November 2012 • Vol. 21, No. 10

APS Moving Forward A Publication of the American Physical Society see page 5 www.aps.org/publications/apsnews

Apker Award Finalists Convene APS Delegation Fosters Closer Ties with China A team of physicists repre- tive Officer of APS. “There are needs of researchers in China, senting APS traveled to China in already a lot of good collabora- and what are the opportunities for September to enhance the Soci- tions that are taking place on an APS members,” Heeger said. He ety’s engagement with the Asian individual level.” added that the delegation hoped to nation. In addition to Kirby, represen- “build connections and relations, The delegation visited six cit- tatives from APS included Direc- get to know some of the research- ies in nine days, and met with tor of International Affairs Amy ers and universities, and explore dozens of physicists, professors Flatten; Karsten Heeger, Chair what some of the opportunities and other leading members of the of the APS Committee on Inter- for a scientific partnership might physics community in China. A national Scientific Affairs; and be.” second delegation representing Gang Cao, a member of CISA. The highlight of the trip was a the APS publishing offices also The editorial delegation included joint session at the annual meeting traveled through China shortly af- Manolis Antonoyiannakis, the Se- of the Chinese Physical Society in terwards, overlapping briefly. nior Assistant Editor of Physical Guangzhou. At this first-ever joint “The reason to go was to ex- Review Letters, and Ling Miao, APS/CPS session, Kirby gave a Photo by Shelly Johnston plore ways that APS can foster Associate Editor of Physical Re- talk about the APS, its mission The APS Apker Award for outstanding physics research by an undergraduate is more international engagement view X. and its activities. APS vice-Presi- given annually in two categories: to a student from a PhD-granting institution, with the Chinese physics com- “The goal was to explore, to dent Malcolm Beasley also spoke and to a student from an institution not granting the PhD. This year there were munity,” said Kate Kirby, Execu- listen, [and] to learn what are the seven finalists from the two categories, who met in Washington in late August to CHINA continued on page 7 be interviewed by the selection committee. They are (l to r): Adam Keith (North Carolina State University); Theodore J. Yoder (Franklin and Marshall College); APS Offers Public Outreach Mini-Grants Seth Whitsitt (University of Texas, Austin); Yuliya Dovzhenko (Princeton Univer- sity); Matthew Ware (Illinois State University); Peter H. Jumper (University of Again this year, APS is offering several grants up to $10,000 each to help APS members start their own outreach Massachusetts, Dartmouth); and Kiaran B. Dave (University of Illinois, Urbana- programs. In the past, programs such as Claymation videos, puppet shows and video games have received funding. Champaign). The two Apker Award recipients will be pictured in next month's More information about the program, descriptions of past projects and instructions for submitting proposals are online APS News. at www.aps.org/programs/outreach. Proposals are due January 11th, 2013. Quantum Wizardry Wins Nobel Recognition Preprint Policies Sow Confusion The 2012 Nobel Prize for charged atoms in a superposition back and forth billions of times. By Brian Jacobsmeyer of it to the arXiv. Physics was awarded to an Amer- of their two lowest energy states. The team then fired a doughnut- For the vast majority of his This paper never appeared in ican and a French researcher for To do this, they confined a sys- shaped Rydberg atom through scientific papers, Terry Rudolph, Nature, however. In a highly un- “ground-breaking experimental tem of ions in an electric field and the cavity and measured the en- a quantum theorist at Imperial usual case, Nature rejected the methods that enable measuring cooled them to their lowest en- ergy shift of the atom, which they College, London, had no qualms paper at a late editorial stage after and manipulation of individual ergy state. The team then exposed could use to reconstruct the quan- about posting a preprint on the Rudolph and a co-author, Jona- quantum systems.” the ions to a finely tuned laser tum state of the trapped photons. popular arXiv server. But this one than Barrett of the University of David Wineland of the Na- pulse, which effectively created a The subtle changes to the Ryd- was different. London, posted a surprising fol- tional Institute of Standards and superposition of the ground state berg atom’s energy states showed This research would soon be low-up article to the arXiv. In a Technology in Boulder, Colorado and the next excited state. that the quantum superpositions widely considered one of the most post on the popular Cosmic Vari- and Serge Haroche of the Collège Haroche came up with a com- of individual photons could be important papers on the founda- ance physics blog, Rudolph pub- de France in Paris are both APS plementary technique, which used detected. Moreover, physicists tions of quantum mechanics in re- licly contested Nature’s decision, Fellows. Their respective work atoms to measure the quantum using this information could re- cent years. Rudolph submitted his blaming it in part on the scientific on different quantum systems has state of a photon. He confined construct the wave function of the team’s paper to Nature and, with “buzz” surrounding his preprints. helped to lay the groundwork for microwave photons in a special- photon as it collapsed. some reluctance, posted a preprint JOURNALS continued on page 6 fundamentals of quantum com- ly designed optical cavity about “I use atoms to study the pho- puters and the next generation of three centimeters in size. The tons and he uses photons to study atomic clocks. walls of the cavity were reflec- atoms,” Haroche told the Nobel Of Historical Significance Wineland’s team developed a tive and cooled to nearly absolute website. “So, it’s really symmet- technique to prepare individual zero so the photons could bounce NOBEL continued on page 5

Buckley Prize Receives Major Donation from Taiwanese Company The HTC-VIA Group of Tai- ety is thrilled with the generosity “They very much appreciate wan has made a donation of of Cher Wang and Wenchi Chen in the high status of the recipients $140,000 to support and enhance reinvigorating the Buckley Prize, who have received this prize, and APS’s Oliver E. Buckley Con- enabling the award amount to dou- more so that it is very much in line densed Matter Prize. The Buckley ble,” said Sam Bader of Argonne with what their company does,” Prize is the oldest APS prize, and National Laboratory, former chair said Darlene Logan, APS director one of the most prestigious. of the Division of Condensed Mat- of development. The award is given to research- ter Physics. “The Buckley Prize is The prize was established in ers who have made significant a premier prize of the APS. Over 1952 by AT&T Bell Labs in honor contributions to the field of con- the years its ranks have included of their president, Oliver E. Buck- densed matter physics. Until this as many as sixteen who also be- ley, who had retired the previ- year, the stipend of the prize had came Nobel Prize winners.” ous year. With the new donation, Photo by Liz Dart Caron been $10,000, but with the new Professor Nai-Chang Yeh of the HTC-VIA Group will also be Roger H. Stuewer of the University of Minnesota (center) is the 2013 recipient donation, it will double to $20,000 Caltech first reached out to the named as the official co-sponsor of of the APS Abraham Pais Prize in History of Physics. In the photo he receives for the next seven years. couple, who are ranked by Forbes the award. Also, in recognition of congratulations from two members of the selection committee, Physics Today The donation was made pos- as amongst the top ten richest their contribution, Wang and Chen editor emerita Gloria Lubkin (left), who is vice-Chair of the committee, and Gregory Good, Director of the Center for History of Physics of the American sible by Cher Wang, the founder people in Taiwan. VIA Technolo- have been invited to travel to the Institute of Physics, who is AIP's representative on the committee. The an- and chair of HTC and VIA Tech- gies is a major integrated circuit APS March Meeting in Baltimore. nouncement of Stuewer's selection as the Prize recipient took place on Sep- nologies, and her husband Wenchi and computer chip manufacturer, “They will be invited to come tember 24, at the 50th anniversary celebration of AIP's history programs, com- Chen, CEO of VIA technologies. while HTC manufactures smart- and present the prize with the APS memorating the dedication, in September of 1962, of the Niels Bohr Library “The American Physical Soci- phones and tablet computers. President,” Logan said. and Archives by J. Robert Oppenheimer. 2 • November 2012

Members This Month in Physics History in the Media October 1777: Discovery of Lichtenberg Figures

“If we can just damage that part “What physicists don’t know Victims struck by lightning often develop red, known as an electrophorus, measuring six feet selectively–without hurting the is that they are studying Picasso’s branching patterns across their skin, often lasting in diameter, and used that to study the behavior brain or another part of the body paint.” several days, likely caused by delicate capillaries of the electric fire–including figuring out how to to get there–that’s a big deal.” Volker Rose, Argonne National under the skin rupturing from the shock of the record the branching patterns left in the wake of Gabe Spaulding, Illinois Wes- Laboratory, on how the same zinc electrical discharge–a natural example of frac- electrical discharges. leyan University, on his work de- oxide Pablo Picasso used in his tals. The colloquial name is “lightning flowers,” First he used the electrophorus to adminis- veloping cancer treatments, The paints is now being studied for but they are also called “Lichtenberg figures” in ter a high voltage charge to an insulating ma- San Francisco Chronicle, Septem- technological applications, The honor of 18th century physicist Georg Christoph terial, such as resin, glass or hard rubber. Then ber 23, 2012. Chicago Tribune, October 10, Lichtenberg. he sprinkled the material’s surface with a mix 2012. Born in 1742 to a pastor in Darmstadt, Ger- of powdered sulfur, red lead and lead tetroxide “The idea of creating a crystal many, Lichtenberg was the youngest of seven- and watched the patterns form, before press- with dimensions higher than that of “Dave is universally acknowl- teen children, and evinced a natural curiosity and ing a piece of paper onto the surface to transfer conventional 3D crystals is an im- edged to be one of the true nice penchant for math and science at an early age. those images to the paper. Lichtenberg noted two portant conceptual breakthrough in guys in physics, which is not Initially his family could not afford to pay for distinctive types of patterns: one for a positive physics, and it is very exciting for something that can always be said his education, but a grant from a generously charge, which had longer, more elaborate us to be the first to devise a way to about Nobel laureates… His unas- minded aristocratic patron enabled the branching, and the other for a nega- realize a space-time crystal.” suming and humble style are en- boy to attend Göttingen University. tive charge, which more closely Tongcang Li, Lawrence Berke- tirely unique.” Eventually he became a professor resembled a shell. His conclu- ley National Lab, on using a four- Christopher Monroe, Univer- of physics there, a job he held sions were published in his dimensional crystal as the basis of sity of Maryland, on Nobel laure- for the rest of his life. 1777 memoir, Super Nova an eternal clock, FoxNews.com, ate David Wineland, The Wash- Lichtenberg cut an interest- Methodo Naturam ac Motum September 25, 2012. ington Post, October 10, 2012. ing figure: a spinal deforma- Fluidi Electrici Investigandi. tion left him hunchbacked, a The fundamental princi- “There had been bombs “I attribute essentially all my condition that caused serious ples underlying Lichtenberg’s dropped on cities. There had success to the very large amount difficulties with his breathing experiments set the stage for been firestorms, and so forth. I of chocolate that I consume… in his later years. But he enjoyed modern plasma physics re- believe people nowadays don’t Personally I feel that milk choco- an excellent reputation as a sati- search. In the 1920s, Arthur von realize that in war your objective late makes you stupid… Now dark rist as well as a scientist, and was Hippel and others recorded light is to beat the enemy. And unfor- chocolate is the way to go. It’s one wildly popular with women, en- from high voltage electrical tunately, mostly that involves kill- thing if you want like a medicine joying several romances before Georg Christoph Lichtenberg discharges onto photographic ing a lot of the enemy to do that. or chemistry Nobel Prize, OK, but marrying one Margarethe Kell- film. Von Hippel reasoned So war is a very bloody thing… if you want a physics Nobel Prize ner, who bore him six children. that the unique Lichtenberg patterns resulted I felt then that although this was it pretty much has got to be dark Today Lichtenberg’s literary reputation is from interactions between the ionized gas and a terrible event, it probably saved chocolate.” most closely associated with his aphorisms, col- the dielectric surface of the material, and discov- many, many more Japanese lives. Eric Cornell, University of lected over many years in personal journals he ered he could change the length of the branching They probably would have lost Colorado, The Chicago Tribune, called “waste books” (Sudelbücher). In these pattern simply by increasing the applied voltage millions if they had had to defend October 10, 2012. waste books, he jotted down random facts, ob- or reducing the surrounding air pressure. themselves against an invasion.” servations on human nature, short sketches from That, in turn, led to the invention of klydono- Robert Christy, Caltech, from “At this point, I wouldn’t rec- his life, even his current bedside reading mate- graphs, instruments to record the high voltage a 1994 interview reflecting on his ommend anyone buy stock in a rial, along with scientific notes from his many discharges and polarity of unusual power surges, work during the Manhattan Proj- quantum computing company… experiments. such as when lighting strikes a power line. Ac- ect, The Chicago Sun-Times, Oc- but we’re optimistic that as the This was an era when scientists across the cess to such data enabled engineers designing tober 5, 2012. technology improves over the Western world were fascinated by electricity–or, power grid systems to find effective protective years, this quantum computer will as they termed it, “electric fluid,” with many en- countermeasures against lighting strikes and “The potential immediate ben- bring unique capabilities to com- gaging in experiments to study charged objects similar unplanned surges. efit for cancer detection greatly puting.” and how sparks jumped between them, using all Lichtenberg’s experiments also provided the outweighed the potential for can- David Wineland, NIST, on the manner of apparatus, including Leyden jars and basis for to the invention of the Xerox machine, cer from the radiation that would future of quantum computing, electricity tubes. Benjamin Franklin was one of thanks to Chester Carlson’s kitchen experiments occur many, many years down the commenting on winning a share of them, proposing his famous experiment with an in his Queens apartment in the 1930s. Carlson road.” the Nobel Prize, The Denver Post, elevated “lightning rod” or wire to “draw down called it “electrophotography.” His theory was Robert Ochs, University of October 10, 2012. the electric fire” from a storm cloud, with the ex- that if the image of an original photograph or Toledo, on the safety of mammo- perimenter standing in the protection of an en- document were projected onto a photoconduc- grams, The Washington Post, Oc- “We’re both scared… Kenny’s closure similar to a soldier’s sentry box. At least tive surface, current would only flow in the areas tober 8, 2012. probably scared ‘cause he could one scientist (Georg Wilhelm Reichmann) died that light hit upon, and not in the areas of dark- die… I’m just scared that I’ll em- in the attempt to replicate Franklin’s experiment, ness, i.e., the print. He figured out how to get dry “There are ways to stretch the barrass myself.” due to an unfortunate encounter with ball light- particles to stick to a charged plate in a pattern rules, but evidently the relevant Adam Riess, Johns Hopkins ning. corresponding to an image shining on the plate. decision-makers felt that there University, at a symposium on ex- Lichtenberg’s enthusiasm for the electric fire Then he transferred those powder images to wax was not sufficient reason to do so ploration comparing his kind of remained undiminished by such tragic accidents. paper, heating the sheets to melt the wax for a in this case.” exploration to Kenny Broad, an He was among the first to bring Franklin’s light- permanent copy. Frank Wilczek, MIT, on why underwater cave spelunker, Na- ning rods to Germany, installing several around In the 1940s, Arno Brasch and Fritz Lange he thought the Nobel Committee tionalGeographic.com, October his home in Göttingen, and was an early adopter were working with one of the first particle ac- didn't award the Physics prize to 12, 2012. of using apparatus in his own lab experiments. celerators (they called it a “Capacitron”) at AEG the researchers who postulated He constructed a large electrostatic generator, Lichtenberg continued on page 6 the Higgs Boson, NBC.com, Oc- tober 10, 2012. MEMBERS continued on page 3

Series II, Vol. 21, No. 10 both the old and new addresses, and, if possible, include General Councillors ADVISORS November 2012 a mailing label from a recent issue. Requests from sub- Haiyan Gao, Marta Dark McNeese, Nergis Mavalvala*, Representatives from Other Societies scribers for missing issues will be honored without charge Warren Mori, Pierre Meystre, Jorge Pullin*, Keivan G. © 2012 The American Physical Society Fred Dylla, AIP; Jill Marshall, President, AAPT only if received within 6 months of the issue’s actual date Stassun of publication. Periodical Postage Paid at College Park, International Councillor International Advisors Coden: ANWSEN ISSN: 1058-8132 MD and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send Annick Suzor-Weiner Louis Felipe Rodriguez Jorge, Mexican Physical Society; Editor•...... Alan Chodos address changes to APS News, Membership Department, Gabor Kunstatter, Canadian Association of Physicists American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, College Chair, Nominating Committee Staff Science Writer ...... Michael Lucibella Lars Bildsten Park, MD 20740-3844. Staff Representatives Art Director and Special Publications Manager...... Kerry G. Johnson Chair, Panel on Public Affairs Tracy Alinger, Director, IT, College Park ;Alan Chodos, APS COUNCIL 2012 Jill Dahlburg Associate Executive Officer; Mark Doyle, Director, Jour- Design and Production...... Nancy Bennett-Karasik President Division, Forum and Section Councillors nal Information Systems, Ridge; Amy Flatten Director Proofreader...... Edward Lee Robert L. Byer*, Stanford University Neil Cornish* (Astrophysics), Thomas Gallagher of International Affairs; Terri Gaier, Director, Meetings; (Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics), Mark Reeves Christine Giaccone, Director, Journal Operations; Ted APS News (ISSN: 1058-8132) is published 11X yearly, Subscriptions: APS News is an on-membership publi- President-Elect (Biological), Nancy Levinger* (Chemical), Francis Hodapp, Director of Education and Diversity; Trish Let- monthly, except the August/September issue, by the cation delivered by Periodical Mail. Members residing Michael S. Turner*, University of Chicago Hellman (Condensed Matter Physics), Steven Gottlieb tieri, Director of Membership; Michael Lubell, Director, American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, Col- abroad may receive airfreight delivery for a fee of $15. (Computational), James Wallace (Fluid Dynamics), Gay Public Affairs; Darlene Logan, Director, Development; lege Park, MD 20740-3844, (301) 209-3200. It contains Nonmembers: Subscription rates are available at http:// Vice-President Stewart* (Forum on Education), Eric Sorte (Forum on Dan Kulp, Editorial Director; Michael Stephens, Con- news of the Society and of its Divisions, Topical Groups, librarians.aps.org/institutional.html. Malcolm R. Beasley*, Stanford University Graduate Student Affairs), Michael Riordan (Forum on troller and Assistant Treasurer Sections, and Forums; advance information on meetings History of Physics),Gregory Meisner (Forum on Indus- of the Society; and reports to the Society by its commit- Subscription orders, renewals and address changes Executive Officer trial and Applied Physics), Herman Winick* (Forum Administrator for Governing Committees tees and task forces, as well as opinions. should be addressed as follows: For APS Members– Kate P. Kirby*, Harvard-Smithsonian (retired) on International Physics), Lowell Brown (Forum on Ken Cole Membership Department, American Physical Society, Physics and Society), Anthony Johnson (Laser Science), Letters to the editor are welcomed from the member- One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844, Treasurer/Publisher Ted Einstein (Materials), David McIntyre (Northwest * Members of the APS Executive Board ship. Letters must be signed and should include an ad- [email protected]. Joseph W. Serene*, Georgetown University (Emeritus) Section), Wick Haxton* (Nuclear), Marjorie Corcoran* dress and daytime telephone number. The APS reserves (Particles & Fields), John Galayda (Physics of Beams), the right to select and to edit for length or clarity. All cor- For Nonmembers–Circulation and Fulfillment Division, Editor-in-Chief Vincent Chan (Plasma), Scott Milner (Polymer Physics), respondence regarding APS News should be directed to: American Institute of Physics, Suite 1NO1, 2 Huntington Gene D. Sprouse*, Stony Brook University (on leave) Bruce Barrett (4 Corners Section) Editor, APS News, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, Quadrangle, Melville, NY 11747-4502. Allow at least 6 weeks advance notice. For address changes, please send Past-President MD 20740-3844, E-mail: [email protected]. Barry C. Barish*, Caltech November 2012 • 3

Education C orner A column on educational programs and publications

APS Bridge Program receives NSF Support As reported in the October APS News, the NSF recently awarded APS $3 million in funding over the next five years to launch the APS Bridge Program, a national program designed to increase the number of underrepresented minority students who receive doctoral degrees in physics. The program requests proposals for new bridge sites to develop proposals for such projects. Initial proposals Lame, Lamer, Lamest are due November 16th. More information is available at www. by Michael S. Lubell, APS Director of Public Affairs APSBridgeProgram.org About the only people who Continuing Resolution that keeps and spending changes required Deadline Approaching for the APS Conferences for relish a lame duck are hunters in the dysfunction functioning, at by current law should cause little Undergraduate Women in Physics their blinds and Washington col- least for now. short-term damage to the econo- November 15 is the last day to apply for the APS Conferences for umnists. But never having worn Having ducked their duties my as a whole.” Undergraduate Women in Physics. Learn more about the conferences camouflage or fired buckshot at for more than a year, will it be That’s probably enough impe- and find the closest one to you at www.aps.org/programs/women/ workshops/cuwip.cfm forsaken fowl, I can’t relate to the possible for the lame duckers to tus for the 112th Congress to fin- bird stalkers. deliver anything more than more ish out its term with just a whim- New Effective Practices in Teacher Education: Call for Washington columnists, on the temporary palliatives? It’s unlike- per and cede to its successor the Proposals other hand, are part of a breed I ly, but miracles do occur once in a chore of cleaning up the lingering The Physics Teacher Education Coalition, the APS, and the American understand well. And when Con- long while. fiscal mess, after the 113th Con- Association of Physics Teachers announce a call for manuscript gress reconvenes on November Just ask Paul Broun (R-GA gress convenes next January 3. proposals for a new peer-reviewed book entitled Effective Practices 13 in a post-election lame duck 10th), a medical doctor and a If Chad Stone is correct, the in Preservice Physics Teacher Education: Recruitment, Retention, session, I know their juices will member of the House Science world economy won’t die of suf- and Preparation. This book seeks to provide a practical guide to begin to gush. Committee, who last month innovative, state-of-the-art programs, and will include papers and focation, but American science called evolution, embryology and case studies covering a wide variety of topics in preservice teacher It wasn’t too many years ago could well be left wheezing. Fed- education. Manuscript proposals are due February 1, 2013. More that Congress actually tried to get the Big Bang theory “lies straight eral agencies are already taking information can found at: http://www.ptec.org/effectivepracticesbook. most of its work done before the from the pit of hell.” Speaking a conservative approach and are cfm first Potomac cold snap. No more! at the Liberty Baptist Church withholding funding for many ac- Around Washington, tempera- Sportsman’s banquet in Hartwell, tivities until the new Congress de- Minority Scholarship Application Process Begins tures began to dip below freezing Georgia, Broun opined, “You see, cides which programs should be The APS is once again pleased to announce its Scholarships in mid-October, but members of there are a lot of scientific data permitted to blossom and which for Minority Undergraduate Physics Majors. African American, that I’ve found as a scientist that Congress had bolted weeks earli- should be allowed to wither. Hispanic American, and Native American students who are college er, leaving all the burning legisla- actually show that this is a really freshmen or sophomore physics majors, and who are US citizens Stone’s analysis notwithstand- tive issues on a cold Capitol Hill young Earth. I don’t believe that or permanent residents are invited to apply. The online application ing, many economists argue that cooktop. the Earth is but 9,000 years old. I deadline is February 4, 2013. Awards are $2000 and $3000 per business cannot thrive in an atmo- When they return from their believe it was created in six days, academic year. More information can be found at http://www.aps. sphere of continuing uncertainty hometown turf on November 13, as we know them. That’s what the org/programs/minorities/honors/scholarship/index.cfm and that even a fiscal slope could they will face a plethora of daunt- Bible says.” precipitate another recession. ing decisions: extending the Bush If Moses parted the Red Sea, 2012 Professional Skills Development Workshops for If they were sufficiently sci- era tax cuts (or not), raising the and Jesus walked on the waters of Women ence savvy, they would make the debt ceiling (“not” is not an op- Galilee, miracles surely can hap- The APS, with support from NSF, will host in 2013 two Professional same pronouncements about the Skills Development Workshops for female physicists. Postdoctoral tion, except for Tea Partisans), pen on the banks of the Potomac. damage uncertainty can wreak on associates and early-career faculty and scientists are invited to apply addressing the “doc fix”–a pe- But, in the upcoming lame duck for the March 17, 2013 workshop in Baltimore, MD. Postdoctoral rennial Medicare sore–putting session, unfortunately, a miracle research. But most of them aren’t. associates and senior-level faculty and scientists are invited to apply another patch on the alternative is not very likely. The lame ducks So scientists will have to take for the April 12, 2013 workshop in Denver, CO. Senior graduate minimum tax and trying to avoid are more liable to be lamer than some valuable time away from students are also welcome to apply. the sequestrations mandated by usual. Here’s why. their laboratories to explain the 2011 Budget Control Act–a For months, Wall Street and how a continuing resolution will Applicants affiliated with a US institution/facility are eligible for thwart new ventures and how an travel and lodging funding consideration. Those needing funding problem that no one envisioned a financial titans around the world eight percent sequestration will assistance are encouraged to apply early. The deadlines for the year ago but that now epitomizes have been warning of another workshops and a link to the online application can be found at: www. the odious outcome of Washing- global recession if Washington seriously damage discovery and aps.org/programs/women/workshops/skills/ ton’s dysfunction. marches off a fiscal cliff by ig- innovation. They must begin About the only major issue noring all the daunting tax and making the case to elected offi- Registration Open for 2013 PhysTEC Conference members of Congress won’t have spending issues. But more re- cials now. The 2013 PhysTEC conference will be held March 16-17, 2013 in to deal with is the fiscal year 2013 cently, policy makers and eco- But they must also begin en- Baltimore, MD, immediately preceding the APS March Meeting. For budget. It’s off the table, not be- nomic analysts have said the cliff gaging the general public. As information on the 2013 PhysTEC conference, visit www.ptec.org/ cause they completed their work, is really more like a slope. Chad polling has shown, apart from conferences/2013/ but because they kicked their Stone, chief economist of the medicine, most Americans know Childcare Grants for APS Spring Meeting Attendees principal responsibility down the non-partisan Center on Budget little about the benefits science Grants of up to $400 are available for APS March and April Meeting legislative road until next March. and Policy Priorities, for exam- delivers. It’s time to start enlight- attendees who are bringing small children or who incur extra expenses Before they went on the lam at the ple, recently wrote, “A relatively ening them. Not finding time to in leaving them at home (e.g., extra daycare or babysitting services). end of September, they passed a brief implementation of the tax do so is the lamest of excuses. The deadlines for the grants and a link to the online application can be found at: www.aps.org/programs/women/workshops/childcare. cfm Mid-Atlantic Section Helps APS Cover the Map

Funding for Undergraduates to Attend APS Meetings There are currently nine APS military academy, the headquar- as well as the chance to catch up A limited number of $200 and $1000 travel supplements are available Sections, organized geographi- ters of dozens of scientific and on different sub-fields in physics at for undergraduate students presenting at the 2013 APS March and cally across most of the United professional societies, the National the sectional meetings. April meetings. Students must submit their abstracts by the meeting States, and even into parts of Can- Academies, numerous government “You don’t see the broad per- deadlines, which are November 9, 2012 for the March Meeting, and ada. This Fall, a tenth APS Section laboratories and government agen- spective,” Schlamminger said. “I January 11, 2013 for the April Meeting. Students will also be invited will make its debut, covering the cies. really miss that here.” to take part in Future of Physics Days (FPD), which include special last unincorporated region, along The APS Council is slated to Schlamminger first remarked events that are planned over the course of the meetings to enable the Eastern Seaboard. The Mid- vote on the proposed section’s by- on the lack of a Mid-Atlantic Sec- undergraduates to meet their peers, share their research results Atlantic Section will include five laws at their November 3 meeting. tion to Beverly Berger, a former with other physicists, and begin building a network among fellow physicists. A description of the program and awards, including eligibility states plus the District of Colum- If the bylaws are passed, the sec- chair of physics at Michigan’s requirements are coming soon on the FPD website: http://www.aps. bia, a region which encompasses tion needs 200 members to offi- Oakland University and NSF pro- org/programs/education/undergrad/students/futurephysics/ approximately 11 percent of APS cially join to become a full-fledged gram officer. She advised him to do members. active section. At press time, something about it and put him in MEMBERS continued from page 2 The new section will be for Council had not yet voted, but pas- touch with Charles Clark of NIST “Quantum physics is one of the works in a much more exploratory physicists based in New Jersey, sage of the bylaws is expected. and the University of Maryland. hardest things to understand in- way. It is aware of all the possibili- Delaware, Maryland and Washing- Stephan Schlamminger of Clark helped pull people together tuitively, because essentially the ties at once and trying them out all ton DC, as well as most of Penn- NIST spearheaded the effort to set in the region to find interim offi- whole point is that our classical the time. That is a hard thing to sylvania and West Virginia. The up the new section. He said that cers while the group sets up and picture is wrong… The world is picture.” region is home to numerous differ- after he moved to Maryland from is now Chair of the Nominating not made up of particles and waves Neil Turok, Perimeter Institute ent scientific institutions including the University of Washington, he Committee. Schlamminger also and beams of light with a defi- for Theoretical Physics, The Globe major research universities, small missed the networking opportuni- contacted APS Director of Mem- nite existence. Instead, the world and Mail, October 12, 2012. liberal arts colleges, a national ties the Northwest Section offered, SECTION continued on page 7 4 • November 2012 Letters Peer Review Stifles Originality The gathering clouds on print angular distributions, published peer-review and publishing sys- Readers interested in submitting a letter to APS News should v. open access (APS News, Oc- in Physical Review A in 1976, tem persuades you to stay close email [email protected] tober 2012) may presage a pub- would have been rejected had to the work of your advisors, to lishing Roe v. Wade war in which not an editor sent it to my former be gathered to your fathers (to the printers seem to fear that postdoctoral advisor, who gave it use an archaic expression), which New Coordinates for established science might be- to a current postdoctoral fellow may be close to the mark because DPF Community Summer Study come tainted by a surfeit of free to check the mathematics. How indeed the system stifles indepen- thought, some of which may ac- rare an event do you think this is, dence and creativity. And then We thank Alexander Abashian for his thoughtful letter in tually be correct. My personal which would not have happened there is the emergence of an odd the July 2012 APS News. The Community Summer Study experience with peer review is had I been ten years or more be- duck of an editor called an "ad- of the APS Division of Particles and Fields, mentioned in the that every paper which I would yond my degree and absolutely ministrative editor," who seems Editor's Note, will now take place at the University of Min- rather not be out there now, ev- would not have happened to- to be a sort of journal commissar nesota from July 29 through August 6, 2013. See http://www. ery paper which was trivial or day? Single-blind peer review to ensure that the journal's impact snowmass2013.org for details. even wrong, sailed through peer is manifestly flawed. It is a kind factor is maintained or improved. review with flying colors. On the of chat room, in which participa- This is a misguided journal orien- Ed. Note: This correction was submitted by the officers other hand the papers of which I tion requires that you be on topic tation which will surely filter out of the APS Division of Particles and Fields: Pierre Ramond am proudest and believe to be the and say things that everyone else most or all original work. (Chair); Jonathan L. Rosner (Chair-elect); Ian Shipsey (vice- most substantial were the most at will agree with. This is not hard Chair); and Patricia McBride (past Chair). risk for being rejected. My paper for most, given the homogene- Burke Ritchie on chiral-molecule photoelectron ity of the education system. The Livermore, CA

Communication can be Counterproductive Got science? your argument is that cell phones often are insufficiently informed Soviet Union out of idealism. human contribution to it, basic Carl Safina, a man of many don’t cause brain tumors or that and will inevitably try to reinvent Linus Pauling developed vitamin thermodynamics tells us that or- awards, exhorts scientists, in the nuclear power is safe, the Inter- the wheel. This would be laugh- C into a cult. Even the giants of ganisms requiring energy to stay APS News October Back Page, net has provided everyone not able if it were not taken seriously physics, Newton and Einstein, alive will inevitably warm their to bestow their superior wisdom only with their own opinions but, but, coming from a certified ex- did not always have “something environment. The scientific so- on the benighted masses of this pace Moynihan, also with their pert, it can be downright danger- special to share.” Newton delved lution is obviously to eliminate world. Not, to be sure, for filthy own facts. There is a study from ous. Heisenberg joined the Nazi into astrology when he was done people. Now there’s “something lucre, but out of the pure love of England or Sweden or Canada efforts to develop an atomic bomb with mechanics; when Einstein special to share.” Try communi- Truth, which is its own reward. proving just about anything. It and his latter-day colleagues in was asked to become the first cating that to your neighbors. Nevertheless, as a result of this will not be your argument that is Iran are happily working on the president of Israel, the people The unavoidable reality is effort, unrequited utopias will rejected, but its origin in the aura development of nuclear weapons who asked him had to worry that, no matter how deeply you, rise out of the warming surface of prestige that surrounds any to serve their country’s genocidal about a worst-case scenario: that as a scientist, understand the of the Earth and, blinded by the successful scientist. It is not your objectives. Sakharov fathered the he might accept. acoustical and mechanical prop- Light, politicians will rain dol- argument, but the fact that you, a Soviet hydrogen bomb before he There is an awful lot more to erties of a violin, it does not qual- lars on the blessed and the PhD’s. figure of authority, are arguing at got religion and became a dis- the workings of religion, law, ify you either as a violinist or as Maybe even on the MS’s. all, that will cause your public to sident. Oppenheimer was easily politics and business than “just a composer. Or even as a music Please don’t! Please don’t perceive you as a threat. manipulated by Haakon Cheva- fooling around.” Regardless of critic. “communicate” with the inno- Furthermore, scientists out- lier and ensnared by Buddhist the average temperature of the cent. No matter how simple and side their narrow field of spe- mysticism. Philby, MacLean, surface of the Earth, or the mod- Walter Schimmerling straightforward and fact-filled cialization tend to be naifs. They Burgess and Blunt spied for the el-dependent estimates of the Washington, DC Need to Bring All Vocations to the Same Table Carl Safina’s Back Page com- onstrates more clearly than ever ion that exists in much of their Bayesian thinking simply works tions based on less than com- mentary literally took my breath the problem we scientists have work. Such work is necessarily better than arguing over who is plete data. I suspect if children away. In the process of answer- communicating with anyone subjective, and dismissing it as right or wrong as we focus not can do this, we can all do it ing the question, “Why Commu- outside our immediate purview. less than the objective work of so much on where we are in the and thus bridge our differences nicate Science?” he claimed our Rather than dismissing the the scientist is simply mistaken. scheme of things, but on how far as we look at problems such as work as physicists to be of such vocations of law, politics and Bringing all vocations to the have we come. understanding global climate singular value that by compari- business, we ought to engage same table requires the proper Consider global climate change. Only by getting all of us son the work of lawyers, politi- them for the skills they bring to consideration of what we know, change. We now know that on the same page can we begin cians, and business people was the table of our mutual concerns. even if what we know is uncer- even pre-schoolers left to their to address today’s most pressing just “so much fooling around.” Most important is the skill of tain. Better than arguing over own devices make observations problems. That Safina would so dismiss making significant and difficult who is correct is to accept the based on the accumulation of the vocations of those we need decisions based on the natu- subjectivity of our knowledge previous experience that allow David A. Robinson to most communicate with dem- rally occurring variety of opin- and to proceed from there. Here them to make accurate predic- St. Paul, MN Carl Safina Responds: In “Why Communicate Sci- ists. Lots of people get confused with, “basic thermodynamics ent on a violin, a piano, a horn? those vocations (hence my sim- ence?” I wrote that I believe by conflicting information on the tells us that organisms requiring Musicians call that difference plistic dismissal) than to remind most scientists should seek ways Internet. So, scientists, no reason energy to stay alive will inevita- timbre, but only science could scientists that science is very to make science more familiar to help anyone sort anything out, bly warm their environment. The have found out that timbre is the special, and unlike anything else. to people outside of science. I just because you happen to be an scientific solution is obviously to result of the shape of the sound And while law, politics, and busi- wrote, “By ‘communicate sci- expert in your area. Need I com- eliminate people.” One should waves each instrument charac- ness are potentially noble things, ence,’ I mean professional sci- ment? not be simplistic, I must agree. teristically creates. I’m pretty they frequently pursue ignoble entists explaining something Third paragraph. Scientists Schimmerling’s final point sure some violinists would be in- ends and narrow interests. That is about science to non-scientists,” tend to be naïve, “and will inevi- is the only one I can follow. He terested in knowing that. That’s a partly because, as Mr. Robinson because scientists, “have some- tably try to reinvent the wheel.” says, “no matter how deeply beautiful thing. And yes, I think points out, their work is inher- thing pretty special to share.” A Historically, “reinventing the you, as a scientist, understand that’s pretty special. ently subjective. Again, my aim modest enough proposal, I think; wheel” included developing the the acoustical and mechanical David Robinson also objects was not to analyze those profes- a bit of cheerleading for the val- first nuclear weapons, and be- properties of a violin, it does not to my simplistic dismissiveness sions or their vulnerabilities, but ue of science. ing approached by people seek- qualify you either as a violinist of law, politics, and business. It’s to draw a distinction between the Walter Schimmerling dis- ing their involvement in Cold or as a composer. Or even as a a valid objection. But law, poli- agrees. In his first paragraph is War espionage and politics. The music critic.” This is true, but tics, and business–and I think we subjective ideologies and profit a straw-man caricature, which point? beside the point. My little essay can include religion nowadays– motives driving other endeavors contains none of what I said, ex- Next paragraph. He chides me implies merely that you, as a sci- are, as far as I can tell, not de- and the main thing that makes cept that yes, I guess I did imply for an admittedly simplistic bit of entist, could add something that signed to discover how nature science special, which is, indeed, that love of truth is its own re- hyperbole, and notes that, “There no amount of playing, listening, works, nor how the physical and its demand for evidence and its ward. I infer that Schimmerling is an awful lot more to the work- or loving music could conjure. biological world functions, nor ideal of objectivity in its continu- doesn’t feel that. I do. ings of religion, law, politics You could help the musician and where we came from. Nor are ing search for truths. That should In the next paragraph, he says, and business than ‘just fooling the music lover understand the they trying to get at objective make scientists proud and excit- inter alia, please don’t commu- around.’” One should not be sim- music that so moves them. Why truths. That’s a big difference. ed to talk about what we do, and nicate because the Internet ex- plistic, I must agree. He follows does the same note sound differ- And my point was less to dismiss why we do it. November 2012 • 5

Ig Nobel Research is Serious, After All Two Plaques are Better than One

By Michael Lucibella vatures, the random curliness that Also ripped from the pages of APS journals were big winners gives the volume to hair,” said co- the Physical Review is Rouslan at this year’s Ig Nobel prize cer- author Raymond Goldstein of the Krechetnikov and Hans Mayer’s emony, held in late September in University of Cambridge. “Hair research into the fluid dynamics Cambridge, Massachusetts. Both has a characteristic stiffness and of a cup of coffee. Their paper, the Physics Prize and the Fluid mass per unit length which to- “Walking with coffee: Why does Dynamics Prize were presented gether with gravity, define a length it spill?” was first published in for research that was first pub- scale over which gravity will bend Physical Review E in April. lished in the Physical Review. them.” As it turns out, the period of According to their founder, Less than two inches, and the oscillation for coffee in a standard Marc Abrahams, the annual Ig hair will stick straight out, largely mug is almost exactly the same as Nobel prizes are awarded to re- unaffected by gravity. Longer than the length of time for a person to search that “makes people laugh, those two inches, and the hairdo take a step. When someone carry- then makes them think.” They’re will bend under its own weight. ing a cup of joe takes a step, the given to scientists whose scientific The team dubbed the ratio of a coffee sloshes forward then back publications on the surface might person’s actual length of hair, to again. By the time the liquid flows sound silly or even frivolous, but those two critical first two inches forward a second time, the person have meaningful science behind the “Rapunzel Number,” after the has taken a second step adding them. fairytale damsel in distress. The to the forward momentum of the For instance, characterizing larger the number, the bigger ef- drink. The sloshing keeps intensi- the physics of ponytails was first fect gravity has on the hair. fying until finally the coffee crests published in February’s Physical “Physics is all about under- over the lip of the cup, and spills Review Letters. The authors of standing real world phenomena onto the ground. the paper, titled “Shape of a Pony- from a small set of fundamental “In general this problem is a Photo credits: courtesy of SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (upper); Nina Maksi- mova (lower). tail and the Statistical Physics of principles,” said co-author Robin confluence of several subjects, Ball of the University of Warwick. namely fluid dynamics, dynami- APS recently presented two plaques as part of its Historic Sites initiative. In Hair Fiber Bundles,” developed August, APS past President Barry Barish (left in top photo) presented a plaque an equation to predict the shape of “Our understanding of the bend- cal systems, biomechanics and be- to SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in recognition of the achievements almost any configuration of hair ing of a hair fiber is just the same havioral dynamics,” Krechetnikov of the Stanford Linear Accelerator and the SPEAR electron storage ring. The sticking out of the back of one’s as our understanding of the elas- said. He added a word of warning plaque was accepted by laboratory Director Persis Drell (right). head. tic bending of beams in civil en- to espresso drinkers. The oscilla- gineering.” He added that strands tion frequencies of tiny espresso In October, APS Treasurer/Publisher Joseph Serene, a Dartmouth alumnus, “We set ourselves the task of presented a plaque recognizing the Wilder Laboratory at Dartmouth as the site trying to understand the balance of hair are also akin to the long cups are even closer to a person’s of the celebrated Nichols-Hull pressure of light experiments in 1900-1903. In between the elasticity of fila- molecules of polymers, so under- average stride, making it even the lower photo, Serene (right) unveils the plaque with the help of Martin Wy- ments, their weight and the cur- standing how hair behaves carries more likely for one’s drink to spill. bourne, Provost and Francis and Mildred Sears Professor of Physics. over into the microscopic world. His investigation into the phys- ics of coffee stems from research into other, more serious, areas of fluid dynamics, such as aerody- namics, hydrodynamics and geo- physics. “We need to understand the underlying physics and also to de- velop the theoretical foundation,” Krechetnikov said. “Walking with coffee is just one of the examples of such kinds of systems.” Other winners at this year’s Last spring, after more than a Gary Bjorklund, a physicist and ceremony include the Medical year of work on the part of lead- investor formerly at Bell Labs and Prize for research into prevent- ership, volunteers, and staff, APS IBM Research Labs, has agreed to ing colonic gas explosions during unveiled its new five-year strate- serve as a consultant to the Task colonoscopies, the Peace Prize for gic plan. This column, which will Force. a company that converts obsolete appear in APS News at frequent In the past, APS has been Russian Munitions into nanodia- intervals, is intended to update grateful for generous support monds, and the neuroscience prize members on progress in imple- from government agencies and for a team of researchers who dis- menting the plan. The first install- labs, corporations, foundations Photo by Michael Lucibella covered that due to improperly cor- ment, below, deals with the early and individual members of the The winners of the 2012 Ig Nobel physics prize (from left to right) Patrick Warren, rected statistical errors in FMRI activities of two new task forces. Society. But as noted by Beasley, Joseph Keller, Raymond Goldstein and Robin Ball deduced the mix of forces act- scan data, they were able to detect For the complete text of the stra- “The climate and approaches to ing on a human pony tail. active brainwaves in a dead fish. tegic plan, please see http://www. development are changing rapid- aps.org/about/strategy/upload/ ly, and I am pleased to have such strategicplan.pdf a strong group of APS members Development Task Force to help us consider these issues”. NOBEL continued from page 1 Holds First Meeting The Task Force will be explor- rical and, at some point during processing power over conven- ternational physicists to speak A key area of concentration in ing current trends and specific our work, we published papers tional computers by an expo- at APS meetings. APS president the strategic plan is to “undertake issues relevant to APS Develop- back-to-back. Just by chance, it nential amount. In July of 1995, Robert Byer commended the two efforts to build a comprehensive ment. These include the political happened that we are doing simi- Wineland and his team were the winners of the prize. Development strategy” so as to funding environment, diminished lar things on his atoms and my first to demonstrate a simple logic “Haroche and Wineland have help assure the future financial number of corporate research labs, photons.” gate using these qubits, effective- both done beautiful research vital stability of APS. In pursuing this decreased top physics leadership The ion traps invented by ly the first basic computation us- to the technology that truly makes objective, a Development Task in large corporations, proliferation Wineland have become important ing a quantum processor. this the century of the quantum,” Force has been formed to pro- of smaller-scale entrepreneur- tools for developing applications Wineland, who was sleeping Byer said. “Modern telecommu- vide recommendations to the APS ial companies, expectations of He has already used the traps to when he first received the call nications rely on quantum tech- Board on optimal Development younger hands-on donors, the use develop “optical” atomic clocks from Stockholm at four in the nology, and things like the GPS Office operations and future fund- of social media in the fund rais- one hundred times more accurate morning, said that it was a “won- system so many people use on a raising opportunities. Current ing environment, opportunities as than the current “cesium stan- derful surprise” to win the award. daily basis wouldn’t be possible APS vice-President Malcolm Bea- a result of the nation’s focus on dard” used today. Other research- “It’s always been great [and] without ultra-precise clocks that sley chairs this Task Force and has STEM initiatives, and operational ers have taken the accuracy af- really exciting to be in this field,” exploit quantum effects of the recruited a galaxy of academic, needs in launching the next major forded by an optical clock and Wineland told the Nobel web- type they explored. Someday, industrial and science administra- campaign for APS. used it to detect the subtle varia- site shortly after he received the computers built with quantum tion leaders who have experience The Task Force held its first tion in the flow of time caused by news. mechanical systems, much like in successful fundraising. Task meeting in Chicago on August 29, the different pull of gravity at two Wineland previously was those in the labs of Haroche and Force members include: Robert 2012. Extended discussion took points a foot apart in altitude. awarded the APS Davisson- Wineland, may solve problems Birgeneau, Chancellor, University place on the issues mentioned Ion traps have also been Germer Prize in Atomic or Sur- far beyond the capabilities of of California, Berkeley; James above and further informational turned into the fundamental pro- face Physics in 1990, and the even the most advanced of to- Bray, GE Global Research; Cher- needs and action items were iden- cessing units of a future quantum 2001 Arthur L. Schawlow Prize day’s computers. It’s certainly ry Murray, Dean, School of En- tified. Several additional -meet computer. Each quantum bit of in Laser Science. Haroche was amazing work these physicists gineering and Applied Sciences, ings will take place before the information, instead of only be- APS’s Beller lecturer at the 1996 have done, and continue to do, Harvard University; and Ray Or- Development Task Force provides ing either a 1 or a 0, can be both DAMOP meeting, an honor and well worth the Nobel com- bach, Director, Energy Institute, its recommendations to the APS simultaneously, increasing the which brings distinguished in- mittee’s recognition.” University of Texas, Austin. Also PLAN continued on page 6 6 • November 2012

Lichtenberg continued from page 2 PLAN continued from page 5 in Germany, capable of producing he lived. Alessandro Volta vis- Board in the spring of 2013. Once beyond conventional academic re- members to start conversations high-voltage electron beams that ited Göttingen in 1784 expressly these recommendations are estab- search. “We want to extend what about possible career paths. left bluish flame-like tails of ion- to meet Lichtenberg and observe lished, they will be available to the it means to be a physicist such This objective in the Strategic ized air in their wake. Brasch and some of this experiments, and membership at large on the APS that APS is inclusive of physicists Plan is to help early-career physi- Lang were the first to inject free Karl Friedrich Gauss attended website. For more information, across the disciplines,” explained cists take their place in the physics contact Darlene Logan at 301- Task Force chairman Brad Con- enterprise, and to facilitate stron- electrons into cubes of plastic, and several of his lectures. His name 209-3224 or [email protected]. rad of Appalachian State Univer- ger connections of this group to the resulting electrical breakdown is less well known today, but he captured the branching pattern Early-Career Task Force sity. “APS can be a resource for the APS physics community. In would no doubt be gratified to find of Lichtenberg figures perfectly Gears Up physicists throughout their ca- addition to Conrad, the other Task these eponymous fractal patterns in three dimensions. Today, the APS has also established a Task reers, whether they are working as Force members are: Greg Meisner, Dynamitron at Kent State’s Neo still inspiring scientists and artists Force on Early-Career Physicists, engineers, as researchers, or as fi- GM Global Research; Amber Stu- Beam facility does similar work, alike, nearly three centuries later. focusing on physicists in graduate nancial analysts.” The Task Force ver, LIGO, Louisiana State Uni- and one can buy such “frozen Further reading: school, postdoctoral appointments discussed ways of engaging this versity; Tom Baer, Stanford Uni- lightning” sculptures as artwork. Hashishes, Yuzo. (1979) “Two and first professional jobs. diverse body of early career physi- versity; Megan Comins, Cornell Lichtenberg enjoyed a certain Hundred Years of Lichtenberg At its first meeting on October cists through stronger networking University; Meghan Anzelc, CNA, amount of prestige and respect Figures,” Journal of Electrostat- 15, 2012, the Task Force focused opportunities at the local, regional, Commercial Insurance; Cynthia from his scientific peers while ics, 6(1), 1-13. on addressing the needs of an in- and national levels, developing Aku-Leh, Iscience; Jesus Pando, creasingly diverse membership new mentoring programs, and new DePaul University; and Heather of physicists working in careers volunteer opportunities for APS Galloway, Texas State University.

JOURNALS continued from page 1 Rudolph’s post echoed the fears don’t publish news articles until ifer. “That might be underestimat- supported publication of the origi- perts “uncomfortable” in the early of many physicists who avoid or the press embargo has passed. ing it.” nal paper. Within a week of the days after publication, as intended. limit posting to the arXiv during Although both journals have Approximately three weeks af- second preprint’s publication, Na- At subsequent conferences, how- the submission process at premier clear policies in principle, con- ter posting his preprint, Rudolph ture rejected the first paper without ever, no one has called the prepa- academic journals, despite ex- fusion and apprehension persist heard promising news from Na- sharing these referees’ comments ration independence assumption plicit journal policies that allow among physicists. Some physicists ture: The referee reports were on the second paper with the au- into question when considering such practices. Emails obtained worry that posting preprint articles mostly positive, and the editors thors. serious physical theories, Rudolph by APS News and conversations or giving conference talks without were accepting Rudolph’s paper, Rudolph appealed the decision added. Instead, discussions have with Nature editors have revealed “embargoing” the information for in principle. A large majority of in an email the next day. During addressed the way this assumption a muddled case that centers on the attending journalists may affect papers accepted in principle are the next two weeks, Karen Howell, fits into other key assumptions in authors’ follow-up preprint that their chances of publication. eventually published. “In prin- Nature’s corresponding physical the philosophy of physics, he said. initially surprised the journal’s edi- “More often than not, it’s a fear ciple” acceptance, however, is a sciences editor for this manuscript, In the end, the first paper was tors and some outside experts. that scientists have rather than the stage removed from formal accep- consulted again with the referee published in the less prominent Adapting to Change reality,” said Ivan Oransky, a sci- tance. who alerted her to the paper. This Nature Physics. Physical Review Since its creation 20 years ago, ence journalist who runs the popu- The three authors then revised referee had provided the “most de- Letters published the second paper. the arXiv preprint server (arXiv. lar Embargo Watch blog. their article and sent it back to Na- tailed and thoughtful comments,” Ingelfinger’s Legacy org) has emerged as a primary A Tale of Two Preprints ture’s editors. Meanwhile, Barrett throughout the review process, ac- The Ingelfinger Rule, which source for many physicists seeking Other researchers had told Ru- and Rudolph posted another arXiv cording to a written statement pro- stipulates that authors cannot pub- papers on cutting edge research dolph that posting to the arXiv article with a cheeky, conflicting vided by Howell. lish the same paper in two different in their field. Although arXiv pre- may not have been a good idea, title: “The Quantum State Can Be “The advice that we received outlets, has led many scientists to prints aren’t truly peer-reviewed, but he thought those fears were Interpreted Statistically.” from referee 3 was that the later be extra cautious. Originating in researchers in some sub-disciplines largely unfounded. Furthermore, Although this second paper’s work considerably weakened the the 1960s, the rule’s intention was frequently depend on the arXiv another pressing issue had arisen: title suggested a contradiction findings of the original paper,” to prevent publication of the same more than academic journals. Rudolph’s colleagues had warned with the original results, the au- Howell wrote in her statement. research in multiple scientific jour- “I think putting things on the him that other groups may be post- thors’ intention was to explore a In a follow-up rejection email, nals as a way to maintain original- arXiv is much more important,” ing similar research soon, effec- key assumption of the first paper Nature reiterated their position, ity. said Matt Leifer, a quantum theo- tively “scooping” their results. In –preparation independence. This adding that one referee felt there The arXiv has complicated in- rist at University College London. November, he decided to post a principle asserts that it’s possible was no justification for the prepa- terpretations of this rule. Preprint “More important than getting in a preprint of the research conducted to set up two experiments indepen- ration independence assumption. servers have significantly acceler- journal ever.” with his student, Matthew Pusey, dently, say in different geographic At the end of the email, Howell ated publishing in physics, and top As the arXiv has become more and Barrett, under the title, “The locations at different labs, without added an explanation on why pub- journals have tried to adapt. influential, journals have adapted. Quantum State Cannot Be Inter- any underlying super-correlations lishing the paper “would not nec- In this particular case, Nature’s Physical Review Letters and other preted Statistically.” that would affect the results of both essarily serve the wider interests of editors concluded that the message APS journals don’t have embargo “Ultimately, the research prior- experiments. the community,” according to her of a submitted paper had changed policies, and APS permits authors ity is determined by when it goes “That assumption is essentially statement. This explanation was in light of a new preprint. Nature’s to post preprints of submitted ar- on the arXiv,” said Rudolph. a bedrock assumption of science,” stated as an aside after the reasons rejection did not appear to violate ticles (see this month’s Back Page Quickly, journalists picked up said Rudolph. “Otherwise, there for rejection were given, she said. its own pre-publication embargo for a comprehensive explication of on the preprint. Rudolph, Bar- could always be the leprechauns She added: “In this regard, I policy. Nonetheless, the case re- APS policies). Embargo policies rett and Pusey declined to talk to tricking us hiding under our ex- pointed out that the timeliness and veals the confusion and miscom- at Nature and Science explicitly the press per Nature’s embargo periments.” impact of the Nature submission munication that can arise amongst allow authors to post preprints of policy. Nonetheless, Nature News The second paper aimed to had been diminished following editors and physicists who use two submitted articles without penalty, published a popular science article strengthen the first paper by care- wide debate.” different publishing platforms. provided the authors don’t actively covering the research in which sev- fully examining this assumption In light of this debate among Many physicists still approach pursue press coverage. eral respected experts praised the mathematically. In the paper, the scientists, the “take home” mes- “[The arXiv] caught us a little new results. Nature News belongs authors presented a technical coun- sage of the original paper was preprints differently than normal bit by surprise at the start,” said to the same company as the journal terexample under which this as- becoming increasingly unclear, when submitting to high-end jour- Karl Ziemelis, Chief Physical Nature, but the two publications sumption was false. But they were according to both Howell and nals. Although this case won’t af- Sciences Editor at Nature. “Quite maintain an editorial firewall. not suggesting that this could be a Ziemelis. The evolving scientific fect how Rudolph uses the arXiv, rapidly, we came to appreciate that Pusey, Barrett, and Rudolph plausible feature of the world, said debate facilitated by the authors’ he still sees this sentiment amongst the preprint server provided a very had shown that the quantum state Rudolph. second preprint appeared to weak- many of his peers. valuable service.” is, in fact, physically real. In other Rudolph wanted to post this en the original paper’s impact in “They feel that they have to [act Nature had no formal policy on words, the authors’ argument sug- follow-up article, which included the minds of Nature’s editors. differently],” said Rudolph. preprints at first, but they ran a se- gested that there was no deeper authors who were not involved Rudolph believes that Nature Oransky, the founder of the ries of editorials over a decade ago theory underlying quantum me- with the first paper, as soon as pos- should have consulted more ex- Embargo Watch blog, believes that that outlined their policy allowing chanics. This result conflicted with sible. In his field, priority is often pert opinion to resolve any con- these fears are typically unfound- the use of preprints, according to “epistemic” or “statistical” inter- given to arXiv posting dates, not fusion, and that he and his col- ed, but the specter of the Ingelfin- Ziemelis. Now, Nature lists this pretations of quantum mechanics publication dates in journals. Na- leagues should have been allowed ger Rule still exerts a strong influ- policy on several areas of its web- that suggest wave functions mere- ture’s policies require authors to to respond directly to the referees’ ence on scientific publishing. site. ly reflect an observer’s knowledge notify them of any submitted re- comments on the second paper. “Scientists often fear the so- Authors of papers in both Na- about a system. These “statistical” search that may have a bearing on “I don’t believe that referee 3 called Ingelfinger Rule more than ture and Science may talk to mem- interpretations have enjoyed re- a submitted article, which Rudolph ever had opinions that the [origi- they have to, but it has a real chill- bers of the press one week before surging popularity among some did not do. nal] paper should not be published ing effect on the flow of scientific publication, however. Registered philosophers and physicists in the In a matter of days, one referee because of paper two,” said Ru- information,” Oransky said in an journalists are given access to past couple of decades. alerted Nature to the second pa- dolph. “And I have not seen any email. “I’d love to see more open upcoming papers and contact in- “It was certainly the biggest re- per and expressed some concerns. information to the contrary.” discussion of these issues, so if this formation for authors during this sult in the foundations of quantum When asked to comment, another Rudolph admits that the second sparks that in the future, I think week under the condition that they theory in the last 5 years,” said Le- referee expressed surprise but still paper may have made some ex- that’s a good thing.” November 2012 • 7

ANNOUNCEMENTS

THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY is currently accepting Reviews of Modern Physics applications for the Congressional Science Fellowship Program. Fellows serve one year on the staff of a senator, representative or congressional committee. They are afforded an opportunity to learn the legislative process and explore From eV to EeV: Neutrino cross sections science policy issues from the lawmakers’ perspective. In turn, Fellows have the across energy scales opportunity to lend scientific and technical expertise to public policy issues. Joseph A. Formaggio and G.P. Zeller QUALIFICATIONS include a PhD or equivalent in physics or a closely Neutrinos have been important probes and ingredients of nu- related field, a strong interest in science and technology policy and, ideally, clear physics, elementary particle physics, astrophysics, and some experience in applying scientific knowledge toward the solution of societal problems. Fellows are required to be members of the APS. cosmology. Their interaction cross sections are vital for their own sake and also for understanding the signals and back- TERM OF APPOINTMENT is one year, beginning in September of 2013 grounds associated with neutrino sources, production pro- with participation in a two week orientation sponsored by AAAS. Fellows have considerable choice in congressional assignments. cesses, oscillations, and other processes such as the search for proton decay. This review summarizes our knowledge of A STIPEND is offered in addition to allowances for relocation, in-service neutrino cross sections over energy scales ranging from very travel, and health insurance premiums. low energies up to the ultrahigh energies associated with as- APPLICATION should consist of a letter of intent of no more than 2-pages, trophysical sources. a 2-page resume: with one additional page for publications, and three letters of reference. http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/RevModPhys.84.1307 All application materials must be submitted online by January 15, 2013 up til 5:00 pm. EST. http://rmp.aps.org http://www.aps.org/policy/fellowships/congressional.cfm Brazil-U.S. Physicists and physics graduate students in India and the United States can apply for travel grants to pursue opportunities in the Exchange Program other country. Accepting Applications The APS-IUSSTF Professorship Awards in Physics funds physi- cists in India or the U.S. wishing to visit overseas to teach he American Physical Society is now accepting applications from U.S. appli- short courses or provide a physics lecture series at a U.S. or Tcants for the Brazil-U.S. Exchange Program. Indian university. Awards are for up to U.S. $4,000. Through the Brazil-U.S. Physics Student Visitation Program, Through the APS-IUSSTF Physics Student Visitation Program, graduate students can apply for travel funds to pursue opportunities in physics, U.S. and Indian graduate students may apply for travel such as: 1) attending a short-course; 2) visiting with a professor in his/her field funds of up to U.S. $3,000 to pursue opportunities in physics. of study; 3) working temporarily in a lab; or 4) another opportunity that the Travel funds could be used to attend a short-course or summer institute, student and host professor feel is worthy of travel support. Grants are for up to to work temporarily in a laboratory, for example. This program aims to USD $3,000. mostly support graduate student travel to India by U.S. citizens, while funds enabling some students of Indian citizenship to travel to the United The Brazil-U.S. Professorship/Lectureship Program physicists in Brazil and the United States wishing to visit overseas to teach a short TM States. course or deliver a lecture series in the other country. Grants are for up to USD This program is sponsored by the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Fo- $4,000. rum (IUSSTF) and administered by the American Physical Society (APS). The application deadline for U.S. applicants traveling Application deadline: Friday, 16 November 2012 to Brazil is Friday, 16 November 2012. Applications from U.S. Further details including proposal guidelines: www.aps.org/programs/ applicants should be submitted to Michele Irwin, APS Office of International international/us-india-travel.cfm Affairs, [email protected]. Additional information, including application guidelines, is provided at: www.aps.org/programs/international/

CHINA continued from page 1 Information for Brazilian applicants is available from SBF: www.sbfisica.org.br/v1/ at the meeting, delivering a talk versity and Jiao Tong University between US physicists and those about the importance of science as in Shanghai, the Hong Kong Uni- based in China. This program is sponsored by the Sociedade Brasileira de TM an international endeavor. versity of Science and Technol- “Publishing in APS journals is Física (SBF) and APS. “I think the fact that we had the ogy and the Chinese University of a really high priority for them,” first joint scientific session was Hong Kong. Kirby said, adding that there are very important,” Heeger said. “I “At each of the universities, we many physicists in China inter- SECTION continued from page 3 think this is a starting point for had productive discussions with ested in getting involved with ref- bership Trish Lettieri who helped Sectional meetings have long further engagement of APS with the department chair, and often ereeing papers. “They also value him find people to draft the pro- been popular with researchers with China and physics in China.” the dean,” Kirby said. “We found, greatly the possibility of Fellow- posed section’s bylaws and email small travel budgets. The delegation scheduled the for instance, that there was a tre- ship … Those honors carry a lot potential members. “It will benefit the students in trip to coincide with three major mendous interest at one univer- of weight.” Physicists in the Mid-Atlantic physics meetings in China. They sity in hearing more about physics Part of the recently announced the area to give them the same op- region received an email on June 4 attended the Shanghai Interna- education.” APS strategic plan is to foster portunity as the rest of the coun- asking if they would be interested tional Summer School of Neutri- She added that many of the more international collaboration. try,” Lettieri said. She added that in joining a new section. When the nos and Dark Matter, the annual people they met had studied in Within the next year, the Society section meetings are often the first section’s Organizing Committee meeting of the CPS and the Inter- the United States in some capac- is planning to set up a task force meetings where undergraduate met 19 days later to draft their by- national Symposium of Neutrino ity and that many of them were on international engagement to students present research, in part laws, they had received more than Physics and Beyond at Daya Bay already members of APS or even define more specifically how to because of the low travel costs as- in Shenzhen province. APS Fellows. institute such connections. Heeger 250 electronic signatures, pass- sociated with a close-by meeting. “These three happening con- APS currently has 324 mem- said that he hopes that APS could ing the 200 signature threshold to The organizing committee is prompt a Council vote. currently provided a nice pack- bers living in China, 84 in Hong set up an exchange program with gearing up to recruit new mem- The Mid-Atlantic States have age of events to build a program Kong and 259 in Taiwan. Heeger China, akin to the ones already bers. Next year’s March Meeting been without their own section around,” Flatten said. “That creat- himself has been working in Chi- established with Brazil and India. will be in Baltimore, and the com- in part because there are so many ed the opportunity to put together na on detecting neutrinos at Daya “I think it is a starting point mittee is planning a reception there research centers and society head- a larger trip and visit some univer- Bay. As China’s international stat- for the development of a program to raise awareness and attract more sities as well.” ure in science continues to grow, with China,” Heeger said. “And quarters in the region. For many years in APS history, the March local physicists to its ranks. The delegation visited five uni- leaders in the physics community hopefully a starting point for APS “We want to get the section up versities during the trip, including see lots of opportunity for more to build a program with other and April meetings were both held and running, and get more mem- Nanjing University, Fudan Uni- collaboration and cooperation countries in Asia.” in the region. “There’s such a dense popula- bers,” Schlamminger said. “I think tion of our members in this area it will be a good opportunity to and other opportunities for net- connect scientists and carry out the working and collaborating there APS mission in a small region.” APS NEWS online: was never a grass roots movement If all goes according to plan, the to get [a section] started,” Lettieri new section will elect its officers in http://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews said. “No one ever took the initia- 2013, and will host its first meeting tive to start it because there were in the Fall of 2014, likely at Penn other avenues of collaboration.” State University. 8 • November 2012 The Back Page

s many readers of APS News will realize, APS subscription base it cannot expect to recover its Ahas just completed a major strategic planning APCs from reduced subscriptions fees for hybrid exercise. Not surprisingly, a significant component APS and the Challenge of Open Access journals (even if publishers are scrupulously fair of that exercise concerned challenges facing the in reducing subscription fees). Society, and Open Access to the APS journals held By Joseph Serene and Gene Sprouse These observations mean that a large fraction of a prominent spot among those challenges. APCs would come from a relatively small number We believe that APS has a well thought out of major research institutions and from research approach to the challenges and opportunities presented by funds provided by national or international funding agen- Open Access. Though our approach continues to evolve in cies such as DOE and NSF, which would in turn reduce the response to new developments, it grows from a consistent funding available for equipment and supplies, support of core of both philosophy and practice reaching back at least graduate students and postdocs, etc. These charges against fifteen years. Nevertheless, discussions surrounding the de- research grants at research-intensive universities producing velopment and implementation of the APS Strategic Plan many papers would be significant, and far larger than their have made us keenly aware that relatively few members of current subscription fees. The Gold path to Open Access APS know our policies on Open Access or the fundamental may ultimately be the best, but one must realize that fol- principles underlying and guiding them. lowing it will effectively redirect some fraction of current Joseph Serene gene Sprouse This article aims to provide an overview of the policies, research funding to APCs. practices, philosophy, and plans of APS regarding Open Ac- The SCOAP3 initiative, which aims to make most of cess. As an introduction to what follows, we offer the fol- background for discussions of Open Access. APS publishes the High Energy Physics literature Gold OA, attempts to lowing “elevator speech” summary: (1) APS supports the ten peer-reviewed journals, which in 2011 received approxi- circumvent these problems by convincing the entire inter- principle of Open Access to its journals to the fullest extent mately 35,000 submissions. We eventually published 19,000 national community of libraries with HEP journal subscrip- consistent with financial stability; (2) peer-reviewed - jour of these, with the help of 25,000 volunteer peer reviewers. tions to make an instantaneous transition, by redirecting all nals continue to be essential to scientific research; (3) high- Roughly 22% of the submissions, 27% of the published of their HEP subscription funds to CERN, for subsequent quality peer-reviewed journals have significant, irreducible papers, and 33% of the referees came from the US. Physics distribution to publishers for pre-set APCs. The model has costs; (4) the leading approaches to Open Access all carry publishing is a thoroughly international enterprise. its own start-up challenges and long-run stability issues, but both promise and potential problems; (5) Open Access is a In spite of the major contributions from volunteer ref- APS is following the project with intense interest and en- thoroughly international issue, which brings both complica- erees, peer-reviewed journals on the scale of ours are still gagement, and will participate if the funding materializes. expensive to produce. For example, the APS editorial of- tions and stability. Mandated Gold OA could also drive some papers to light- fice has a staff of 150, including 50 full-time PhD editors, In November 2009 the APS Council adopted a formal er-reviewed but less expensive journals, for example when maintains three geographically distributed, fully-mirrored policy statement on Open Access: an investigator’s funds were running short and she or he had data centers, and provides approximately 16,000,000 full- The APS supports the principles of Open Access to the to choose between supporting a graduate student and pub- text downloads of papers every year. We have taken major maximum extent possible that allows the Society to maintain lishing in a higher-quality journal. Finally, we worry about strides to reduce expenses, such as moving to all-electronic peer-reviewed high-quality journals, secure archiving, and having large parts of our revenue tied to a small number of operations and transferring our XML composition and copy the Society’s long‑term financial stability, to the benefit of government agencies, all over the world, because of poten- editing to highly efficient vendors, but excellent editors and the scientific enterprise. tial unpredictable shifts in the national budgets for these editorial support staff, an outstanding IT group, and the This statement codifies our previous practices and in- agencies. Our widely diversified set of library customers physical infrastructure to support them form the core of our forms and guides our ongoing policy decisions. brings an element of stability, even though keeping track of The current broad-based focus on Open Access grows publishing operations and generate expenses that come to them can be an administrative burden. from two roots: (1) a sincere public interest in access to the nearly $30M per year. The UK government, acting on the recommendation of medical research literature, and (2) severe pressure on the These costs are now covered (primarily) by subscriptions a distinguished government commission (the Finch Com- acquisitions budgets of research libraries, in large part due from libraries in universities, colleges, and research organi- mission), including librarians, publishers, and scholars, very to the pricing policies of a few dominant commercial pub- zations. Although this provides access to APS journals for recently adopted Gold (including hybrid) OA as the imme- lishers. One can argue about the in-principle relevance of a very large fraction of active researchers, it does not cover diate goal for all UK government funded papers (with the each of these to physics and to society publishers such as members of the general public, whose taxes help to support Green options discussed immediately below as acceptable APS, but as a practical matter they set the stage on which scientific research all over the world. It can also present bar- fallbacks), and provided significant funding to help enable we must play. riers for researchers at smaller educational institutions and at this transition. APS journals already provide all of the ac- Public discussions of Open Access sometimes assert that small high-tech companies, even though APS uses a tiered ceptable options under this policy. traditional peer-reviewed journals are no longer needed in subscription pricing system, with prices keyed to an insti- Green Open Access-availability somewhere on the In- the age of the World Wide Web or that even if they were tution’s level of research activity and journal usage, and a ternet needed, they should cost very little to produce, since refer- factor of approximately 2.5 between prices for the top and The other possibilities for ensuring broad public access, ees donate their time and effort. These claims are seriously bottom tiers. and the ones that we favor at present, fall under the (large) in error. Gold Open Access-what does it mean? umbrella of Green Open Access. One can think of this as Peer-reviewed journals are, if anything, even more es- The simplest method to provide universal access is so- sential in our Internet-enabled environment. In an era in called Gold Open Access, in which authors (or their institu- encompassing all forms of public access other than com- which a vast amount of un-refereed scientific literature is tions or funders) pay an Article Processing Charge (APC) to plete Open Access to the publisher’s Version of Record on freely available on the web, refereed journals take on special make an article Open Access, either in a purely OA journal a journal platform. For example, APS allows authors to post importance and their publishers perform critical services. (such as our Physical Review X and Physical Review Spe- our final PDF of their paper on their own websites or their The peer review system identifies subsets of the open lit- cial Topics–Physics Education Research) or a hybrid journal institution’s websites (i.e., in institutional repositories), and erature that relevant scientific communities have singled out where only some papers are OA. Physical Review A-E and we allow the author’s versions of the paper, including revi- as sound, significant, and worthy of dissemination and pres- Physical Review Letters are all hybrid journals in this sense. sions resulting from the peer review process, to be posted ervation, and improves the papers selected for publication. Physical Review Special Topics–Accelerators and Beams on any free site at any time, without embargoes. We were The importance of peer review is enhanced by the growth is a less-usual variation on the Gold theme (but one of the the first publisher to adopt such a policy, in 1997, in sup- of interdisciplinary research and extends not only to the sci- oldest Gold OA journals, dating from 1998), with APCs re- port of arXiv.org (then xxx.lanl.gov) in its early years. We entific community, but even more so to the general public, placed by contributions from accelerator laboratories. also offer our entire journal collection and archive to any whose members have no other basis for discriminating reli- Our current APCs , providing Open Access with a Cre- US public library or high school library for walk-in access, able science from bogus claims. This is most apparent for ative Commons CC-BY license, are $1700 for PRA-E and at no charge (an idea borrowed by the UK), and we offer a the medical literature, but closer to home, examples such as PRST–PER ($1000 for short papers), $1500 for PRX, and low-cost article rental option for all of our articles through climate change come readily to mind. $2700 for PRL. These fees are set so that they would at least DeepDyve (a commercial venture). We note in passing that Innovations such as post-publication commenting have replace the current subscription revenue if all authors chose the use (to date) of these opportunities has been very low, at not yet justified the high expectations surrounding their the OA option. The charge to publish in PRL is significantly least suggesting that the actual public demand for research introduction. The true experts whose comments would be higher because of its significantly lower acceptance rate papers in physics is not large. needed are too busy to read and comment on numerous pa- and associated editorial expenses. Although selective, well- We believe that extending these approaches could pro- pers of widely varying quality, and such systems are notori- refereed journals from different publishers differ in details vide acceptable public access at a relatively low cost to ously prone to gaming. of editorial and business models, their APCs are remarkably funding agencies and relatively low risk to publishers. For In addition to managing peer review, publishers provide similar; publication expenses are real and essential for high- example, funding agencies could require that a final version copyediting and full-text electronic formatting (currently in quality journals. of any paper that they support must be either (1) posted on XML) facilitating electronic linking of references and so- At first glance Gold Open Access, with hybrid journals an author’s website or an institutional website; (2) posted on phisticated search capabilities; secure archiving; and well- as a transitional step, looks like the best approach from a an Open Access repository such as arXiv; or (3) published designed, stable online platforms providing seamless access publisher’s perspective, because it simply replaces one rev- Open Access in a Gold or hybrid journal. This is essentially to a significant fraction of the literature. APS provides online enue stream by another. But Gold OA raises a number of the recent UK/Finch policy, with less bias toward the Gold access to everything ever published in the Physical Review short-term and long-term concerns. One might think that the option. family of journals, back to 1893, a total of approximately money now spent by libraries for subscriptions could be re- In conclusion, although no one knows the precise trajec- 500,000 papers. directed to pay APCs, but this fails because many subscrib- tory of Open Access, the APS journals are long-time partici- Peer-reviewed scientific journals represent a remarkable ing institutions contribute very few papers. Furthermore, if pants and are positioned to respond and to lead as needed. cooperative activity of the international scientific communi- a single country opts to pay for Gold OA, as the UK has Joseph Serene is Treasurer/Publisher of the APS. Gene ty, and an appreciation for the scale of this activity is essential recently done, due to the broad international author and Sprouse is APS Editor in Chief.

APS News welcomes and encourages letters and submissions from its members responding to these and other issues. Responses may be sent to: [email protected]