A Inter ctions across physics and education September/October 2007 Focal Point Physicists at Work Inside: Career Paths, Profiled Physics Majors, Uncovered Writing About Science and introducing “Homer Dodge's Notebook” Interactions Inter ctions MAGAZINE across physics and education Issue Editor: John S. Rigden Managing Editor: Daryl Malloy Production Editor: Lissa Reynolds About INTERACTIONS Assistant Editor: Steve Davolt Interactions is a general-interest magazine about physics education. Our mission is to inform and stimulate diverse conversations on teaching and Design: Matthew Payne learning by publishing thought-provoking news, analysis, and commentary Contributing Design: Ayah Oweis on the people, programs, and policies that interact to influence scientific practices and knowledge—and, ultimately, human destiny. Contributing Editors Jane Chambers, Rachel Ivie, Rachel Safier, Reader Comments Pamela Brown, Patrick Mulvey, Martha Heil The editors welcome your response. 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AAPT Executive Board President: Harvey Leff President-Elect: Lila Adair Vice President: Alexander Dickison Past-President: Kenneth Heller On the Cover Secretary: Steven Iona Treasurer: Charles Robertson Graduates toss their mortar boards high into the air during graduation Dwain Desbien, Alan Gibson, Toufic Hakim, ceremonies hoping they are prepared for the real world. John Mallinckrodt, Karl Mamola, Mary Mogge, Gordon Ramsey, John Roeder Photo courtesy www.photos.com. www.aapt.org September/October 2007 | Volume 37 | Number 4 It is the policy of AAPT that the editors of Interactions have responsibility for its content. The editor has the right to refuse any article, advertisement or other material he or she deems inappropriate. Acceptance of editorial content, advertisements or other material does not imply endorsement by either AAPT or Interactions. INTERACTIONS (ISSN 1935-6579), is published bimonthly by the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3845. Periodicals postage paid at College Park, MD (U.S.P.S. 941-260), and additional mailing offices. ©2007 by AAPT. All rights reserved. Postmaster: Send address changes to Interactions, AAPT Member Services, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3845. Canadian Postal No.: PM#40023546. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: AAPT, Circulation Dept., P.O. Box 1051, Fort Erie, Ontario L2A 6C7. Printed in the U.S.A. INTERACTIONS Contents 0 Physicists Among Us Interactions pulls the files on a lawmaker, a speechwriter, a composer, a travel agent, a CEO, and a Jesuit priest, all physics trained. by Steve Davolt 8 Profiles The Gamer by Jason Coleman The Writer by Dennis Overbye The Medical Physicist by William R. Hendee The Historian by Helge Krage The Techie by James N. Hollenhorst 9 Keys to Success Physics degree aside, it’s what you can do that counts. 20 by David McMahon Departments 4 open forum 44 Readers’ and editors’ comments 7 synopsis Careers of physicists 8 iAMonitor Physics and education in the news 18 homer dodge’s notebook All the latest news on meetings, conferences and events of concern to members of AAPT . 42 Q and A One builds magnets; the other tracks electromagnetic interference. In back-to-back interviews, Gregory Rigden and Peter Wanderer discuss the rewards of applying their physics education in the real world. 44 insight Physics makes a solid foundation for science writers, discovers Robert Irion, as he highlights exemplary practitioners and top science journalism programs. September/October 2007 openforum entific circles for years.” This refers oncerning the letter in the [June/ to the debate between the hypothesis CJuly 2007] Interactions by Greg of punctuated equilibrium and the Fazzari: He says, “The evolution debate modern synthesis. To the best of my has been raging within the scientific knowledge, and I’ve been following the circles for years.” various debates for over 30 years, the Well, yes, just as the nuclear theory biggest debate is about whether these debate and the high-temperature super- two ways of thinking about biologi- conductivity debate and the supersym- cal evolution are no different, slightly metric particle debate all have raged different or very different. Also, most within scientific circles for years. But biologists don’t seem to spend a lot of there is no genuine debate at all over the time worrying about this, and I get no validity of the core findings of nuclear sense of anything “raging.” theory and solid-state theory and par- The implication that what was found ticle theory and evolutionary theory. in the Burgess shale suggests a sudden In all of these cases there is such a appearance of new phyla that can’t pos- mass of interconsistent observations, sibly be explained by the modern syn- successful experimental manipulation thesis seemed to make some sense many of the relevant systems, and diverse years ago, but later finds in Southern theoretical perspectives that although China and elsewhere have made it clear all science is tentative, the core facts of Debate on I.D. that there was a considerable period all these disciplines are now extremely during which precursors of the organ- well established. Just as general relativ- Continues isms fossilized in the Burgess shale ity and quantum mechanics did not were abundant. The “sudden appear- throw out Newton’s explanation of tides, n the June/July 2007 issue of Inter- ance” myth was a result of incomplete it is essentially impossible that future Iactions, letter writer Greg Fazzari information. understanding will throw out the estab- claims to be arguing against bias in Finally, Fazzari keeps suggesting that lished fact that biological systems evolve science while sprinkling his own bias if we all studied ID along with evolu- through replication with variation plus throughout his letter (Fear Not Intel- tionary theory without bias, the former selection. ligent Design). First of all, where did would look much better and we would Concerning [Stephen Jay Gould] and “fear” enter into the discussion? The see that the latter is not even science. So punctuated equilibrium: The estimable idea of intelligent design as an alterna- much for lack of bias. In any case I’ve Daniel Dennett, a Tufts [University] tive to biological evolution has too little done the studying, and I’m still looking philosopher who has immersed him- merit to generate fear. Not once in the for even an objective statement of what self deeply in evolutionary biology, in letter is there a statement of what could can be deduced from ID. No objective his superb book Darwin’s Dangerous be taken for an objective theory of intel- statement implies no theory. Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life ligent design or how it might even in On the other hand, in the case of bio- (Simon & Schuster 1995) comments: principle be tested. logical evolution we have very detailed “In my own work over the years, A major oddity was the personaliza- fossil records of evolution of horse and I have often appealed to evolution- tion of Fazzari’s arguments. In addi- whale lines, and there are even more ary considerations, and have almost tion to writing about specific people, he detailed fossil records of foraminifera. as often run into a curious current of identifies two of them as “atheistic.” Is We now even have direct measurements resistance: my appeals to Darwinian the point that atheists can’t do science of evolution rates, as indicated in The reasoning have been bluntly rejected without bias or that Fazzari is biased Beak of the Finch, and these have shown as discredited, out-of-date science by against atheists? Also, contrary to this that evolution can occur much more rap- philosophers, psychologists, linguists, labeling, Stephen J. Gould was by his idly than had been expected—even when anthropologists, and others who have own account not an atheist. He identi- each individual step is very small. blithely informed me that ‘I have got my fied himself as an agnostic. Robert J. Reiland biology all wrong—I haven’t been doing Fazzari claims that the “evolution Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania my homework, because Steve Gould debate has been raging within the sci- has shown that Darwinism isn’t in such INTERACTIONS good shape after all. Indeed, it is close and responded with solid evidence for Fazzari ignores the time scale to extinction.’ This is a myth, but a very evolution having produced eyes and fla- expressed in punctuated evolution.