January 2015 • Vol. 24, No. 1

Physicist nominated to be A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Secretary of Defense WWW.APS.ORG/PUBLICATIONS/APSNEWS Page 3

APS April Meeting Heads to Charm City Incoming 2015 APS President: Q & A with Samuel Aronson This year’s April Meeting will Body Systems, Hadronic Physics, Samuel H. Aronson, former position that affects everybody, come to this country for graduate take place at the Hilton Baltimore and Precision Measurements & director of Brookhaven National like climate change. I would men- level education in physics. More Inner Harbor Hotel in Baltimore, Fundamental Constants. Laboratory and current director of tion education, starting with early frequently than in the past, they Maryland, from April 11 through The meeting will host several its RIKEN BNL Research Center, STEM education and going all the return to pursue scientific careers 14. The annual meeting is expected renowned plenary speakers weigh- will begin his term as President way up to graduate level scientific at home. I think therefore, we need to attract about 1,300 attendees and ing in on a variety of important of APS on January 1, 2015. In an training. Finally, the issue of main- to access the American population will feature 72 invited sessions, physics topics. Monday’s Kavli interview with APS News, he dis- in all of its diverse dimensions to more than 110 contributed ses- session will feature Nobel laureate cusses his goals for the coming year. find the best and brightest people to sions, three plenary sessions, poster John Mather commemorating the What do you see as the most fill the pipeline domestically. sessions, and a public lecture. The 50th anniversary of the discovery of pressing issues facing the physics What will be your main focus recipients of APS prizes and awards the cosmic microwave background. community right now? during your presidential year? will be honored at a special ceremo- Clifford Will from the University There are a number of issues, What approach will you take nial session on Sunday evening. of Florida will highlight the pre- one of which is federal research towards achieving these goals? The meeting will showcase cision tests that have confirmed budgets. We’re still in a chaotic and There are a number of APS the latest research from the APS general relativity. Stuart Shapiro fractious government funding land- issues. The Society is going through Divisions of Particles and Fields, of the University of Illinois at scape, so that remains a big issue. a transition in the way it conducts Astrophysics, Nuclear Physics, Urbana-Champaign will explore Another is the transition to open its work on behalf of the members, and Beam Physics, as well as the the origins and detection of gravi- access publishing, which affects and also perhaps in its response to Topical Group in Gravitation. In tational waves. the Society and other societies, and externalities, such as open access addition, the Forums on Educa- Speakers from government it will change the way which our Samuel H. Aronson publishing and open data. APS tion, Graduate Student Affairs, agencies will open the meeting on members and physicists in general needs to rethink the way it finances History of Physics, International Saturday and address the big scien- get access to scientific publications. taining and building the cohort of its work on behalf of the members Physics, and Physics and Society tific problems of the future. Secretary That’s something we have to focus physicists pursuing their careers in of the Society. There are issues will be participating, along with of Energy Ernest Moniz will lead off on within the Society. this country. It will be a different internal to the Society that are going the Topical Groups on Energy and John Grunsfeld, NASA’s associ- Other big issues are ones on mix than it has been in the past, due to take a lot of attention this year, Research and Applications, Few- MEETING continued on page 4 which the Society has a public to our ability to retain people who ARONSON continued on page 6

Top Ten Physics News Stories in 2014 Wanted: Input from Physicists on the Future of Computing

Every year, APS News looks South Pole made the sensational the data from the satellite’s four- By Michael Lucibella priorities for the next five years.” back to see which physics news announcement that they had seen year run and had created the most The National Research Coun- He likened it to a smaller version stories grabbed the attention of the the first evidence of “B-mode” detailed map of the CMB. cil is developing a report for the of the surveys carried out every public. This list is not necessarily polarization in the cosmic micro- Intergalactic Neutrinos National Science Foundation on ten years by the astrophysics com- a compilation of the most impor- wave background (CMB) radiation. In 2013, the IceCube neu- advanced computing, and is looking munity to plan a decade’s worth tant advances or discoveries of the At the time it was held up as “the trino detector at the South Pole for input from the physics commu- of scientific projects. year, but rather the ones that seemed smoking gun” for evidence of observed additional highly ener- nity. The report, “Future Directions To help promote discussion in to garner the most headlines and getic neutrinos, which provided For NSF Advanced Computing the scientific community, the com- column-inches. In (roughly) chron- further evidence of neutrinos from Infrastructure to Support U.S. mittee released an interim version ological order, the top ten physics outside our galaxy. A new event Science and Engineering in 2017- of its report this summer, which stories of 2014 were: announced in April, dubbed “Big 2020,” will review what the NSF outlined the direction the full report Fusion Milestone Bird,” unseated the reigning champs is doing to get scientists access to will take. “It’s really a list of ques- Physicists at Lawrence Liver- “Bert” and “Ernie.” At more than the advanced computing hardware tions on topics we’re considering,”

more National Laboratory Steffen Richter/Harvard two petaelectronvolts, it’s twice as and software they need, and what Harrison said. announced in February that they energetic as the previous record- can be improved. The NSF supports 16 sites reached an important milestone: holders, but because it’s not “This is an activity that the across the country that let research- At the National Ignition Facil- anything like an order of magnitude NSF conducts every five years ers use supercomputing hardware ity, 192 simultaneous laser pulses greater, investigators think that they or so,” said Robert Harrison, co- for computation-heavy research. blasted tiny hydrogen pellets, and BICEP2 searches for inflation. might be close to seeing the upper chair of the committee putting the The writers of the report are in the resulting fusion reactions emit- limit of cosmic neutrino energies. report together. “It assists them part looking to see how beneficial ted slightly more energy than was gravitational waves left over from in creating a roadmap, a set of INPUT continued on page 6 initially absorbed — a key first step a period of rapid inflation in the in inertial confinement fusion. How- early universe. However, soon

ever, there is still a long way to go after the announcement, doubts LLNL before the machine produces a net about the data started to emerge, gain in energy, since the pellets and it was unclear if the team could

absorbed only a small fraction of definitively rule out the effect of IceCube Collaboration the incoming laser energy. cosmic dust. In the resulting sci- entific paper, published in June, the team acknowledged that dust may have affected the observations, but nevertheless they still felt the IceCube's big find gravitational wave signal was real. In September a new report from the Physics in Movies ESA’s Planck satellite reinforced 2014 was a blockbuster year for concerns about the initial results, science on film and TV. Premiering but the two teams are continuing in March, Neil deGrasse Tyson’s to work together to resolve the highly anticipated follow-up to Carl Fusion first step discrepancies. Also in Decem- Sagan’s TV series Cosmos capti- vated audiences and took them on BICEP2 ber, independent of the BICEP2 a journey into the universe. Also in In March the scientific team research, Planck’s team announced Future of supercomputing: Top computers are funded by the behind the BICEP2 telescope at the that they had finished processing TOP TEN continued on page 6 Department of Energy. Should NSF chase the bleeding edge? 2 • January 2015

Members This Month in Physics History in the January 1, 1925: Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin and the Day the Universe Changed Media By Richard Williams ecilia Payne made a long and lonely journey electron concentration, ionization potential, and “It’s an ordeal for anyone who’s with the IBM computer Watson, Cfrom her childhood in England to prominence other properties of the stellar atmosphere. Payne gone through it … . At the end of USA Today, November 25, 2014. in a scientific community that begrudged a place met Saha when he visited Harvard, just as his work the day, I was exhausted. I got my to women. She began her scientific career with a was becoming known to astronomers. first batch of candidates and I said, “In the old days, all of the scholarship to Cambridge University, where she took Payne’s thesis [3], finished on January 1, 1925, ‘Wow, for this I paid $85?’” knowledge was in a cathedral. … the course in physics. After meeting Harlow Shapley confirmed the view of Russell and Rowland on Neer Asherie, Yeshiva Univer- Now it’s here at CERN.” from Harvard, she moved to Massachusetts and the abundance of the heavier elements in stellar sity, on online dating, The New Steve Goldfarb, CERN, The pursued a doctoral degree in astronomy. Her 1925 atmospheres. She then applied Saha’s equations to York Times, December 17, 2014. Wall Street Journal, December 3, thesis, entitled Stellar Atmospheres, was famously the Balmer series absorption in hydrogen, which 2014. described by astronomer Otto Struve as “the most originates from atoms in the first excited state. She “Everybody including us would brilliant PhD thesis ever written in astronomy.” By was the first to appreciate that, in the atmosphere of be shocked if we were actually to “This team has shown how to calculating the abundance of chemical elements the Sun at 5700 K, only about one in 200 million discover any significant differences. passively cool structures by simply from stellar spectra, her work began a revolution of the hydrogen atoms is in this excited state, so ... It would really revolutionize our radiating heat into the cold darkness in astrophysics. that the total quantity of hydrogen thinking about how the universe of space.” Harlow Shapley liked to is grossly underrepresented behaves.” Burton Richter, Stanford, on say that no one could earn a by the Balmer absorption. A Joel Fajans, University of another team’s research into mate- PhD unless he had suffered in similar argument holds for California at Berkeley, on whether rials to passively cool buildings, the process. As she neared the helium. She found similar antimatter would fall up or down. CNN.com, December 4, 2014. end of her doctoral project on results for other stars. Payne PBS.org, November 19, 2014. stellar spectra, Cecilia Payne concluded that, unlike on “Since the dawn of the 20th wrote, “There followed months, Smithsonian Institution Earth, hydrogen and helium “I saw the title [and] I thought, century, when scientists began almost a year as I remember, are the dominant elements of ‘Oh, I predicted those—I wonder exploring the inside of the atom, of utter bewilderment. Often the Sun and stars. Henry Nor- how it turned out? ... I looked up it has become increasingly clear I was in a state of exhaustion ris Russell strongly opposed their numbers and I said, ‘Yeah, that the brain is simply not designed and despair, working all day this conclusion and convinced that looks a lot like what I predicted to be comfortable with what goes and late into the night” [1]. The her to omit it from her thesis. — great!” on at that level.” plight of suffering graduate stu- However, currently accepted Randy Lewis, York University, James Trefil, George Mason dents is perhaps best expressed values for the mass fraction on predicting in 2009 the charac- University, The Washington Post, by a line from poet Percy Bys- of elements in the Milky Way teristics of two baryons discovered December 5, 2014. she Shelley, in 1819: “Like the Galaxy are: ~74% hydrogen, at CERN, CBC News.ca, November poets, they learn through their Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin at Harvard 24% helium; all the remain- 19, 2014. “Hopefully, the end will seem a suffering what they teach in ing elements, 2%, confirming lot less wacko when you read in my their songs.” Payne’s result. Her discovery of the true cosmic “I think that entering the field book the chapters ‘Tesseract’ and When Cecilia Payne began her study of stellar abundance of the elements profoundly changed of science is really almost the best ‘Messaging the Past,’ and the tech- spectra, scientists believed that the relative abun- what we know about the universe. The giants — career [women] can have. And nical notes on those chapters. The dance of elements in the atmospheres of the Sun Copernicus, Newton, and Einstein — each in his what’s the reason for it? There are chapters ‘Singularities’ and ‘Into and the stars was similar to that in Earth’s crust. In turn, brought a new view of the universe. Payne’s two reasons. One, the work is very Gargantua’ may also be helpful.” 1889, geochemist Frank Wigglesworth Clarke’s The discovery of the cosmic abundance of the elements interesting and secondly, you’re Kip Thorne, Caltech, on the Relative Abundance of the Chemical Elements was did no less. judged by what you do and not what ending of his movie Interstellar, the result of his comprehensive sampling of miner- In 1934 Payne visited the observatory in Len- you look like, and I think that is a NPR.org, December 17, 2014. als from many parts of Earth’s crust. Many of the ingrad, at a time of great Soviet-German tension, very important thing for women strong lines of the solar spectrum came from the hard living conditions, and suspicion of foreigners. in science. The sad thing is that “You go into science because elements most abundant on Earth. The pre-eminent She continued on to visit Germany, where condi- so few women choose it because you want to make a discovery, you American physicists at the time, Henry Norris Rus- tions were equally tense, and met a young Russian there aren’t so many of us and they want to advance our understanding sell and Henry Rowland, believed that the elemental astronomer, Sergei Gaposchkin. Despite hardships don’t like to be outnumbered by of the universe. … Not everyone abundances on Earth and the Sun were substantially and persecution in the Soviet Union because of the men.” gets to accomplish that. Stephen identical. Russell wrote [2] “The agreement of the his political views, he had achieved success as an Mildred Dresselhaus, MIT, after Hawking has.” solar and terrestrial lists is such as to confirm very astronomer. Now he faced persecution because being named as a Medal of Free- Neil deGrasse Tyson, American strongly Rowland’s opinion that, if the Earth’s crust he was Russian. He asked her to help him get to dom recipient, NPR, November 24, Museum of Natural History, Slate, should be raised to the temperature of the Sun’s America. She was moved by his story, and, after 2014. December 17, 2014. atmosphere, it would give a very similar absorp- returning home, she worked hard to get him a visa as tion spectrum.” The spectra of the Sun and other a stateless person. He came and, later in 1934, they “I did beat Watson, but it was not “It’s extremely quiet out there… stars were similar, so it appeared that the relative married and she became Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin. televised. It was something IBM . The magnetic fields are constant, abundance of elements in the universe was like that On completing her doctorate, after considering set up. It was an actual Jeopardy! the flux of cosmic rays is constant.” in Earth’s crust. other opportunities, she decided to stay on at Har- match so it was very life-like, but Donald Gurnett, The University Payne had a better knowledge of atomic spectra vard. At the time, advancement to professor was it was a demonstration that IBM set of Iowa, on the readings from the than most astronomers at the time. She also knew denied to women at Harvard, so she spent years up a couple of years ago.” Voyager 1 spacecraft, indicating the 1920 work of physicist Meghnad Saha on the in lesser, low-paid duties. She published several Rush Holt, U.S. House of Rep- it’s out of the solar system, Time thermal ionization of atoms. He showed how to use books, including The Stars of High Luminosity, resentatives, on his trivia match Magazine, December 17, 2014. an equilibrium equation from physical chemistry to 1930; Variable Stars, 1938; and Variable Stars and relate the ratio of excited states to ground states, Galactic Structure, 1954. and the fraction of ionized states to the temperature, PAYNE continued on page 4

Series II, Vol. 24, No. 1 APS COUNCIL 2015 International Councilors Advisors from other Societies (non-voting) January 2015 Marcia Barbosa, Eliezer Rabinovici, Annick Suzor- Fred Dylla, AIP; Mary Elizabeth Mogge, AAPT President Weiner*, Kiyoshi Ueda © 2015 The American Physical Society Samuel H. Aronson*, Brookhaven National Laboratory International Advisor (non-voting) (Retired) Chair, Nominating Committee Adam J. Sarty, Canadian Association of Physicists Patricia McBride Staff Representatives Editor•...... David Voss President-Elect Homer A. Neal*, University of Michigan Chair, Panel on Public Affairs Tracy Alinger, Director, Information Services (College Staff Science Writer ...... Michael Lucibella William Barletta Park); Mark Doyle, Director, Journal Information Vice President Systems (Ridge); Amy Flatten, Director of International Editor in Chief Art Director and Special Publications Manager...... Kerry G. Johnson Laura H. Greene*, University of Illinois, Champagne- Affairs; Terri Gaier, Director of Meetings; Christine Gene Sprouse* Giaccone, Director, Journal Operations; Barbara Design and Production...... Nancy Bennett-Karasik Urbana Division, Forum and Section Councilors Hicks, Associate Publisher; Ted Hodapp, Director of Proofreader...... Edward Lee Past-President Miriam Forman (Astrophysics), Timothy Gay Education and Diversity; Dan Kulp, Editorial Director; Malcolm R. Beasley*, Stanford University Trish Lettieri, Director of Membership; Darlene Logan, APS News (ISSN: 1058-8132) is published 11X yearly, Subscriptions: APS News is an on-membership publica- (Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics), Jose Onuchic Director of Development; Michael Lubell; Director, monthly, except the August/September issue, by the tion delivered by Periodical Mail Postage Paid at Col- (Biological), Amy Mullin* (Chemical), Frances Executive Officer Public Affairs; Michael Stephens, Controller and American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, Col- lege Park, MD and at additional mailing offices. Hellman* (Condensed Matter Physics), Steven Kate P. Kirby*, Harvard Smithsonian (retired) Assistant Treasurer; J lege Park, MD 20740-3844, (301) 209-3200. It contains Gottlieb (Computational), Ann Karagozian (Fluid ames W. Taylor, Deputy Executive Dynamics), Gay Stewart* (Forum on Education), Officer;William Reinhardt, Honors Program news of the Society and of its Divisions, Topical Groups, For address changes, please send both the old and new Speaker of the Council Eric Sorte, (Forum on Graduate Student Affairs), Dan Sections, and Forums; advance information on meetings addresses, and, if possible, include a mailing label from Nan Phinney*, Stanford University of the Society; and reports to the Society by its commit- a recent issue. Changes can be emailed to membership@ Kleppner* (Forum on History of Physics), Gregory * Members of the APS Board of Directors tees and task forces, as well as opinions. aps.org. Postmaster: Send address changes to APS Treasurer Meisner* (Forum on Industrial and Applied Physics), News, Membership Department, American Physical Malcolm R. Beasley* Young-Kee Kim* (Forum on International Physics), Letters to the editor are welcomed from the member- Society, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740- Lowell Brown (Forum on Physics and Society), TBD ship. Letters must be signed and should include an ad- 3844. Corporate Secretary (Laser Science), James Chelikowsky (Materials), Wick dress and daytime telephone number. The APS reserves Ken Cole Haxton* (Nuclear), Philip Michael Tuts (Particles & the right to select and to edit for length or clarity. All cor- Coden: ANWSEN ISSN: 1058-8132 General Councilors Fields), John Galayda (Physics of Beams), Cary Forest respondence regarding APS News should be directed to: Marcelo Gleiser, Nadya Mason, Gail McGlaughlin, (Plasma), Mark Ediger (Polymer Physics), Nan Phinney Editor, APS News, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, Keivan G. Stassun* (California Section), TBD (Prairie Section) MD 20740-3844, Email: [email protected]. January 2015 • 3

Physicist Nominated to Lead Pentagon Directing Traffic By Michael Lucibella tor who helped create the program Physicist and former defense that has dismantled weapons of department official Ashton Carter mass destruction around the world is President Obama’s pick to be the and reduced the threat of nuclear Michael Lucibella next secretary of defense, the White terrorism. He’s a reformer who’s House announced in early Decem- never been afraid to cancel old or ber. If confirmed, Carter will succeed inefficient weapons programs. He former Nebraska Senator Chuck knows the Department of Defense Hagel as the head of the department. inside and out — all of which means Carter had been a long-time fac- that on day one, he’s going to hit the ulty member at Harvard University ground running.” specializing in technology and secu- Carter first made his name in rity policy and previously served as the early 1980s at the Kennedy the deputy secretary of defense from School of Government at Harvard, October 2011 through December assessing the technological feasi- Ashton Carter bility of lasers and particle beams Zahra Fakhraai of the University of Pennsylvania (far left) sorts March 2013. He had recently started lec- theoretical physics in 1979, when he Meeting abstracts with Rob Riggleman, also from the University of for President Reagan’s proposed turing at Stanford in October of this worked with the Office of Technol- Pennsylvania (far right) and Debra Audus of NIST, along with other Strategic Defense Initiative mis- year as a visiting scholar. ogy Assessment on an assessment volunteers. sile shield. After the breakup of Prior to serving as deputy defense of the MX mobile missile project, the Soviet Union, he helped draft secretary he was the chief weapons including a proposal to mount the Nunn-Lugar amendment that buyer at the Pentagon and served as ICBMs on blimps. After his work assistant secretary of defense for provided U.S. funds to secure loose there, he refocused his career from international security policy dur- nuclear weapons. theoretical physics towards public ing Bill Clinton’s first term. He’s While an undergraduate at Yale, policy and international security. known for being a technocrat and Carter majored in both physics and INSIDE THE “I accepted the President’s offer has served on advisory panels and medieval history and worked for Beltway published numerous books and arti- a time at Fermilab in the search to be nominated for Secretary of cles on the intersection of science, for the charm quark at the Teva- Defense because of my regard technology and defense. tron. After graduating, he received for his leadership,” Carter said. “I Will Obama Opt for Triangulation? “In one way or another, Ash a Rhodes scholarship to pursue a accepted it because of the serious- has served under 11 Secretaries of doctoral degree in theoretical phys- ness of the strategic challenges we by Michael S. Lubell, APS Director of Public Affairs Defense,” President Obama said at ics at Oxford University. face, but also the bright opportuni- December was a particularly repeatedly during the last few the press conference announcing After returning to the United ties that exist for America if we can good month for Wall Street. And years, managed to insert language his nomination. “He’s an innova- States, he spent a year away from come together to grab hold of them.” banking interests owe President that would gut key provisions of Obama big time for his part in their the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street largess. Reform and Consumer Protection What he did was clear. Why he Act. The stealthy sentences would Digital Archives Grow in Size and Usefulness did it remains a matter of specula- allow big banks to engage again tion. But he might just be preparing in risky practices — trading credit By Michael Lucibella to take a page from Bill Clinton’s default swaps, buying and selling Historians, scientists, and the playbook and spend his next two opaque derivatives, and issuing col- public now have more access to years as “triangulator”-in-chief. lateralized debt obligations — all digitized raw materials than ever Science, take note! guaranteed by taxpayer money. If before. In the last few months, two Here’s what played out in the their bets come home, Wall Street large libraries of historical science waning days of the 113th Congress: firms could rake in hundreds of bil- documents were posted online, With just hours left on the budget lions of dollars, and if they blow up freely accessible to the public. clock, Capitol Hill was mired in completely, taxpayers once more Though online archives like these another legislative morass of its would be on the hook for a trillion- are becoming more common, the own making. Having put the gov- dollar tab. challenge of digitizing tens or hun- ernment on autopilot before the Led by Citibank and J.P. Morgan dreds of thousands of documents November election, lawmakers Chase — Chase’s CEO, Jamie Dia- has kept the pace of uploads rela- returned to a lame-duck session mond, reportedly made many of the tively slow. facing a December 11 midnight calls to key legislators himself — In September, CERN began spending deadline. That’s when the Wall Street left its indelible imprint posting its massive photo archive stopgap continuing resolution was on the Cromnibus. (cds.cern.ch/collection/Photos) to Einstein Online: The Einstein Papers Project has posted scans, transcrip- scheduled to run out. And if they For Democrats, who had nearly the lab’s online documents server. tions, and translations of its collection. didn’t take any action, the govern- gagged on the DHS deal, the Dodd- Already the group has posted and picking the relevant documents For historical researchers, these ment would shut down. Frank gutting was too much to nearly 40,000 of its more than to upload and providing context for kinds of big online repositories have House and Senate appropriators stomach. And as the House prepared 120,000 black and white photo each is a major undertaking. been a major boon. Digital tools like and their staff had spent much of to vote on the bill’s rule — the first negatives from the 1950s through In a way, CERN’s photo archive text search are letting researchers the previous month hammering out step in the chamber’s legislative the early 1980s. poses the opposite challenge for scan through collections of docu- budget compromises well into the process — Democrats signaled they Then in December, the Einstein the library team. Many of the ments more efficiently than ever wee hours. And their efforts paid off, would not provide a single vote in Papers Project, located at Caltech, photographs have little or no docu- before, while the Internet brings the generating more than 1,500 pages favor. Under pressure from House started publishing digitized versions mentation, leaving the team in the archives to people around the world. of directives in an omnibus bill that Speaker, John Boehner (R-Ohio), of Albert Einstein’s correspondence dark about the events or the names “It allows me to do a lot of covered the fiscal year 2015 spend- some Tea Party Republicans agreed up through 1927. “What we put of people and equipment depicted research that I otherwise wouldn’t ing plans laid out by 11 of the 12 to support the bill’s rule, but many online are the existing scholarly in many of their photos. “The old be doing because I don’t have the appropriations subcommittees. The said they would oppose its final annotated papers that have been database that we have isn’t as good time or the money,” said Alex 12th one, which would have funded passage. Unless Democrats broke collected,” said Diana Kormos as it could be,” said Alex Brown, Wellerstein, a historian at the Ste- the Department of Homeland Secu- ranks, the Cromnibus would die, Buchwald, a Caltech historian the assistant multimedia librarian vens Institute of Technology. His rity (DHS), was put on a short-term and the government once again and director of the Einstein Papers at CERN who’s helping digitize own research is focused primarily continuing resolution as a conces- would face an imminent shutdown. Project. “We are not just putting the photos. on the history of American nuclear sion to far-right Republicans who The rule passed, but only by the up copies or facsimiles of known To fill in some of the blank spots weapons and technology. He said were seeking retribution for Presi- razor-thin margin of 214 to 212. documents written by Einstein.” in the record, the team has been also that traveling and staying in dent Obama’s executive action on The bill, itself, was facing certain The Einstein collection in par- reaching out for help in identifying different cities to access physi- immigration — which they assert is defeat. So Speaker Boehner used ticular required a lot of additional people and items in the photo- cal archives is one of the biggest illegal and unconstitutional. the only tool he had immediately scholarship prior to its release, graphs. Any member of the public expenses in historical research. The bargain, a “Cromnibus” in available. He declared a recess. including transcription and trans- or scientific community who recog- Faster computers and ever- Beltway-speak, received a reluctant Enter Barack Obama. Bucking lation of the original documents. nizes someone or something in the cheaper hard drive space have blessing from congressional leaders his own party, he lobbied House “Throwing up scans or copies of photographs can post a comment to allowed more archives to put large of both parties, as well as the White Democrats hard, arguing that prag- manuscripts is not sufficient in this the document server. portions of their collections online House. In an unusual display of matism should be the new political day and age. You want to explain The team wanted to concen- for public access. Archives have bipartisanship, lawmakers were on maxim. In the end, he managed to when they were written, why they trate on the older trove of black embraced these online repositories the verge of doing the unthinkable: cajole 57 of them into heeding his were written, and to whom they were and white photos first because of because it results in less wear and taking sensible action that would plea. And at the 11th hour the bill written,” Buchwald said. And there concern for the longevity of both tear on the documents themselves keep Washington functioning. passed, 219 to 206, with 67 Repub- is so much scholarship and docu- the negatives and the individuals as fewer people handle them. Their Then, with few eyes focused licans joining 139 Democrats in mentation surrounding the life of who could help identify the people preservation was what in 2011 on their machinations, Wall Street opposition and 162 of them sticking Albert Einstein that sifting through and items in them. ARCHIVES continued on page 7 lobbyists, who had been thwarted TRIANGULATION continued on page 7 4 • January 2015

HIFS and Related Diseases Letters I enjoyed Carlton Caves’ recent sures like bibliometrics are useful ora of fake online journals, which Members may submit letters to [email protected]. APS reserves the Back Page article on HIFS: high for objective reviewing. Yet I find only want to collect publication impact factor syndrome (APS News, in my reviewing duties two more fees. They cite each other, so cita- right to select letters and edit for length and clarity. November 2014). Having excellent factors relating to citations that are tion counting won’t cure this. scientists comment on issues like just as troublesome as HIFS. Just how one should proceed Use Judgment Instead of Impact Factors this can only improve our discipline. The second issue is the CCS: with evaluations in science is not Like many of my colleagues, I citation club syndrome. This is the easy. Solving these other two prob- The Back Page essay by Carlton impressive if the papers appeared also find it annoying when someone expanding average author number lems might help to solve the HIFS Caves, “High-impact-factor syn- in Nature and Nature Physics than talks of publication in high-impact in every paper, driven by Thomson problem, by making bibliometrics drome,” (APS News, November if they appeared in PRL and PRA journals as defining greatness. There Reuters and Google crediting every more reliable. 2014) is a much-needed clarion — is compelling and sobering. We are excellent papers published else- author for their co-authors' work. call for more thoughtful evalua- would all be well advised to treat where as well. The third issue is the FJS: fake Peter D. Drummond tion of researchers and research important decisions like hiring and institutions. The wisdom and Often some other proxy mea- journal syndrome. This is the pleth- Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia promotion with laborious (but sub- truth of Caves’ analysis should be self-evident, but is sadly and stantive) judgment rather than lazy widely ignored. His proposed test (and near-empty) “objectivity.” Voting is Fundamental of one’s possible affliction with In APS News (November 2014) voting record. We cannot maintain ter anyway.” I recently spent a half HIFS — asking if the same publi- William D. Phillips several distinguished physicists a healthy APS if most of us shirk hour reviewing Forum on Education cation/citation record looks more Gaithersburg, Maryland took exception to the new Con- our voting responsibilities. candidates. As a former teacher, I stitution & Bylaws because they The world faces challenges, most wanted to understand what chal- MEETING continued from page 1 felt their voting rights would be of which will require skills and lenges they face and how they denied. In response, 2014 APS expertise found in APS. We can be respond. I voted and benefited from ate administrator for science, will half-day session is to mix both pre- President Beasley explained that of little service if our Society is in the experience. speak about the roles scientists can sentations and hands-on activities to the APS Council deliberated this disarray because we refuse to partici- We are an important micro- play in shaping the future. better train scientists to share their issue but in the end chose the Coun- pate in its proper functioning. Voting cosm of our country. To maintain Tuesday’s plenary session will science with the broader community. cil to approve amendments, partly is crucial to our health, whether en our effectiveness, we must all par- feature James Hartle of the Univer- The meeting will host a num- because APS voting participation masse like the recent Constitution & ticipate. At its most elemental and sity of California, Santa Barbara, ber of events aimed especially at was low, 15 percent or less. Bylaws vote or in APS units. unifying level, this means VOTE. speaking about quantum gravity students. As part of the “Future Beasley and the Council may No excuse is valid. “I don’t have and cosmology. Haiyan Gao of of Physics days” events, a panel be correct, but more importantly time; I’m too busy with research Michael Bozoian Duke will bring attendees up to of graduate students will answer we need to rectify our abominable and teaching; my vote won’t mat- Lynchburg, Virginia date on the persistent mysteries of undergraduates’ questions about the proton. continuing their education. Under- Just before the April Meeting graduate students will present their opens, APS will host a number of research at one of the undergradu- Nature Publishing Group Starts “Free to Read” Link Sharing workshops. The Topical Group on ate oral sessions or the afternoon’s By Tamela Maciel scientists, according to a recent blog and APS allows authors to post Hadronic Physics is hosting its poster session, and there will be a post by Michael Eisen, University copies of their articles on the workshop on nuclear physics from Nature and 48 other academic special award brunch on Sunday journals in the Nature Publishing of California, Berkeley biologist author’s website or the author’s April 8 to April 10. The Topical for the top undergraduate present- and open access proponent. institution’s website. This goes Group on Precision Measurements Group (NPG) have made all of their ers. Undergraduates are invited A larger effect might come from much further than what the NPG and Fundamental Constants in articles past and present “free to to apply for travel grants of up the 100 media outlets and blogs that has now announced,” said Gene conjunction with the Group on Few- read” online, provided a subscriber to $1000 to attend the meeting. can also provide “free to read” links. Sprouse, the APS Editor in Chief. body Systems are putting together or approved media outlet shares a The Forum on Graduate Student If the links prove popular, the public But Sprouse also said that jour- a one-day workshop on Friday on link. But some open access advo- Affairs will sponsor a career ses- will have increased access to NPG nal publishers must recover their “Tests of fundamental symmetries” cates wish NPG had done more. sion aimed at graduate students who research and, as Eisen pointed out, costs, which include “hiring edi- to bring participants up to date on As of December 2014, anyone are thinking about opportunities in NPG will be able to track what is tors that manage the peer review efforts to search for time-reversal with a subscription to Nature or being shared and better quantify the process, building and maintaining and parity violation. Also on Friday physics, featuring experts from both other NPG journals can, with the impact on social networks. the computer systems that preserve is a professional skills development the business world and academia click of a button, send friends or This comes at a time when and serve the articles, as well as workshop for women postdocs. with a particular focus on inter- colleagues an email with a link to governments and funding agen- paying for copy editing and com- MIT physicist and science his- national opportunities. Speakers the online article. Propriety software cies such as the National Institutes posing the articles.” At the moment torian David Kaiser will deliver include Giorgio Paolucci, science called ReadCube displays the article of Health and the Bill & Melinda those costs are chiefly met through Saturday evening’s public lecture. director of the SESAME synchro- in a web browser for reading, but Gates Foundation are calling for library subscriptions, sponsors, or His historical investigations have tron in Jordan, entrepreneur Frank blocks saving or printing. NPG’s increased open access to research optional publication fees, should the focused on how physics research Levinson, and Megan Friend, an publisher, Macmillan Science and results. Many advocates want author wish to be published under developed in the United States assistant professor in Japan. Education, has a majority stake in full open access — free access to full open access. during the Cold War. His most Exhibitors, including publishers ReadCube through its technology research immediately upon publi- In response to open access recent book, How the Hippies and other vendors, will have booths division, Digital Science. cation — but faced with the need demands, many institutions are Saved Physics, was named Phys- set up around the hotel to display “We know researchers are to cover publication costs, many currently paying for access in two ics World’s 2012 Book of the Year. their products. already sharing content, often in publishers, including APS, imple- ways: a publication fee to make The Forum on Outreach and Engag- Meeting attendees will be able to hidden corners of the Internet or ment a hybrid open access policy. outgoing research open access and ing the Public is planning to host a stop by the APS Contact Congress using clumsy, time-consuming prac- Some open access advocates are a subscription fee for incoming special workshop on Saturday with booth to send letters to their elected tices,” said Timo Hannay, managing unconvinced that NPG’s “free to articles that are not open access. the National Science Foundation to officials about the importance of director of Digital Science, in a read” initiative is the right move. Many researchers, institutions, share ways to better communicate continued Congressional support press release. “At Digital Science “More access is always prefer- and publishers favor the fundamen- with the public. The plan for the for scientific research. we have the technology to provide a convenient, legitimate alterna- able to less access. But Nature’s tal principles of open access, but tive that encourages researchers to convoluted, read-only access is it is the details of how to transi- access the information they need insufficient … because it adds tion to this access standard without PAYNE continued from page 2 and the wider, interested public arbitrary handicaps,” said Stevan crippling publishers or research Finally, in 1956, Payne- of the elements from stellar spectra access to scientific knowledge, from Harnad, a cognitive scientist at the institutions along the way that Gaposchkin achieved two Harvard and demonstrated for the first time the definitive, original source.” University of Quebec at Montreal. causes tension. firsts: she became the first female the chemical homogeneity of the Hannay is referring to the com- Instead Harnad said the right step In the future, Harnad hopes to professor, and the first woman to universe” [4]. mon practice among researchers of would be to drop the six-month see more publishers adopt a stance become department chair. 1. C. Payne-Gaposchkin, An Auto- sharing their papers online, either embargo policy that NPG main- similar to that of APS, so that biography and Other Reflections, Her obituary read, in part, Katherine Haramundanis, ed. by emailing PDFs ahead of pub- tains before a paper can be shared research institutions become the “Cecilia Helena Payne-Gaposch- (Cambridge University Press, lishing embargos or resorting to online, as APS has already done. main repositories for publicly acces- kin, a pioneering astrophysicist 1996). social media outlets like Twitter Other publishers, including sible research. In this way, he thinks 2. Science 39, 791(1914). and probably the most eminent 3. C. H. Payne, Stellar Atmospheres to crowdsource free copies. Since APS, allow authors to immedi- publishing fees can be scaled back woman astronomer of all time, died (Harvard University Press, Cam- this “dark sharing,” as NPG calls ately self-archive their work. “The to a fraction of what they currently in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on bridge, MA, 1925) it, already occurs, their new read- APS has long encouraged authors are and institutions will be able to 4. Quarterly Journal of the Royal December 7, 1979. In the 1920s Astronomical Society, 23, 450 only button is unlikely to change to share copies of the APS ‘Ver- afford to pay publication costs from she derived the cosmic abundance (1982). the amount of PDF sharing among sion of Record’ with colleagues, what they save in subscription fees.

Each year APS recognizes a small number of historic physics sites in the US We Want Your (and occasionally abroad). Nominations received before January 15, 2015 Nominations for Historic Sites will be eligible for consideration in 2015. www.aps.org/programs/outreach/history/historicsites/ January 2015 • 5

Diversity Corner Profiles In Versatility

Pre-Meeting Professional Skills Development Workshop for Women Physicists Indiana Jones with a Physics Degree APS, with support from the National Science Foundation, will host By Alaina G. Levine two Professional Skills Development Workshops in 2015 for female physicists just before the March and April meetings. Postdoctoral As an undergraduate, I pursued ies the astronomical knowledge of anthropology. He built a second associates and early to mid-career faculty and scientists are invited a double degree in mathematics Torres Strait Islanders, one of the career later in life after 40 years to apply for the March 1 workshop, and postdoctoral associates are and anthropology. Both subjects indigenous peoples of Australasia, working as a physicist and an invited to apply for the April 10 workshop. enthralled me — I loved the ele- whose culture is largely based on engineer at the Naval Air Weap- gance and logic of math as well their practical knowledge of the cos- ons Station China Lake and Applicants affiliated with a U.S. institution or facility are eligible for as the mystery and adventure of mos. “I am interested in scientific The Johns Hopkins University travel and lodging funding assistance. Those needing funding assis- anthropology, especially archae- information encoded in oral tradi- Applied Physics Laboratory. He tance are encouraged to apply early. The deadlines for the workshops ology. I saw links between the tions,” he explains. “Indigenous spent much of his time conduct- and a link to the online application can be found here: www.aps.org/ two seemingly disparate subjects, knowledge has a scientific compo- ing experiments with infrared programs/women/workshops/skills/ whereas my advisors and almost nent developed by people who have molecular spectroscopy, lasers anyone else with whom I shared used it for practical purposes for tens and radar, but when he retired in Childcare Grants Available for APS March and April Meet- one or the other of my twin loves of thousands of years. It’s structured 2002, he didn’t spend his time ing Attendees reacted much differently. Most knowledge about the natural world.” playing golf. Instead he went back Small grants of up to $400 are available to assist meeting attendees raised an eyebrow, and I was met Using ethnographic, historical, and to school to investigate his other who are bringing small children or who incur extra expenses in leav- with puzzled faces. They grieved archaeological methods to analyze field of interest — archaeology. ing them at home (i.e., extra daycare or babysitting services). More for my choice, and declared with indigenous cultures, he has been Rogers immediately realized information and the online application can be found here: www.aps. sadness, “That’s an interest- that his physics experience was org/programs/women/workshops/childcare.cfm ing combination.” But I wasn’t a great asset in the field, espe- deterred, and in fact I thrived cially as he began looking into

A. Rogers obsidian hydration dating, an APS Speakers Lists Feature Women and Minorities while studying abroad in Cairo, Planning a colloquium series and want to include a female or minor- as I pursued grant-funded research archaeological dating technique ity speaker? The APS Women Speakers List and Minorities in Ancient Egyptian number theory, that was already in use but had Speakers List contain names, contact information, and talk titles of cryptography, and religion. not been analyzed in much detail. physicists who are willing to give talks on a variety of subjects. The There are physicists who work The method, which uses the water lists can be found here: www.aps.org/programs/women/speakers/ on archaeological and other anthro- content in obsidian artifacts to and www.aps.org/programs/minorities/speakers/ pological problems, physicists identify how old they are, is who have made career transitions extremely useful in determining into archaeology, and archaeolo- the age of objects. It is cheaper gists who leverage their physics and faster than carbon dating, he background to solve archaeologi- Sandy Rogers surveying in the Pana- explains, and although it is less New Brookhaven Light Source Debuts in 2015 cal problems. Furthermore, some mint Mountains of the Mojave Desert. accurate, with obsidian dating, physicist/archaeologists conduct “You know you’re dating the By Michael Lucibella tions. It covers the lab’s safety, research in archeoastronomy and artifact [itself] and not … [its] Brookhaven National Labora- environmental, management, doc- study how societies incorporate sci- material.” Rogers has spent the tory’s new National Synchrotron umentation and personnel policies. entific knowledge into their culture. last decade perfecting the tech- D. Hamacher Light Source-II (NSLS-II) is The first tests to characterize the Duane Hamacher is an example nique, and says he “works on the nearing completion, and the lab x-ray beams will start running this of the latter. An academic in the math to compensate for changes in will put out a call for experiment winter, while experiments selected Nura Gili Indigenous Programs temperatures going back 12,000 proposals in October. The new, from October’s call will likely start Unit of The University of New years. … Most people who have third-generation light source passed in early 2015. South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, worked on this method don’t have its accelerator readiness review “Synchrotron light sources Australia, he has a bachelor’s and a background in mathematics or on September 22, 2014 and is on serve a very diverse user commu- a master’s degree in astrophysics chemistry. I am trying to give it schedule to start its first “early sci- nity —condensed matter physics, and a PhD in Indigenous Studies solid footing in the community ence” programs in winter. material science, chemistry, nano- with scientific rigor.” He has writ- (with a focus on cultural astron- Astrophysicist-turned-anthropolo- The NSLS-II will succeed technology, structural biology,” omy) from Macquarie University gist Duane Hamacher visiting Stone- ten numerous papers on obsidian Brookhaven’s current National said Sam Aronson, the 2015 APS in Sydney. “I moved to Australia henge dating and currently serves as an Synchrotron Light Source, which President and former director to do astrophysics, but was pulled “blown away” by the Islanders, who, archaeological consultant and the has been operating since 1984. of Brookhaven Lab. “The new over to the dark side,” he jokes. “I he says, “use astronomy for every- archaeology curator for the Mat- Once completed, the new facility capabilities will provide access liked astronomy but also liked cul- thing.” They link the movement of urango Museum in Ridgecrest, will be the brightest x-ray light to experiments which are currently tural studies. I wanted a job where the constellations to animal behavior. CA, a resource for the cultural his- source in the world, ranking it as impractical or even impossible I wouldn’t have to be stuck coding (For example, they know that when tory of the Upper Mojave Desert. the nation’s premier synchrotron with current light sources.” all the time, where I could go out the big dipper touches the horizon Like Sandy Rogers, Michael user facility. Overall construction of the and explore.” While completing at sunset, it is shark breeding season “Bodhi” Rogers (unrelated) uses “I look forward to the exciting machine is about 98 percent com- his dissertation, Hamacher realized and time to stay out of the water.) his physics expertise to solve science and benefits that NSLS-II pleted. There are thirty initial that he could carve his own niche They also use this knowledge to build archaeological problems. He will deliver to the U.S. Department beamlines in various stages of combining astronomy and anthro- timetables indicating when to hunt started his career by pursuing a of Energy and the nation,” Steve development that will come online pology, which he envisioned would turtles and plant crops for food. He bachelor’s degree in physics, but Dierker, Brookhaven’s associate between now and 2017. Ultimately give him a competitive advantage adds that the Islanders are also unique in graduate school did a double lab director for photon sciences, the synchrotron will be home to in the academic job market. for using the scintillation of the stars master’s in physics and archaeol- said in a statement. more than 60 beamlines as more are His gamble paid off, in what is to measure the degree of moisture in ogy. His doctorate was in physics. The accelerator readiness designed and installed over the life probably the most unusual exam- the atmosphere to predict weather. Now he is in a unique position: review approved the synchrotron’s of the facility. Construction began ple of networking and six degrees Hamacher explains that although He is an associate professor of request to start routine opera- on the NSLS-II in 2009. of separation I’ve come across. he doesn’t conduct physics research, physics and astronomy at Ithaca According to Hamacher, the head “My background is very use- College, where he coordinates of the UNSW’s Indigenous Studies ful. It provides a rigorous set of physics teacher education and program was riding a camel across eyes for solving problems in a sys- conducts research related to the Gobi desert with the director tematic fashion.” Kate Craig, a improving physics education. But of Microsoft Research. As they UCLA doctoral student in history the majority of his time is spent chatted, they discussed how the with an undergraduate degree in as an archaeogeophysicist, and in company was interested in enhanc- applied physics and history, agrees. that capacity he uses numerous ing its WorldWide Telescope She notes that for her work in inves- techniques from physics research project with indigenous aspects tigating relics and their movement to aid archaeologists and other anthropologists in their projects. Brookhaven National Laboratory of astronomy. Did the professor across societies, “Physics has given know anyone with expertise in both me the view from the mountain,” and His toolbox includes above- and astronomy and anthropology? Why this 360 degree, holistic perspective below-ground instrumentation, yes, he did — a simple literature has aided her in making her work such as ground-penetrating radar, search turned up Hamacher, and “accessible and relevant to people cesium magnetometry, fluxgate soon the head of the program called in other fields.” gradiometry, resistivity, conduc- him with a job offer. Alexander “Sandy” Rogers has tivity, 3D laser scanning, and 3D NSLS-II will be a state-of-the-art, medium-energy (3-billion-electron-volt, printing. “I’ve worked at many or GeV) electron storage ring that produces x-rays up to 10,000 times Today, as an Australian Research also found great value in study- brighter than the previous machine, NSLS. Council Fellow, Hamacher stud- ing physics as he transitioned into JONES continued on page 7 6 • January 2015

TOP TEN continued from page 1 ARONSON continued from page 1 March, the documentary Particle months. Fortunately, a lot is being in particular the implementation of comes in many forms; the research, under a chief executive officer Fever was released across the coun- done to combat the outbreak, which the recently approved governance education, and physics careers we and giving new roles to the former try, offering an intimate look at the according to the Centers for Disease changes. Internal operations and advocate for or the impact of poli- Executive Board, now the Board of lives of CERN’s researchers hunting Control so far has resulted in just relations between the membership cies that we talk about in our public Directors and to the Council of Rep- for the Higgs Boson. The life of Ste- over 6000 deaths. of the Society and the leadership of statements. There are a number of resentatives. That work has already phen Hawking got the Hollywood Nobel Prizes the Society will be a big focus. Then ways in which we can influence the started. There is new leadership for treatment in the critically acclaimed Without winning the Nobel there will be efforts to represent the public’s opinion of the work of the the council and there are new meet- film The Theory of Everything, as prize in their own field, physicists Society’s interests and concerns to physics community and its value ings already going on to plan for did mathematician Alan Turning in did well in October anyway. The the public, to the funding agencies, to the larger society. I think those more effective council meetings and The Imitation Game. After years physics prize went to two engineers and to our international partners, are the main things that we need more strategic board meetings. I’m of development, the film Interstel- and a materials scientist, one from so there will be a fair amount of to accomplish with our outreach. very confident that with the work of lar hit the big screen. Inspired by the United States and two from outreach that will require attention. What do you see as the Soci- the board and the council together physicist Kip Thorne’s theories of Japan, for their work develop- How well do you think the ety’s role on international issues? with the CEO, we’re heading in gravitation and relativity, it wowed ing the blue light emitting diode. Society is serving its members? Science is so international now the right direction in implement- audiences with its impressive visu- After the quick invention of the red Are there any areas where you that the Society has put effort into ing the changes we want to make. als of black holes and time dilation. and green LED, an efficient blue think APS programs could be coordinating on some issues with And I believe those are going to Element 117 device took nearly twenty years enhanced? other physics societies and scientific make us more into a modern and Ununseptium, the placeholder to produce. The following day, I think in general the Society societies around the world. Many, nimble society in terms of carrying name for element 117, was spotted physicists from the United States is serving its members very well. probably the majority, of the scien- out our work. for an instant in Germany in May. and Germany won the chemistry The membership wants access tific publications in our journals do How did you become inter- At the GSI Helmholtz Centre for prize for the development of super- to scientific publications in high not originate in the United States; ested in physics? Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt, resolved fluorescence microscopy, quality journals, which the Soci- they originate all around the world That goes back to high school scientists bombarded a berkelium which pushed the limits of optical ety provides. Our journals are the with big components in Europe and I guess. I was raised and in high target with accelerated calcium microscopy down to the nanoscale. benchmark journals of physics in Asia. APS is in fact an international school during the Sputnik era. I atoms to create the short-lived artifi- the world. The membership wants society and its publications are felt the tug of that kind of work cial element. This follows up on an to ensure that the Society continues international physics publications.

NSF as a result of being exposed to the experiment in Russia in 2010 that to provide active and attention- We have a role and responsibility advances in space science and find- first created the element, confirm- worthy meetings and conferences, on the international scene just in ing that I had a facility for math and ing its existence and likely paving which we also do. Those I think are the course of doing our normal for physics starting in high school the way for its official inclusion on the main services that the member- business. We serve a much big- and certainly in college. I just the periodic table of the elements. ship expects. I have some concerns ger base than the American physics never considered doing anything In addition, one of the isotopes of that as a Society our communica- community. else other than physics as far back lawrencium discovered in the pro- tions with our members, providing In recent years, APS has been as I was making decisions or even cess had a half-life of nearly eleven them with information more spe- increasing its focus on education Nobel prizes for blue LEDs having thoughts on those subjects. hours, giving physicists hope that cific to the American Physical and outreach. What do you think Why did you choose to run for experiments might be bringing them Space Exploration Society, could be improved and of these efforts and how will you the APS presidential line? close to the hypothesized shores of This fall, interplanetary explo- we’re doing some work to look guide them? I had been an APS member since the “Island of Stability” for super- ration was a central focus of the at whether that’s so or not. That I think they’re very important I was in graduate school and felt heavy elements. world’s space agencies. In October, work will continue to improve our for the reasons I mentioned earlier that it was the right thing to do; to Galactic Black Hole communications internally. regarding the pipeline of physicists India made headlines by success- pay back in a way or give something In 2012, astronomers discovered Something maybe not so visible that is generated in this country fully placing a small satellite into back to the Society for its support a mysterious massive object falling to our members, but still impor- and elsewhere, and that does the Martian orbit, only the fourth space over the years. I think the only thing towards the giant black hole at the tant, is the strategic budgeting of the research in which the U.S. would agency to do so and more cheaply I actually did as a member of the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Society’s operations.This ensures like to maintain leadership. Educa- than any other Mars mission to date. Society other than attend meetings They predicted that its observed we’re good stewards of the Soci- tion has two features. One is just On November 12, the European was to review papers for Physical elliptical orbit would bring it closest ety’s assets and efficient providers raising the awareness and general Space Agency’s Rosetta space probe Review, and I felt there was more to the black hole around mid-sum- of the services they expect with the literacy of the population at large dropped the its tiny Philae lander I should and could do more at this mer and were primed to watch the onto the surface of the comet 67P/ funds available. The Society’s staff on scientific matters. The other is predicted fireworks of the object and its governance bodies — the helping to build the most robust and stage in my career. Churyumov-Gerasimenko, but its Any other thoughts? being ripped apart. Instead, it was operational life was cut short after Board of Directors and the Council most diverse pipeline of people who more of a fizzle. Originally thought One thing I think I didn’t touch the lander bounced off its planned of Representatives — are respon- want to work in STEM fields or to be a giant gas cloud, the object on but maybe should have empha- landing zone into a shady crater. sible for the execution and the fields where a physics degree turns might actually harbor a large star in oversight of such functions. I think out to be an important asset, and sized more is the importance of Without functioning solar panels, its center, which would have held that’s a little bit off the radar screen that can be in a very large variety of diversity in the physics community. the reserve battery discharged, but the cloud together in the face of the of the typical members in terms of fields that are not scientific per se. I think we are missing the bene- not before the lander carried out enormous gravitational tidal forces. the services that we provide. How will you guide APS fits of the participation of a lot of 80 to 90 percent of its scientific Based on its trajectory, there’s a What do you see as the Soci- through the current period of smart people, just because physics mission. This included a startling chance that in a few decades the ety’s role in public policy? corporate reform transition? as a field is still not as diverse as it discovery announced in December hypothetical star will pass through I think we have an important We’re well set up to implement should be. In other words, it doesn’t that the isotopic content of the com- the dust and gas surrounding the voice in scientific matters and we the reforms that we’ve worked on draw from the maximum pool of et’s water molecules didn’t match black hole, and maybe then scien- need to continue to exercise it in over the past couple of years and potential physicists. I’m very sup- that on Earth, rekindling questions tists will witness the show they had our public statements and in our which were supported by a very portive of, and interested in, the about where our planet’s water orig- hoped for. outreach efforts. Concerns and large majority of the voting mem- Society continuing to develop a Ebola’s Potential Spread inated. Also in December, NASA opportunities where this Society bers in the recent vote on the new more diverse membership and pro- As the Ebola virus ravaged West successfully launched a prototype of and the physics community can Constitution and Bylaws. This will grams aimed at attracting a more Africa, researchers worried about its Orion, its new spacecraft designed provide benefit to society overall involve organizing the operations diverse future physics community. potential spread started mapping its to take astronauts into Earth orbit transmission. Physicist Alessandro and beyond. Tabletop Accelerator

CDC In December, scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab announced a new world record for a compact particle accelerator. The team used a tabletop-sized laser- plasma accelerator to energize INPUT continued from page 1 Ebola virus electrons up to 4.25 GeV. Though these centers are, and what can be recommendations will be submit- entists can do with more access to not nearly as powerful as the massive Vespignani of Northeastern Uni- improved with the resources avail- ted to the NSF sometime in July supercomputing centers over the LHC, the tiny BELLA accelerator versity used computer models to able. “We look at the frontier of 2015, and the committee putting next few years. Harrison said he can do in about one meter what simulate the movement of people computing and the science that can it together hopes to hear from hoped to be able to draw on white throughout the world and the ways would take CERN 1,000 meters. be done on the biggest computers. researchers by the end of January. papers and other comments submit- the disease might spread. His dire Physicists hope that this emerging “Unfortunately the NSF is a “What we would really value ted through the website. “What are conclusion in August was that if compact accelerator technology will long way from this frontier right from APS News readers is that sense the big science drivers, what are nothing was done, tens of thousands pave the way to new generations of now,” Harrison said, adding that of what are the big science opportu- the scientific frontiers in order for of people could be infected within particle colliders. other agencies like the Department nities … that need advanced cyber the NSF to maintain itself at those of Energy have the top-of-the-line infrastructure in any form,” Har- frontiers of science?” Harrison said. computers. “Does it make sense rison said. He added that it wasn’t “What really needs this stuff and APS for the NSF to chase the bleeding just hardware requirements they what happens if the NSF doesn’t NEWS http://www.aps.org/ edge of supercomputing, or does were looking for input on, but also do something?” publications/apsnews it make more sense to partner with software and access needs. Scientists can read the full online: other federal agencies?” More broadly, the committee is interim report and submit comments The final report with concrete looking for a picture of what sci- nas.edu/sciencecomputing January 2015 • 7 ANNOUNCEMENTS JONES continued from page 5 sites and time periods, including geophysics doesn’t tell us how old a diversity of archaeological sites the Revolutionary War era sites of things are or what the function of and time periods. “I get to travel Old Fort Johnson and Fort Klock in the buildings was.” But his efforts the world and visit cultures most New York, Contact-period Native “make the archaeological exca- people don’t get to experience,” Colloquium: Fractional calculus view of complexity: American sites in New York, an vation much more efficient and adds Hamacher. “It’s a phenomenal A tutorial 8th-to-12th-century Irish monastic focused, since we already know job that is incredibly interdisciplin- Bruce J. West site, the Klondike Gold Rush city where to dig and what questions ary and extremely rewarding.” It’s of Dyea, as well as several sites to to ask.” Using ground-penetrating amazing what can happen when one Fractional calculus used to belong to pure mathematics, but locate unmarked burials,” he says, radar and magnetometry, he was explores an “interesting combina- not any longer. With the increasing complexity found in systems just to name a few. He has also con- able to reveal the pattern of the city. tion” of subjects.” with a large number of degrees of freedom, fractional calculus ducted archaeological excavations. Ever the physicist, Bodhi has also Alaina G. Levine is a science found its way into physical phenomena. This Colloquium reviews For a project in Cyprus, Bodhi examined how to improve ground- writer and President of Quantum fractional calculus and its applications to fascinating problems Rogers and his team surveyed a penetrating radar, especially under Success Solutions, a science career in statistical physics, networks, and dissipative systems among 25-acre area dating to the late wet conditions, and has published and professional development con- Bronze Age (approximately 3,000 studies on this topic. sulting enterprise. Her new book, others. years old). He explains, “The goal The appeal of a dual career that Networking for Nerds, on net- dx.doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.86.1169 was to map the remaining city walls unites these fields is clear. For Bodhi working strategies for scientists to understand the layout of the city Rogers, the range and abundance and engineers, will be published journals.aps.org/rmp and see how people express power of intellectual challenges never by Wiley in 2015. She can be con- through urban design. ... We still ceases, especially since, given his tacted through her website or via have to excavate, because archaeo- knowledge, he can easily navigate twitter @AlainaGLevine. Registration is now open!

ARCHIVES continued from page 3 prompted the archivists at the Sagan’s poses more challenges than the government may have a mil- Niels Bohr Library & Archives at older ones. lion reasons to take them down. the American Institute of Physics to “The biggest challenge in doing There’s no mandate for keeping digitize its most popular collection, modern collections like the Sagan them online,” Wellerstein said. the Samuel A. Goudsmit Papers. papers … [is that] there’s a lot of “The real scary thing about digital “One of the interesting things rights issues to consider,” Owens is that [while] it’s easy to put things is that archives have moved very said. He added that this becomes out there, it’s really easy to turn it quickly in a very short period of especially difficult as the collec- off again.” time towards online archives and tions grow in size. However, disappearing archives digitization,” said Joe Anderson, However, one problem research- are the exception rather than the director of the Bohr Library. ers have run into is that online rule, and interest from the public Building a Thriving However, the process of scan- archives are not inherently perma- has helped encourage these kinds of ning potentially millions of pages of nent fixtures. In late 2013, two big Undergraduate projects. The CERN photo project Physics Program documents is time-consuming and online archives maintained by the was made possible by a fund person- labor intensive. In 2012, comedian Department of Energy (DOE) went ally authorized by the lab’s director Workshop Seth McFarlane made a donation dark. A collection of documents general. “We were really impressed that enabled the Library of Con- and photographs about the agency’s by the interest it generated,” said gress to acquire the collected papers Hanford Site was turned off around Jens Vigen, the head librarian at Feb 6-8, 2015 of Carl Sagan. The library posted on November, as was its Marshall February 5-7, 2015 CERN. “Across European media, its website about 110 selected items Island document collection. The it has been all over the place.” www.phystec.org/ www.phystec.org/ from the more than 1,700 document Hanford archive was likely taken conferences/2015 conferences/thriving15 boxes, but has no plan to digitize down because of the outdated Part of the reason for the the whole collection. infrastructure it used. A number archive’s popularity is that the pub- “It’s basically an online exhibit of the photographs once available lic has not only been encouraged to Conference and workshop to be held at that was created to commemorate through the site have migrated onto help identify the photos, but also Marriott Seattle Waterfront, Seattle, Washington the acquisition of the papers,” said the DOE’s Flickr account. to use them as well. CERN allows Trevor Owens, a digital archivist The Marshall Island archives anyone to reuse their photos as long as they credit the lab. at the Library of Congress. “The hosted about 14,000 individual doc- TM idea of that project is to situate Carl uments, largely related to nuclear Brown said also that the artistic Sagan’s papers within the broader testing in the Pacific and the health quality of a lot of the photographs collection of the L.O.C.” effects on the Marshall Islanders. caught the public’s eye. “You had The library is home to enormous When Wellerstein inquired about to make sure you were going to troves of books and documents the status of the archive, the depart- get a good shot and that you were extending over hundreds of years, ment informed him that it would taking pictures that were going and the archivists have to conserve be a temporary outage, but more to be enduring. The artistic value their digitization resources. Other than a year later the archive still of some of these pictures is quite

TM collections like presidential or con- has not returned high,” Brown said. “This kind of gressional records take precedence, “The problem with the govern- old-school cool is a bit of a trend MAMEETINGRCH2 0 15 largely because a collection like ment hosting these archives … [is] at the moment.” Industry Day WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4 SATELLITE SESSIONS ON THURSDAY, MARCH 5

TRIANGULATION continued from page 3 with the GOP leadership. in 40 years. Clinton enjoyed until he left office During a press briefing afterward, During Clinton’s final six years in 2001. The first-ever Industry Day at the the president openly acknowledged in office, Washington came to recog- It is possible President Obama APS March Meeting 2015 will focus that he was staking out new strate- nize there were three separate power had other motivations when he threw on the use of polymers in industry gic ground in advance of the 114th centers to be conjured with: congres- some of his party’s leaders under the and the development of new manufacturing methods, such as polymer Congress, which Republicans will sional Republicans, congressional Cromnibus, but I doubt it. Legacy 3D-printing. Speakers include industry fully control. Democrats and the White House. has to be on his mind, and the legend R&D leaders and senior scientists from Obama’s actions, which split Dick Morris, a political consultant, of Bill Clinton might be shaping up both academic and industrial labs. For more information, visit the Democrats, galled many of who has been famous for work- as his guide star. If Obama adopts go.aps.org/industry-day them, including the party’s House ing both sides of the aisle and had a triangulation posture, the science Leader, Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). His advised Clinton to adopt the new community, which has long empha- approach was all too reminiscent third-way strategy, called it “trian- sized the need for support across of Bill Clinton’s rapid pivot to the gulation.” And the name stuck. So party lines on Capitol Hill, will have center following the 1994 midterm did the presidential strategy, which to acknowledge the importance of Organized by the Division of Polymer Physics (DPOLY) election that gave Republicans con- many political analysts credit for the White House as a separate actor and the Forum on Industrial & Applied Physics (FIAP) trol of the House for the first time the success and public popularity in the final years of POTUS 44. 8 • January 2015

tarting a business occupies your mind 24/7, STTR/NIH/NSF/DOE etc.) nowadays support Sbut a faculty position is very much a full-time new business ventures. In this regard, publica- job, too. Nonetheless, there is a path to getting tion of a 900-page textbook has had significant the satisfaction of doing both. It requires a team Starting Up But Staying Put impact on reputation-building among investors effort but maintains individual pride. As a Case and grant submissions. (My co-authors? Who Western Reserve University professor spearhead- By Robert Brown else but former students!) ing both an entrepreneurial master’s program 4. What about the Administration? A conflict-of- and an applied physics PhD program, I have interest management plan is needed to declare education (or K-18 with a STEP step), we suggest includ- mentored four-dozen master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral any outside compensation, for recusal from university con- ing professors as students. As noted, universities comprise students in industrial work, been closely involved with a nections to your company, to acknowledge personal stakes in mentors, advisors, partners, funding sources, and accounting number of successful start-up manufacturing companies, and publications pertaining to its products, and so forth. Even if help; programs like STEP study the “valley of death” (running spent three decades collaborating with industry. Based on this a professor forsakes salary, any ownership has to be declared out of money between incubation and commercialization), experience, I believe faculty can have viable entrepreneurial as a conflict of interest. valuation (product/service pricing), marketing, salesmanship, careers without leaving the university and without an initial The frequent faculty complaint of inadequate help in writing and the creativity behind the inventions. invention. The path is facilitated by our teaching, and the two grants, let alone starting a company, is well-known. Universi- Creativity has been defined as “inside the box” in an most important words are “former students.” ties are increasing efforts to address these systemic issues. The entrepreneurship pathway follows a tenure track. The approach [3] called “Systematic Inventive Thinking” (SIT). professor begins her career in some specialty — it doesn’t Consider system components, like in a computer. To improve matter which — and establishes credentials. She builds a it, the SIT rule is to avoid considering any outside, uncon- network of former students, particularly in the business nected components; it is not world, enhanced by media. This network offers opportuni- creative to go “outside the box,” ties pertaining to underserved markets, innovations, and which is to combine unrelated companies’ outsourcing needs. Importantly, business partners systems. are identified. Today’s university, increasingly encouraging Consider a square of nine dots and the familiar puzzle of con- entrepreneurship, is a source of advice for business and wikimedia commons technology, as well as programs to teach creativity and, what necting all dots with only four is often distinguished from it, innovation. straight lines along one path. Needing external intersections Whatever Your Background Thinking outside the box? We tell students they can have successful careers — if is usually regarded as a metaphor they follow their passion and work hard. This advice can for thinking outside the box. Yet when students are told to help us to be entrepreneurs, and not only in science, tech- consider outside intersections, most still fail to solve it. SIT nology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) but in art, too. suggests it is not thinking outside the box but rather the (Full STEAM ahead!) Author Malcolm Gladwell says that original straight-line components applied in a novel way. The mastery of a skill requires 10,000 hours of practice. We can famous outside-the-box example is actually an inside job. put that time into disciplines that include social sciences and To use SIT, make a list of the system parts and perform humanities. My background began with a “big bang,” where one or more of the following operations: SUBTRACT one 5. Tenure Tracks. Will faculty entrepreneurs get tenure? a particle physics PhD enabled me to understand Sheldon’s of the parts, REARRANGE them, COPY one but with a Entrepreneurship can wait until tenure is earned, as I chose whiteboard formulas and build computational muscles. A new role for it, make a NEW TASK for one, and/or find to do. But assistant professors can and do have business ideas network of students and collaborators included researchers NEW RELATIONSHIPS among them. Afterwards, assess the at Fermilab and CERN carrying out experiments connected benefits of the new system, and ask, “Is it possible?” Many and take on the juggling act. Someday, entrepreneurship may to our work. Such basic research seemed impractical, but examples of all five techniques can be found. Although we be a standard tenure track. ended up connecting well with industry. have not been conscious of SIT, we can find connections to 6. Risks versus Benefits. Entrepreneurship may force a career our work, and, besides, “staying inside the box” resonates change, leaving faculty reluctant to try it. Much history beyond as a metaphor for an entrepreneur staying at the university. mine has shown, however, that the partnered faculty entre- STEP focuses on “innovation,” which includes inventive- preneur can successfully combine the new and old careers. ness and commercialization. It emphasizes combining the The Stay-Home Message acronym [4] NABC — the Needs (the problems), Approach In summary, the following steps, I believe, can be taken (to show feasibility), Benefits per costs, Competition — with to manage the risk for the partnered faculty entrepreneur: the “Champion,” an outsider who benefits from or rhapsodizes • Obtain a tenure-track position in traditional STEAM over your endeavor. As satisfied customers, OEMs (Original disciplines. Equipment Manufacturers) have been champions for us. With • Master a discipline anywhere in STEAM, training stu- this background, we turn next to the results. dents as you go. The Rest of the Story: Six Key Points • Grow a network of former students, colleagues, and CBS/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. CBS/Warner 1. Ideas for business? Many ideas come from a collabora- collaborators in scholarship/research. tion on a new product or a problem with a present product. • Learn from ESTEAM mechanisms: internships, business Industry’s need to out-source work provides opportunities schools, master’s programs, etc. Particle physics à la "The Big Bang Theory" for start-ups. • Create a commercialization venture from connections An early connection came from former students employed 2. Multiple start-ups. A former student came back to co-start an with industry, networks, SIT, etc. in industry who recruited me for product modeling. New award-winning radiofrequency-coil manufacturing business • Choose a business partner from your network (or have students were trained as the modeling opportunities grew, nine years ago, growing it to 120 employees. Another mentee them choose you) who can lead. and we created an imaging course and an industrial PhD was likewise the brains and brawn behind a company to make • Get help inside or outside the university to write busi- track. With a healthy thirty-year run serving engineering and the whole MRI system, now with over 100 employees and ness plans, determine shares, manage IP, get financing, science departments as well as industry, two-dozen industrial $100M in investment; a different former student was the key and … learn how to charge for your product/service. physics PhD’s have graduated, many with entrepreneurial technologist in a new image-guided radiotherapy company. • Establish a conflict of interest management plan with bents. Together with burgeoning business collaborations, We have formed a partnership with one more new company the university. groundwork was laid for our start-ups. making high-temperature superconducting MRI systems. My • Contribute as an interim president, recruiter, researcher, In support of collaborations, we pioneered an award- roles have been co-founder, recruiter, the aforementioned grant writer, advisory board member, and so forth. winning professional master’s Science and Technology “Champion” in attracting investors, grant writer, and doing • Spend time consistent with the university’s policy of Entrepreneurship Program (STEP) serving physics, math- the myriad tasks sprinkled all over this essay. Dozens of allowing other outside activities such as consulting or ematics, biology, and chemistry departments, and now in former students are employees of these start-ups. book writing. its fifteenth year with dozens of alumni. (Think of an MBA 3. Patenting, Publishing, and Proposals. Start-ups need And you can gain the pride of ownership, of creating new on high-tech steroids.) Program students have capstones intellectual property (IP) to protect products and buttress jobs — and of maintaining the rewarding closeness of your involving a start-up company or an internship in industry. their valuation. Co-sharing IP depends on whose facilities former students. How We Define Stay-Put Entrepreneurship and funding have been utilized, but schools are looking at ACKNOWLEDGMENT: Adapted from a keynote speech, While dictionary definitions refer to starting a business at this touchy issue more broadly now, recognizing the value in Third Lubar-CEAS Joint Workshop on Entrepreneurship & Tech- nology Management, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2014. some risk, a Harvard quotation [1] called “the best answer nurturing businesses. Interestingly, patenting may be delayed Robert W. Brown is Institute Professor and Distinguished ever,” says “Entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity to avoid divulging trade secret details. (However, U.S. patent University Professor in the physics department of Case beyond resources controlled.” Frankly, you can finance your- offices are now looking for more general “blue-sky” submis- Western Reserve University. He partners with a dozen manu- self and remain entrepreneurial, but outside help is usually sions.) To deal with patent infringement, an entrepreneur facturing companies in a long career of industrial design, needed. Tethered to the university, our partnered definition may undergo a legal deposition (i.e., merciless grilling by aggressive lawyers). It is really painful, but if you prepare applied research, and entrepreneurial physics education. requires the small but critical change: A full-time-faculty REFERENCES entrepreneur is one who collaboratively pursues opportu- for it like a final exam you can win that battle. 1. E. Schurenberg, “What’s an Entrepreneur? The Best Answer Ever,” www.inc.com/ eric-schurenberg/the-best-definition-of-entepreneurship.html nity beyond the resources controlled. We need a full-time Publications are good for business. For example, radiolo- 2. S. Nambisan, “Make Entrepreneurship Part of Education,” www.jsonline.com/news/ business partner. gists influence their hospitals’ purchasing; they read clinical opinion/make-entrepreneurship-a-part-of-education-b99214666z1-247680431.html 3. D. Boyd and J. Goldenberg, Inside the Box: A Proven System of Creativity for ESTEAM: Creativity and Innovation studies in journals highlighting new hardware. Publications Breakthrough Results (Simon and Schuster, 2013). Are entrepreneurs made, not born? In the proposal [2] are also critical for successful grant writing and funding pro- 4. C. Carlson and W. Wilmot, Innovation: The Five Disciplines for Creating What Cus- tomers Want, NSF Workshop: The Scientific Basis of Individual and Team Innovation that incorporates entrepreneurship in an “ESTEAM” K-16 posals. Funding agencies with a forest of acronyms (SBIR/ and Discovery, August, 2006

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