July 2007 Volume 16, No. 7

www.aps.org/publications/apsnews APS NEWS Election Preview A Publication of the American Physical Society • www.aps.org/publications/apsnews Pages 6-7

Executive Board Resolution Thanks US physics team trains for competition in Iran By Katherine McAlpine Legislators for Support of Science Twenty-four high school stu- The APS Executive Board bill authorizes nearly $60 billion dents comprising the US Phys- has passed a resolution thanking for various programs for FY 2008 ics Olympiad team vied for five House and Senate policy makers through FY 2011. The bill would places on the traveling team at for recently-passed legislation double the NSF budget over five the University of Maryland from that strengthens the science, math years and double the DOE Office May 22nd to June 1st. Those and engineering activities of our of Science budget over 10 years. chosen to travel will compete nation. The House of Representatives this month against teams from “Sustaining and improving the passed five separate authorization all over the world at Isfahan standard of living of American bills, which were then combined University of Technology in Is- citizens, achieving energy security into one bill, H.R. 2272, the 21st fahan, Iran. and environmental sustainability, Century Competitiveness Act of Over 3,100 US Physics Team providing the jobs of tomorrow 2007. The bill would put the NSF hopefuls took the preliminary and defending our nation against budget and the NIST Scientific examination in January, and 200 aggressors all require federal in- and Technical Research and Ser- were given a second exam in vestments in science education vices budget on track to double in March to determine the top 24 and research… The Board con- 10 years. The bill also addresses students. Performance, attitude, Photo by Matt Payne gratulates the Senate and House math and science education is- creativity, initiative, and evi- The traveling team members and two of their coaches. Left to right: Paul Stan- leadership and the White House sues. dence of progress are the factors ley, Rui Hu, Jenny Kwan, Haofei Wei, Kenan Diab, Jason Larue, and Robert for elevating science to a place of The President’s budget request that determine who participates Shurtz. prominence on the federal agen- for FY2008, released in February, in the International Physics est factor in deciding which five most high school physics class- da,” the resolution states. also supports increased funding Olympiad, which will take place will form the traveling team. rooms but may appear on the Bills authorizing increasing for the DOE Office of Science, July 13-22. In addition to the evalua- exams they will see in competi- science funding have passed in NSF, and NIST STRS. The ten-day camp mirrors tions, students attend lectures tion. Included topics are waves, both the House and the Senate Following the Senate passage the international competition as by coaches and guest physicists modern physics, special relativ- with bipartisan support. of the America COMPETES act, the students are scored on exam Jim Gates, Jordan Goodman, ity, and thermodynamics. The Senate bill, S. 761, the APS president Leo Kadanoff sent and laboratory performance. and Richard Berg. These crash- The content of these lectures America COMPETES act, passed an email to all APS members re- Scores on the seven exams and courses help to fill them in on is tough, but the tone is informal by a vote of 88-8 on April 25. The BOARD cont’d on page 7 four “mystery labs” are the larg- topics that are not discussed in US PHYSICS cont’d on page 3 NASCAR Fans Find the Physics University of Nebraska physics race one weekend, in which a car quite equilibrium. The key to maintaining professor Diandra Leslie-Pelecky went suddenly veered into the wall. She that precarious balance is maintaining, behind the scenes at top racing shops, couldn’t figure out what had caused as much as possible, the same amount and onto the asphalt at the Daytona In- the crash and set out to solve the co- of force on all four tires. ternational Speedway in her quest to nundrum. And she discovered there’s She found that the best NASCAR uncover the science behind NASCAR a lot more to car racing than driving drivers are “intuitive physicists”: they racing. In her public lecture on April around in circles. D enise 16, she gave Jacksonville residents and Any good NASCAR driver can understand the complex interplay of April Meeting attendees a taste of what recite this basic mantra: go fast, al- the various forces at work on the track she found. ways turn left, and don’t crash. Les- extremely well, from aerodynamics Leslie-Pelecky became interested lie-Pelecky says that the drivers are and acceleration to friction and energy KGJ/APS © 2007 in NASCAR physics while watching a working at a point of constant unstable dispersion upon impact. Creation Museum Draws Scientific Fire Study Yields Insights into Public The May 28 opening of a $27 Adam and Eve are shown in the million Creation Museum in Peters- same scene as dinosaurs. The dino- Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Science burg, Kentucky, drew about 4000 saurs, according to the exhibits, were visitors, dozens of protestors, and vegetarian before the fall. According The data in this chart are attention from national and interna- to the museum, the Grand Canyon taken from a survey conduct- tional media. was created over the course of days, ed last summer and commis- The museum promotes a literal during the biblical flood. The muse- sioned by a consortium of sci- Don’t know interpretation of the Bible’s creation um’s planetarium presents a biblical entific societies. The results 5% story, contradicting accepted scien- version of astronomy. of the survey contain some Survey respondents were asked, tific explanations of the origin of the People who have seen the mu- good news for science: when “Do you favor or oppose the universe, stars, Earth, and life. seum say it resembles a natural his- asked, 53% of the respondents teaching of religion in public school science classes? Scientists from the region have tory museum, with exhibits that are favored teaching evolution in Favor signed petitions expressing their attractive and high-tech. public school science classes, concern that the museum spreads “It’s a very impressive-looking a much higher percentage than Oppose 38% lies about science and could confuse place,” said Lawrence Krauss, a favored either creationism 57% children. physicist at Case Western Reserve (36%) or intelligent design Source: Nationwide survey of (27%). But there was consid- 1,000 likely US voters conducted The 60,000 square foot Creation University and chair of the APS Fo- by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Museum, located near Cincinnati, rum on Physics and Society. erable uncertainty among the Research and Mercury Public Affairs respondents, especially about was built by the Answers in Genesis “The dinosaurs attract the youth; APS Staff ministry, using funds from private the clever exhibits entertain and have intelligent design, many of whom were unsure when asked donations. a polish that seems very scientific. us to believe. In fact, there is al role for the public.” whether it should be taught. Exhibits illustrate the biblical cre- They often look like NOVA spe- more uncertainty than polar- More data from the survey can As the report from the polling ation story, which claims that Earth cials,” said Bob Riehemann, a phys- ization. With this uncertainty be found in an article at the follow- agencies concludes, “the de- is only 6,000 years old and was cre- ics and math professor at Thomas [comes] opportunity; scien- ing site: http://www.aps.org/publi- bate is not nearly as polarizing ated by God in six 24-hour days. tists can play a key education- cations/apsnews/acs.cfm. MUSUEM cont’d on page 7 as previous polling would lead  • July 2007 APS NEWS

Members in the Media This Month in Physics History “We are now on the endgame.” totic futility well before that.” July 1957: Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer Lyn Evans, CERN, on nearing Jim Peebles, Princeton Univer- completion of the LHC, The New sity, commenting that there are more submit their paper, “Theory of Superconductivity” York Times, May 15, 2007 pressing worries than the fact that the universe will become “asymp- ifty years ago, in 1957, John Bardeen, Leon Coo- lattice, electrons could overcome the Coulomb repul- “Thus, we have more and more per, and Robert Schrieffer presented their com- sion and attract each other. convincing evidence that the dark totically empty” in billions of years, F The New York Times, June 5, 2007 plete theory of superconductivity, finally explaining Another piece of the puzzle was contributed by matter is real material–probably el- a phenomenon that had been a mystery to physicists Leon Cooper, who suggested that interactions with ementary particles. Now we need to “When you put a million grains of since its discovery in 1911. the lattice would allow electrons with opposite spins detect those particles directly with sand together, they exhibit behavior In 1911, Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, in his quest to to combine to form strongly correlated pairs. The laboratory experiments.” that you could not begin to predict.” study materials at ever lower temperatures, happened electrons in these Cooper pairs, as they are called, do Blas Cabrera, Stanford Univer- Douglas Durian, University of to find that the electrical resistance of some metallic not have to be close together, but they can move in sity, on a recently discovered ring of Pennsylvania, NPR, May 19, 2007 materials suddenly vanished at temperatures near ab- a coordinated manner. Cooper realized the motion of dark matter around the remains of “Physicists don’t get up in the solute zero. He called the phenomenon superconduc- these pairs could explain how electrons could flow two galaxies that collided, San Fran- morning to confirm the standard tivity, and scientists soon found additional materials with no resistance in a superconductor. These pairs cisco Chronicle, May 16, 2007 model.” that exhibited this property. would form at low temperature; adding energy would “I see in the British press and the Ed Kearns, Boston University, But no one could completely explain how it break up the pairs, returning the material to a normal, BBC signs of a very strong anti-Is- Boston Globe, May 28, 2007 worked. For the next few decades, many prominent non-superconducting, state. physicists worked to develop a theory of the mecha- The next insight came from Robert Schrieffer, a rael bias–a kind of blind hostility that “It’s important because we have nism underlying superconductivity, but no one had student of Bardeen at the University of Illinois. In New whatever Israel does, it is always in a national problem with the level of much success, and some despaired of figuring it out. York early in 1957 to attend the APS annual meeting, the wrong–so this is not an isolated science understanding in this coun- One such physicist, Felix Bloch, was quoted as pro- Schrieffer had an idea while riding on the subway. action of a small group of anti-Se- try.” posing “Bloch’s theorem: Superconductivity is im- He figured out how to mathematically describe the mitic conspirators. This represents Joseph Bellina, Saint Mary’s Col- possible.” enormous collection of Cooper a widespread feeling among British lege, on hands-on methods of teach- Richard Feynman also later pairs in a superconductor with journalists.” ing science, Fox 28.com WSJV(South recalled that he had “spent an one single wave function. Upon Steven Weinberg, University of Bend, IN), June 4, 2007 Texas, on his decision not to visit awful lot of time in trying to un- returning to Illinois, he told Britain after journalists’ decision to “This is a new class of matter act- derstand it and doing everything Bardeen and Cooper about the boycott Israel, Ha’aretz, May 25, 2007 ing like a wave.” by means of which I could ap- breakthrough, and they realized David Snoke, University of Pitts- proach it… I developed an emo- that the problem of supercon- “I want to help young artists. burgh, on a polariton condensate, tional block against the problem ductivity was solved. There are a lot of artists in the city Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 23, 2007 of superconductivity, so that Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrief- who are working right now but not when I learned about the BCS fer put all these insights together seriously thinking about showing “Studying the elementary par- paper I could not bring myself to form a complete theory, in their work.” ticles helps us understand the evolu- to read it for a long time.” (Source: AIP Emilio Segrè Visual Archives.) which electrons, through inter- Paul So, George Mason Univer- tion of the universe in the first frac- While theorists were making Bardeen, Cooper and Schrieffer (left to right) action with lattice vibrations, sity, on his plans to start a program tion of a second.” little progress in the years following Onnes’s discov- form Cooper pairs, which move in a coordinated man- to teach art students the business side Ahren Sadoff, Cornell Univer- ery, experimentalists were discovering some inter- ner, rather than randomly as in a normal conductor, of art, Washington Post, May 28, 2007 sity, Ithaca Journal, June 8, 2007 esting features of superconductors. In 1933, Walther allowing electricity to flow with no resistance. “A lot of the challenges that our “The brilliance of the free-elec- Meissner found that superconductors would expel a “Well, I think we’ve explained superconductivity,” country faces are economic and tech- tron laser gives us the hope that we magnetic field, an effect that makes it possible to levi- the usually quiet Bardeen announced one day. In April nical, and as a scientist and business- will be able to get an X-ray diffrac- tate a magnet. The discovery of the Meissner effect, as of that year, Bardeen, Cooper and Schrieffer published man, I can help solve them.” tion pattern for a single macromol- it is called, added a new wrinkle that any theory of su- a short paper in Physical Review entitled “Micro- Bill Foster, Fermilab, on plan- ecule like a protein.” perconductivity would have to explain. John Bardeen scopic Theory of Superconductivity.” They submitted ning to run for Congress, The Daily Massimo Altarelli, XFEL, on made an attempt at the problem of superconductivity, their full detailed report, appropriately titled “Theory Herald (Illinois) May 31, 2007 the X-ray Free-Electron Laser, to be but then went on to other work. of Superconductivity,” to the Physical Review in July built in Germany, BBC News.com, Some physicists did have partial success in ex- 1957, and it was published in December. “But I have the uneasy feeling June 5, 2007 that the U.S.A. is headed into asymp- plaining superconductivity. The brothers Fritz and The BCS theory was extremely successful, ex- Heinz London came up with a theory that explained plaining in detail the mechanism of superconductivity QKD, Attosecond Physics Among some of its features, but didn’t provide a mechanism at and associated effects, and it agreed amazingly well the microscopic level. In 1950, Herbert Frohlich pro- with experimental data. “All of the hitherto puzzling DAMOP Meeting Highlights posed that superconductivity might have to do with features of superconductors fitted neatly together like The latest research in quantum tron magnetic moment, which has interactions between the electrons and the vibrations the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle,” Bardeen later recalled. key distribution, attosecond physics, been used to determine the value of of the crystal lattice, or phonons. Around that time, ex- BCS theory was quickly accepted as correct. and petawatt laser applications were the fine structure constant. The prior perimenters observed that the critical temperature, at Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer were awarded among the highlights of the 8th an- measurement had stood since 1987, which a material becomes superconducting, is related the Nobel Prize in 1972 for their theory of supercon- nual meeting of the APS Division and the Harvard results were listed to the atomic mass of the superconductor. Frohlich’s ductivity. This was Bardeen’s second Nobel Prize in of Atomic, Molecular and Optical as the 2006 physics story of the year theory did explain this isotope effect, but couldn’t ac- physics–his first was shared with William Shockley Physics. One of the largest confer- by the American Institute of Physics. count for other properties of superconductivity such and Walter Brattian for the transistor in 1956. ences in this field in North America, Thanks to various new methods, the as the Meissner effect. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the BCS the meeting was held June 5-9 in Cal- new measurement has an uncertainty At the time, Bardeen had been working on other re- theory. The theory works for conventional supercon- gary, Alberta, Canada, in conjunction about six times smaller, and shifts the search, but the discovery of the isotope effect renewed ductors, but does not explain the high temperature with the corresponding section of the values by 1.7 standard deviations. his interest in the problem of superconductivity. Bar- superconductors first discovered 20 years ago, so Canadian Association of Physicists. Quantum Key Distribution. deen and David Pines built on the explanation of the puzzles still remain. However, BCS theory has had Constant Fine-Tuning. Gerald Quantum key distribution (QKD) is isotope effect. They took into account the electron– an impact far beyond superconductivity, as scientists Gabrielse of Harvard University rapidly moving forward from proof phonon interactions that Frohlich had considered, but have found states analogous to the BCS superconduc- described last year’s ground-break- of principle to validation of such a they also determined how at low energies in a crystal tor in astrophysics and nuclear physics. ing new measurement of the elec- DAMOP continued on page 3

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Nobel Laureates Tackle Middle East Problems The Art of a Scientist More than thirty Nobel laure- fornia, Santa Barbara, attended the Middle East), a synchrotron under ates, including nine physicists, conference. Gross is pushing for construction in Jordan that could gathered in the ancient city of Pe- more opportunities for scientists be used for innovative physics, bi- tra, Jordan in May to discuss ways in the region to collaborate. Israel ology, and chemistry research by to improve education, environ- and the Palestinian authority both scientists from the Middle East. ment, economy and health in the make it difficult for scientists to Collaboration between scien- Middle East. work together, but “a lot of people tists can make a difference, Gross At the conference, the Nobel in these countries are interested says. “The example I like the most Laureates launched an effort to in peaceful collaboration,” said is the contact that occurred dur- raise $10 million for a Middle Gross. East science fund to support sci- Another conference attendee, ing the Cold War,” he said. Even entific collaborations and projects Val Fitch, 1980 Nobel laureate, when relations between the So- to improve education in the Mid- joined a working group to push viet Union and Western countries dle East. The fund would initially forward some environmental ef- were strained, scientific coopera- Photo by Ernie Tretkoff support projects in Israel, the Pal- forts in the region. He was in- tion continued. The communica- APS headquarters is on the fourth floor of the American Center for Physics in estinian territory, and Jordan, and spired by youths from the region tion between Soviet and Western College Park, MD. Part of the ground floor serves as an art gallery, with exhib- its that rotate twice a year. The most recent installation was unusual because would eventually expand to in- who attended the conference and scientists led to discussions about one of the featured artists was Wally Gilbert, a theoretical physicist turned clude more of the Middle East. discussed their experiences. “The arms control, and once scien- biologist who won the Nobel Prize in 1980. Gilbert takes digital photographs, The meeting, the third annual situation in the Middle East is so tists had opened the discussion, which are then altered on the computer and blown up many-fold. He is shown Petra Conference of Nobel Lau- miserable. I think any attempt to here in front of one of his creations at the opening reception at the ACP in it helped politicians discuss these April. More of Gilbert’s artwork can be viewed on his web site, wallygilbert. reates was organized by the Elie span the gulf [between Arabs and issues. “I think physicists can be artspan.com . Wiesel Foundation for Humanity Israelis] is a good thing,” said proud of their record,” said Gross. and the King Abdullah II Fund Fitch. He said the conference pro- “Because scientists talk the same DAMOP continued from page 2 for Development. Political leaders duced some good efforts at col- language and feel part of an in- and youths from the region also laboration. system’s practical feasibility. Gregor sible to gain dynamical information ternational community, they can attended the conference. Breakout Gross, who also attended the Weihs of the University of Waterloo’s simply by recording a harmonic session groups focused on envi- first Petra conference in 2005, often overcome political differ- Institute of Quantum Computing spectrum and studying the change in ronment, economy, health, and has been involved with promot- ences.” reported on his group’s free-space signal over time. education. ing scientific collaboration in the Fitch also believes that physi- QKD experiment linking a source to Single Photon Optics. Mikhail David Gross, a 2004 Nobel Middle East for years. For exam- cists and other scientists can do a receivers in two different buildings Lukin of Harvard University de- separated by about 1.8 km, with no scribed two novel approaches for laureate in physics and director of ple, he promotes SESAME, (Syn- lot of good. “I think of us as be- direct line of sight between the two realizing controlled, deterministic the Kavli Institute for Theoretical chrotron-light for Experimental ing able to solve any and all prob- endpoints. The system includes error nonlinear optics at a single-photon Physics at the University of Cali- Science and Applications in the lems,” he said. correction and privacy amplification, level. Both combine electromagneti- US PHYSICS continued from page 1 and is based on the distribution of cally induced transparency and slow entangled photon pairs via optical light with the tight confinement of and playful. Head coach Paul of Minneapolis delighted in the immersion in physics, the stu- telescopes. photons and atoms. Initial proof-of- Stanley, in giving the students a accuracy of the University of dents toured Capitol Hill, meet- At the same session, NIST’s principle experiments showed strong rundown of what order of mag- Maryland equipment, saying ing some Senators and Repre- Joshua Bienfang described how coupling between individual CdSe nitude to expect when measuring that her results helped correct sentatives. They visited the Spy telecommunications clock-recovery quantum dots and surface plasmons atomic and subatomic lengths, her theoretical understanding. Museum as well, where Stanley, techniques can enable the continu- on nano-sized conducting wire. admonished, “These are things The coaches enjoy the chal- associate professor at Beloit ous operation of both free-space and Powerful Laser Light. Todd you should know. Like the den- lenge of keeping up with the College in Wisconsin, purchased fiber QKD systems with GHz trans- Ditmire of the University of Texas sity of water. What’s the density students. Stanley said that the an electrical pen to shock unsus- mission rates. His approach can also described how his team is develop- of water?” students often connect with for- pecting secretaries and report- reduce a free-space systems expo- ing a unique petawatt peak power A few numbers were offered mer participants and even learn ers. sure to solar background photons, laser using a combination of high in reply, and Stanley answered problems from previous years. Other than such expeditions, thereby reducing the quantum-bit peak power chirped pulse amplifi- the question, “One.” “They sneak up on us. They’re error rate and improving overall sys- cation technologies. With the Texas “Depends on units,” a student better every year.” their days were physics-filled from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 at night. tem performance. Petawatt Laser, it will be possible to from the front called out. Robert Shurtz, academic di- Attosecond Physics. Sarah probe such exotic physics as Gbar During midday breaks, favorite “Yes, it depends on units, but rector and physics teacher at Baker of Imperial College in Lon- pressures in heated solids, radiative activities included Frisbee and one works,” Stanley insisted. Hawken School in Ohio, drew don described a new technique for hydrodynamics, and nuclear fusion. “mind games” such as the Set- “What’s the density of air, up the schedule according to probing the ultrafast structural rear- At the same session, Donald Paul,” smart-aleck coach Bo- the official syllabus given to tlers of Catan and Zendo. rangements of light molecules after Umstadter of the University of Ne- ris Zbarsky, graduate student in each international team. He The ten-day camp ended ionization, demonstrated by her re- braska, Lincoln (UNL), reported on math at the University of Chi- said the hardest part is “deal- with a banquet on Friday, June search group earlier this year. The the first experimental results from cago, goaded from the back. His ing with a fairly wide range of 1st where the members of the technique is called PACER (Probing a new high-power (150 terawatt) banter elicited laughter from the backgrounds.” Students are re- traveling team were announced. Attosecond Dynamics by Chirp En- laser called Diocles, now in op- quicker students. sponsible for knowing mechan- The 2007 competitors are Ke- coded Recollision), and it uses high- eration at UNL. Scientists are using “One,” said Stanley. ics, electricity, and magnetism nan Diab, a senior from Hawken harmonic generation to investigate the ultra-high-intensity light from According to student Jenny ahead of time. School in Ohio; Rui Hu, a ju- the motion of intramolecular nuclei. Diocles to study relativistic laser Kwan, a senior from California, Warren Turner, laboratory nior from the Charter School of This is possible because the plasma interactions, which generate lectures are made more enjoy- coach and assistant professor Wilmington in Delaware; Jenny strength of harmonic emission on bright femtosecond pulses of x-ray able for the terrible puns and at Westfield State College, dis- Kwan, a senior from San Marcos return of the electron wavepacket is and charged particle beams. The curious analogies used by the cussed the unusual caliber of High School in California; Jason weaker the more nuclear motion has laser has potential applications in coaches. Her favorite was rela- the US Physics Team students. occurred since ionization. Moreover, biomedicine, defense and homeland tivity in terms of monkeys and “Most (high school) physics Larue, a senior from Miami Pal- metto Senior High; and Haofei since different harmonic orders are security, as well as physical science bananas, explained by coach teachers see only one or two of emitted at different times, it is pos- research. Andrew Lin, a physics graduate these students in their careers. Wei, a senior from Oklahoma of Yale University. Here we see 24 every year.” School of Science and Math. The mystery labs are truly The coaches receive a modest They will fly to Isfahan, challenging. The students walk honorarium for their efforts, but Iran to match wits with the into the room and are offered considering the long hours, the most promising young physi- a bench full of equipment and primary reward is sharing their cists worldwide. Last year’s The Lighter Side of Science a task. For example, on Mon- knowledge of physics with these team, competing in Singapore, Learning the Laws of Physics the Hard Way day they were given lasers and exceptionally talented, motivat- brought home four gold medals screens, among other equipment, ed, and interested students. and one silver. with the mission of finding the The camaraderie among stu- The American Association of thickness of their hair. dents and coaches helps keep Physics Teachers is responsible This lab, popular in under- participants coming back year for the identification of the team graduate curriculum, required after year. Six of this year’s stu- and organizing the training camp the high school students to use dents went to physics camp last at the University of Maryland. diffraction. They had only re- year, and some former partici- cently learned behaviors of light pants, such as Zbarsky and Lin, They also sponsor the team and waves in a lecture the previous return as coaches after graduat- seek congressional funding with morning. ing high school. Even the guest help from the American Institute The laboratory is a highlight speakers at the closing cere- of Physics. Apart from contrib- for most of the students. If they mony, gold medalists from the uting through AIP membership, have lab experience at all, it was late 1990s, remarked that it was the APS makes a separate finan- generally on poor equipment. “great to be back.” cial contribution to the US Phys- Student Aleksandra Stankiewicz Aside from near-complete ics Team. Submitted by Jonathan Ruel  • July 2007 APS NEWS Letters Wind Power Has Great Potential The letter by Frits de Wette that wind generated electricity could a perfectly reasonable choice. is the lowest cost utility scale storage hand-waving arguments to justify, (Claims for Wind Power Greatly make a substantial contribution to the Good wind resources are usually technology available. or simply ignore the difficulties with, Overblown, APS News May 2007) power supply in the US, especially if located far from consumers, and large Such an approach to wind energy integrating large amounts of inter- makes a few good points but com- energy efficiency and conservation amounts of intermittent energy are integration has been taken by a group mittent renewable energy on the pletely ignores the literature that were taken seriously. not easily handled by utilities, so that of Iowa utilities, who are building a grid, and that skeptics refuse to ex- evaluates the wind energy potential, Wind turbines are designed to transmission and storage issues must 268 MW CAES plant with under- amine the issues carefully. One can grid integration, and technology in produce power locally at the least be acknowledged and overcome if ground porous rock storage. More show [4] that it is possible to power the US and in Europe. For example, possible cost for a given wind re- intermittent wind energy is ever to details are available at www.isepa. a modern industrial economy using the on-shore wind electric potential gime, which results in a capacity contribute significantly to demand. com. intermittent renewable energy, and of the US has been analyzed in con- factor (the ratio of average power to This analysis [3] has been done, and Current wind energy development that it is not technical or economic siderable detail[1]. Taking into ac- maximum power) of about 30 per- one can conclude that it is techni- relies on utilities to provide transmis- limitations, but our lack of imagina- count restrictive land use constraints cent. However, it is possible to de- cally and economically feasible to sion and back-up for the intermittent tion that prevents us from taking this and economics, the potential is over sign wind turbines [2] with a much transform intermittent wind energy power, often without compensation. approach. 1200 GWavg, about 90 percent of higher capacity factor. For example, to a reliable power source for distant This is the reason behind the hostility Alfred Cavallo which is located in the Great Plains. a capacity factor of about 50 percent consumers by combining large-scale on the part of some utilities and sys- New York, NY This potential is understated by about is possible if the cost of electricity in- wind turbine arrays with high voltage tem managers to intermittent renew- 30 percent since maximum wind tur- creases by about 10 percent, and even transmission lines and compressed able energy, and it is evident in the 1. Elliott, D.L. et al., 1991, An Assess- bine tower height was assumed to be higher capacity factors are obtainable air energy storage (CAES). E.ON report cited by de Wette. Of ment of the Available Windy Land Area and 45 m, and towers as high as 100 m but at an ever-increasing cost. More- CAES is based on gas turbine course, demanding anything without Wind Energy Potential in the Contiguous US, PNL-7789, Pacific Northwest Laboratories, are currently being used. This also over, if large premiums are paid for technology and uses compressed air compensation is a good way to make Richland, WA. ignores the US offshore wind electric wind-generated electricity, as is the stored in underground structures (so- bitter enemies. While it may be jus- 2. Cavallo, A.J., 1997, Wind Turbine Cost potential which is very conservative- case in Germany, then capacity fac- lution mined salt caverns or porous tifiable for small numbers of wind of Electricity and Capacity Factor, J. Solar En- ly estimated at about 100 GWavg. tors of 15-20 percent are tolerable. rock in a stratigraphic or structural turbines on a grid, this should not be ergy Eng, 119, 312-314. 3. Cavallo, A.J., 1995, High Capacity Compared to the total US gener- Since maximizing profitability is the trap) as the storage medium. This is expected to continue. Factor Wind Energy Systems, J. Solar Energy ated electrical power of 440 GWavg only consideration for the wind tur- a proven technology, with plants op- It is unfortunate that renewable Eng, 117, 137-143. (2005), there is clearly the possibility bine owner, low capacity factors are erating in the US and Germany, and energy advocates continue to use 4. Cavallo, A.J., 2007, Energy, 32, 120- 127. Why Not Go Where the Winds Really Blow? Inconsistency is an Acceptable Price for Democracy With reference to the letters Cape Horn, southern New Zealand cables are even currently available; I’m not sure what point Mi- should be approached with cau- on wind power in the March and and Cape of Good Hope, S. Africa. if not, then perhaps this would be a chael Lubell is trying to make tion? The latter is a perfectly good May issues of APS News: while it There are also numerous isolated is- worthwhile area for engineering re- with his column about term limits argument to make, but I must con- is wonderful to generate electric- lands, more like rocks, in the south- search. Alternately, possibly the en- in the May, 2007 issue. Very few fess a lack of dismay that some of ity (inefficiently) in our own back ern oceans, e.g. there is a solitary ergy could be transported in another of the members of Congress who the new members still need to be yards, WHY NOT GO TO WHERE rock about 300 km south of Cape form–say electrolysis to generate made term-limit pledges actually educated about competitiveness THE WINDS REALLY BLOW? Horn–just imagine the winds. Loca- hydrogen, and maybe that could honored those pledges in 2006. issues and the need for science Among sailors, the winds of the tions as above have few calm days even be converted to methane or Instead, those who were replaced funding, when I weigh that minor far southern hemisphere are well where the wind drops to only about propane. Also, energy-consuming failed to get re-elected for a litany inconvenience against the value of known, particularly at >40 degrees 60 km/hr. industries might be relocated to near of reasons from rampant corrup- being able to change our govern- S. latitude. They are known as the The next question is how to move these surplus electric generation ar- tion to lack of character to anger ment when change is needed. I, for furious forties, or even more so the the energy extracted to populated eas; e.g. aluminum metal extraction. over the war. Mr. Lubell laments one, will not mourn the “consis- frightful 50’s, or smashing 60’s. areas, particularly in the case of the the loss of consistency in policy as tency” of the old Republican ma- Locations falling into this category more remote of the above sites. Per- Russell W. Dreyfus a result of the election and, recall- jority. We should all gladly suffer would be such as (the infamous) haps underseas very high-voltage Sarasota, FL ing the term-limit pledges and the a little inconsistency and uncer- bills passed twelve years ago after tainty about our pet issues, such US Qualifies as a “Rogue State” the last major “change” election, I applaud the emphasis on the Missile program will not work. The sonal scientific interchanges, in some as science funding, to preserve imagines that the new members the means of peaceful change and human dimension in Elizabeth Tur- US Senate failed to ratify a test ban of which I participated. I and many are there because of term limits. accountability that elections pro- pen’s Back Page article (APS News, when it has been shown that in every others have suggested that these What actually happened was that vide. And I can think of few worse April 2007). But she concentrates on postulated scenario the US would personal interactions were crucial in we had an election, in which the examples to illustrate the dangers the possibility of pure fissile material be safer with such a ban than with- keeping the war cold. Where now are voters chose new representatives of mandatory term limits than the becoming available, primarily to ter- out. The military still maintains a the daily interactions between Iran because of the less than satisfac- 2006 elections. From where I sit, rorists but also to “rogue states”. The stockpile of 10,000 nuclear weapons and the USA? A former minister in tory performance of the old ones. the 2006 elections demonstrated crucial human dimension, however, when 100 should be enough to scare the Iranian government recently told Is he lamenting our democratic the benefits of turnover in govern- is the feelings, of both governments anyone. It must be recognized that in me privately that whereas most Ira- political process because of the ment, if anything at all. and the people, in countries which much of the world these three coun- nians were not interested in nuclear lack of consistency it occasionally have not yet made nuclear weapons terproductive actions are enough to energy as recently as 5 years ago, engenders? Or is he, as I suspect, Andrew Puckett but might do so. We should recog- classify the USA as a “rogue state”. now 70% of the people would vote saying that mandatory term limits Newport News, VA nize those who have decided not to Many scientists and others overseas, for a strong supportive position, as do so and give them and their coun- with considerable justification, argue a matter of national pride. We need Need a Comprehensive View of Climate Change tries honor and thus enhance their that the USA is, in effect, the princi- to help them find national pride in I read Drew Shindell’s Back the fractional imbalance in the legitimate national pride. pal violator of the Nuclear Non-Pro- peaceful activities for the benefit of Page (APS News, May 2007) with emission would be an important Associated with that is the human liferation treaty, earlier of sections 4 the region and the world, instead of interest and appreciate his dis- part of a quantitative understand- dimension in the United States gov- and 6 and recently of sections 1 and the more warlike uses which we, un- cussion of the physics of climate ing. ernment which persists in arrogant 2. fortunately, have taught them. change and its relation to energy Likewise, although everyone and non-scientific attitudes. Most During the cold war between the Richard Wilson consumption. It stimulated my talks about carbon dioxide, very scientists argue that the Anti-Ballistic USSR and USA there were many per- Cambridge, MA interest while at the same time few talk about methane or ozone increasing my frustration at ever like Shindell did. But he gave no Premature Praise for California hoping to gain a comprehensive quantitative hint about the relative In his essay, “Climate Change is pretty much tracked that of the rest of stated in the essay, the remarkable view of the dynamic equilibrium importance of the latter two rela- all about Energy” that appeared as the nation it might be a bit premature success in California is primarily due that results in the climate we have. tive to carbon dioxide. the Back Page in the May 2007 issue to sing praises to that state’s regula- to gains in building, appliances, and Lay articles as well as those writ- Water vapor in the air is an in- of APS News, Drew Shindell writes, tory policies. utilities. These could be replicated ten for the general physics com- fra-red active absorber; why is it munity seldom (never in my expe- not discussed? Is it important or “Primarily through mandating more John Scofield nationwide, and indeed some other rience) deal with more than one or not? If the surface temperature of efficient use of energy, California has Oberlin, OH states and cities are adopting similar held its per capita energy use roughly regulations. As electricity generation a few of the mechanisms that af- Earth rises, then the rate of evapo- constant since the early 1970s. Dur- Drew Shindell replies: is the single largest contributor to US fect our climate; and then usually ration of water should increase. ing this same period, per capita en- In my essay on climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, California not with enough quantitative (or Will this lead to a run-away effect ergy use has gone up ~50%, nation- I referred to California’s successful demonstrates that increased efficien- even ball-park semi-quantitative) in global warming or will there be wide.” energy efficiency program. I should cy can lead to substantial reductions detail to allow evaluation of their an increase in cloud cover, reflect- This last statement is not correct. have made clear, however, that the in global warming emissions, with relative importance. ing sunlight, that reduces insola- Since the early 1970s, the nation’s efficiency gains that greatly diverge ancillary benefits such as reduction For example, if an author tion? per capita energy consumption has from the national average were in of air pollution and reliance on im- quotes the amount of carbon emit- I sure would appreciate a more remained relatively constant–ap- the electricity sector. California’s per ported oil. Clearly other sectors of ted into the atmosphere per person comprehensive article on climate parently similar to California’s (see capita electricity use has been rough- the economy that contribute to over- per year, I would also like to know equilibrium than the usual one. http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/ ly constant since the 1970s, while the all energy use, such as transportation how much carbon is absorbed per pdf/pages/sec1.pdf). Inasmuch as US as a whole has seen per capita and industrial emissions, also need to acre per year of forest, agricultural Aare Onton California’s energy consumption has electricity use increase by ~50%. As be addressed. land, or surface water. Knowing Saratoga, CA APS NEWS July 2007 • 

Science Fiction Storytelling, Star Trek Style and Beyond By Alaina G. Levine Editor’s Note: This is the third in on the space program, from George (ASU) to hone his new- found craft. nis was completing his fellowship at such as medicine, oceanography, and a series of articles profiling people Washington University (GWU). While at ASU, under the appren- GWU, he was offered the job as sci- geology as well. This ability to grasp trained in physics who have gone on After graduating with his under- ticeship of Steve Geller, who had ence consultant. interdisciplinary technology came in to make their mark in a variety of ca- graduate degree, he completed a year written the award-winning screen- Bormanis’s continuing mission at handy on more than a few occasions, reers. The first article appeared in the of post baccalaureate study each in play for the film version of Slaugh- Star Trek was simple: use his knowl- and sometimes generated controversy April APS News. physics and music composition, but terhouse-Five, Bormanis received a edge of science to punctuate scripts from Bormanis’s own fan base. If you conduct a Google search found physics graduate school not to NASA Space Grant Fellowship to and make them believable within the For one ST episode dealing with for “Andre Bormanis”, the first thing his liking. “I didn’t have a good rea- pursue graduate studies at George realm of the Star Trek universe. He a disease, Bormanis recommended you’ll find is that he is one of the privi- son for being there,” he says. “Gradu- Washington University. He spent two provided suggestions for changes in the use of the word “antibody” in the leged few to have their biography list- ate school was a fallback plan because years there, working on his Master’s, science content, “filled in the spaces script, to accurately describe what ed on startrek.com, the official website I couldn’t get a job. But starting a PhD all the while becoming a master at not with techno babble”, and incorpo- the body secretes to fight foreign an- of all that was and is Star Trek (ST). in physics as a fallback plan is a bad only scriptwriting, but also the batter- rated both real and invented Star Trek tigens, such as bacteria, to produce He didn’t explore strange new worlds, idea.” ing business of Hollywood as well. “scientific theory”, of which there is an immune response. Entertainment but rather helped shape them when he He eventually got an exhaustive history overruled fact, however, and the pro- served the…um… enterprise, initially a job in software de- and nomenclature, ducers felt using the word “antigen” in as science consultant for ST: The Next velopment and educa- says Bormanis. place of “antibody” sounded “cooler”, Generation, ST: Deep Space Nine, tion in his home city One of his favor- despite its blatant inaccuracy, recalls a and ST: Voyager, and then later as a of Phoenix, but having ite examples of the tickled Bormanis. When the episode writer, story editor, and producer for had “the writing bug” fictitious Star Trek aired, he received emails from irate the last series, ST: Enterprise. since he was a young- scientific landscape science aficionados who were insistent The physics-trained scriptwriter ster, he soon realized in which he dwelled on pointing out what they perceived doesn’t go to Star Trek conventions he “had a hankering revolves around the as a mistake on Bormanis’s part. anymore, although he still hangs with for some kind of cre- so-called “Heisen- When the last Star Trek show went his buddy Bob Picardo, who played ative arts career,” says berg Compensators”. off the air in 2005, Bormanis emerged the holographic doctor on Voyager. Bormanis. According to the victorious from the experience like a Bormanis is quick to point out that for He reconnected shows’ producers, Klingon after battle. He had worked him, serving as the Star Trek science with friends who were these “devices” are his way up to being a writer and pro- consultant was simply a gig, though a making a living as employed in telepor- ducer on Enterprise, and had gained successful one at that, which was ob- comedy writers in La tation to deal with the valuable expertise in the broad opera- viously bolstered by his formal edu- La Land at about the fact that the Heisen- tions of a television program. He even cation in atoms, stars, and globular same time that the new berg Uncertainty wrote a book about the science of clusters. Star Trek franchise, Principle states that the show, entitled “Star Trek Science “Like physics, storytelling in- The Next Generation, “you cannot know a Logs”. volves problem solving, formulating launched. Bormanis Andre Bormanis fills in for Captain Kirk on the bridge of the Enterprise subatomic particle’s He immediately jumped into other hypotheses, exploring unexpected found himself wondering exact position and its projects, working as a producer and connections between phenomena, if he could come up with innovative Call after call to agents was left unre- exact velocity at the same time,” the story editor on the now defunct show and seeking a solution,” Bormanis ex- ideas for a script. turned. 1994 Time Magazine article, “Recon- Threshold, which teamed him with plains. In writing, “The premise of the On his own he learned about TV In 1993, Bormanis decided he figure the Modulators!” explained. So his previous Star Trek collaborators, story is the hypothesis. Connections script format and structure, and over a would make one more call to actual- if you don’t know this information, including Brent Spiner, the actor who you explore become the plot. The so- few months, he massaged some ideas ize his dream. And like a scene from how can you teleport someone and played Data on The Next Generation. lution is the climax and resolution of into a workable script. Through Bor- a movie, not only did he get an agent not end up with a mess? Simple. The Bormanis continues to pursue his the story.” manis’s connections, the script landed on the phone who was interested in “Heisenberg Compensators” save the love of science fiction storytelling. Bormanis holds a Bachelor’s in in the lap of a Star Trek producer his work, but more importantly, the day. And how do they work, you ask? He is currently busy pitching, writing, physics (with minors in math and who liked it, but did not purchase it. woman had a possible job opportu- Michael Okuda, a technical advisor on and researching various new televi- English) from the University of Ari- Bormanis was encouraged, however, nity for him–the position of science Star Trek, famously countered, “They sion and film projects. zona and a Master’s in science, tech- and signed up for some scriptwriting consultant to the Star Trek series. work just fine, thank you.” He easily rattles off the benefits of nology and public policy, with a focus classes at Arizona State University With Bormanis’ background in phys- Bormanis’s physics background having studied physics for his career. “It ics and writing, the agent was certain was clearly an advantage in his sci- teaches you to think logically, how to Proposed European Missile Shield’s he would be perfect for the part. ence consulting job. Not only did he work through a problem and stick with it He flew to Hollywood, where he better understand the technical “sub- until you finish, and it encourages creativ- Politics Overshadow Feasibility “auditioned” for the break-out role, by jects” of time travel, phase shifting, ity,” he says. And as Andre Bormanis lays Recent media coverage of the lower altitudes than would be expect- writing a set of tech notes to accom- and tricorders, but he was also able to in a course for his triumphant future, it is United States’ plan to install a missile ed in a real attack, and the intercepting pany an actual script for Deep Space better comprehend and apply termi- logical that physics will help make it so. defense shield in Europe has largely missiles were preprogrammed with Nine. A few weeks later, as Borma- nology from other scientific specialties Copyright, 2007, Alaina G. Levine focused on the political implications information on the target. of the shield, paying little attention to Russia has been the most outspo- the technical difficulties it faces, ex- ken opponent of the new $3.5 billion perts say. missile defense system, with President The 10 midcourse interceptor mis- Vladimir Putin last week saying Rus- siles the United States plans on install- sia will take “appropriate measures” ing in Poland are an unproven defense to counter the system. Washington against a long-range ballistic mis- says the system is essential for pro- sile attack, said Frederick K. Lamb, tecting the United States and Europe Primary Analysis who co-chaired a 2003 APS study from rogue states like Iran and North on boost-phase intercept systems for by Michael S. Lubell, APS Director of Public Affairs Korea. Putin said he believes the sys- missile defense. The existing ground- “How do you manage to do it?” a laws, nonetheless, or rules, more ap- I’m not about to squander any politi- tem will be used to track Russian mili- based midcourse defense system has colleague asked me over coffee at the propriately. Once you understand cal good will I’ve accumulated in the tary activities. been tested fewer than a dozen times, recent DAMOP meeting in Calgary. them, you can be a winner. dozen years I’ve been in Washington In July, when North Korea was scoring six intercepts out of 11 trials “Do what?” I answered, my physi- Members of Congress are pretty by sticking my stiletto into our fine since October 1999. conducting missile test launches, the cist’s ego reflexively aroused. smart, on average. And so are the pun- public servants. But pundits are an- “Not a single test of this system missile defense system in Fort Greely, “Figure out how to get things done dits who put food–expensive, elegant other matter. has ever been carried out under realis- Alaska, was switched from testing in Washington–physicists aren’t cut food, at that–on the table pontificating Case in point: the presidential tic combat conditions,” said Lamb. status to operational status, suggest- out for politics. And you seem to be about them at their expense. But for primaries. With sixteen months to The tests have been scripted sce- ing the military’s confidence in the pretty good at it.” the most part, politicians and pundits go before the 2008 elections and narios performed under operationally system. It was not the first time I had to get their smarts from experience and primary fatigue already cutting into unrealistic conditions, according to the “To advertise that this system is confront the question. Here’s my an- cultured intuition. Ambien and Lunesta’s market share, Arms Control Association, a Wash- ready is misleading,” Lamb said. swer. It works extraordinarily well, in how many times have columnists and ington, D.C., based nonpartisan mem- “This system has no demonstrated ca- Washington really is like physics: most cases. But sometimes lack of talking heads claimed that both par- bership organization that supports pability, period.” problem solving, boundary conditions analytical training trips them up. ties will choose their candidates by effective arms control policies. They –Turner Brinton, courtesy of In- and laws. It’s just that the laws aren’t Don’t expect me to deliver succu- February 5, 2008! have taken place at slower speeds and side Science News Service Newton’s, Ampere’s or Boyle’s. But lent morsels of politicians’ missteps. BELTWAY cont’d on page 7  • July 2007 APS NEWS

2007 GENERAL ELECTION PREVIEW

It’s that time of year again, when APS members have the opportunity to elect next year’s Nominating Committee, and two General Councillors. All votes must be entered by Noon, leadership from a slate of candidates selected by the APS Nominating Committee. Brief Central Daylight Time, September 1, 2007. Expanded biographical information, candi- biographical descriptions for each candidate can be found below. Those elected will begin dates’ statements, and further information about the election can be found at www.aps. their terms on 1 January 2008. Members will elect a Vice President, Chair-Elect of the org/about/governance/election/index.cfm .

Vice President

William Bardeen Fermilab

William Allan Bardeen received his AB degree from Cornell University in 1962 and his PhD degree in physics from the University of Minnesota in 1968. Following research appointments at the Institute for Theoretical Physics at Stony Brook and the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, he was an Assistant and Associate Professor in the Physics Department at Stanford University. In 1975 Bardeen joined the staff of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, where he has served as Head of the Theoretical Physics Department. He has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Division of Particles and Fields of the APS and served on the Editorial Boards of the Physical Review and the Journal of Mathematical Physics. Bardeen was elected Fellow of the APS in 1984. He was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1998 and elected a Member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1999. In 2002 Bardeen was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Minnesota. He has also served as a Member and Trustee of the Aspen Center for Physics. Bardeen was awarded the 1996 J.J. Sakurai Prize of the APS for his work on anomalies and perturbative quantum chromodynamics. In 1985, he was awarded a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship for research on the application of quantum field theory to elementary particle physics. Previously, he received the Senior Scientist Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship for research in theoretical physics.

Curtis Callan Princeton University

Curtis Callan received his AB in physics from Haverford College in 1961 and his PhD from Princeton in 1964. In 1967, after postdoctoral work at Princeton, he took up an assistant professorship in physics at Harvard University. In 1969, he moved back to Princeton as a long-term member of the Institute for Advanced Study and rejoined Princeton University in 1972 as a professor of physics. He has remained at Princeton ever since and is cur- rently the J. S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Physics. Callan has held visiting professorships at the University of Paris, the Ecole Normale Superieure (Paris), the Institute for Advanced Study, the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center and Caltech, where he was Gordon Moore Scholar. His administrative responsibilities at Princeton have included being chair of the Physics Department and helping establish the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics. He is the founding director of the Princeton Center for Theoretical Physics, an enterprise devoted to enhancing the postdoctoral training of theorists in frontier areas where physics engages other fields. His work for the physics community at large includes service on visiting committees of physics departments and national laboratories in the US and abroad, membership on the board of the NSF Institute for Theoretical Physics at UCSB, and chairmanship of the Nominating Committee of the APS. Callan is a long-time member, and was chairman from 1990 to 1995, of JASON, a group that advises the US government on national security implications of science and technology. This activity has given him insight into the role of science in the “real” world and, incidentally, greatly broadened his horizons in physics itself. Callan was elected to membership in the National Academy of Sciences in 1987. He received the 2000 Sakurai Prize for Particle Theory of the APS and was the recipient of the 2004 Dirac Medal of the International Center for Theoretical Physics. He has held a Sloan Fellowship, is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Chair Elect, Nominating Committee Journal of Modern Physics D and serves on the editorial Marcela Carena board of New Journal of Physics and served on the board Fermilab Angela Olinto of Classical and Quantum Gravity (both journals of the In- stitute of Physics UK). He is one of the US representatives University of Chicago Marcela Carena is a se- at the International Committee for General Relativity and nior scientist at the Fermi Gravitation. He has received several distinctions, including Angela V. Olinto is Profes- National Accelerator Labo- Alfred P. Sloan, John S. Guggenheim and Fulbright fellow- sor in the Department of As- ratory in Batavia, Illinois. ships, a Career Award from the National Science Founda- tronomy and Astrophysics and She received her Diploma tion and the Edward Bouchet Award of the APS. He is also the Enrico Fermi Institute, and in Physics from the Insti- a corresponding member of the National Academies of Sci- a member of the Kavli Institute tuto Balseiro of Bariloche, ence of Argentina and Mexico and of the Latin American for Cosmological Physics at Argentina in 1985, and her PhD in Physics from the Uni- Academy of Sciences. He is a fellow of APS, of the Institute the University of Chicago. Her versity of Hamburg in 1989. She was a John Stuart Bell of Physics (UK), and the American Association for the Ad- research interests are in astroparticle physics and cosmol- Fellow at CERN from 1993-1995 and was awarded a Marie vancement of Science. He got his doctorate in physics from ogy. Olinto received her B.S. in Physics from the Pontificia Curie Fellowship in 1996. She has been a staff scientist at the Balseiro Institute in Argentina in 1989. Universidade Católica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and her PhD Fermilab since 1997. Carena is a theoretical particle physi- in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology cist working at the frontiers of physics beyond the Standard (1987) for work on the physics of quark stars. At Fermi- Model. She is a member of the APS Committee on Interna- lab, she worked on inflationary theory and cosmic magnetic tional Scientific Affairs. She is a former member of the APS fields. Her recent work has focused on the nature ofthe General Councillor Division of Particles and Fields Executive Committee, the dark matter in the universe and the origin of the highest en- current chair of the DPF Nominating Committee and a Fel- ergy cosmic particles. She is a member of the international Ani Aprahamian low of the APS. She serves on the Particle Physics Project collaboration of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Olinto was Notre Dame University Prioritization Panel (P5) of the U.S. DOE/NSF High En- Chair of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics ergy Physics Advisory Panel. She originated an innovative at the University of Chicago. She is a Fellow of the APS, Ani Aprahamian has been visitor program that brings Latin American students to pur- a trustee of the Aspen Center for Physics, and has served a professor of physics at the sue research at Fermilab as part of the graduate education on many advisory committees for the NRC, DOE, NSF, University of Notre Dame at their home institutions. She has given public outreach and NASA. In 2006, she received the Chaire d’Excellence since 1989. She received lectures in conjunction with physics workshops and in the Award of the French Agence Nationale de Recherche. her PhD in Nuclear Chem- Fermilab area. Carena is married and has two children. istry from Clark University working at the High Flux Beam Reactor at Brookhaven National Laboratory. She Katherine Freese Jorge Pullin was a postdoctoral fellow at Lawrence Livermore National University of Michigan Louisiana State University Laboratory. She has been the PI and director of the Nuclear Structure Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame, and Katherine Freese is Profes- Jorge Pullin is the Horace the Chair of the Physics Department. Ani is a fellow of the sor of Physics at the Univer- Hearne Chair in Theoreti- APS, the Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Val- sity of Michigan and Associ- cal Physics at the Louisiana ues, and the “collegium” at Notre Dame. She has worked ate Director of the Michigan State University. His research on many university committees on Academic Life, Cultur- Center for Theoretical Physics interests center in theoretical al Diversity, Campus Climate, sexual discrimination, and (MCTP). Her research is in gravitational physics, both in Academic Affirmative Action. She has served on the APS the area of theoretical cosmol- its classical and quantum as- committee on the Status of Women, International Freedom ogy, at the interface of particle physics and astrophysics. pects, including the application of numerical techniques. He of Scientists, and various Division of Nuclear Physics com- She received her BA in Physics from Princeton University recently served as the chair of the Topical Group in Gravi- mittees including encouraging competitive enhancement of her MA in Physics in 1981 from Columbia University; and tation of the APS. His administrative experience also in- women (WECAN). her PhD in Physics in 1984 from the University of Chicago, cludes serving as associate director of Penn State’s Center where she was recipient of the William Rainey Harper Award for Gravitational Physics and Geometry and as co-director Fellowship. Her first postdoctoral position was at the Harvard/ of the Horace Hearne Jr. Institute for Theoretical Physics at Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, followed by a postdoc- Louisiana State. He is the managing editor of International PREVIEW continued on page 7 APS NEWS July 2007 • 

ANNOUNCEMENT MUSEUM cont’d from page 1 BELTWAY cont’d from page 5 Now Appearing in RMP: More College in Crestview Hills, In addition, DefCon, the Cam- through the technical matter in the Super Tuesday, as it used to be Recently Posted Reviews Kentucky. paign to Defend the Constitution, bookstore, it is possible to find refer- called, is now known as Power Ball and Colloquia Riehemann toured the museum an organization that aims to combat ences to Calabi-Yau manifolds and Tuesday, or, in the high-tech ad lingo, You will find the following in the and took note of many examples of the influence of the religious right, the work of Witten and Strominger,” Giga Tuesday. It’s the day on which online edition of how the museum misrepresented sci- has circulated a petition opposing both parties will select about forty Reviews of Modern Physics at he said. “Most people are completely http://rmp.aps.org percent of their delegates. ence. “A constant theme is the idea Answers in Genesis’ “nefarious cam- overwhelmed by this material–and Electronic and transport that creation science accepts many of paign to institutionalize a lie.” Nearly very, very impressed by it.” Political “wisdom” holds that to properties of nanotubes the regular physical mechanisms but 25,000 concerned citizens and more Scientists can help the public un- compete effectively on that quasi- Jean‑Christophe Charlier, finds ways to speed them up via cata- than 4,000 educators signed the Def- derstand and evaluate the museum’s national primary day, candidates will Xavier Blase and Stephan Roche have to amass hundreds of millions strophic events,” he said. Con petition. DefCon also distributed arguments, said Riehemann. “No Carbon nanotubes are of great of dollars. Otherwise, they will be out The exhibits try to convince view- a pamphlet developed by Krauss en- one, to my knowledge, objects to the fundamental and applied interest, of the running. With the field whit- given their unusual electronic proper- ers that creationists and the scientists titled, “Top 10 Reasons why the Uni- right of AIG to have a museum and tled to just two or three, pundits say, ties linked to their specific topology. both start with the same facts, but in- verse, the Sun, Earth, and Life are not present their views. However, in a terpret them differently. “They never 6000 years old: A Primer.” someone will emerge with enough This article reviews the electronic population ill-equipped to distinguish talk about what science really is,” This museum may not change delegates to lock up the nomination. structure and transport properties of the silliness of AIG science from the these 1D systems, including local- said Krauss. many people’s minds about science, Is that so? Let’s do the analysis. real thing, it is important that the sci- ization effects due to defects and the The National Center for Science since many of the visitors probably For brevity, I’m going to focus on the entific community acknowledge the Aharonov‑Bohm effect. Education, an organization that pro- already believe the biblical creation Democrats. museum, but also to comment on the First the boundary conditions: motes the teaching of evolution, has story. “I’d say most of the people that than $45 million. low quality of the content in order to Democrats, who currently have 8 circulated a petition to scientists in go are going there for validation,” Finally, the analysis: With the pri- assist the public in its evaluation.” announced candidates, will send Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. By said Krauss. mary schedule so compressed and The Creation Museum expects to 5110 delegates to their August 2008 early June nearly 1000 scientists had However, Krauss and others wor- about $22 million in public match- attract about 250,000 visitors in its convention in Denver. Of those, 314 signed the statement, which calls the ry that some people may visit the mu- ing funds available to any candidate, first year. will be “super-delegates”–governors, museum scientifically inaccurate, and seum because they are just curious, what are the odds that any of them Senate and House members and non- expresses the concern that “Students and those people, especially children, The Petersburg, KY Creation will drop out before February 5? voting congressional representatives who accept this material as scientifi- may come away confused. “And that Museum is the largest, but not the With delegates allocated proportion- of the District of Columbia and the cally valid are unlikely to succeed in means we’ll have a harder job con- only museum promoting the biblical ately, even if only Clinton, Edwards territories. The selection process will science courses at the college level. vincing them,” said Krauss. creation story. Dozens of smaller cre- and Obama compete effectively, begin on January 14 with the Iowa These students will need remedial Riehemann pointed out how con- ationist museums exist in the United what are the odds that one of them caucuses and end on June 3 with instruction in the nature of science, fusing it would be to a typical visitor, States, and a $300,000 creation mu- emerges from Giga Tuesday with primaries in Montana and South Da- as well as in the specific areas of sci- who does not have the ability to eval- seum opened in the small town of Big enough delegates to have the nomi- kota. By February 5, voters will have ence misrepresented by Answers in uate the technical arguments used by Valley, in Alberta, Canada in early nation locked up? And, finally–for- chosen 2401 delegates. Genesis.” Answers in Genesis. “If one looks June. get about February 5–what are the Now the rules: Any candidate odds that anyone will have a major- BOARD continued from page 1 receiving 15 percent of the vote in ity of the 4,081 delegates chosen by questing that they thank their sena- in conference. Authorization bills FY07 budget and $116.2 million any caucus or primary will receive April 1? tors for passing this legislation. set the maximum allowable spend- above the President’s request. a proportional share of the delegates If you answered slim, slim and “The Senate has done something ing levels; actual funding levels The APS Executive Board reso- elected. Typically, delegates will be slim, you’re on the right track, which important, and it will benefit from will be set by appropriations bills, bound to vote for the candidate they lution also thanks the House En- leads me to my conclusion: We being told so,” Kadanoff’s letter to which have not yet been passed. have endorsed on the first conven- ergy and Water Development Ap- might not know the nominee until members says. On June 6 the House Appro- tion ballot. All “super-delegates” will propriations Subcommittee for this after the convention. And that means In early June the APS Executive priations Committee approved the remain officially uncommitted, al- allocation. if you want to get an issue–for ex- Board voted by email to pass the House Energy and Water Develop- though they may endorse candidates ample, science–on the presidential resolution expressing appreciation ment Appropriations bill, which al- The full text of the board reso- at any time. Primary candidates who agenda, you have to hit virtually to both the House and the Senate. locates $4.516 billion to the DOE lution is posted on the APS web choose public matching funds must every candidate’s primary campaign The House and Senate authori- Office of Science for FY08, an in- site at http://www.aps.org/policy/ limit their spending to slightly less starting now. zation bills must still be reconciled crease of $716.8 million over the issues/resolution.cfm . PREVIEW continued from page 6 toral fellowship at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at Sabyasachi (Shobo) Santa Barbara and a Presidential Fellowship at the University of International Councillor Bhattacharya California, Berkeley. She was an Assistant Professor at MIT from Tata Institute of 1987-1991, where she was recipient of a SLOAN Foundation Fel- Se-Jung Oh Fundamental Research lowship as well as an NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award. She is now Professor of Physics at the University of Michigan. Seoul National University, Korea Sabyasachi (Shobo) Bhat- Freese has served on many advisory panels and committees, in- tacharya is an experimental cluding: Member of the Board of the Kavli Institute for Theoreti- condensed matter physicist. cal Physics in Santa Barbara from 2000-2003; General Member Se-Jung Oh received his PhD in physics from Stanford He is currently Director of the of the Board of the Aspen Center for Physics from 1993-2003; she Tata Institute of Fundamental is currently a member of the Astronomy and Astrophysics Advi- University in 1982, and worked at Xerox Palo Alto Research Research (TIFR), Mumbai, India and a Senior Professor in sory Committee (AAAC) mandated by Congress; she currently its Department of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials serves on the DMSAG (Dark Matter Scientific Advisory Group). Center until he returned to Seoul National University, his Science. Bhattacharya received his undergraduate educa- tion in India at Presidency College, Kolkata and Univer- Jen-Chieh Peng Alma Mater (BS in physics in 1975). He is now a full professor at Department of Physics and Astronomy, director of the Center sity of Delhi and his PhD in physics in 1978 from North- University of Illinois for Strongly Correlated Materials Research (CSCMR), and has western University. He spent his post-doctoral years at the Urbana-Champaign been serving as the Dean of College of Natural Sciences since University of Rhode Island, Francis Bitter National Magnet 2004. He is also the chairperson of the Association of Deans of Laboratory and as a James Franck Fellow at the University Jen-Chieh Peng is Professor college of natural sciences in Korea, vice president of the Ko- of Chicago. Subsequently, he worked at Exxon Corporate of Physics at the University of Il- rean Physical Society, an executive board member of the Korean Research, New Jersey and at the NEC Research Institute, linois at Urbana-Champaign. He Vacuum Society, and a full member of the Korean Academy of Princeton. In 2002 he left NEC, where he was a NEC Fel- received his bachelor’s degree in Science and Technology. He is currently a member of the In- low, to join TIFR. He has also been a frequent visitor at physics from Tunghai University ternational Advisory Board (1998-2007) of the Vacuum Ultra- the International Centre of Theoretical Physics in Trieste in Taiwan in 1970 and his PhD violet Radiation Physics (VUV), and has served as a member over the last two decades. His research activities over the in nuclear physics from the University of Pittsburgh in 1975. He or a chairperson of the organizing or program committees of years include complex fluids such as liquid crystals, mi- worked as a researcher at CEN Saclay, France and the University various international conferences. He also served as a foreign celles, microemulsions and glass forming liquids, as well of Pittsburgh before joining the Physics Division of Los Alamos guest editor for the Journal of the Physical Society of Japan as dynamics of disordered condensed matter systems such National Laboratory in 1978. He became a Laboratory Fellow at (2004-2005). S.-J. Oh’s research interest focuses on the study as vortex matter in superconductors, sliding charge density Los Alamos in 1996. He joined the Department of Physics at the of electronic structures of strongly correlated electron systems, waves and glassy systems in general. His current research University of Illinois in February 2002. His research interest in- especially transition metal compounds and rare-earth materials. interests include scanning probe studies of domain wall dy- cludes a range of topics in nuclear and particle physics. Peng is a He has also been quite active in advising Korean government on namics in systems such as ferroelectrics, ferromagnets and Fellow of the APS. He currently serves as a member of the Divi- science and technology policies. Early on he served as a member multiferroics, as well as optical tweezer-based studies of sion of Nuclear Physics Fellowship Committee. He also served of the Presidential Commission for the 21st Century of Korea in complex fluids. Bhattacharya is a fellow of the APS and of recently as a member of the APS Committee of International the committee of science, technology and environments (’89- the National Science Academy, India. He also serves as a Freedom of Scientists and the APS Forum on International Phys- ’94), and later became a member of the Presidential Advisory member on the Commission on Structure and Dynamics of ics. He is currently on the Program Advisory Committee of the Council on Science and Technology in Korea and served for Condensed Matter of the International Union of Pure and J-PARC accelerator facility in Japan and the Advisory Committee 3 terms between 1999-2006. He is currently a member of the Applied Physics (IUPAP), the editorial board of Reports of the Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, and served recently Committee for the Promotion of Basic Research in Korean gov- on Progress in Physics of the Institute of Physics, UK, the as a member of the Program Advisory Committee of the Jefferson ernment. He also spent much effort for the public understanding Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet, Government Lab. He just completed a two-year term as the President of the of science and the promotion of science education. of India and the Basic Sciences Steering Committee of the Overseas Chinese Physics Association Planning Commission, Government of India. .  • July 2007 APS NEWS The Back Page

on-violence was not a live notion for me until I learned but did not because of this tendency towards ob- Nstumbled across the Quaker tradition. Until then all The Violence of Our Knowledge: jectification. One was that the very community in which I I knew about Quakers was their wonderful oatmeal— grew up practiced its own form of systemic anti-Semitism and it turns out they don’t even make it. But thirty-three On Higher Education and during my childhood. I should have known, as part of be- years ago, at age thirty-five, I discovered a Quaker liv- ing a truly educated person, that what animated the Third ing-learning community near Philadelphia called Pendle Peace Making Reich was not about another planet and another species, Hill where I worked for eleven years as dean of studies but about my own hometown and people I knew. and writer in residence. By Parker J. Palmer I also failed to learn that I have within myself a certain The core Quaker belief is that there is an inner teacher, “fascism of the heart.” When the difference between you an inner light in every human being, a sacred core worthy and me gets too great, when your version of what is good of respect. When I asked why the community at Pendle Hill or true or beautiful becomes too threatening to mine, I will find made decisions via a laborious, tedious, time-consuming and some way to kill you. I won’t do it with a bullet or a gas cham- utterly maddening process called consensual decision-making, ber. But I will do it with a label, a dismissive name, any way I was told, “Because making decisions by majority rule is a of rendering you irrelevant to my life in order to reduce the form of violence.” tension between your view of reality and mine. Violence is not just about bombing or shooting or hitting Another part of our “objectivist” epistemology that plants people. Violence is any way we have of violating the integrity the seeds of violence is reductionism. If the objects of our study of the other. Racism and sexism are violence. Derogatory la- have no subjective reality, no inner truth, then we can simply beling of any sort constitutes violence. Rendering other people reduce them to whatever terms meet our needs, whatever fram- invisible or irrelevant is an act of violence. So is manipulating ing fits our logic. But when we do that, we end up with a world people towards our ends as if they were objects that existed of objects to which we are free to do violence. only to serve our purposes. If the self is nothing more than a social construct, if the But it is possible to have lively, rigorous, engaged intellec- self has no ontologi- tual debate that is conflictual but utterly non-violent because it cal reality to it, then does not violate the integrity of those speaking and listening. why not just reengi- “...when your ver- What I like about the Quaker way of decision-making is how it neer it, manipulate flank, fend off the opposition, and emerge unbloodied and un- sion of what is good embraces and affirms the creative potential of conflict, because bowed. Nothing in my experience says that fierce interpersonal it, or eliminate it if it consensus forces us to hold the tension of opposites. We are competition will bring us closer to new truth. Rather, it drives gets too annoying? or true or beautiful forced to hold that tension long enough that it might pull us us back to ideas with which we are well-acquainted, because If we reduce the becomes too threat- open to a new way of looking at things–to a third possibility with them we’re not vulnerable: we know all the possible criti- world to our own that has yet escaped both parties to this particular debate. Non- cisms that we might hear and we are prepared to defend our- convenient terms, ening to mine, I will violence does not involve the absence of conflict. Anybody selves on every front. what is to keep us find some way who’s ever tried to “speak truth to power” knows it’s an act from doing violence The pursuit of truth, a genuine life of inquiry, involves con- to kill you.” that brings conflict. And yet it is an act that, taken with integ- stantly making yourself vulnerable to the half-formed thought, when the shape of rity, creates this pole of opposition which can stretch a whole the tentative probe, the idea that you can barely bring to articu- the world doesn’t fit society open to something new. lation. You will not do that in the midst of battlefield condi- our theory or our needs? I also learned from Quakers that one key to non-violence tions. Under the conditions of intense competition, we listen Reductionism diminishes our scholarship as well as our is avoiding the ar- not for what is strong, well-shaped and well-informed in the ethical lives. You cannot possibly be a good scholar if you do rogance of believing other’s ideas, for that which might amplify our own thinking. not know how to receive and perceive the other on its own “The pursuit of that I know how oth- Rather, we listen for the weakest link–and we pounce on it. terms. What physicist or astronomer or chemist ever got any- truth, a life of ers should live their How often in the thirty years I’ve been traveling in higher where by trying to reduce the amazing phenomena he or she is lives. Instead, I need working with to the convenient frames that work for his or her inquiry, involves education has someone said to me, “I like ninety-nine percent to look within and of what you said, but there was one thing that was dead wrong, own mind, at this moment, given the shape of our knowledge? constantly making ask myself the ques- and I am going to beat you up about it!” These are not the con- That’s not where discovery comes from; that’s not where yourself vulnerable” tion, “Am I living in ditions under which the mission of the university is advanced. breakthroughs emerge. that light and power Under conditions of fear, students are not induced to learn. So what can we do about the violence of our knowledge? that takes away the They are induced instead to play it very close to the vest. So we We don’t need to import a new culture to the academy. We need for violence?” have a hidden curriculum in the university called “the cult of need to reclaim the best of the culture in which we have always Quakers do not have a prescription for running a nation-state. competition” that I think plants seeds of violence among us. been rooted. For example, scholars at their best always have They have an understanding of personal responsibility. We The deformations that lead us toward violence of this sort respect for otherness, whether it comes to subatomic particles need to engage in an ongoing self-examination of the seeds begin in the epistemological root system of our educational or people. If we could reclaim that simple epistemological of violence that we plant with our attitudes and actions, plants enterprise. Every epistemology, I suggest, tends to become an principle that knowing requires respect, we could get a good that we have the power to uproot. ethic. start on reducing violence in the academy. This brings me to my understanding of violence within the Our conventional epistemology includes the habit of objec- We can reaffirm that learning to hold ambiguity, contradic- university. When I was a graduate student at the University of tification, of approaching whatever we are studying–a literary tion, paradox and tension, without seeking quick, simplistic California, Berkeley, I had a friend who felt brutalized by his text, a phenomenon from the natural world, or some data about resolutions, is at the core of being an educated person. The graduate student experience. When he left with PhD in hand, human behavior–and making it into an object. The theory is tension we feel as we experience otherness need not lead to I felt certain that he would go out into the world as a professor that if we do not make it an object by holding it at distance, we violence: it can lead to opening ourselves to a larger view of who loved and cared for students. But he did not. He became will commit the grave sin of tainting it with our subjectivity. reality, which is what scholarship, teaching and learning are one of the most brutalizing professors I have ever known. One And the subjective self is thought to be nothing more than a supposed to be about. thing that happens in academic life is the generational passing source of bias, ignorance, and error. We can also try to overcome the deep divide that runs down on of wounds. If violence is done to me in this community, and But real scientists don’t objectify that way. Real scientists the middle of the academy between the “soft” virtues of the I come back to this community in a role of authority, it some- engage the things of the world with imagination and intuition heart and the “hard” virtues of the mind. This is an utterly bo- times (not always) happens that I don’t know what to do with as well as intellect, logic, and information. As a young woman, gus division because the human self does not operate out of my wound except to work it out on other people: “This was my the great biologist Barbara McClintock became fascinated with airtight compartments: heart and mind work together. If we initiation rite and it’s going to be yours too.” the phenomenon of genetic transposition. But at the time, her want genuine rigor that is capable of advancing thought–invit- The irony is that the university explicitly promotes authen- science lacked the instruments that now allow now direct ob- ing the tentative probe, the challenging question, the admission tic inquiry and genuine discourse, both non-violent ways of be- servation of the data, and lacked a theoretical structure to make of ignorance–we must have deep hospitality in our classroom ing in the world. Violence in the university comes not from our sense of the questions she was raising. She experienced a lot of and other settings of discourse. These are the behaviors that explicit mission but from our “hidden curriculum.” Imagine a marginalization as a scientist until she reached her early eight- induce rigor, and they will not happen in a hostile, inhospitable political science professor teaching a course on the values of ies, when she received a Nobel Prize. Someone later asked her, space. democracy, but teaching it in a way that essentially says to stu- “Tell me, how do you do science?” McClintock said, “All I can So I invite us as educators to confront the question “What dents, “Listen to what I say, sit down, shut up, make notes on really tell you about doing real science is you’ve got to have a are the seeds of violence in our institutional and personal it and feed it back to me at the end of the term.” What students feeling for the organism.” lives?” If we are willing to do so, we can make an immediate are learning is not the values of democracy but the habits that I was educated at some of the best institutions in this coun- and lasting contribution to the world in which we live. keep you safe in a totalitarian society. The hidden curriculum is try about the history of the Third Reich–the murder of six mil- Parker J. Palmer is a writer, traveling teacher, and activ- inculcating a completely contradictory set of values via peda- lion Jews, persons with mental and physical disability, Gyp- ist who focuses on issues in education, community, leadership, gogical violence. sies, protesting Christians, anyone who didn’t fit the mold. spirituality and social change. Author of seven books, includ- Another part of our hidden curriculum is the notion that And I was taught that history at such objectified distance that ing The Courage to Teach, he holds ten honorary doctorates, competition is the best way to induce learning and elicit truth. I somehow ended up feeling that all of that had happened on and in 1998 was named by The Leadership Project (a national That’s the theory–I call it a myth. I have been in many situa- another planet to another species. My professors were not re- survey of 10,000 administrators and faculty) as one of the thirty tions where the intellectual competition was fierce. But what visionists; they did not say it did not happen. But they gave the “most influential senior leaders” in higher education and one I observed there was not the generation of new ideas, not the facts and figure such an antiseptic presentation that the whole of the ten key “agenda-setters” of the past decade. This article pursuit of truth, but people reaching for old ideas that they thing seemed unreal, unrelated to me. is adapted from a public lecture he delivered on November 29, knew how to wield as weapons, so that they could protect their There were two things in particular that I should have 2001 at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

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