May 2010 Volume 19, No. 5 TM www.aps.org/publications/apsnews APS NEWS The of Page 3 A Publication of the American Physical Society • www.aps.org/publications/apsnews

Council Passes Addendum to Climate Change Statement Who Created this Drawing? In a process that began more The subcommittee was chaired ence questions prevailing ideas. than a year ago, APS Council has by Duncan Moore of the Univer- The observational data indicate passed an addendum to the 2007 sity of Rochester. Other members a global surface warming of 0.74 climate change statement. The were John Browne, James Drake, °C (+/- 0.18 °C) since the late 19th vote on the addendum at the April and Frances Houle. Moore had century. (Source: http://www.ncdc. 18 Council meeting was 31 in fa- been Chair of POPA in 2009. noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalwarm- vor, 2 opposed, and one abstention. The reason for the addendum is ing.html).” This document, which runs more stated in its first paragraph: “There The last paragraph of the ad- than 800 words, is now an official is a substantial body of peer re- dendum contains a suggestion for appendage to the 157-word state- viewed scientific research to sup- further involvement by the physics ment, and appears as such in the port the technical aspects of the community: “With regard to the “Policy and Advocacy” section of 2007 APS statement. The purpose last sentence of the APS statement, the APS website. of the following commentary is to the role of physicists is not just ‘... to support policies and actions...’ The addendum was crafted as provide clarification and additional but also to participate actively in a commentary on the 2007 state- details.” the research itself. Physicists can ment by a subcommittee of the Among other things, the Com- contribute in significant ways to Panel on Public Affairs (POPA). mentary addresses the use of the understanding the physical pro- The final wording of the Com- word “incontrovertible” in the cesses underlying climate and to mentary involved input not only original statement: “The evidence developing technological options from the subcommittee, but also for global temperature rise over for addressing and mitigating cli- from POPA itself and from the the last century is compelling. mate change.” The full text of the broad APS membership. Prior However, the word ‘incontrovert- addendum, and of the 2007 state- to consideration by Council, the ible’ in the first sentence of the ment, is available on the APS web- One of the iconic physicists of the 20th century was an enthusiastic artist, Commentary had also been given second paragraph of the 2007 APS often making drawings or paintings of live models. To find out who created site at www.aps.org/policy. the drawing, please turn to page 5. unanimous approval by the APS statement is rarely used in science Last fall, an ad hoc commit- Executive Board. because by its very nature sci- COUNCIL continued on page 5

Council OKs Constitutional Amendment, and Approves Expansion at Ridge In a busy meeting on April 18, APS Council did more than terms; each year, the APS membership would elect one In- is inadequate to house the personnel needed to process the just approve the addendum to the climate change statement ternational Councilor and one General Councilor, instead manuscripts and manage the editorial process. Because the (see story above). Among other highlights of the meeting, of the 2 General Councilors that they now elect. The APS facility is located in the Long Island pine barrens, the footprint they approved an amendment to the APS Constitution that Nominating Committee would be responsible for recruiting of the building cannot be arbitrarily extended. Consequently, would, if adopted, create 4 International Councilors. They candidates for International Councilor, paying due attention the plan is to add 18,000 square feet by building a second also approved an expansion and renovation of the APS edi- to geographic diversity. storey. Careful scheduling will allow this construction to take torial office building inR idge, New York, that would add more Urbach said that this arrangement is preferable to simply place while work goes on in the building, without need for than 50% to the current space. instructing the nominating committee to include international temporary relocation to another site. Last year, the APS Committee on International Scientific candidates among those running for General Councilor, be- In addition to the expansion, APS President Curtis Callan Affairs (CISA) recommended the creation of International cause people tend to vote for candidates they are familiar remarked that it is also important to renovate and redesign Councillors, noting that 21% of APS membership resides with, thereby giving the domestic nominees an a priori ad- the entire space. He pointed out that the nature of scholarly outside the US (this rises to about 25% if one looks at the vantage that would preclude the election of an appropriate publishing is changing rapidly, and that APS has to be on the non-student component of membership). APS Director of In- number of international representatives. leading edge of these developments. This requires a staff ternational Affairs Amy Flatten developed this idea in a Back Now that Council has passed this amendment, the text with an increased level of sophistication, which calls for an Page in the January APS News. The matter was referred to will be printed in a forthcoming issue of APS News, and will improved working environment that is not predicated on the the APS Constitution and Bylaws Committee, chaired by Jeff appear on the ballot for the Society election this summer. If old paper-based model of journal publication. Urbach of Georgetown. They recommended eliminating the approved by two-thirds of those voting, the amendment will A project management firm and an architectural firm have current International Councilor, who serves a 2-year term, become part of the APS Constitution. been engaged, and, in the wake of Council approval, bids for and replacing 4 of the 8 General Councilors with International The Ridge expansion is motivated by the inexorable rise in construction are set to go out in June. If all goes as antici- Councilors, who would be required to come from outside the the number of manuscripts submitted to APS journals, which pated, construction will start in the late summer of 2010 and US. These new International Councilors would serve 4-year is now running in excess of 3% per year. The current space will be completed sometime in 2011.

Video Contest Reaches Out with Lasers Where’s the Fire?

To help celebrate the laser’s fif- fiftieth anniversary of the invention know exactly what I’m expecting, tieth anniversary, APS’s outreach of the laser. Modeled after previous and I kind of like that.” department is holding a video con- years’ successful Nanobowl and Last year’s ToyBox Physics con- test with a $1,000 grand prize for ToyBox Physics contests, the La- test invited participants to create a the winning video. The contest, run serFest video contest invites contes- video that shows some concept of through the APS outreach website tants to create videos that use lasers physics with toys. Demonstrating PhysicsCentral.com, is aimed at a in some way to highlight a physics physics using football was the theme wide variety of people who are inter- concept. The idea is not necessarily in 2008, the first year the contest was ested in physics and science. to demonstrate how a laser works or held. Past winners can still be found “We really want to make sure show off the physics of lasers, but on the Physics Central website and we’re engaging the public and not just to incorporate lasers and physics YouTube. just informing them,” said Becky together into the video. The contest The organizers aim to have Thompson, APS’s head of public organizers have intentionally left each video be about two minutes outreach. “With a video contest we directions about the content of the in length and somehow use lasers can get a whole range of people to videos open-ended to foster as much to demonstrate a physics concept. Photo by Nick Romanenko, Rutgers University participate.” creativity in submissions as possible. The contest is open to anyone who No, this isn't a bizarre new version of Roller Derby using fire extinguishers. It's This year’s video contest is laser- “One of the neat things about wants to participate. Previous con- a demonstration by Rutgers professor Mark Croft of Newton's Third Law for a themed in conjunction with Laser- the video contest is that we leave testants have ranged from elemen- large and appreciative audience. For more on physics demos, please see page 6. Fest, the yearlong celebration of the it vague,” Thompson said. “I don’t CONTEST continued on page 2

2 • May 2010 APS NEWS

Members This Month in Physics History in the Media “This is a great step they’ve have formed recently and would May 16, 1960: Maiman Builds First Working Laser made… But there are a lot more have to have formed in the primor- Lasers are ubiquitous in 21st century society, with Maiman discovered errors in those calculations, and steps to get to what you and most dial universe.” applications in telecommunications, DVD players, found that artificial rubies (which had fewer impuri- people imagine when you think of Ruth Durrer, University of Ge- checkout scanners, cutting and welding, eye surgery, ties) worked very well. Thanks to the input of his as- cloaking devices.” neva, on galactic magnetic fields, tattoo removal, dentistry, and medicine, to name just a sistant, Charles Asawa, he also used pulses of light to David Schurig, North Carolina U.S. News and World Report, April few of the markets that make up this multi-billion-dol- excite the atoms in the ruby lasing medium, instead State University, on a meta-ma- 2, 2010. lar industry. But it all started with one lone physicist, of a movie projector lamp used in earlier experiments. terial made by a team of German “When you observe something Theodore Maiman, who defied the doubts of skepti- On May 16, 1960, Maiman succeeded in producing physicists that can cloak objects in in one state, one theory is it split the cal colleagues to build the first working laser in 1960. a short burst of coherent light from his humble device a wide range of wavelengths, MS- universe into two parts.” That achievement earned him the moniker, “father of –not a continuous concentrated beam of light, and far NBC.com, March 18, 2010. Andrew Cleland, UC Santa Bar- the electro-optics industry.” less powerful than many lasers today, but nonetheless, “No practical scenarios of an at- bara, FoxNews.com, April 5 2010. Born in Los Angeles in 1927, Maiman spent his it was a working laser. More importantly, it was very tack on the real power grid can be formative years in Denver. His father was an electri- easy to build. “It looked like a high school [science] “I think they have an excellent cal engineer and an inventor, who wanted his son to project,” his widow, Kathleen, said recently. “It is so derived from such work.” convincing case for the first obser- Reka Albert, Penn State, on an be a doctor. Instead, the young Theodore parlayed his simple. But [so much] physics and thought went into vation of element 117.” gift for mathematics–and early job ex- it.” article in a Chinese science journal Walter D. Loveland, Oregon about the vulnerability of the US perience as a radio and appliance repair- He published his discovery in Na- State University, The New York man–into degrees in engineering phys- ture. Townes later called Maiman’s power grid, The New York Times, Times, April 6, 2010. March 20, 2010. ics from the University of Colorado. In paper “the most important per word “These pigeons know each oth- 1955, he completed his PhD in physics of any of the wonderful papers” that “As you might imagine, waiting er. They know which is the smart- at , under his advi- the journal had published in its 100+ 20 years is a pretty nasty chore,” est. The fastest bird will even follow sor, Willis E. Lamb, who won the Nobel years. But at first, the relevance of the Roy Weinstein, University of the slower one who knows the way Prize in Physics that same year. He soon accomplishment wasn’t clear. “A la- Houston, after receiving a patent home the best.” found work with Hughes Aircraft Com- ser is a solution seeking a problem,” for superconducting magnets he Tamás Vicsek, Eötvös Loránd pany, and it was there that Maiman got Maiman once observed, and while first applied for in 1990,The Hous- University, on how flocks of pi- caught up in the race to build the first he believed in the device’s potential, ton Chronicle, March 25, 2010. geons are able to efficiently navi- working laser. Hughes was less interested in develop- “You fund for a very short pe- gate, U.S. News and World Re- The theoretical underpinnings of the ing applications. laser had been around for many years. Theodore Maiman contem- A frustrated Maiman left Hughes riod of time–two years, three years port, April 8, 2010. plates a cube-shaped ruby Albert Einstein first broached the pos- and founded his own company in 1961, -maximum–in hopes of opening up “We can go to regions we crystal. sibility of stimulated emission in a 1917 Korad, devoted entirely to the develop- something big. So we are saying, couldn’t reach or go to previously paper, although wasn’t until the 1940s and 1950s that ment and manufacture of lasers, and in 1968 he left swing for the fences.” explored regions and study them physicists found a novel use for the concept. In 1953, that position to found another company, Maiman As- Steven Chu, Department of En- for extended periods that are impos- Charles Townes patented a device he called a maser, sociates. Ultimately he held patents not just for his first ergy, on funding energy research, sible with conventional planes.” for “microwave amplification by stimulated emission laser, but also related to masers, laser displays, optical Newsweek, March 26, 2010. David Fahey, NOAA Aerono- of radiation.” But the technique was limited to the scanning, and laser modulation. “He came in saying he was go- my Lab, on the scientific uses for microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The question of patent rights has proven to be a ing to make decisions based on sci- NASA’s remote controlled Global Townes thought it might be possible to gain even more fairly litigious one, most notably in the case of Gordon ence. In this case, I think it was a Hawk, CNN.com, April 9, 2010. information by developing a device that produced Gould, a graduate student under Townes at Columbia political debt to Harry Reid.” “On average, these weapons are light at much shorter wavelengths, extending the ma- University in the late 1950s. He later sued to earn pat- Thomas Cochran, Natural Re- 30 years old. One of our weapons ser concept to the optical range. The best way to do ent rights based on his research notebook, which con- sources Defense Council, on Presi- just had its 40th birthday.” this, he thought, would be to use molecules to generate tained an entry dated and notarized in November 1957, dent Obama’s decision not to use Bruce Goodwin, Lawrence the desired frequencies through stimulated emission. describing his own design for a laser. Gould fought for Yucca Mountain to store nuclear Livermore National Labs, on the With his colleague (later his brother-in-law) Arthur decades, and in 1973 the U.S. Court of Customs and waste, The Seattle Times, March current condition of the U.S. nucle- Schawlow, Townes wrote a paper detailing the con- Patent Appeals ruled that the original patent awarded 28, 2010. ar arsenal, UPI, April 11, 2010. cept, “Infrared and Optical Masers,” and published it to Schawlow and Townes was too general, and did not “This is the end of the begin- “In my opinion, NIF has noth- in the December 1958 issue of the Physical Review, supply enough information to create certain key com- ning…The real fun now will be ing significant to do with the safety although they had yet to build a working prototype. ponents of a working laser. Gould was finally granted making the physics measurements.” or reliability of the [nuclear] stock- They received a patent for their design two years later. patent rights. Robert Cousins, UCLA, on the pile.” That paper caused a flurry of research by other sci- Other types of lasers emerged over the years, such LHC’s record setting 7 TeV col- Arjun Makhijani, the Institute entists vying to make this theoretical device a reality. as the dye laser, the helium-neon laser, the semicon- lisions, The Los Angeles Times, for Energy and Environmental Re- Other major companies doing research in this area– ductor laser, the carbon-dioxide laser, the ion laser, March 30, 2010. search, The Philadelphia Inquirer, many boasting hefty federal grants–included Bell the metal-vapor laser, the excimer laser, and the “These magnetic fields could not April 12, 2010. Labs, RCA, Lincoln Lab, IBM, Westinghouse, and free-electron laser. Maiman’s humble device literally Siemens. changed the world. He received several honorary CONTEST continued from page 1 Against those steep odds, Maiman won the race in degrees, induction into the National Inventors Hall tary school students to national $1,000. Visitors to the Physics- the same year Townes and Schawlow received their of Fame, membership in the National Academies of laboratories. To enter, contestants Central website will be able to first patent for the “optical maser.” He brought both Science and Engineering, and won the APS Oliver E. his physics and engineering training to bear on the Buckley Prize in 1966. But the one honor that eluded must post their videos to You- vote for the people’s choice award Tube with the word “LaserFest” problem. Ironically, his supervisors at Hughes initially him was the Nobel Prize: twice nominated, Maiman winner starting on May 24th. The weren’t interested in having him follow that line of never won. somewhere in the title, and send winners of both awards will be an- an email with “LaserFest Video” research–he had been hired to work on government Maiman died from systemic mastocytosis on May nounced on May 31st. in the subject line to physicscen- aerospace contracts–but Maiman insisted, so he was 5, 2007. As for that first working laser, it is stored in [email protected]. The grand prize The deadline for submissions grudgingly given a meager budget of $50,000 over a safe deposit box in a bank in downtown Vancouver, winner, chosen by a panel of APS is May 16th, the actual date that nine months, and he set to work. BC. The white box (wrapped in bubble wrap and Sty- staff involved in public outreach marks the fiftieth anniversary of Other scientists had dismissed ruby as a lasing me- rofoam) has a label scrawled on top in bright red ink: and engagement, will receive a the first successful demonstration dium and were focusing on gases in their experiments. “Maiman’s laser.” trophy made from laser toys and of a laser.

Series II, Vol. 19, No. 5 and, if possible, include a mailing label from a recent is- General Councillors ADVISORS May 2010 sue. Requests from subscribers for missing issues will be Robert Austin, Elizabeth Beise*, Marcela Carena*, honored without charge only if received within 6 months Marta Dark McNeese, Katherine Freese, Nergis Maval- Representatives from Other Societies APS NEWS © 2010 The American Physical Society of the issue’s actual date of publication. Periodical Post- vala, Warren Mori, Jorge Pullin Fred Dylla, AIP; David M. Cook, AAPT age Paid at College Park, MD and at additional mailing International Councillor International Advisors Coden: ANWSEN ISSN: 1058-8132 offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to APS News, Belita Koiler Membership Department, American Physical Society, Louis Felipe Rodriguez Jorge, Mexican Physical Society Editor•...... Alan Chodos One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844. Chair, Nominating Committee Robert Mann, Canadian Association of Physicists Staff Science Writer ...... Michael Lucibella Angela Olinto Art Director and Special Publications Manager...... Kerry G. Johnson APS COUNCIL 2010 Staff Representatives Design and Production...... Nancy Bennett-Karasik Chair, Panel on Public Affairs Alan Chodos, Associate Executive Officer; Amy Flatten Proofreader...... Edward Lee President Robert Socolow Director of International Affairs; Ted Hodapp, Director Curtis G. Callan, Jr.*, Princeton University Division, Forum and Section Councillors of Education and Diversity; Michael Lubell, Director APS News (ISSN: 1058-8132) is published 11X yearly, Subscriptions: APS News is an on-membership publi- Neil Cornish (Astrophysics), P. Julienne (Atomic, Public Affairs; Dan Kulp, Editorial Director; Christine monthly, except the August/September issue, by the cation delivered by Periodical Mail. Members residing President-Elect Molecular & Optical Physics), Mark Reeves (Biological Giaccone, Director, Journal Operations; Michael American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, Col- abroad may receive airfreight delivery for a fee of $15. Barry C. Barish*, Caltech Physics), Nancy Levinger (Chemical Physics), Arthur Stephens, Controller and Assistant Treasurer lege Park, MD 20740-3844, (301) 209-3200. It contains Nonmembers: Subscription rates are available at http:// Epstein (Condensed Matter Physics), David Landau news of the Society and of its Divisions, Topical Groups, librarians.aps.org/institutional.html. Vice-President (Computational Physics), James Brasseur* (Fluid Administrator for Governing Committees Sections, and Forums; advance information on meetings Robert L. Byer*, Stanford University Dynamics), Gay Stewart (Forum on Education), Amber Ken Cole of the Society; and reports to the Society by its commit- Subscription orders, renewals and address changes Stuver*, (Forum on Graduate Student Affairs), Michael tees and task forces, as well as opinions. should be addressed as follows: For APS Members– Executive Officer Riordan (Forum on History of Physics), Stefan Zolner* Membership Department, American Physical Society, Kate P. Kirby*, Harvard-Smithsonian (retired) (Forum on Industrial and Applied Physics), Herman * Members of the APS Executive Board Letters to the editor are welcomed from the member- One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844, Winick (Forum on International Physics), Philip “Bo” ship. Letters must be signed and should include an ad- [email protected]. Treasurer Hammer* (Forum on Physics and Society), Steve dress and daytime telephone number. The APS reserves For Nonmembers–Circulation and Fulfillment Divi- Joseph W.Serene*, Georgetown University (Emeritus) Rolston (Laser Science), Ted Einstein (Materials Phys- the right to select and to edit for length or clarity. All cor- sion, American Institute of Physics, Suite 1NO1, 2 Editor-in-Chief ics), Wick Haxton (Nuclear Physics), Marjorie Corcoran respondence regarding APS News should be directed to: Huntington Quadrangle, Melville, NY 11747-4502. Gene D. Sprouse*, (on leave) (Particles & Fields Physics), John Galayda (Physics of Editor, APS News, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, Allow at least 6 weeks advance notice. For address Beams), David Hammer* (Plasma Physics), Scott Milner Past-President MD 20740-3844, E-mail: [email protected]. changes, please send both the old and new addresses, (Polymer Physics), Heather Galloway* (Texas Section), Cherry A. Murray*, Harvard University Bruce Barrett (4 Corners Section) APS NEWS May 2010 • 3

March Meeting Prize and Award Recipients Education C orner A column on educational programs and publications

Gordon Conference on Physics Research and Education The sixth in a series of Gordon Research Conferences exploring the connections between physics research and education will be held June 6–11, 2010 at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. This conference will focus on experimental research and laboratories in physics education and will feature sessions on undergraduate research, upper-level labs, and experiments, simulations and modeling, among other topics. The application deadline is May 16, and partial support for attendees may be available. For more information, go to www.grc. org/programs.aspx?year=2010&program=physedu.

APS Releases Educational Posters The APS Education and Diversity Department has released two posters focusing on physics education. “The Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Study Physics” was co-designed with the American Association of Physics Teachers to recruit high school and undergraduate students into physics classes. “Gravitational Waves” was co-designed with the Laser Interferometry Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and presents cutting-edge physics research at the high school or undergraduate level. Both posters can be downloaded or ordered from Photo by Keith Aden www.aps.org/programs/education/teachers. At the March Meeting in Portland, President Curtis Callan presided over the ceremonial session at which APS Prizes and Awards were presented. Seated, in the picture, are (l to r): Marcia C. B. Barbosa, Patricia Thiel, Robert A. Frosch, Shlomo Teacher Recruiting Video Released Havlin, and Russell McCormmach. Standing in the middle row are (l to r): Michael Rubinstein, Yueh-Lin Loo, Paul Stein- hardt, Daniel Friedan, David Campbell, Lester Andrews, Michael Aizenman, Kathryn Greenberg (front), Felix Campelo The APS/American Association of Physics Teachers-led PhysTEC Aubarell (rear), Bilin Zhuang, Jeffrey R. Moffitt, and Kenneth Kamrin. Standing in the back row are (l to r): Curtis Callan, project recently produced a five-minute video designed to inspire Enrique Galvez, Eugene Ivanov, Sang-Wook Cheong, Nicola A. Spaldin, Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Alessandra Lanzara, physics majors to pursue a career in teaching. The video features four Dov Levine, Duncan Steel and Stephen Shenker. young physics teachers who talk about what excites them about their jobs, as well as extensive footage from these teachers’ classrooms. It is available on DVD as well as online at www.PhysTEC.org/video and Researchers Pursue Advances in Electronics, Photonics on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/physicsed. Physicists at the March Meet- transistors can’t scale down any able graphene transistor. They have ing reported on their work looking further and will start to become less been able to successfully integrate Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, for ways to keep the exponential efficient. graphene interconnects into com- Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) growth in computing power from Graphene, thin sheets of hex- monly used complementary met- The National Science Foundation’s Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory tapering off by researching possible agonally arranged carbon atoms, al-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) Improvement (CCLI) program has been renamed Transforming new materials and techniques. has garnered a lot of attention for technology and achieve processing Undergraduate Education in STEM (TUES). According to NSF, “the While computing power has ex- its remarkable electrical properties. speeds as fast as a gigahertz. title of the program was changed in order to emphasize the special ponentially increased over the last Some physicists say that it could be Also at the meeting, Phaedon interest in projects that have the potential to transform undergraduate several decades, many in the field the material that in the future will Avouris of the IBM Research Cen- STEM education. The additional review criteria have been modified to have worried that it could saturate replace silicon as the semiconduct- ter announced that his team has emphasize the desire for projects that (1) propose materials, processes, or models that have the potential to enhance student learning and to at some point. Moore’s Law pre- ing basis of transistors. taken an important step towards be adapted easily by other sites and (2) involve a significant effort to dicts that the number of transistors “Over the past few years re- overcoming a major impediment facilitate adaptation at other sites.” Proposals are due May 26. For that fit on a computer chip, and its searchers have been looking into researchers have encountered in more information, go to www.nsf.gov and search on “TUES”. corresponding processing power, different materials…and graphene graphene-based transistors. In order will double every 18 to 24 months. is considered one of the most prom- to function, semiconductors need a Correction Though not a law of nature, it has ising,” said Helen Xiangyu Chen of band gap where current completely The April Education Corner gave the impression that LaserFest kits are been generally accurate over the Stanford University. stops flowing when in the “off” po- available to all teachers. In fact, the kits are available only to physicists last forty years. However as tran- At the meeting, Chen announced sition. Creating a graphene transis- providing professional development for high school teachers. sistors have shrunk, many are wor- that her team has made a significant tor with the necessary band gap has ried about hitting a point where the leap forward in developing a work- ELECTRONICS continued on page 6

The Futurama of Physics with David X. Cohen

By Alaina G. Levine In the episode “’s Big former writer and producer for The ourselves,” he says. One of his fa- be invalidated by a standard 8-digit respect as we have for science, we Score” of Futurama, the animated Simpsons. Cohen has a bachelor’s vorite clandestine operations was calculator. have to make the show entertain- television comedy, the character degree in physics from Harvard an allusion to Fermat’s Last Theo- “But I felt I could do better,” ing.” This requires Cohen to bend contem- and a master’s degree in computer rem in an episode of Cohen says with conviction, and natural laws, but “we try to come plates paradox-free time travel. science from UC Berkeley, and is entitled “Homer3”. In the name of in another episode, he penned an- up with an explanation that will “I believe this ‘paradoxical- not afraid to use them. entertainment, he wrote a comput- other equation which improved the amuse scientists, even if it is bo- ity’ equation to be unsolvable,” With an omnipresent devotion answer by one decimal place. Al- gus,” he says. he says, pointing to the equa- to physics, and many writing col- though it was repetitive, he just felt For example, since the show’s tion, E=9.87sin(2B)-7.53cos(B)- leagues on the show with back- the need to do it. “I felt competitive universe requires travel faster than 1.5sin(B), written on a blackboard. grounds in applied math, electrical with myself,” he admits. the speed of light, “we stuck some- “Ergo, time travel is impossible. engineering, computer science, and Cohen gets such a kick out of thing in one episode where we stat- But I can’t quite prove it.” chemistry themselves, Cohen is al- imbedding television episodes ed that the characters weren’t actu- Thanks to some help from a ways looking for places in stories with scientific citations that after ally traveling faster than light, but “razzle dazzle” band of basketball- where he can insert “an in-joke” his shows air, he sometimes trolls that scientists had in fact managed playing mathematicians, the Har- relating to science and technology. the internet to read fan comments to increase the speed of light,” Co- lem Globetrotters, who “use varia- He is extremely proud of the fact about his contributions. hen explains. “We like to at least tion of parameters and expand the that Futurama is one of the “few Despite his passion for bury- acknowledge it when we know Wronskian”, the claim is disprov- shows that can put in a joke for a ing physics treasure in a trove of we’re wrong.” en in a rare instance of televised physics graduate student,” he says. episodes, Cohen, along with Matt But fans don’t seem to mind. mathematics... with the caveat that “And with an animated show, you Groening (creator of The Simp- Because Futurama is a comedy the very fabric of causality may have much more opportunity to do sons, and Executive Producer and not a drama like Star Trek, rupture. those kinds of things. In a live ac- along with Cohen of Futurama), “we are given much more leeway” Whether a doomsday scenario tion show, it’s kind of hard to put in made the conscious decision early to alter the rules of space and time, is possible in the Universe of Fu- a floating holographic equation.” on that “we would make sure that says Cohen. “We show a healthy turama is of great interest to David His veiled mathematical hom- er program to search for very near the story and the humor would take respect for science, so I think it’s X. Cohen, the show’s Executive ages are usually in the background, misses of the theorem, and found the first position and science would okay if we don’t always get it Producer and head writer, and a and are done mostly “to amuse some so close that they could not take the second position. As much FUTURAMA continued on page 7 4 • May 2010 APS NEWS Letters Laser Pioneer Turns 90 In March, on a bright and own careers as well. Most of sunny day in Tucson, Arizona, the speakers at the conference Is “Seminal” Sexist? 18 eminent laser pioneers and were “one degree” away from A listserv for college educators Soon after that episode, I re- optical physicists came togeth- Nico in some way, either as his that I belong to recently had a post ceived my March 2010 issue of er to celebrate the 90th birthday former student or colleague, recommending a “seminal article.”. APS News with its list of prize and of Nobel Laureate Nicolaas and were referred to with af- A response gently suggested that award winners. I went through the Bloembergen. Sponsored by fection by Marlan Scully as the we try and avoid sexist and sexual citations and found the following the University of Arizona Col- “Nicolettes.” Nico, who served words such as “seminal” and use words used to describe the achieve- lege of Optical Sciences where as President of the APS in 1991 alternatives such as groundbreak- ments: seminal (6), pioneering (4), he holds a faculty appoint- and published more than 300 ing, cutting edge, leading edge, and leadership (4), contribution (3), ment, the Nicolaas Bloember- papers, has been a trailblazer in foundational. groundbreaking (2), development gen Nobel Laureate Scientific nonlinear optics. A highlight of This aroused much controversy (2), elucidation (2), original (1), Symposium featured talks by the meeting was when all of the in this usually decorous forum, with brilliant (1), revolutionary (1), in- fellow laureates Roy J. Glau- attendees sang Happy Birthday levels of passion usually reached sightful (1). ber, John L. Hall, and Charles Photo by Margy Green, University of Arizona to the physicist, followed by among academics only for the topic While seminal was the winner, H. Townes. The scientists gath- Seated (l to r): , the cutting of an enormous cake. of grade inflation. One side argued it seems like we have good alter- ered to congratulate and express Charles Townes. Standing (l to r): Roy Glau- Many pictures of the event can that the word seminal was innocu- natives. At the risk of provoking a gratitude to “Nico” for not only ber, John Hall. be found at http://www.optics. in particular the laser, but to their ous, the issue trivial, and the reaction fresh round of protests in this venue, his contributions to science, and arizona.edu/. a symptom of political correctness perhaps we could suggest to prize run amok. The other side said that committees that they use these al- since many did find the word dis- ternatives whenever possible. tasteful and alternatives were avail- Lasers Are Creative Tools for Education, Outreach able, why not retire it except for use Mano Singham in its narrow, technical sense? Cleveland, OH Demonstrating the importance damental premises that are used of lasers to the public is one of the in current cutting edge research. What to Do When the Oil Runs Out goals of LaserFest, the 50th anni- His freshman students measure the versary celebration of the invention speed of light by timing how long Everything Frits de Wette says in our usage is ever increasing, a day of the laser. At the March Meet- it takes to reflect back from the far his letter “The Sun is a Wild Card” of reckoning comes, when the soda ing’s “LaserFest: Laser Education side of the room, akin to measur- [APS News, January, 2010] is valid straw will suck air. Recovery tech- and Outreach” session, physics ing the distance from Earth to the and sensible, but heating due to an- niques get better every year, and teachers showed off how they use moon with laser range finders and thropogenic activities is neverthe- there is still some oil to be found, lasers as outreach and education retro reflectors. His more advanced less possible, even likely if you look but this only has to do with the date activities. students build their own interfer- at the combustion of about one-half of the day of reckoning–not its cer- “A key audience for LaserFest ometers that are essentially simpler of Earth’s stored oil in about fifty tain arrival. is kids,” said APS’s head of public versions of LIGO, and take the la- years. Should there be an anthropo- When the oil runs out, we are outreach Becky Thompson, who ser spectrum of rubidium using the genic threat, dealing with it will get going to need nuclear. Wind, water, organized the session, “We wanted same principles that atomic clocks more difficult year-by-year. thermal, and solar, even coal (with to highlight both what APS was operate on. The best arguments against a so- caveats) are all good, but no way doing for laser education and give “It’s something that can get the lar cause are the steepness of the in- we power Earth with them. Using meeting attendees a chance to learn basic idea of lasers as important creases and the physical changes in the US as a standard, most of Earth about successful outreach in gen- tools for precision measurements Photo courtesy of John Noe the planet. Tree records do not show is extremely underpowered right eral.” across to students,” Orzel said. James Scholtz, then undergraduate such past steepness. now. Our nuclear reactors take for- Lasers have been a big part of This idea of learning by doing is at Stony Brook University, adjusts a This is an extremely complex ever to build and approve, create too undergraduate research labs for also central to the teaching philoso- laser diode on his project at the Laser Teaching Center. question, and we may not have much radioactive waste, are not safe years. Chad Orzel, a professor at phy at Stony Brook’s Laser Teach- good answers for a decade or more. enough, and do not breed new fuel. Union College, described at the ing Center. Completed in 1999, camp, “The whole point of camp is Further, we may not be chasing the We need a new design. We have meeting how he often uses laser the center has an assortment of lab to set stuff on fire.” right question. If the increase is solar about a decade or two to get a new experiments to show his students stations and equipment geared to- More importantly, she said, the as per de Wette’s letter, are we going reactor design done, tested, and ap- their importance to scientific mea- wards teaching the physics of op- camp is working to help to close to sit back and watch our agriculture proved and another decade to build surements. tics to graduate, undergraduate, and the gender gap in the physical sci- severely damaged, our environment reactors. This has to do with post-oil “The most impressive applica- even high school students. ences. Research has shown that altered, and do nothing? power, not with global warming, but tions in science and physics are “We teach optics,” said Harold exposing girls to college level sci- The proposed solutions are to in- the design of all new energy must in precision measurement,” Orzel Metcalf, a professor at the univer- ence concepts as early as middle crease efficiencies and to find new address global warming. said at his talk, “The world’s best sity and one of the founders of the school greatly improves the likeli- renewable, non-solar trapping, en- Let’s get on with solving the measurements mostly involve la- center, “You can see light. It’s ex- hood they’ll stay in the sciences. ergy sources (or if not renewable, problems. sers.” tremely important for the students Though no male applicant has ever more plentiful.) Since we have used During lab sessions, Orzel has to see what’s going on without a lot been turned away from the SPICE approximately 50% of the stored Richard A Karlin his students conduct experiments of equipment in the way.” program, the organizers primar- oil in less than 100 years, and since Pittsburgh, PA designed to explore the same fun- Converted from an empty hall ily recruit girls in middle school to beneath the offices of the Depart- participate. ment of Physics and Astronomy in Paul Guèye at Hampton Univer- the Physics building, the center of- sity is also working to bring more fers students a chance to work on underrepresented groups into the hands-on optics projects. The high physical sciences. Working with school students who attend are By Michael Lucibella both the National Society of Black usually part of the lab’s summer Physicists and National Society program and use the lab to work of Hispanic Physicists, Guèye has on science fair projects. Many stu- brought the science ambassador dents have been finalists and semi- program to hundreds of elemen- finalists in national competitions. tary school students in dozens of Undergraduates often use the lab predominantly minority and under- to do extra credit work and other privileged classrooms across the research, while graduate students country. participate in an “Optics Rotation” “The most important thing is course. fun. You don’t want to do some- The University of Oregon’s thing boring,” Guèye said. SPICE summer program is a sci- These science ambassadors ence summer camp with a special travel with physics demonstra- emphasis on optics, aimed at en- tions to classrooms in areas with couraging middle school girls to limited resources, in order to show participate more in the sciences. students the fun of physics ex- The Science Program to Inspire periments. Since its inception, the Creativity and Excellence (SPICE, class has expanded from reaching formerly the Optical Science Dis- 25 students in 2005 to over 400 in covery Camp) is a weeklong day 2009. Guèye said that they hope to camp that combines optics educa- continue to expand the program us- tion with summer camp fun. ing funding from LaserFest on the “You get to set stuff on fire Road grants to incorporate more with a Fresnel lens,” said Miriam Deutsch, one of the directors of the LASERS continued on page 7 © Michael Lucibella 2010 APS NEWS May 2010 • 5

Washington Dispatch Feynman Drew More Than Diagrams A bimonthly update from the APS Office of Public Affairs The drawing on page 1 was done in 1985 by celebrated Caltech physi- ISSUE: Budget and Authorization Environment cist Richard Feynman. It is one of several that are now at Princeton Another Continuing Resolution Likely this year in the possession of APS Presi- dent Curtis Callan. In the photo, Following the bruising fight over healthcare, and public anxiety over Callan (left) enlists the help of col- the still lagging economy, the Democratic majority in Congress will league to display a have to overcome significant hurdles to complete a FY 2011 Budget few of the others. The works were Resolution and the attendant appropriations bills. According to “The acquired by Princeton, where Feyn- Hill”, a newspaper that follows Congressional developments, “House man had been a graduate student, Democrats are facing a much tighter vote on the budget resolution in the mid-eighties, and were kept in in 2010 because of big deficit projections and the looming mid-term the office of the late , election. As a result, centrist Democrats will have a harder time from whom Callan received them. voting for the resolution.” The bottom line: It is likely that there will be In the opinion of experts, Feynman Continuing Resolutions again this year to keep government agencies was at least as good at drawing as running once the fiscal year ends. Rembrandt was at physics.

Photo courtesy of Curtis Callan America COMPETES Reauthorization The tight fiscal environment will also have an impact on reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act. Staff for the House Science Committee, earlier this year, forecast that reauthorization of the bill would be bipartisan and somewhat easy to accomplish. However, the mood has since changed. During a March 25th markup of the DOE Office of Science section of the bill, Republicans offered seven amendments in an attempt to cut back authorization levels Indo-US Student Visitation Program: Graduate Students Building Collaborations over concerns about spending. Included among the amendments was one offered by the bill’s original co-sponsor, Congresswoman By Danielle Lieske and Sunita Srivastava Judy Biggert, to cut the overall authorization. Ultimately she In 2008, the APS and the Indo- Danielle Lieske: From Palo withdrew the amendment after Committee Chairman Bart Gordon US Science and Technology Fo- Alto to Bangalore pledged to work with her to lower some of the authorization levels rum (IUSSTF) issued its first call In the fall of 2008 I received prior to consideration by the full Committee. The National Science for proposals for a new program to an email from Gerry Fuller, my Foundation (NSF) portion of COMPETES will be marked up on April sponsor the exchange of physicists PhD advisor, with the text “would 14th, and the full House Science Committee is expected to mark up and physics graduate students be- you be interested in visiting India” the full reauthorization bill by the end of April. tween India and the United States. and attached information about the With regard to the Energy and Water appropriations bill, which The Professorship Awards in Phys- India-US Physics Student Visita- funds the DOE Office of Science, funding levels for FY11 could be ics permit professors from India and tion Program (co-sponsored by particularly difficult. Because a number of water projects would not the United States to deliver short APS and the Indo-US Science and be funded in the President’s budget, Congress is likely to strip money courses or a lecture series in the Technology Forum). Gerry had from DOE/SC to make up the shortfall. other country. The Physics Student just returned from a visit to the In- Visitation Program provides both dian Institute of Science (IISc) in Danielle Lieske (left) and Sunita Be sure to check the APS Washington Office’s Blog, Physics scientific training as well as cul- Bangalore. During his visit, he met Srivastava Frontline (http://physicsfrontline.aps.org/), for the latest news on the tural experiences while graduate Jaydeep Basu and they realized PhD student) and I were awarded FY11 Budget. students pursue a breadth of oppor- that each lab specializes in char- the grant, and we began to plan our tunities such as attending a summer acterizing interfacial phenomena trips. ISSUE: POPA Activities institute or conducting research in a from a different perspective. After Several of my friends have vis- host professor’s lab. The first round some discussion, they agreed that ited India and I have heard stories, The Energy Critical Elements Study group, which is examining the of proposals yielded two especially it would be mutually beneficial for both good and bad. As Professor scarcity of critical elements for new energy technologies, held its interesting applications–in order to each of them to send a student on a Basu mentioned on the first day of first meeting in late April atMIT . Featured keynote speakers included build an ongoing collaboration be- two-to-three week visitation to the my visit, Americans often react to Anthony Mariano, rare earths consultant; David Eaglesham of First tween their laboratories, two pro- other’s lab. India in one of two ways: they either Solar, Inc.; James Lancaster of the National Research Council; Cyrus fessors applied to “exchange” their As many graduate students Wadia of UC Berkeley; Scott Sibley of the U.S. Geological Survey; love and embrace the experience graduate students between Stanford would be, I was very excited at the and Jung-Chan Bae of the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology or find India to be overwhelming. (KITECH). and the Indian Institute of Science. prospect of visiting another lab, Knowing this, I was a little appre- Each new to the other’s country, the particularly one in India. I began hensive about my trip, but also ex- The Electric Grid Study group, which is examining the technical two students have given an account to work on the application immedi- cited. challenges and priorities for increasing the amount of renewable of their studies and impressions of ately. A few months later we heard Sunita visited Stanford first. The electricity on the grid, is in the final stages of drafting its report, which their host country. that both Sunita (Professor Basu’s INDO-US continued on page 6 will be presented to POPA for approval in June. COUNCIL continued from page 1 A POPA subcommittee, comprising Duncan Moore, John Browne, tee, appointed by then-President who could be reached by email; fying the addendum, and used them Frances Houle, and James Drake, continued its work on the 2007 Cherry Murray and chaired by each message contained a unique to produce a revised version. This APS Statement on Climate Change. In February, the subcommittee Daniel Kleppner of MIT, recom- URL that enabled the member to version, which contained substan- –with APS Associate Director of Public Affairs Francis Slakey and mended that the 2007 statement be access the text of the statement and tial differences from the original, POPA Chair Rob Socolow serving as resources–had prepared and returned to POPA to address issues proposed Commentary, and, if de- was presented to POPA and ap- circulated an Addendum to the Statement in response to a November of “clarity and tone.” Council ad- sired, to provide input. The system proved by that body on April 2. It APS Council motion. In March, the subcommittee reviewed and opted the recommendations of the was designed so that each member was this version that was forwarded considered more than 1,700 comments sent by APS members, Kleppner committee, and asked could comment only once during to the APS Board and Council, and and updated the proposed Addendum. In April, POPA unanimously POPA to appoint a subcommittee the 3-week period that the site was approved by the latter on April 18. approved the updated Addendum and sent it to the APS Executive to accomplish this goal, and also open. This entire sequence of events Board and Council for final action. See story on page 1 for further both to consult outside experts and Of those who received the began at the Council meeting last details. to solicit input from the entire APS email, 5805 viewed the material, spring, when Councilor Robert membership. The Moore subcom- and 1767 submitted comments by Austin introduced a motion to If you have suggestions for a POPA study, please visit http://www. mittee conducted a series of tele- the March 19 deadline. Each of the replace the 2007 climate change aps.org/policy/reports/popa-reports/suggestions/index.cfm and send conferences with a number of cli- 1767 messages was read by at least statement. Austin’s motion was in your ideas. mate scientists in January. By late one member of the Moore subcom- tabled, and Murray appointed the January, they had a draft commen- mittee. The subcommittee mem- Kleppner committee to advise her ISSUE: Media Update tary which they presented to POPA. bers categorized each comment as on how to proceed. In the run-up USA Today, Global Security Newswire, Science Magazine, and the With some modifications, POPA either favorable to the addendum, to the Council meeting in the fall Physics Today blog were among the many media and online news approved the Commentary on Feb- or unfavorable, or neutral. They of 2009, Council members were organizations that published stories on the release of the APS report, ruary 5. This was then brought to found that 55% of the comments bombarded with email messages “Technical Steps to Support Nuclear Downsizing.” the APS Executive Board, which were in the favorable category, and from the APS membership, ex- approved it at its meeting on Feb- 26% were unfavorable. As several pressing their opinions of the 2007 The April edition of the APS newsletter, Capitol Hill Quarterly, features ruary 12. Council members pointed out dur- statement and the Austin motion. an op-ed by Congressman Frank Wolf (10th-VA) on investing in basic There followed a period in ing the discussion on April 18, it Council then adopted the recom- research to keep America strong. which the logistical and technical is probable that these percentages mendations of the Kleppner com- details of requesting input from the are not representative of the APS mittee, which led to the formation Log on to the APS Public Affairs Web site (http://www.aps.org/ APS membership were worked out. membership as a whole. of the Moore subcommittee and public_affairs) for more information. On February 23, a message from In addition, the subcommittee the subsequent developments cul- APS President Curtis Callan went collected those comments that they minating in the approval of the ad- out to all 46,034 APS members deemed potentially useful in modi- dendum. 6 • May 2010 APS NEWS

ELECTRONICS continued from page 3 The Dawn of the Demo: Demonstrations Are Changing so far proven difficult, but Avouris terial from mercury telluride with Physics Outreach and Education said that they are getting close. He these properties that don’t require and his team built a transistor out of powerful magnetic fields or ultra By Calla Cofield sound waves until they reach the involves two electrodes and usu- two layers of graphene where only cold temperatures. Also from Stan- The science auditorium at Rut- resonant frequency of the glass, ally leaves behind an odd smell. 1 percent of current flows in the off ford, presented a material, de- gers University only seats 330, but and in a startling burst, the beaker “Are some of the things we do big- position. Though it’s still not quite a rived from bismuth selenide, made over 400 people sat on the floor shatters. ger and flashier than they need to large enough band gap to be used in into tiny nano-ribbons that could, But that’s one of the more mild be? Probably,” states Maiullo. “Is and squeezed into the aisles for digital electronics, it is about twenty with more development, function as demos that Maiullo has in his arse- it more of a memory trigger if it’s two hours, just to see Dave Maiullo times more effective than single lay- wires between transistors. nal. There’s the smoke ring cannon bigger and badder? Definitely.” perform. He’s not a movie star and ers of graphene. The problem of overloading built out of a garbage can, or the Maiullo is officially the Physics he doesn’t play guitar, but Maiullo Just as important as the transis- wires has led some researchers to tors that do the computing is the think that the days of electronics are does know how to put on a show. wiring that connects to each transis- numbered. Many see photonics as And he’s just one of a growing tor. The surging field of topological the next step in computer process- number of people who are packing insulators shows a lot of promise ing, where data is sent and received in crowds and engaging students for physicists working to solve the using photons rather than electrons. with the power of physics demos. fundamental problem of energy dis- “The wiring within machines is The word “demo” was once sipation in integrated circuits. becoming a bigger problem than the just a short way of saying “demon- Shoucheng Zhang of Stanford logic…It’s a basic scaling problem– stration,” but in physics outreach University said that while the engi- once you’ve filled the space with and education, it’s taken on a new neering of transistors has improved, wiring, you can’t send any more meaning. A “demo,” according to the fundamental materials for the information,” said David Miller of Maiullo, is a system or a physical connecting circuit haven’t changed Stanford University, “The energy set-up where one parameter can much. Electrical wiring on small benefit of optics is something we’re be easily adjusted, and all others scales loses a lot of energy as heat only beginning to start to see.” remain the same. The demo leader when flowing electrons collide. At the meeting, researchers of- adjusts that parameter, playing “We’re facing a situation where fered an overview on the current with high and low and in between, fundamental new ways of thinking state of the field. Recent research in order to illustrate some physics are required,” Zhang said, “The en- suggests that silicon and germanium concept. gineering [of circuits] has been pro- each are a promising medium to Photo by Nick Romanenko, Rutgers University “There’s a lot of teaching that gressing, but the fundamentals have send photonic computing signals. Dave Maiullo (center) blasts the audience with his smoke-ring cannon. goes on if demos are done cor- not changed.” More development is needed to im- rectly,” he said. “You don’t want Physicists say that topological prove the optic cables and to shrink to hide any of the physics, but you liquid nitrogen trapped in a plas- Support Specialist at Rutgers, and insulators do much to reduce lost transmitters and receivers before can jazz it up in lots of different tic bottle that explodes and lifts one of a growing number of “pro- energy. Using the quantum Hall silicon photonics replaces electronic ways and make something that’s a garbage can ten feet in the air. fessional demo people.” He spends effect, flowing electrons organize computer chips. However physicists eye-catching. That creates a mem- One of Maiullo’s specialty demos part of his day refilling chalk and along the surface of a specially pre- developing these new computer sys- ory trigger, and those are great for is sandwiching himself between adjusting projectors for the Rutgers pared layered semi-conducting ma- tems say that photonics would take educating.” two beds of nails, having someone physics and astronomy professors, terial. When they do, the charges all up less space and require signifi- Take, for example, a demo that walk on the top one, and then hav- and the rest of his time designing, flow in a single direction, prevent- cantly less energy than traditional Maiullo did in a video for The ing someone smash a brick that’s building, and setting up demos. ing charges from colliding with each electronics. New York Times online. The set- placed on top of him. There’s His popularity among the general other and cutting out nearly all resis- “The last century I consider to up is a glass beaker placed next to smoke, fire, flashy lights and - ex public has soared thanks to public tance, much like a superconducting be the century of electronics. This a speaker that lets out one steady plosions. There’s one demo known demo shows that Rutgers now puts material. century I consider to be the one of note with an adjustable frequency. simply as “the glowing pickle” that At the meeting, physicists an- photonics,” said David Lockwood DEMO continued on page 7 Maiullo tunes the frequency of the nounced that for the first time they of the National Research Council in have been able to synthesize a ma- Canada. INDO-US continued from page 5 work went smoothly and we were very conscious of me; they care- than if only one of us had traveled. application. spite of his many engagements at able to complete all the experiments fully shepherded me through traf- It was an experience that I will al- It was the month of December his home and in the office. on her list. We got along very well fic, made sure my food was cooked ways cherish. and I was enjoying official holidays All of my travel was full of learn- and had many good discussions on with American (i.e., no) spice, etc. Sunita Srivastava: Indian In- at home when I got an email from ing new experiences. The most im- both scientific and personal sub- And it was this personal connection stitute of Science to Stanford Michele Irwin that my application portant thing that I cherish now is I jects. She showed me how to cook to the country and the culture that I came to know about the Indo had been accepted. Nothing more got to meet a person like Danielle. paneer and I took her to Santa Cruz made my trip so amazing. –US student visitation program, could make my holidays than this Now she is not just a professional and Yosemite National Park. On a professional note, I was when Prof. Gerry visited our lab af- news. After my leave, when I was collaborator of mine but also a very A month later, after traveling thoroughly impressed with the level ter giving a very interesting talk on back at IISc, I began scheduling the good friend. I spent lots of quality for 24 hours, navigating the H1N1 of science and the facilities present interfacial rheology in the Physics trip and experimental plans. This time with her discussing several is- health check point, clearing Indian at IISc. Although IISc is a much Department of the Indian Institute of was my first very involved interac- sues and sharing opinions. She took customs, and walking the gauntlet smaller university than Stanford, Science. At this time I was working tion with an international group and me to visit Yositemite National of aggressive drivers at the airport, they have access to most major on the very difficult and challeng- I had a very good and satisfying ex- Park, The Mystery Spot, and Santa I arrived in Bangalore. Already a bit pieces of equipment that I could ing experiment of understanding the perience for the full process. Cruz Beach along with her husband overwhelmed, I was excited to see think of (within my field, anyway). rheology of polymer monolayers I visited Stanford first. Danielle Chad, uncle and aunt. The two most Sunita waiting for me outside the Professor Basu’s group also had a under mechanical strain. We (I and was there at the airport to pick me wonderful experiences were the airport. The next day she, along with wonderful atmosphere. Not only did Prof. Basu) were amazed with the up in her car. She was very careful volleyball match at Stanford Uni- her brother, sister, and best friend the students continuously engage in results that I had gotten and were to first take me to the Indian grocery versity and the visit to the park. I took me out into the city. discussions about their research, but in the process of understanding the store so that I was comfortable with also enjoyed cooking Indian food at To say that India is an assault on they were all clearly good friends, physics of the obtained data. There my food. She took me to Prof. Ger- Danielle’s home and getting intro- the senses is absolutely true. There an attitude that was extended to me was no scientist better than Prof. ry’s home and showed me around duced to her sweet pets. are people everywhere and each of the first day I arrived. My experi- Gerry to discuss them with, and for the house. First instant I was sur- From the professional side this them are dressed in beautiful, bright ments went smoothly thanks to the that reason Prof. Basu had invited prised to realize the type of hospi- trip was again very productive for colors from head to toe. The food assistance of several students in the him to visit the lab. I explained all tality I received from Mary (wife of me. I got to learn the advanced tech- is spicy and the noise of traffic and group, and I collected enough data the results to him and he was in- Prof. Gerry). She took care to offer nique of interfacial rheology and in- smells of exhaust are inescapable for a publication. terested in them. We realized that me all the food (fruits, drinks etc.) teract with a few group members in (at least in Bangalore). But what I Although I had entered this ad- further interfacial stress rheometer in her kitchen during my stay. Be- Prof. Gerry’s Lab and others. I did had not heard about India and was venture with some trepidation, the (ISR) measurements would be use- ing from India, where I am always several experiments and am now in constantly impressed by is that In- overall experience was incredible. ful to have better insight into the with my friends, the company of the process of writing a manuscript dians are unbelievably generous I can see that alone and without the physics. During this conversation Mary and Prof. Gerry in their home for publication. and welcoming. The tiniest personal guidance of a local, India would be Prof. Gerry came to know about the made me feel less lonely. They took Altogether the exchange pro- connection to somebody gained me a difficult and sometimes frustrating advanced facilities at IISc, which he me for a Hollywood movie and din- gram helped to build up a strong enormous amounts of help and wel- place to navigate. But as it was, my thought were required for the work ner outside. My discussions over the collaborative bond between both the coming. During my visit, Sunita was trip was wonderful, mostly thanks of some of his graduate students. dinner table with Mary continued labs. We got to know the working an amazing host. She took me with to the generosity of Sunita and her This is how the seed of collabora- for hours, we discussed wide areas culture and scientific environments her to go sari shopping, went with friends. In addition to getting ac- tion was sown between the two like politics, culture, society, etc. more closely, which would not have me to visit a Hindu temple, took me quainted with a small piece of India, labs. After discussions with Prof. of two of the biggest nations in the been possible without actually being to see a Bollywood movie, and for what I most appreciated about this Gerry, Prof. Basu suggested that I world. Prof. Gerry took great care in able travel to the place and sharing several other adventures. But not experience was the reciprocity. Get- find out the details of the visitation both my academic and personal is- the experience. It was an experience only did she accompany me on all ting to host Sunita and show her my program. I was really excited about sues. He lent me his four gear bike which both of us, I and Danielle, these trips off campus, but her lab- home in California, then traveling to the potential opportunity and in the to ride, which was again a very ex- will always appreciate and make an mates and brother and sister came see her home in Bangalore created excitement it did not take me much citing experience. He gave me lots effort to carry forward in our scien- along as well. All of them were a much stronger bond between us time to find the details and place the of time to discuss my ISR results in tific careers. APS NEWS May 2010 • 7

ANNOUNCEMENTS

FUTURAMA continued from page 3 right... the science-minded fans ized to the time it is fully animated ERRATUM Reviews of have learned to throw in the towel and ready to air. In the March Prize and Award insert, the affiliation of the recipient Modern Physics sometimes.” Despite the fact that he incor- of the Prize to a Faculty Member for Research in an Undergraduate Recently Posted Cohen knew from an early age porates many scientific references Institution, Enrique Galvez, was incorrectly listed. He is a professor at Reviews and Colloquia he wanted to be a scientist–he was into his shows, he ironically is still Colgate University, not Harvey Mudd College. directly influenced by both of his unsure whether his decision to Feshbach resonances in parents being biologists. “It be- study physics was exactly the right ultracold gases came a matter of which science I one for his career path. Spoken ERRATUM would go into,” he recalls. He had like a true scientist, he admits that Cheng Chin, Rudolf Grimm, In the April APS News story about Iranian Physicist Farhad Arda- Paul Julienne, and Eite Tiesinga always gravitated towards math he cannot make a final deduction lan’s visa problems, there is an unfortunate error in the sentence “In and physics and computers, and because he “was not able to per- A Feshbach resonance is a scat- 1993 he and his wife received green cards to stay in the US where tering resonance that occurs when contemplates that his choice to form the experiment successfully he resided until her death in 2003.” His wife did not die in 2003 and is the energy of an unbound state of pursue physics in college was per- by majoring in every subject.” But indeed still alive. Ardalan left the US after the death of his friend and a two-body system matches the haps “a pathetic form of rebellion physics definitely helped him– colleague Freydoon Mansouri of the University of Cincinnati. energy of an excited state of the compound system. Recognized against my parents.” “I feel like I was forced to work long ago as an important feature However, when it did come very hard, and to think hard and in nuclear, atomic, and molecular time as an undergraduate at Har- logically, and to try to understand LASERS continued from page 3 scattering, and in photoionization vard for him to choose whether to the process behind the correct an- and photodissociation, Feshbach resonances have assumed new major in physics or comp science, swer… and those things all come optics into their demonstrations. laser used to remove tattoos from importance in ultracold atomic he selected the former because in handy no matter what you do.” One of the attendees at the ses- a piece of mounted pig skin. Other systems. In these systems the en- “physics was more of a fundamen- New episodes of Futurama are sion was Sean O’Malley of Rutgers demonstrations he is working on ergies of the colliding atoms can tal thing to study, with a degree of expected to be aired this year. In University. He received a Laser- that show off the applications of be brought into resonance with a high-lying molecular state by ap- eternal truth to it that I felt com- an APS News exclusive, Cohen re- Fest on the Road grant to develop a lasers are a scaled-up mockup of a plying a magnetic field or by other puter science did not necessarily veals for the first time that in the suitcase of laser demonstrations he CD/DVD player and a laser used to means, providing unprecedented have,” Cohen posits. “I wanted a 10th episode of the upcoming sea- could take from school to school in grow thin films by means of pulsed control over the collision dynam- real, solid underpinning for what- son, tentatively entitled “The Pris- ics. By allowing precise control of the vein of an old fashioned travel- layer deposition. the interactions, Feshbach reso- ever I decided to do later on… oner of Benda,” a theorem based ing salesman. “I’d like them to be inspired,” nances thus open a new door to Physics seemed more unchanging on group theory was specifically “I’m selling to them the wonder O’Malley said, “Kids in general the study of many-body physics. to me, more eternally useful, and written (and proven!) by staffer/ of lasers,” O’Malley said. are naturally curious. It doesn’t This review summarizes the theo- retical background of Feshbach I felt like I would have more op- PhD mathematician to One of the most attention- matter what their ethnicity is or resonances and their application to tions afterwards by majoring in explain a plot twist. Cohen can’t grabbing demonstrations he plans their background is; they’re curi- Bose-Einstein condensates, Fermi physics.” help but chuckle at the irony: his on including in his kit is a YAG ous.” gases, and ultracold molecular But he was also always driven television-writing rule is that en- physics. to humor, and wrote comedic es- tertainment trumps science, but in http://rmp.aps.org says and served as the President this special case, a mathematical of the Harvard Lampoon. By the theorem was penned for the sake DEMO continued from page 6 time he graduated from college, a of entertainment. on every year. In an effort to thin try, and Maiullo says it was then get out there and engage the public plethora of his peers were jetting Does the physicist-turned-com- out the packed crowd, they added that demos began to change from about the things they’re so excited to Hollywood to launch careers in edy icon have any regrets? “What a third performance this year, but a hobby into a profession. about,” Thompson said. “And a comedy writing. “Prior to that I I do is ultimately not similar to that only encouraged even more Associate Executive Officer of lot of times that comes back to do- never knew anyone who had done physics or computer science,” Co- people to come. AAPT Bo Hammer praises PIRA ing demos. The goal of outreach is that and never thought of that as a hen admits. “I would like to have Rutgers isn’t the only university for playing an important part in to get people interested in physics, career,” he says. He still went to lived two lives, to be a scientist in doing demo shows, and it's not just making demos that are accessible and of course an easy way to do graduate school, because, he re- one... So of course I have regrets. friends of academia who are inter- to physics teachers. Demos are be- that is with things that are flashy calls saying to himself, “if I don’t Science is more important than ested in seeing them. At a public coming an ever more popular and and go ‘bang!’” go now, I will forget everything what we do, although I do get a lot demo show in a bar in Brooklyn, a important tool in inquiry-based Thompson illustrates another I’ve learned. I have to keep up the of satisfaction out of my work.” hip-looking crowd of New Yorkers teaching, the method of teach- impact of the growing demo cul- momentum.” “One thing I worry about is watched Maiullo smash items he ing by asking questions rather ture: encouraging physicists who But while a grad student, he that when we purposely present dipped in liquid nitrogen. This was than lecturing. Hammer says the want to enter the field of infor- continued writing. “I reached the inaccurate science in Futurama the third physics demo show that workshops offered by PIRA at the mal education, which refers to point in graduate school where I in the name of entertainment, that was put on in the city this year, and AAPT semiannual meetings are jobs like Maiullo’s as opposed to had gotten a master’s degree and viewers may hold it against us,” some of the venues have turned the primary way that teachers can teaching in a traditional classroom was at a dead end on what I had he concedes. “We do have genu- away more people than they can learn about demos and how to do setting. Thompson started doing been working on as research, and ine respect for science, and we’re seat. The New York Times reported them in their classrooms. demo shows at local schools while I would have had to start on some- trying, when we can, to raise the back in 1997 that one bar tried to “Demos lift the physics out of she was working on her PhD, and thing new,” Cohen says. “It was level of discussion of science on mix the physics demos with music the textbook and make it much got hooked. a good time to think about what television. If we fail sometimes, performances, but the audience ig- more real,” says Hammer. “And “The revelation came when I I was doing next. The comedy I hope people still appreciate the nored the bands. then the next step is to actually let realized I could do this as a ca- writing won out at that point and frequent attempts to bring real sci- “YouTube and shows like students manipulate the demo or reer,” Thompson said. “I didn’t I gave it a try.” ence into the show. I apologize MythBusters have really increased the device themselves. Then they want to do formal education at all, Cohen took a leave of absence in advance for any failures in the public interest in physics demos,” start to get an intuitive sense of but this was exactly what I wanted from Berkeley and “hung around future, because I’m sure there will said Maiullo. “I think a lot of peo- how things work.” to be doing. And I don’t think peo- my cheap, rent-controlled apart- be many more, hopefully enter- ple of my age or even older than Hammer also serves on the ple realize how many jobs there ment” where he wrote sample taining, failures.” me, and I’m just about 50, remem- APS Committee for Informing the are for PhD’s in informal educa- scripts for various TV programs. “Comedy writing is not close- ber Mr. Wizard. He was on public Public (CIP), which serves physi- tion, especially in museums.” By chance and “pure luck”, one of ly related to physics,” Cohen television doing different physics cists who want to do outreach with Teachers and physicists in- his scripts found its way into the concludes. And yet he does con- or chemistry demonstrations. And the general public. He says some terested in doing demo shows hands of Mike Judge, the creator fess that the research arm of sci- for a long time, that was all the ac- physicists are just eager to connect or other outreach projects are of animated shows such as Beavis ence in general has correlations cess people had.” with the public, and to share their encouraged to contact the APS and Butthead and King of the Hill, to comedy writing, in that their That was also the only resource excitement about the work they Outreach department. Thompson who at the time was looking for creative processes have similari- that demo people like Maiullo do. For others, outreach has be- and the APS Outreach depart- “cheap writers.” Before he knew ties. “On a day to day basis, I’m had, up until twenty-five years ago come a requirement they must ful- ment compiled an Outreach Guide it, Cohen was hired to write some not using a lot of diagrams and when the American Association fill for their jobs or their funding (www.aps.org/programs/outreach/ early episodes of Beavis and Butt- solving differential equations. of Physics Teachers (AAPT) put agencies. The broader outreach guide/) with sections such as “So head, and in 1993, he joined the But sometimes in writing, as in together an auxiliary group who criterion of the National Science You Want to Do a Physics Demo,” staff of The Simpsons, where he scientific research, you rely on were doing demos, and called it the Foundation, for example, now re- which can assist in setting up remained until 1998, when he and your gut instinct and your ex- Physics Instructional Resource As- quires its major grant recipients teachers, educators or professors Groening launched Futurama. perience to tell you that yes, I sociation, PIRA. About ten years to not only do research, but find with demos depending on the re- As Executive Producer, Co- am setting off on a road that is after its initial formation, the dawn a way to connect that research to sources they have available. But hen considers his most important worthwhile.” of the Internet allowed the group society. the guide also includes tips about responsibility to be that of head Alaina G. Levine is a science to set up a website where they The CIP works with the APS setting up public lectures, science writer, and is involved with every writer and President of Quantum indexed physics demos and orga- Outreach Department, headed up cafes (which Thompson says are script from its conception through Success Solutions, a leadership nized them by the concept they by Becky Thompson. The goal currently “in vogue”), open hous- its infancy and as it flowers into and professional development illustrate, and created online dis- of both the committee and the de- es, and working with museums. adulthood as a finished product consulting enterprise. She can cussion areas where people could partment is to provide APS mem- Maiullo published a book in 2009 ready to be animated. It takes be contacted through www.alai- share ideas and ask questions. With bers with the resources and infra- titled “A Demo a Day: A Year of more than eight months to pro- nalevine.com. the debut of the website, the group structure they need to do a public Physics Demonstrations,” out- duce one episode of Futurama, Copyright, 2010, Alaina G. immediately saw a boom in phys- outreach project. lining physics demos that can be from the moment a script is final- Levine. ics demo shows around the coun- “A lot of APS members want to done in a classroom. 8 • May 2010 APS NEWS The Back Page

hysicists can do almost anything if they Iowa provided an opportunity to “hone the Pput their minds to it. Most physicists scientific skills I had learned as an under- would probably agree with that claim, but Training Physics Professionals for the graduate into tools that I could easily em- when it comes to the academic preparation ploy outside of academia. PSM programs of young physicists, they focus almost en- “develop the practical skills that employers tirely on traditional PhD programs aimed at Nonacademic Workforce are looking for while preparing you to suc- training them for research careers in physics. By Eleanor L. Babco, M. Nancy Vincent, and Donald N. Langenberg ceed in your career,” he added. Mr. Griffin That is changing. In this article we introduce is currently employed as a test engineer for the reader to some young physicists who are DISTek Integration Inc., with his primary alumni of a new type of graduate program, responsibility being to create test systems the Professional Science Master’s (PSM) degree pro- for clients. gram. The flexibility of the PSM is illustrated by the hus- “To effectively apply innovative science towards band and wife team of Jake and Danielle Philipson, technology in a business setting one should not only and provides an example of how the PSM can fulfill be proficient in the science…, but also in skills re- both professional and personal goals. As working pro- quired to excel in a business environment,” says Wil- fessionals, they understood the need to augment their fred Kittler, a Magnetic Resonance Applications En- skills as industry continued to demand more of their gineer at Magritek Ltd. Mr. Kittler is a graduate of the employees. At the same time, the online PSM program PSM program in Nanoscale Physics at Rice Univer- in Health Physics at the Illinois Institute of Technology sity, and one of a growing number of science students (IIT) provided the professional skills they required to Wilfred Kittler Richard Norris William Griffin interested in training for a career outside of academia. be dynamic and innovative in industry, but on their own PSM programs are cropping up across the coun- time. They feel the PSM has given them a “competitive try as students seek careers in science in the business, edge not only in our repertoire of skills but in our per- government, or nonprofit sectors, and employers sonal confidence.” Mr. Philipson is Section Manager want hires who are productive from day one. These of Radiation Protection and Senior Health Physicist for new and innovative programs combine an internship Ontario Power Generations Nuclear Waste Manage- and rigorous study in a science or mathematics dis- ment Division. Ms. Philipson is Lead Auditor at Bruce cipline with highly valued workplace skills such as Power Nuclear Site, where her duties consist of audit- communication, management, regulatory affairs, and ing and program assessment in environmental moni- Chris Fennig entrepreneurship. After only a dozen years in exis- toring, radiation protection programming, and at Bruce tence, there are nearly 170 PSM programs underway Danielle and Jake Philipson Power’s licensed dosimetry service. at 86 institutions, including 16 in physics in fields Chris Fennig is a physicist turned entrepreneur master’s programs in the natural sciences.2 such as engineering physics, health physics, nanosci- thanks to the PSM Program in Physics Entrepreneur- So how are graduates of these pioneering degree programs ence, medical physics, and applied physics, (see Table 1)1. ship at Case Western Reserve University. He is convinced faring with their PSM degrees? After completing his under- A hallmark of PSM programs is the involvement of em- “the PSM approach is the key to developing the next gen- graduate degree, Richard Norris wanted to get a master’s de- ployers who provide insight on the skill sets and academic eration of entrepreneurial leaders.” Currently responsible for gree but was uncertain about a PhD. He felt that “academic preparation they would like to see in new hires, and provide ODIN technologies’ Self-Inventorying SMART Container careers in physics are respectable and rewarding, although guidance to ensure that PSM programs are responsive to the product line, his team won the Outstanding Achievement do not fit everyone’s personality.” Mr. Norris found that the changing demands of the 21st century workforce. At the in- in RFID Technology award in 2009. Mr. Fennig launched PSM in Engineering Physics: Instrumentation and Automa- stitutional level, employers may serve on PSM program ad- a RFID consulting firm during the second year of his PSM tion at Appalachian State University was just what he want- visory boards, as adjunct professors, as mentors, and provide program and is now running a multi-million dollar product ed–a degree that would “blend together all of the engineer- feedback on curriculum development. At the student level, development initiative inside the high-tech venture he helped ing physics traits I enjoyed with some accounting, strategic employers may offer internships or sponsor team projects create. He credits much of his success to the interdisciplinary human resource management, and entrepreneur classes.” He giving students an opportunity to interact with potential em- nature of the PSM program stating, “My belief in the power is currently an Energy Systems Analyst with Brite Engineer- ployers in “real world” settings outside of the lab. The intern- of combining technical expertise with business acumen has ing Consultants, Inc. and found that this degree has enabled ship is often a springboard to full time employment. only been reinforced through on-the-job experience.” He him to “talk to accountants, manage people, help the com- Typically, individuals who are interested in pursuing a feels that he could not have “received this level of profes- pany evaluate its position and vision, and perform engineer- PSM degree are looking for an alternative career path in sci- sional experience so quickly without the PSM as a growth ing physics tasks.” Additionally, he noted that, “Traditionally, ence and mathematics, not a stepping stone to a PhD. PSM accelerator.” there has been a large gap in the effective communication/ un- programs attract students who: (1) want careers in the busi- These are just a sampling of the success stories that PSM derstanding between different fields, for example engineers ness, government, or nonprofit sectors; (2) find the two-year graduates have achieved. This exciting innovative degree is and accountants or electrical circuit designers and chief offi- full-time-equivalent time-to-degree appealing; (3) thrive in also catching the attention of federal policymakers. The 2009 cers.” The PSM provided the skills needed to bridge this gap. team oriented environments; (4) find work in managerial American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus bill ap- William Griffin was an undergraduate student nearing the or other professional level positions desirable; (5) value the propriated $15 million to the National Science Foundation end of his studies in physics and discovered the PSM was flexibility afforded in such programs; and (6) seek to gain a for PSM program development, with the accompanying Sen- the perfect fit, since he didn’t want a career in academia. He competitive edge in the job market. PSM programs tend to ate report lauding the role of the PSM in creating a strong said the PSM in applied physics at the University of Northern attract more women and U.S. citizens than do research-based science and engineering workforce essential to maintaining the Nation’s competitive edge. This recognition by the U.S. Table 1 Congress of the value of professional science education at Professional Science Master's Programs in the Physical Sciences the master’s level adds credence to the idea that a new type of science professional is needed to respond to the needs of continued technological innovation and economic growth. Appalachian State University Engineering Physics: Instrumentation and Automation Additionally, the National Research Council of the National Arizona State University Nanoscience Academies produced a 2008 report, Science Professionals: Case Western Reserve University Physics for Entrepreneurship Master’s Education for a Competitive World, which was in Illinois Institute of Technology Health Physics agreement with this sentiment and strongly endorsed the PSM, encouraging even broader support and concluding that New York University Physics these programs provide a powerful contribution to our na- Oregon State University Applied Physics tion’s competitiveness. Rice University Nanoscale Physics Professional Science Master’s programs produce highly San Diego State University Medical Physics skilled science-trained professionals who are essential to our Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Advanced Energy and Fuels Management nation’s advancement. They possess the capacity to translate the knowledge from scientific discoveries into products and Stony Brook University Instrumentation (Business Track) services. Some PSM graduates will emerge as leaders in in- Towson University Applied Physics dustry, government, and nonprofit organizations and help our University of Arizona Medical Physics nation meet the global challenges of the 21st century. University of Houston-Clear Lake Physics, Technical Management Sub-plan For further information about the PSM, go to www.sci- encemasters.com or www.npsma.org. University of Northern Iowa Applied Physics Authors: Eleanor L. Babco, Associate Program Direc- University of South Carolina Modeling for Corporate Applications tor, Professional Master’s Initiatives, Council of Graduate University of Utah Science Instrumentation Schools M. Nancy Vincent, Program Manager, Best Practices, Council of Graduate Schools 2 National Professional Science Master’s Association, PSM Degree Donald N. Langenberg, Chancellor Emeritus, University Program Enrollee & Graduate Report, 2009, available at http:// System of Maryland, and a former President of the APS 1 Council of Graduate Schools, available at www.sciencemasters. npsma.org/assetlibrary/eg_data_report_final.pdf. com.

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