • Provide Up-to-Speed physics information—TED and directly to the practice of industrial physics, among other neurial goals, should be strongly supported. other online talks, paper bundles; print-on-demand impacts summarized below. • Immigration policies should ensure that the brightest articles and abstracts relevant to hot topics of interest students are incentivized to study physics in the U.S. to industrial physicists. Defining industrial physics and are able to work for U.S.-headquartered companies • Encourage sections to involve local industry in their meetings. • Physicists with degrees in physics who work in after graduation. industry Industry Students and Practicing Physicists • Engineers and other scientists and technical people Industry can take actions that catalyze the flow of physi- More than 50% of graduating physicists enter industry who employ physical principles in their work cists and physics to companies in the future. APS can help to find exciting and rewarding careers. The companies for • Use of fundamental physical principles to design and to encourage industrial engagement via: which they work and the careers they pursue range from manufacture physical products and systems • Improved interactions with two-year, undergraduate, highly entrepreneurial technological start-up firms to well- established technology leaders to finance and banking to data • Emerging knowledge of new physical principles that and graduate physics education programs, such as lec- lead to innovative and new products and services tures, visiting professorships, participation in thesis analytics. The diversity of possibilities reflects the power of committees, talks and attendance at APS Sectional modern physics education, which emphasizes formulating the meetings. correct questions and being rigorous in developing answers Rather than simply reporting the findings, however, we • Internships for physics undergraduate and graduate based on facts. Some suggestions for students to expand their want to address the larger issue of how the physics commu- students; industry can work with organizations such as physics horizons include: nity can invest in the future so coming generations can benefit APS to develop guidelines and suggestions for effec- • Talk to physicists in industry, and not just technologi- from physics advances being developed on whiteboards and tive programs. cal or scientific industries; hear directly about what lab benches today. working in industry is like, both in terms of rewards • Involvement in local pre-college STEM efforts, with The economic impact found in the U.S. is broad, affecting and challenges. many economic sectors, and results from a wide range of special emphasis on reducing entry barriers related to minority, gender, or socio-economic status. • Expose yourself to topics of industrial interest such contributions from physicists as well as people who under- as new technologies, entrepreneurship, and applied • Education of industrial HR departments about capa- stand and use physics in designing, manufacturing, and physics; take advantage of APS meeting sessions on bilities of students with physics degrees and how to using today’s complex systems, machines, instruments, industrial and applied physics. devices, and materials. We believe the impact is a direct recruit them. • Pursue internships in industry. result of the dedication—on the part of industry, academia, • Interactions with major government-industry pro- • Take advantage of APS career services for mentoring and government—to support the richest and most innovative grams, such as the NIST Manufacturing Extension opportunities, job searches, interview and resume hints physics community in the world. Below are recommenda- Partnership (MEP). and help, and much more. tions designed to continue the impact of industrial physics in the future. • Consider taking an introductory business course or two. Recommendations to Physics Communities to Industrial physics is a major contributor to • Maintain your APS membership regardless—remember Promote the Future of Industrial Physics the economic well-being of the United States. once a physicist, always a physicist! Call to Action Academia • Industrial physics contributes approximately Industrial physics is alive and well and provides innumer- APS is in a unique position to influence the U.S.-based 12.6% of value added to the U.S. economy in able benefits to physics, physicists, and society. It is critical to physics academic community. These recommendations build 2016, about 2.3 trillion dollars. on that strength and add focus to improving the readiness of nurture the industrial physics enterprise and to ensure that it • Direct employment related to industrial phys- physics-degree students for industrial careers. Our colleges remains a major source of innovation, economic growth, and ics was about 11,500,000 people in 2016, which a positive influence on the future. All physicists, regardless and universities can ensure that all scientists and engineers accounts for almost 6% of total U.S. employment. have strong exposure to physics training as part of their basic of their interests, can participate in the rich environment. requirements. APS can also provide exposure to industrial • U.S. exports by physics-based sectors are about Let’s help its continued success. careers through webinars, national and sectional meetings, 1.1 trillion dollars (2016), which is approxi- John Rumble, Jr. is a chemical physicist and owner of and industrial lectures at schools. mately 20% of the value added (GDP) produced R&R Data Services in Gaithersburg MD. He is also 2019 by those sectors. • All two-year and four-year colleges should ensure phys- Speaker of the APS Council. APS Industrial Fellow Steven ics classes are available at all levels. • In the period 2003 to 2016, approximately 70,000 Lambert is a solid-state physicist who spent 27 years working in the hard drive industry in California. Robert Doering is a • Strong support should be given for implementation of degreed physicists joined industry senior physicist and research manager at Texas Instruments, the recommendations from the J-TUPP/Phys21 report: • Between 2010 and 2016, over 340,000 patents Inc. in Dallas, TX and a long-time contributor in physics Preparing Physics Students for 21st Century Careers, with the classification of physics were granted to societies. He is current chair of the APS Industrial Physics available at compadre.org/jtupp/report.cfm. U.S. companies Advisory Board. • Internships in industry for undergraduate and graduate • In 2015, U.S. physics-based companies made students should be encouraged. internal R&D investments of over 150 bil- APS thanks the financial supporters of this study: • Counseling about industrial careers at all physics degree- lion dollars American Institute of Physics granting schools, highlighting excellent career paths and • Between 1966 and 2016, the value added (contri- Wyatt Technology Corp., Santa Barbara CA salaries for physics grads at all degree levels should be bution to GDP) in the physics-based sectors of the Texas Instruments, Inc., Dallas TX available. U.S. economy grew by a factor of 22. At the same • Graduate schools should encourage team research; time, the GDP grew by a factor of about 4 (both in Forum on Industrial and Applied Physics of the internships; cross-department thesis topics; industrial 2016 constant dollars). American Physical Society liaisons; industrial professorships; industrial lectures R&R Data Services, Gaithersburg MD and recruiting; business courses; career counselling; and

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