July 2013 • Vol. 22, No. 7

Nominate some Golden Geese A Publication of the American Physical Society see page 5 www.aps.org/publications/apsnews

APS Bridge Program Selects New Sites APS Picks Pierre Meystre to Lead PRL Editorial Team

By Bushraa Khatib are now seven Bridge Fellows, The new Lead Editor for Gene Sprouse said in a statement. The APS Bridge Program with the possibility that even a Physical Review Letters is Pierre “His prior involvement with PRL (APS-BP) recently announced few more may be able to join. Meystre of the University of Ari- and his strong editorial experi- that The Ohio State University OSU has established a one-or zona. He succeeds Jack Sandweiss ence is very compelling. We look (OSU) and the University of South two-year transitional M.S. pro- of Yale, who held the position for forward to Dr. Meystre following Florida (USF) will receive fund- gram beginning in summer 2013. 25 years. Jack Sandweiss as an inspirational ing to develop bridge programs to The APS-BP Fellows will enter “Physical Review Letters is, in leader for the journal.” the physics doctoral degree. The OSU’s existing physics M.S. pro- my opinion, the greatest physics Meystre is an APS Fellow and goal of APS-BP is to increase the gram, and eventually apply to a journal. It is absolutely essential has been a referee for PRL for number of physics PhDs awarded physics doctoral program there that this position be maintained years. He is an optical physicist to underrepresented minority stu- or at another institution. Students and strengthened going forward who specializes in quantum op- Pierre Meystre dents, including African Ameri- will spend the summer of their in the face of a number of com- tics, atomic physics and the statis- Meystre received his PhD from cans, Hispanic Americans and first year doing research and pre- plex but interesting challenges,” tical properties of radiation. the École Polytechnique Fédérale Native Americans. paring extensively for the gen- Meystre said. In addition he is the director in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1974. Students selected as APS eral and physics GRE. During Meystre will be in charge of the of the Biosphere2 Institute which He joined the University of Ari- Bridge Fellows receive stipends the academic year, they will take day-to-day operations of PRL, in- addresses the “Grand Challenges zona as a professor of physics in to participate in programs at the graduate physics core courses cluding handling author appeals as whose solutions require the com- 1986 and was head of the depart- bridge sites. APS-BP had initially and receive application coaching well as other major editorial deci- bined expertise of a broad range of ment from 2005 through 2007. planned on placing four students to prepare their applications for sions of the journal. scientific fields and diverse inter- The search committee an- in its first year, but, because the graduate school. The program also “We are fortunate that Dr. disciplinary talents.” He is also the nounced his selection in mid-June bridge sites were able to secure plans to implement a network of Meystre will be leading PRL into director of the Arizona Center for and his first day as Lead Editor their own funding as well, there BRIDGE continued on page 6 the future,” APS’s Editor in Chief STEM Teachers. was on the first of July. Science Community Slams Draft Legislation Physicists in Outreach Face Tricky Career Choices By Michael Lucibella told that they are going ‘back to By Calla Cofield reach, including career timing, and first find out how much their insti- the drawing board’ to figure out Congress is stepping back and The 2013 APS April Meeting what he or she is willing to sac- tution and their coworkers value what to do next,” said Jodi Lieber- rethinking controversial legis- was brimming with sessions on rifice to make time for outreach. outreach work. man, APS Senior Government Re- lation that many scientists saw science communication and out- Early career physicists may have Leslie-Pelecky is the author of lations Specialist. She added that as a change to how the National reach. These talks addressed how advantages such as more energy, the book The Physics of NASCAR, it was unclear whether any ver- Science Foundation awards its physicists engage and communi- more time, and fewer personal re- and her work has been featured in sion of the bill will be introduced grants. The leaked draft of the cate with the public by blogging, sponsibilities. The New York Times and Sports Il- at all in the foreseeable future. “High Quality Research Act” writing books, speaking at public But Leslie-Pelecky also warned lustrated. Last year she began ap- The draft legislation, which sparked controversy over fears events, teaching classes on un- that young physicists should con- pearing the SiriusXM satellite ra- originated in the House Science that Congress was trying to inter- usual subjects like the physics of sider how senior physicists with dio show Sirius Speedway, where Committee, would have required fere with the scientific process. cooking and the like. Many of the whom they work view outreach. she addresses science questions the Director of the National Sci- The backlash within the scientific presenters addressed a common She said that many physicists as- about NASCAR, such as whether ence Foundation to certify that community has helped to delay question: When, during a physi- sume young people involved in or not a misplaced oil tank cover every grant’s research “is in the action and, as APS News goes to cist’s career, is an ideal time to get outreach are “not serious” about can increase the speed of a car. interests of the United States to press, the bill has yet to be intro- involved in public outreach? their scientific work. Those opin- An article she wrote about stock advance the national health, pros- duced in the House. Congressio- Diandra Leslie-Pelecky, a ions could harm young careers, car science received over 40,000 perity or welfare, and to secure nal aides say, however, that they physicist at West Virginia Univer- especially if they come up on re- unique views, about which she the national defense by promot- are continuing to work on it. sity, outlined in her talk key issues view boards or in recommendation noted that “even if only five per- ing the progress of science,” be “Because of the uproar that that a physicist should consider letters. cent of those people actually read ground-breaking, not duplicative this draft bill has caused within before getting involved in out- To overcome this obstacle, Les- the article, that’s more students the scientific community…we are COMMUNITY continued on page 7 lie-Pelecky says physicists should OUTREACH continued on page 7

Chairs Conference Highlights New Technology and Techniques The 2013 Physics Department techniques into their programs. included a new physics and en- Chairs Conference, jointly orga- Attracting prospective stu- gineering program, an option for nized by APS and the American dents into their physics program students to design their own track, Association of Physics Teachers, had been a major problem for and a multidisciplinary concen- took place at the American Cen- James Madison University. In the tration, which incorporated mi- ter for Physics in College Park on mid 1990s enrollment reached a nors from other fields including May 30 and 31. Part of a series of decades-long low, which the ad- education or English. conferences that have been orga- ministrators attributed to a per- “This gives us a way to com- nized biennially for the past three ception of limited career options bine physics with other possible decades, the Chairs Conferences for physics majors. career choices,” Whisnant said. are now organized annually. “Physics is poorly viewed by “Mostly it’s replacing existing At this year’s conference, at- prospective students and their courses. It’s how you sell it in the tended by about 100 chairs from parents,” said Steven Whisnant, catalogue.” both large research universities head of JMU’s physics depart- Since 1995, when the depart- and smaller colleges, speakers ment. ment first started reorganizing shared innovative ways to re- To boost their enrollment itself, the number of physics Photo Credit: Ken Cole cruit, educate and assess physics in the physics programs, they majors has quadrupled while the majors at their colleges and uni- started offering more specialized overall number of students at the The Chairs Conference Organizing Committee gathers outside APS versities. In the opening plenary tracks for their physics majors. university hasn’t quite doubled. headquarters to contemplate a job well done. They are (l to r): Willie Rockward session, professors from schools Over the next decade, the depart- Steven Pollock from the Uni- (Morehouse College); Bob Hilborn (AAPT); Talat Rahman (University of Central Florida); Monica Plisch (APS); Chuhee Kwon (CSU Long Beach); across the country described how ment instituted a wide variety of versity of Colorado at Boulder Steve Whisnant (James Madison University); Rafael Muller (University of they adapted new technology and new “multi-track” degrees. These CHAIRS continued on page 6 Puerto Rico at Humacao); and Ed Bertschinger (MIT). 2 • July 2013

This Month in Physics History

July 21, 2004: Hawking concedes bet on black hole information loss

n 1684, Christopher Wren announced a wager of sible to recover that information from the radiation Isorts: he promised a book worth 40 shillings to emitted by the black hole as it evaporates. Or, as the first person able to demonstrate that Kepler’s the formal wager phrased it: “When an initial pure laws could be derived from the inverse-square law. quantum state undergoes gravitational collapse to Three years later, Isaac Newton’s Principia was form a black hole, the final state at the end of black published, in which he addressed that challenge, hole evaporation will always be a pure quantum but it proved too late to collect on the bet. Still, it is state.” one of the earliest recorded scientific wagers–and This time, Hawking and Thorne championed modern-day physicists seem to be especially fond the view that information is destroyed, arguing that of making them. the radiation from the black hole would be scram- For instance, Richard Feynman wagered in bled, so when it finally evaporated completely, 1959 that it wasn’t possible to build a motor small- any information about its contents would be lost. er than 1/64th of an inch. He hoped this would pro- As Hawking put it, “Not only does God play dice, vide incentive for an enterprising scientist to invent but he sometimes confuses us by throwing them new fabrication techniques. Instead, a man named where they can’t be seen.” Preskill bet that the Bill McLellan managed to build such a motor us- information could be recovered in principle, and ing existing techniques and parts drawn from ama- when physicists finally devise a theory of quan- Members teur radios. Feynman could have tum gravity, we will understand in the refused to pay on a technicality the mechanism behind how this –he never really made a formal could occur. Media wager–but he paid McLellan the Indeed, subsequent work by promised $1000 anyway, despite Gerard ‘t Hooft, Leonard Suss- “Nobody likes fire ants.” that a meteor created a minor ice expressing disappointment that kind, Juan Maldacena and sever- Daniel Goldman, Georgia age 13,000 years ago, The Wash- his ulterior goal hadn’t been met. al other string theorists suggested Tech, Los Angeles Times, May 20, ington Post, June 3, 2013. One of the most recognizable “that information is encoded in 2013. physicists today is Cambridge black hole spacetimes in a very “In the first time cloak paper, University’s Stephen Hawking, John Preskill (right) declares victory at subtle way,” Preskill recalled. “The sound is like an elephant they discussed hiding events of a author of the bestselling A Brief Stephen Hawking's expense Specifically, they introduced the rumble…. It is way below what few billionths of a second once History of Time, among other concept of a holographic uni- humans can hear but it travels in a while. Here, they are talking books. In 1993, he made a cameo appearance in verse, in which any three-dimensional (3D) region long distances.” about being able to hide data 46% an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, in of our universe can be described by information John Trostel, Georgia Tech, of the time. This really suggests which Lieutenant Commander Data plays a game encoded on its two-dimensional (2D) boundary. describing a tornado, The Wall that this has gone from a curiosity of poker with holographic representations of Those arguments apparently helped sway Street Journal, May 21, 2013. to something that could be used in Hawking, Sir Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein. Hawking’s stance. On July 21, 2004, he gave a talk optical communications and data Hawking “won” that fictional game, but in the real at a conference in Dublin, Ireland, in which he an- “If crowdsourcing is one more world, he has fared less well on the gambling front. nounced that he was conceding the bet. After con- processing.” way to almost weaken the regula- Hawking has made several high-profile scien- cluding his talk, Hawking presented Preskill with Greg Gbur, University of tory environment, then that might tific wagers over the years. In 1975, he bet Caltech the eighth edition of Total Baseball: the Ultimate North Carolina at Charlotte, on actually have unintended conse- physicist Kip Thorne that black holes–then still Baseball Encyclopedia, “from which information quences.” another researcher's paper on hypothetical objects–did not exist. The monetary can be retrieved at will.” David Kaiser, MIT, on the idea “time cloaks,” BBCNews.com, stakes were fairly low: if Hawking won, he would Thorne, however, stubbornly refused to con- of crowdsourcing science funding, June 5, 2013. receive a four-year subscription to Private Eye cede, and perhaps he was right to do so. In 2012, BBCNews.com, May 22, 2013. magazine; if Thorne proved right, and black holes a new paradox emerged, postulating that if infor- “The reason is simple: I believe did exist, he would receive a one-year subscrip- mation is indeed conserved, then another beloved “The difficulty is that you need I am the best candidate to continue tion to Penthouse. As evidence for the existence postulate must be sacrificed, pertaining to what a very lightweight nuclear reactor the passionate advocacy for pro- of black holes piled up, Hawking was forced to happens to an observer who falls into a black hole. to get you enough power for it.” gressive values that Sen. Lauten- concede the bet and supplied the promised sub- Specifically, instead of experiencing nothing un- Geoffrey Landis, Glenn Re- berg exemplified.” scription. But since so much of his own research usual as the infalling observer passed the event search Center, on using a nuclear Rush Holt, announcing his bid postulated that black holes exist, scientifically he horizon, s/he would burn up in a wall of fire. The reactor to power a rocket ship, for a Senate seat from New Jer- emerged a winner. black hole firewall paradox remains contentious The Washington Post, May 30, sey, The Washington Post, June 6, The second bet Hawking made, on September and unresolved, but Preskill, for one, is willing to 2013. 2013. 24, 1991, was with Thorne and his fellow Caltech consider that perhaps he was wrong after all. physicist John Preskill. It concerned whether na- Most recently, Hawking lost a $100 bet with “We said, ‘To heck with elec- “It was amazing to be able to ked singularities could exist outside a black hole, the University of Michigan’s Gordon Kane that the tromagnetic, we’re going with see the complete aria…. For me, and hence be observed. Preskill and Thorne cham- Higgs boson would not be discovered at the Large electrostatic.’ ” pioned the possibility, while Hawking opposed Hadron Collider. CERN physicists announced uncovering the composition of a Richard Post, Lawrence Liver- it. Nearly six years later, Hawking conceded the evidence for a “Higgs-like particle” in July 2012. genius’ work that had been lost for more National Laboratory, on bet, albeit on a technicality: He decided that it was While Hawking acknowledged the importance centuries is as thrilling as trying to his development of a new kind of possible for naked singularities to form under so- of the discovery for physics, he admitted to BBC battery using a flywheel, The San uncover one of the big secrets of called “generic conditions.” News, “It is a pity in a way because the great ad- Jose Mercury News, June 3, 2013. nature.” Around the same time, the three men agreed to vances in physics have come from experiments Uwe Bergmann, SLAC, who another bet, this one centered on the question of that gave results we didn’t expect.” “The subject has become very used X-rays to see the lost sections whether information behind the event horizon of a contentious.” of Luigi Cherubini’s 18th century black hole is irretrievably lost, or whether it is pos- HAWKING continued on page 5 Mark Boslough, Sandia Na- opera Medee, The Daily Mail, tional Laboratories, on a theory June 11, 2013.

Series II, Vol. 22, No. 7 both the old and new addresses, and, if possible, include Past-President (Particles & Fields), John Galayda (Physics of Beams), July 2013 a mailing label from a recent issue. Requests from sub- Robert L. Byer*, Stanford University Vincent Chan* (Plasma), Mark Ediger (Polymer Phys- scribers for missing issues will be honored without charge ics), Nan Phiney (California Section) © 2013 The American Physical Society only if received within 6 months of the issue’s actual date General Councillors of publication. Periodical Postage Paid at College Park, Haiyan Gao*, Marcelo Gleiser, Marta Dark McNeese, ADVISORS (Non-Voting) Coden: ANWSEN ISSN: 1058-8132 MD and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send Pierre Meystre*, Warren Mori, Keivan G. Stassun Representatives from other Societies Editor•...... Alan Chodos address changes to APS News, Membership Department, Fred Dylla, AIP; Gay Stewart, AAPT American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, College International Councillors Staff Science Writer ...... Michael Lucibella Park, MD 20740-3844. Marcia Barbosa, Annick Suzor-Weiner International Advisor Art Director and Special Publications Manager...... Kerry G. Johnson Gabor Kunstatter, Canadian Association of Physicists APS COUNCIL 2013 Chair, Nominating Committee Design and Production...... Nancy Bennett-Karasik Sally Dawson Staff Representatives President Tracy Alinger, Director, Information Services (College Proofreader...... Edward Lee Michael S. Turner*, University of Chicago Chair, Panel on Public Affairs Park); Alan Chodos, Associate Executive Officer; Mark APS News (ISSN: 1058-8132) is published 11X yearly, Subscriptions: APS News is an on-membership publi- Robert Rosner Doyle, Director, Journal Information Systems; Amy President-Elect monthly, except the August/September issue, by the cation delivered by Periodical Mail. Members residing Flatten, Director of International Affairs; Terri Gaier, Di- Malcolm R. Beasley*, Stanford University American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, Col- abroad may receive airfreight delivery for a fee of $15. Division, Forum and Section Councilors rector of Meetings; Barbara Hicks, Associate Publisher; lege Park, MD 20740-3844, (301) 209-3200. It contains Nonmembers: Subscription rates are available at http:// Neil Cornish* (Astrophysics), Thomas Gallagher Ted Hodapp, Director of Education and Diversity; Trish Vice President news of the Society and of its Divisions, Topical Groups, librarians.aps.org/institutional.html. (Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics), Jose Onuchic Lettieri, Director of Membership; Darlene Logan, Direc- Samuel Aronson*, Brookhaven National Laboratory Sections, and Forums; advance information on meetings (Biological), Amy Mullin (Chemical), Frances Hellman tor of Development; Michael Lubell, Director, Public (retired) of the Society; and reports to the Society by its commit- Subscription orders, renewals and address changes (Condensed Matter Physics), Steven Gottlieb (Compu- Affairs; Dan Kulp, Editorial Director; Christine Gi- tees and task forces, as well as opinions. should be addressed as follows: For APS Members– tational), James Wallace (Fluid Dynamics), Gay Stewart accone, Director, Journal Operations; Michael Stephens, Executive Officer Membership Department, American Physical Society, (Forum on Education), Eric Sorte, (Forum on Graduate Controller and Assistant Treasurer Kate P. Kirby*, Harvard Smithsonian (retired) Letters to the editor are welcomed from the member- One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844, Student Affairs), Michael Riordan (Forum on History Administrator for Governing Committees ship. Letters must be signed and should include an ad- [email protected]. of Physics), Gregory Meisner (Forum on Industrial and Treasurer/Publisher Ken Cole dress and daytime telephone number. The APS reserves Applied Physics), Herman Winick* (Forum on Inter- Joseph W. Serene*, Georgetown University (Emeritus) * Members of the APS Executive Board the right to select and to edit for length or clarity. All cor- For Nonmembers–Circulation and Fulfillment Division, national Physics), Lowell Brown (Forum on Physics respondence regarding APS News should be directed to: American Institute of Physics, Suite 1NO1, 2 Huntington and Society), Anthony Johnson* (Laser Science), James Editor-in-Chief Editor, APS News, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, Quadrangle, Melville, NY 11747-4502. Allow at least 6 Chelikowsky (Materials), David McIntyre (Northwest Gene D. Sprouse*, Stony Brook University (on leave) MD 20740-3844, Email: [email protected]. weeks advance notice. For address changes, please send Section), Wick Haxton* (Nuclear), Marjorie Corcoran* July 2013 • 3

Physics Olympians Participate in Training Bootcamp By Halleh Balch INSIDE THE Nervous laughter filled the concrete hallway as twenty stu- Beltway dents poured excitedly out of a classroom at the University of Maryland in College Park. They The Summer of Our Discontent had ten days to prepare–and com- by Michael S. Lubell, APS Director of Public Affairs pete–as physics Olympians. The twenty high-school stu- “He’s out,” said Pooh sadly . . . “The more it snows (Tiddely dents, members of the US Physics and while he waited for Piglet not pom), The more it goes (Tiddely Team, arrived in late May for in- to answer, he jumped up and down pom), The more it goes (Tiddely tense training at the physics boot- to keep warm, and a hum came pom) On snowing. And nobody camp. With faculty and former suddenly into his head, which knows (Tiddely pom), How cold my physics Olympians from the Uni- seemed to him a Good Hum, such toes (Tiddely pom), How cold my versity of Maryland and across as is Hummed Hopefully to Others. toes (Tiddely pom), Are growing.” the country, the students spent -The House at Pooh Corner mornings and afternoons working A.A. Milne wrote those words will be more like a dive. Here’s on theoretical calculations and 85 years ago, and they are still why. performing detailed experiments apt, at least as far as the affairs of Congressional appropriators as they strove to become one of government are concerned. The and NSF administrators have the five members of the traveling team who will represent the Unit- calendar may read July, but there elected to hold a number of high- Photo credit: Halleh Balch is a distinctly partisan chill in the profile activities harmless, among ed States at the 44th International Physics Olympiad this July in Co- In the foreground, Jeffrey Cai of Ridge High School in Basking Ridge NJ and Kevin Washington summer air, sadly them construction projects and Zhou of High Technology High School in Marlboro NJ take some measurements, with no end in sight. initiatives. Those decisions place penhagen, Denmark. while in the background, Owen Gray of Thomas Jefferson High School in McLean As much as I had hoped several an overwhelming burden of the Notwithstanding the under- VA and Jonathan Tidor of Lexington High School in Lexington MA get ready to do months ago that bipartisan coop- sequestration on the Foundation’s lying competition, the students the same. eration on gun control and immi- “Core Program,” which funds uni- found time to experience new Stanley, the team’s academic di- ics Olympiad since 1986, earning gration might provide a path for- versity individual investigators friendships and to share their love rector and professor of physics at 46 gold medals, 33 silver medals, ward toward good faith bargaining and accounts for slightly more than for physics and mathematics. Beloit College in Wisconsin. The 29 bronze medals, and 11 honor- between the Republican House two-thirds of the NSF’s research “Have fun this week and enjoy students are so good, he noted, that able mentions. Since its incep- and the Democratic White House, budget. The result: a projected 20 the process,” urged Drew Baden, he and the other coaches spend a lot tion, the American Association recent events have forced me to to 25 percent reduction in avail- Chair of the University of Mary- of time developing new questions of Physics teachers (AAPT) and lower the odds substantially. able funds for new proposals and land Physics Department. “If you to keep the students properly chal- the University of Maryland have Benghazi missteps, Justice renewal requests in many activity win, then you win and it’s over; lenged. trained the US team, sponsored by Department mischief and IRS areas. taking part in and enjoying the For Stanley, much of the value APS and the American Institute of misbehavior have created an Ad- Regrettably, young scientists, process is what really makes a of the Physics Olympiad is in the Physics (AIP), along with more ministration trifecta tripwire that who are just entering the compe- difference.” training camp itself. Over the past than a dozen other organizations. Republicans could not possibly tition for research funding, will The exclusive group at the decade, the focus of the interna- This year’s Fabulous Five were have imagined six months ago. In- be hit hardest. Unless lawmakers bootcamp was honed down from tional competition has shifted chosen for their performance over stead of a thaw in partisan dueling, put an end to the gridlock that has 4,435 students who participated away from cookbook questions the course of the bootcamp. Rep- both sides have unsheathed their caused the current mess, our nation in the preliminary multiple choice and migrated back towards ques- resenting the US in Denmark swords and are doing battle anew. could foreclose on an entire gen- F=ma exam, followed by a semi- tions of an older format–which will be: Jeffrey Cai, Ridge High Just weeks ago on CNN’s “State eration of scientists. final exam for the top few hun- don’t guide students through the School, Basking Ridge, NJ; Cal- of the Union,” Darrell Issa (R-CA), Which brings me back to the dred. Most of the finalists had steps to the solution. “Most of chairman of the House Committee issue of bipartisanship, without previously participated in interna- these students know a wealth of vin Huang, Gunn High School, on Oversight and Government Re- which there will be little hope for tional or national math or science equations with which to solve Palo Alto, CA; Jeffrey Yan, Palo form, in discussing the IRS scandal science or anything else. Unfor- competitions. problems,” he explained, “but Alto High School, Palo Alto, CA; with host Candy Crowley, called tunately, for now, it appears more “It’s really different from my I would hope that at the end of Samuel Zbarsky, Montgomery President Obama’s press secretary likely that the summer months school at home,” said Zach Mar- camp they would not only be bet- Blair High School, Silver Spring, Jay Carney a “paid liar.” will reflect more of an ideological kos, a senior from Los Angeles ter problem solvers, understand- MD; and Kevin Zhou, High Tech- David Plouffe, former senior freeze than a much-needed thaw in CA, “I have one or two friends ing the importance of symmetries nology High School, Lincroft, White House adviser and Obama across-the-aisle relations. Even the who are like these students, inter- and approximations, but that they NJ. Their ten days overseas will confidant, immediately snapped House Science, Space and Tech- ested in math and physics. Every- would be able to think like physi- include an acclimation period back with the tweet, “Strong words nology Committee, historically a one here is.” cists–like the best physicists.” in Italy, before moving north to from Mr. Grand Theft Auto and paradigm for bipartisan comity, “The level of the students has The United States has compet- Denmark for the competition July suspected arsonist/insurance swin- has recently fallen prey to nasty gone up every year,” said Paul ed among 90 nations in the Phys- 7-15. dler. And loose ethically today.” partisan sniping. Such dialog does not provide In an ill-conceived and poorly much hope for bipartisan hatchet executed hunt for social and be- APS Topical Group is New Home For Physics Education Research burying. And without a cessation havioral science grants that might APS’s brand new Topical The main purpose of the new might go to a public talk about of hostilities, it’s hard to see how not pass muster in some congres- Group on Physics Education Re- group is to bring in researchers astronomy, but I wouldn’t nec- Washington will fix the dysfunc- sional quarters, House Science search (GPER) was recently ap- whose primary focus is physics essarily go to a research talk on tional mess it created for science Committee Chairman Lamar Smith proved by Council and is now education research, as opposed astronomy.” in the fiscal year 2013 budget. (R-TX) sent a politically tinged recruiting new members. So far, to traditional physics. There is Brewe, along with the other To fiscal conservatives, across- letter on April 25 to NSF Acting 160 people have joined the group, already a similar group in the founders, started organizing the the-board sequestration cuts, Director Cora Marrett requesting which needs a minimum of 200 American Association of Physics new group a year and a half ago. which the Continuing Resolution copies of the peer review reports to hold elections for its Executive Teachers, and Brewe has worked They wrote their first article about baked into the year-end pie, don’t for five proposals the Foundation Committee. with them to set up the topical the formation of the group in the seem like a big deal. After all, they had funded. Smith wrote, “Based Eric Brewe, an assistant pro- group within APS. In addition, he Summer 2012 Forum on Educa- say, you can always root out five on my review…I have concerns fessor of science education at has been working with APS’s Fo- tion newsletter. At about the same or six percent waste in any federal regarding some grants…and how Florida International University, rum on Education. time, they also polled the mem- program. But, as with many gen- closely they adhere to NSF’s ‘in- has been one of the main organiz- “One of the things is to under- bership about potential support eralizations, the facts often differ tellectual merit’ guideline.” ers of the new group. stand how different GPER is from for the new group. jarringly with the mythology. It took less than 24 hours for Ed- “The topical group is the orga- the Forum on Education,” Brewe Not long afterwards they Take the National Science die Bernice Johnson (D-TX), the nization that is going to represent said. “While the two have a strong started collecting signatures to Foundation (NSF), for example, committee’s ranking Democrat, to the interests of physics education overlap, they’re not identical.” petition the APS Council. Coun- which commits research support respond. In a sharply worded mes- researchers,” Brewe said, add- The primary charge of the Fo- cil approved the formation of the three years forward to guarantee sage to Smith, Johnson wrote, “… ing that until now the overlap rum on Education is to get physi- group at its meeting in April of continuity in grants it has agreed your letter marks the beginning of between working physicists and cists more involved with educa- this year. to fund, even though it only re- an investigative effort, the implica- education researchers has been tion at all levels, even though The organizers expect to reach ceives its appropriations annually. tions of which are profound. This limited because they tend to go to their primary research is else- 200 members by the end of sum- Such a policy leaves two-thirds of is the first step on a path that would different meetings. where. The topical group how- mer and are aiming to hold elec- NSF grants fenced off in any fiscal destroy the merit-based review “Physics education research is ever is primarily aimed at educa- tions in November if all goes year. So, absent any other machi- process at NSF and intrudes po- a field of physics so we ought to tion researchers who specialize in well. Looking ahead, Brewe said nations, a five percent reduction litical pressure into what is widely be represented in the physics pro- physics, many of whom also have that the group will be working in the Foundation’s budget would viewed as the most effective and fessional society,” Brewe said. a background in physics. with the Forum on Education for produce a 15 percent dip in support creative process for awarding re- “It’s really important to interact “[It’s like] the difference be- the April 2014 meeting, and will for new grants or renewals. with people at the national meet- tween astronomers and the people likely start organizing its own But for fiscal year 2013, the dip DISCONTENT continued on page 5 ing level.” who look at stars,” Brewe said. “I sessions at the 2015 meeting. 4 • July 2013

Letter Misses the Point Regarding Laser Isotope Separation Letters The letter in the April APS of this technology should be re- be closer than generally believed, Readers interested in submitting a letter to APS News should News by Frank Chen concerning garded as a key component of an using direct drive laser implo- email [email protected] isotope separation gives rather essential industry for modern so- sion volume ignition (Laser and interesting information about ac- ciety. The related proliferation is- Particle Beams, DOI:10.1017/ Academia Ignores a Major Issue for Women tivities at UCLA and Livermore’s sue, consistently raised by critics S0263034613000219). This goes As the wife of a physics grad while working in a postdoctoral LLNL. It misses the point that of nuclear power and enrichment back to basic physics questions student, I hear about the need for position decide not to pursue an Michael Goldsworthy’s SILEX technology in particular, has also of electron beam interaction with attracting more women into the academic research career…. Un- method for isotope separation by been discussed by Silex and GLE. laser beams as derived from the field of physics. I have a specific fortunately, students and postdocs lasers (see Google: SILEX, Silex Without doubt, the technical and Kapitza-Dirac effect [Appl. Phys. observation to make regarding are also sometimes openly dis- Systems) is being commercial- logistical barriers to developing Letters 102, 141119 (2013)]. It one major issue for women in couraged from having children by ized by General Electric-Hitachi a laser based enrichment technol- is pleasing to see the success of graduate school, especially those their mentors, who explain that, as Global Laser Enrichment (GLE) ogy such as SILEX are infinitely Alfred Wong recognized. His in long programs (as physics often mothers, they will not be consid- to produce fuel for carbon–free higher than those for centrifuge related early result on the mea- is). That factor is family-building, ered ‘serious scientists.’ ” nuclear power plants in the mar- technology. History has proven suring of cavitons generation by and it seems to be largely ignored. Maybe this is indeed why, or ket. Despite the necessary confi- this fact over and over again. Bil- laser-induced ponderomotion dentiality of this technology, the lions of dollars have been spent by It is a truth substantiated in partly why, a childless woman has following on from the Liver- studies (for example “The Shriver approximately equal chances with inventors and original develop- various governments and organi- more result was pioneering (see Report: A Report by Maria Shriv- a similarly educated man of snag- ers–Australian-listed company zations around the world trying to Figures 2a and 2b of the review er and the Center for American ging a tenure-track position, while Silex Systems Ltd–said that the develop laser enrichment technol- - Proc. of SPIE Vol. 8780 24; Progress”) that whereas a male a woman with children has 37% efficiency of the SILEX process ogy without success–the only ex- DOI:10.1117/12.2017534). graduate student (or postdoc, or lower chances (Survival Analysis is far higher than centrifugation, ception being the brilliant SILEX even beyond) can manage to start of the Survey of Doctorate Re- meaning that the capital costs for innovation from Australia. On a family simultaneously with fa- cipients, op. cit. Shriver Report). an equivalent capacity enrichment the other hand, several countries Heinrich Hora cilitating his career, females find it Media coverage has been fairly plant are expected to be about have already successfully devel- Sydney, Australia far more difficult, virtually having prolific on women in high-power half that for a centrifuge plant. oped centrifuge technology (Iran, to choose one or the other. positions of the business world The company has also said that North Korea, Pakistan and oth- Ed. Note: Perhaps it should be The Shriver Report says: “For- requiring and finally receiving in a SILEX plant will still be a very ers). Clearly, the SILEX technol- mentioned that, in addition to his ty-six percent of female respon- some places of work the innova- large industrial complex–a point ogy represents a significant shift success in research, according to dents began their graduate studies tive accommodations necessary Francis Slakey seems to consis- away from proliferation-sensitive the May 9 Los Angeles Times, re- working toward a faculty position for their family-life, but academic tently overlook (APS News Back technology. tired UCLA professor Alfred Wong in a research university, but babies institutions have regressed in this Page, January 2013). In view of The debate by Frank Chen “has agreed to plead guilty to fed- changed that, resulting in only 11 area. Twenty years ago my mother the enormous future potential of also reveals the further role eral fraud charges and pay almost percent of new mothers saying was able to take me on campus as energy from nuclear power as fun- played by John Dawson lead- $1.7 million for turning in false they now want to continue on that a child, and even to class, and com- damentally the only carbon-free ing to recent developments in invoices related to nanotechnol- path. And once again, fatherhood plete two degrees in statistics while base load electricity alternative the field of laser driven fusion ogy research he was performing for men similarly situated in grad- being a wife and mother simulta- to coal, the commercialization energy. A potential solution may for the Department of Defense.” uate studies appears to have less neously, but today most universi- impact. Fifty-nine percent began ties abound with hostile policies Definition Given for Proper Affirmative Action their doctoral programs planning toward children. Policies against to pursue a research-intensive ac- children in the classroom for any I heartily concur with Meg row window within which I re- tive action, encouragement, etc: ademic career and 45 percent still reason are almost universal. Urry’s description of equity (Back ceived my PhD (l968), but prob- Be sure the barriers look as high plan to do so.” There are no family-friendly Page, May 2013 APS News), as ably not by the time she received to white, upper class males as they In our small, local Christian fel- areas of campus; no changing “when women of slightly-less- hers, nor, perhaps, ever since. do to everybody else. lowship, most of the single women tables in bathrooms; no space than-world-changing ability suc- She and I might, however, part members pursuing graduate de- to nurse; no place where it feels ceed as easily as men of similar company over my definition of the Virginia Trimble grees express the struggle with “okay” for little ones to cry, play, ability.” This was true in the nar- only appropriate form of affirma- Irvine, CA loneliness, depression, and anxiety or babble. No other mother of over missing out on serious ro- young children and wife to a grad mantic involvement, marriage and student of my acquaintance feels Sold-out Crowd Examines Distance Learning in Physics children. There is a fear that their particularly comfortable on cam- chances of ever realizing this as- pus either. I can’t answer to wom- By Deanna Ratnikova from skepticism (how to deal with Ryan Baker of Columbia Uni- pect of life are diminished by their en who are grad students with An increasing number of US cheating; are these courses effec- versity addressed concerns over pursuit of higher degrees and the small children, because I rarely if colleges and universities are turn- tive?) to hype (distance education assessment and discussed how time it takes from important and ever meet any. Within the ranks of ing to online course offerings and will change the world and trans- it is not necessarily measuring limited family-building years. the department that I have seen, other versions of distance educa- form education). whether the knowledge is learned A 28-year-old single woman, one finds not one female physics tion for a portion of their courses. Wilson reported on a Sloan but whether it is robustly learned having just defended her doctoral student with a child. Physics departments are not ex- Foundation/Association of Pub- (i.e., will it stay retained for a lon- thesis in physics, has roughly sev- I would personally love to go empt from the push for distance lic and Land-grant Universities ger period?) and whether it can en years to unite with Mr. Right, to graduate school (albeit not in education and are putting substan- survey finding that nearly three- be transferred to other situations obtain a stable job, start and physics). I always intended to. tial time and resources into online quarters of university presidents or used to learn new skills. Baker nearly conclude building her fam- And I look forward to the day homework systems, video-record- believe online learning is critical presented research on models that ily. That isn’t much time!! Now, when a family woman can also ed lectures and Massive Open On- to their institution’s long-term can predict whether students will add a two-year postdoc (though realize her academic potential. line Courses (MOOCs). Over 100 strategy. This is consistent with learn robustly early in their learn- many are longer) to the wait time, But not at the expense of my chil- participants gathered at APS head- the results of an informal survey ing process. while our female scientist of great dren; greater elasticity of the in- quarters in College Park on June conducted at the workshop, which Gerd Kortemeyer and Wolf- potential seeks a stable research stitution is required, in order to 1-2 to learn about the opportuni- showed that physics departments gang Bauer, both of Michigan position in a competitive market. accommodate the basic reality of ties and implications of distance are primarily encouraged by enti- State University, reported on their This narrows her window down to my womanhood as motherhood. education and online learning for ties outside the department (deans, experience running completely about five years. Claiming to desire “diversity” the physics community. provosts, presidents, and other online and blended large-enroll- The likelihood is, when she through the presence of women, Over the course of the work- high-level administrators) to offer ment physics courses for more finds that position, the demand and yet requiring women to fit shop, which lasted a day and a more online courses. In response than 10 years at Michigan State. for high performance early in the the mold of a traditional male stu- half, speakers primarily focused to this pressure, 87% of the re- Kortemeyer presented his work game will lessen her ability to dent and ignoring other tangible, on online resources designed to sponding workshop participants using the free open-source plat- start a family even more. Accord- practical aspects of life distinct enhance the classroom experi- noted that they anticipate their form LON-CAPA as a learning de- ing to the Shriver Report: to womanhood, eliminates the ence, and they presented what department will increase its use of livery system—a tool that David “But, as with graduate stu- desired diversity. It might make physics education research has distance education modes in the Pritchard of MIT has also used for dents, childbirth often derails the the numbers look nicer–it doesn’t to offer to optimize the effective- next three years; the other 13% his online classes. Prichard now, scientific ambition of postdoc- contribute to the actual flourishing ness of distance education efforts. anticipate their use of distance however, bases his online classes toral students. Forty-one percent of women in the field. Some speakers, however, directly education modes will remain the on EdX, a non-profit organiza- of women graduate student sci- addressed the contentious topic of same in the short-term. tion created by Harvard and MIT entists who have babies in the Keri Haruza, distance education and MOOCs. Renee Michelle Goertzen, APS that offers MOOCs and interac- University of California system Rochester, NY Jack Wilson, President Emeri- Education Programs Manager, re- tive online classes in a variety of tus of the University of Massachu- marked, “Conference participants subjects. According to Pritchard, setts Lowell and former CEO of expressed the need for increased those who satisfactorily complete CORRECTION UMass Online, kicked off the con- attention and research into the best the required portion of his course In the May APS News, in the caption to a picture on page 6 about ference with the keynote “Radical practices in distance education are awarded a certificate from the PhysTEC Conference, we misidentified one of the subjects. Change in Higher Education–will and online learning, and they were EdX, and for teachers in the US, The person standing on the left, next to Ashwani Kumar, is Jesse particularly enthusiastic in ses- the course awards Professional Southwick, not Aaron Osowiecki. Both Southwick and Osowiecki physics lead, follow, or get out of the way?” He noted that traditional sions on topics such as MOOCs Development Points (free for attended the conference, and both are teachers at Boston Latin and assessment in online learn- teachers in Massachusetts) or, for School. press coverage of MOOCs ranges ing.” LEARNING continue on page 7 July 2013 • 5

Diversity Corner APS Honors Vera Rubin and Kent Ford at Carnegie Institution

41 Minority Scholarships awarded for 2013-2014 The APS Committee on Minorities in physics recently selected 27 new students and 14 renewal students for the 2013-2014 APS Scholarship for Minority Undergraduate Physics Majors. This merit-based scholarship provides each recipient with a monetary award of $2K - $3K, and pairs the students with a mentor at their institution as well as a mentor from the Committee on Minorities. The committee also selected 17 students for Honorable Mention. These students Photos by Michael Lucibella are being recognized for their accomplishments and are On May 17, APS President Michael Turner presented a plaque to the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism (DTM) of the deemed by the committee to have great potential in the field Carnegie Institution for Science, as part of the APS Historic Sites Initiative. Located in Northwest DC, the DTM is the site of physics. of work in the 1970s by Vera Rubin and Kent Ford on the rotation curves of galaxies, which provided early evidence for the existence of dark matter. At left, Michael Turner congratulates Vera Rubin, while on the right, Kent Ford shows where Sign up to receive the COM/CSWP Gazette newsletter a key component, the image tube spectrograph, was located in a photo of the two of them inspecting the telescope at The COM/CSWP Gazette newsletter features updates on Kitt Peak where the data were taken. CSWP and COM activities and programs, book reviews, statistical reports, and articles on programs designed to increase the participation of women and minorities in Golden Goose Award Issues Ongoing Call for Nominations science. The Gazette is distributed free of charge. To add The organizers of the year-old Last year the awards recog- The idea for the awards origi- your name to the Gazette mailing list, e-mail women@aps. Golden Goose Award are poised nized the achievements of seven nated with Congressman Jim Coo- org and include your postal mailing address. to announce the second round of scientists, including Charles per of Tennessee, who had wanted winners and are looking for nomi- Townes of the University of Cali- to highlight the benefits of feder- Planning a colloquium for women or minorities? Check nations for future honorees. fornia, Berkeley, whose invention ally funded research for years. out these APS speakers lists “The Golden Goose Award of the maser in 1954 paved the They are a response to the “Gold- APS offers online databases of both women and minority honors scientists whose feder- way for the ubiquitous laser. en Fleece Awards,” presented as a physicists who are willing to give talks on a variety of subjects. ally funded work could initially “At the time he discovered the dubious distinction by Wisconsin The lists include names, contact information, and talk titles. have been perceived as wasteful maser…his own department chair, Senator William Proxmire in the or obscure but turned out to have who was himself a Nobelist, tried 1970s and ‘80s, to government • For women speakers, see http://www.aps.org/programs/ significant positive benefit to so- to get him to stop working on it. programs that he deemed wasteful women/speakers/ ciety,” said Barry Toiv, the Vice- He thought it was a waste of time,” of taxpayers’ money. • For minority speakers, see http://www.aps.org/programs/ President for Public Affairs at the Toiv said. “[Today there are] very Toiv said that it is especially minorities/speakers/ Association of American Univer- few elements of modern technol- important now to highlight the sities, and one of the award’s or- ogy that don’t involve some use of benefits of federal support of sci- And don’t forget that travel grants are available for institutions ganizers. the laser.” GOOSE continued on page 6 inviting women speakers. Find more information about the grants here: http://www.aps.org/programs/women/speakers/travel- grants.cfm Profiles In Versatility Women in Physics (WIPHYS) Email Group The Committee on the Status of Women in Physics (CSWP) invites you to join WIPHYS, its electronic mailing list. WIPHYS is sent weekly and includes funding, job, and A Stint in Italy’s Parliament Teaches Many Lessons professional development opportunities for women. WIPHYS was “officially” started in January 1993, and now has over by Alaina G. Levine 900 subscribers. Join here: http://www.aps.org/programs/ As Cardinals began to gather in a prominent judge, professor of tion, if needed, in both volunteer women/email-lists/wiphys.cfm Vatican City to elect a new Pope law and religious leader, was later political activism and elected gov- earlier this year, another type of elected to the Rome city council ernment positions,” he says. Network with other physicists on LinkedIn conclave was occurring only a and then to the leadership of the In 2008, the (then burgeoning) Join the LinkedIn groups for Minorities in Physics (http:// few kilometers away. In the Italian Consiglio Superiore della Mag- Democratic Party asked him to go.aps.org/minoritiesinphysics) and Women in Physics Parliament in the heart of Rome, istratura (Supreme Council of run for office and be part of their (http://go.aps.org/womeninphysics) and start networking Giovanni Bachelet was saying Magistrates), which is similar to list of candidates for the national today! arrivederci to his colleagues. For Parliament. Bachelet obliged, the past five years, the physicist “even if the election was far from has served his nation as an elected certain,” he recalls. He hoped to member, and as a deputy in the “support Italy’s progress toward Italian Democratic Party. When a tighter European integration and his term ended on 24 February thus toward European standards in HAWKING continued from page 2 2013, he stepped down to return to education and research, civil and a life of academic research. social rights, fight against -cor So when it comes to scientific and Sully, James. (2012) “Black His decision not to pursue a ruption, and promote media free- wagers, Hawking’s track record Holes: Complementarity or Fire- second term in Parliament was dom.” In a few words, more than isn’t stellar. As Preskill quipped walls?” arxiv.org not “because I feel unhappy,” he becoming a member of the Par- during an April 2013 tribute, “It’s Hawking, Stephen. (1976) explains. “But this is not my pro- liament, his goal was to help his sad to say that although Stephen “Breakdown of predictability in fession.” Rather, his profession, country resume Democratic Party Hawking is without doubt a great gravitational collapse,” Physical he notes with pride, is physics. An Giovanni Bachelet President Romano Prodi’s center- scientist, he’s a bad gambler.” Review D 14: 2460-2473. APS member since 1980, when he left program, or at least free it Further Reading Hawking, Stephen. (2005) “In- was a young postdoc at AT&T Bell the Supreme Court in the US. His from Berlusconi’s nightmare. The Almheiri, Ahmed; Marolf, formation loss in black holes,” Labs in Murray Hill, New Jersey, mother, a teacher, “participated opposite, however, occurred: Ber- Donald; Polchinski, Joseph; Physical Review D 72(8): 4. he has served as a professor of with enthusiasm” in her school lusconi won the elections and be- physics at Sapienza University of board elections, he recalls. As a came Prime Minister, but Bachelet Rome for the last twenty years. youngster, Bachelet realized “it’s was elected and served most of the An expert in the theory of elec- not just about your own career, but time in the parliamentary opposi- tronic states, Bachelet has been about contributing to society too.” tion, except for the very last year, DISCONTENT continued from page 3 involved in some form of the po- He was additionally influenced by when an emergency bipartisan search funds in the world.” And if the winds of partisan- litical process for many years, ac- the examples of John F. Kennedy, government was formed after eco- According to several members ship don’t soon abate, the current tively participating in campaigns Martin Luther King, and Pope nomic problems and Berlusconi’s of the House committee, the rup- session of Congress could well and referendums. “I am interested John XXIII with his reform of the personal shenanigans led to his ture between the chairman and the be the least productive in history. in the democratic development of Catholic Church in the 1960s, and party’s loss of power. ranking member has sown seeds And the coming months will be- my community,” he says. Much together with an extended Boy One of his proudest accom- of partisan mistrust that will be come the summer of our discon- of this desire to affect change Scout experience, took to heart to plishments as a member of Parlia- difficult to repair anytime soon. tent. stems from his parents. His father, always “be prepared, and take ac- LESSONS continued on page 6 6 • July 2013

Water Dating Technique Finds Many Potential Applications GOOSE continued from page 5 ence. judgments made by scientists and By Calla Cofield unique half-life and can date sam- od in the journal Science in 1999. “There is a growing trend in those who administer the grants A technique for determining ples of different ages. Argon-39 At the time, the device could only Congress to single out specific process.” has a half-life of 269 years, and is capture only about one in ten mil- grants for special scrutiny,” Toiv the age of water using three atmo- Scientists can nominate re- spheric radioisotopes is coming ideal for dating samples between lion krypton-85 atoms. Coupled said. “We’re very concerned at searchers for the prize at the into its own. The Atom Trap Trace 100 and 1000 years. This fills a with the rarity of the isotopes, the the possibility that Congress Analysis method, or ATTA, was gap between the ideal dating rang- method required roughly a kiloton would want to substitute its po- award’s website, first developed by researchers at es of carbon-14 (half-life 5730 of water to gather enough atoms to litical judgments for the scientific www.goldengooseaward.org. Argonne National Laboratory in years) and hydrogen 3 (tritium, determine the age of the sample. half-life 12 years). 1999, but it is only in the past 18 The newest version of the in- LESSONS continued from page 5 Hydrologists interested in tap- months that it has become a practi- strument, the ATTA-3, is now ten ment was helping to block a bill what I’m an expert in and to be ping underground water sources cal way for geologists and hydrol- thousand times more efficient. which would have negatively af- assertive, and I know what I don’t can use the technique to determine ogists to determine the age of wa- The team requires only about 100 fected high school teachers. “The know and to say that I need to do how frequently those sources refill ter samples from the field. In the kilograms of water to determine government wanted to increase further research to give an an- or drain to keep them from being last 12 months the Argonne team the age of the sample, which is their working time by 30%, with- swer,” he says. “That’s an impor- exhausted. Finding out how iso- has analyzed samples from seven more reasonable for scientists to out increasing their salaries,” he tant difference with ‘professional’ lated one is from other sources continents, and can determine collect from the field. Lu adds that explains. “Teachers in Italy are politicians: in my country many of matters especially if, for example, when those samples became iso- the team hopes to continue to im- paid less than average European them tend to elude questions they the water table is located beneath lated from the atmosphere. Now prove the efficiency. teachers. With a few colleagues don’t know how to answer. I real- a nuclear waste storage facility. the team has begun a project with There are two other methods I was able, on the basis of sound ized that all of our voters, and not Glaciers are largely organized into the International Atomic Energy for dating krypton 85 and argon data, to convince first my party, just [political] activists, prefer to sequential layers of ice, but some- Agency’s water resources pro- 39, and Lu says at the moment and then the entire committee be treated as adults.” times the oldest layers are pushed gram to determine the age of water ATTA’s contribution is a useful al- which dealt with this bill, that Although he is looking for- up and out to the sides, disrupt- samples from many of the world’s ternative, but with its current effi- schools and teachers had suffered ward to rebooting his research ing the chronology. Glacial layers major underground aquifers. ciency, it certainly doesn’t replace from previous budget cuts more program, he is not leaving politics Zheng-Tian Lu, a senior physi- provide information about the his- these. However, ATTA appears to than any other part of the pub- completely. Until the next internal cist at Argonne and a part-time tory of our planet, and ATTA helps be the most feasible way to date lic administration, and a further selection of the Democratic Party professor at the University of chart that history more precisely. krypton 81. Its half-life is 229,000 thwack was simply not accept- leadership, he will remain Presi- Chicago, leads the team that de- The ATTA apparatus is a table- years, so dating methods that rely able.” As a result, the government dent of the National Forum on Ed- veloped ATTA more than a decade top device, about two meters long, withdrew the bill. ucational Policies within the Party, on observing particle decays take ago. Lu spoke about the recent which can be operated by a single While it is an honor to serve a position he has held since 2009. far too long. Dating krypton 81 is ATTA developments at the 2013 person. Liquid or ice samples are his country as an elected official, As he prepares to leave his post, possible with Accelerator Mass APS April Meeting in Denver, vaporized, funnelled into a beam, it is not an easy job, he notes. It he reflects on what this foray onto Spectrometry (AMS), the tech- Colorado. and then sent through a vacuum is physically demanding, particu- a national stage has taught him. The ATTA method uses lasers chamber and into a magneto-opti- nique most commonly used to larly for someone who is not a “It confirmed three ideas which to trap and isolate three radioiso- cal trap. A laser tuned to a transi- date samples using carbon-14, but “career politician.” He jokingly my father and mother taught me topes, krypton-81, krypton-85, tion frequency of one of the iso- this required many tons of water compares his time in Parliament to as a boy,” he says. “First, it’s easy and argon-39, that are dissolved in topes excites the atoms, causing and was largely abandoned. his experience as a professor: As to talk politics at lunch or coffee water samples. All three isotopes them to fluoresce. A CCD camera “As ATTA-3 became opera- an academic, he considers depart- break, but it’s difficult to take an occur naturally in Earth’s atmo- measures the fluorescence, which tional,” said Lu, “krypton 81 dat- ment meetings and other service entire nation a tiny step forward, sphere and can be used to measure can be used to count the number of ing, an idea that had been dis- requirements as “a tax I have to or, sometimes, prevent a step the time since a sample became individual atoms in the trap. cussed for more than 40 years, pay in order to do the two things I back: this requires technical skills, isolated from the atmosphere. Lu and his team published the finally became available to the like, which are research and teach- energy, patience, and savoir faire. The different isotopes each have a first results using the ATTA meth- earth science community at large.” ing,” he says. “In this respect, a Second, bad politics is usually the term in Parliament is as exciting result of an immature society, and as being locked in a department thus, for the progress of democra- BRIDGE continued from page 1 meeting for five years in a row.” cy, education is by no means less mentors for each Bridge Fellow, stitution. APS bridge sites, existing bridge But while he laments that 50% of important than direct political en- including academic, research and Casey Miller, Bridge Program programs, and other colleges and his time was spent in assemblies gagement. This is why, after five peer mentors, and emphasizes stu- Site Leader at USF, said, “Tack- universities committed to program with other politicians, “the most years of civil service, I am going dent networking and study groups ling diversity is beyond the scope goals,” Beckford said. “Over the extraordinary thing is what you back to my usual profession of to ensure success. of any single program, so we are span of the project, we can make gain in the other half,” when he university professor.” “There is great enthusiasm for quite excited to be participating at a significant improvement in the would convene one-on-one with And the third lesson which the OSU Physics Bridge Program this moment in the history of the number of underrepresented mi- constituents. Bachelet has learned from his at a variety of levels across the APS. One of our principal goals norities receiving PhDs in phys- On weekends, Bachelet would tenure in Parliament is that “each university,” said Bridge site lead- is to diligently document our path ics.” travel all over Italy “meeting with generation must pay a price to er Jon Pelz. The OSU Center for forward to enable rapid, low risk The program hosted its annual people who want to know what is maintain freedom and welfare for Emergent Materials was a major replication of existing programs.” Bridge Program summer meeting going on in Rome and how their the next generation.” He points driver in establishing the program APS-BP secured a $3 million at the end of June. The meeting in- particular problem is being treat- out that his father, who was also a by securing and providing fund- multi-year grant from the National cluded representatives from newly ed,” he says. “People really appre- consultant to the Vatican and con- ing and administrative support Science Foundation in fall 2012 selected APS Bridge sites, exist- ciate talking to members of Parlia- sidered a personal acquaintance of for the program. The program that allowed programmatic activi- ing bridge programs, students, and ment. The most enjoyable thing is the Pope, paid the ultimate price also received significant support ties to take off. faculty from colleges and univer- that people get excited if given a for his advocacy: in 1980, he was from its physics faculty, the Dean Bridge Program Manager Bri- sities committed to improving di- chance to participate in govern- assassinated by the Red Brigades, of the Division of Mathematical an Beckford joined APS in April, versity in physics graduate educa- ment, especially those who are far a terrorist organization credited and Natural Sciences, and current after receiving his PhD in nuclear tion. away geographically, or feel far with murdering many other Ital- graduate students. physics at Tohoku University in The program anticipates issu- away from the process.” ian politicians in the 1970s and The University of South Flor- Sendai, Japan, and his M.S. and ing another request for proposals His physics background aided 80s. “My sacrifice of five years of ida in Tampa will admit Bridge B.S. degrees in physics from Flor- for new Bridge Sites in fall 2013. him, in his ability to “understand physics in favor of five years in Fellows into a hybrid post-bac- ida International University. He is The student application will re- and elaborate numbers rapidly by the Parliament was much less than calaureate/transitional master’s excited by the program’s potential open in the fall as well, and it is heart,” he says. “Lawyers are not my father’s sacrifice of his life at program. Students can elect to to increase diversity in physics on anticipated that the summer meet- as familiar with statistics.” Bach- the age of 54.” complete their master’s degree a national scale. “The program ing for the program will become elet’s linear and logical approach Alaina G. Levine is a science and continue on to complete their presents a tremendous opportuni- an annual conference as the pro- to problem solving also contrib- writer and President of Quantum physics PhD at USF or another in- ty for collaboration between new gram expands. uted to his success, and he af- Success Solutions, a science ca- firms that by studying physics, he reer and professional development gained an aptitude for presenting consulting enterprise. She can be CHAIRS continued from page 1 results to many different types of contacted through www.alainal- audiences, and responding to diffi- evine.com. described how his upper level stu- ing surveys at the beginning and Rundquist from Hamline Univer- cult questions on the spot. “I know © 2013, Alaina G. Levine dents have successfully adopted a end of the school year, he found sity pioneered a new evaluation common technique often used in that clickers helped students in the technique that videotapes students more basic courses. Over the last advanced classes retain what they explaining their work. fore,” Rundquist said. He added included an overview of the site few years “clickers” have become learned. After a student solves a prob- that instead of grading papers “I’m visits conducted by the APS Com- very popular in large classes to get “We’re seeing evidence at Col- lem, he or she makes a video de- just watching videos.” mittee on the Status of Women in Other plenary sessions at the students to answer questions and orado that is consistent with the scribing each step of the process. Physics and given by Committee immediately see how the whole research that active engagement is Rundquist then goes back and conference dealt with trends in Chair Susan Blessing, and a dis- class responded. working,” Pollock said. records his own video explaining graduate education, including a Pollock brought the clickers New technologies are also be- any errors the student made. description of the new APS Bridge cussion of “Ethics and the Welfare into several of his advanced junior ing adopted for assessing what “I don’t spend one minute lon- Program, and with issues of “De- of the Physics Profession” by APS and senior year classes. After tak- students have learned. Andy ger grading now than I did be- partment Climate.” The latter Executive Officer Kate Kirby. July 2013 • 7

ANNOUNCEMENT OUTREACH continued from page 1 Reviews of Modern Physics than I teach in a year.” Kakalios said that as a tenured turn society’s support of science. James Kakalios, a condensed professor he felt he had “flexibility He echoed the warning that many Leaking chaotic systems matter physicist at the University and protection,” when he began his physicists do not look kindly on Eduardo G. Altmann, of Minnesota, got involved in sci- outreach work. He advised other outreach, despite the community’s Jefferson S.E. Portela and Tamás Tél ence outreach when he started physicists to perhaps treat out- need for it, but he also pointed out When a hole or a leak is introduced in an otherwise closed chaotic teaching a freshman seminar class reach as a “hobby” or “diversion,” that a career should match the in- system, persistent dynamics is converted into transient chaos. Theo- titled “Everything I Know About while always placing research and dividual. In his case, that meant a ries based on the persistent dynamics of closed systems are often Science I Learned from Reading professional responsibilities first. combination of science and art. applied to leaking systems, but they fail to describe realistic configura- Comic Books.” The class drew Kakalios also said that the physics “For each of us it comes down tions which typically have finite-size leaks. A transient chaos based theory is developed and shown to be applicable to problems in plane- physics lessons from the pages community’s aversion to outreach to a personal decision,” said tary science, hydrodynamical flow and environmental sciences, room of superhero comic books—such does not serve its current needs. Perkowitz, “about varied career acoustics, and magnetic confinement in plasmas up to quantum and as why Lois Lane would still die “At the same time that institu- paths and satisfactions, with inevi- wave chaotic systems with leaks. from a fall off a skyscraper even tions are saying ‘Where’s the next table tradeoffs.” when Superman catches her in his Carl Sagan?’ and ‘Why doesn’t Some physicists ultimately http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/RevModPhys.85.869 arms, inches above the pavement. the public support more of what choose outreach as a career. Ben Kakalios’ work caught the atten- we’re doing?’ they’re…not giving Ames, a physics graduate student http://rmp.aps.org tion of major media outlets, and support to those people who are studying quantum optics at the he eventually wrote the book The engaged in it,” he said. University of Innsbruck, Austria, LEARNING continue from page 4 Physics of Superheroes. He has Kakalios says his own turn into spoke at the April Meeting about a fee, Continuing Education Units that it is not appropriate to inter- since written a second book, this science outreach was a surprise, a project he participated in called through the American Association vene, as they should only maintain one about quantum mechanics, and he confessed that he was once “The Flame Challenge.” Ames of Physics Teachers. standards and allow the students and served as a science adviser for one to scoff at the pursuit: “Back won the 2012 contest to create a Michigan State’s Bauer dis- to decide what to do, while the the most recent Spiderman movie. when Carl Sagan was doing Cos- video that explains the science of cussed how MOOCs can be mon- other extreme believes in trying to At the April Meeting, Kakalios mos I said, ‘Oh, this is trivializa- fire in a way that is understandable etized—which may account for reduce copying because the wrong chaired a session hosted by the tion!’ And so for my sins I now get and engaging to 11-year-olds. He the push from higher administra- message is conveyed if instructors newly-organized APS Forum on to be the person that people say spent two weeks working only on tors for their implementation. He ignore the cheating. Outreach and Engaging the Pub- that about.” his animated video, complete with explained that MOOC materials Kortemeyer noted that there lic, FOEP, for which he is now the Sidney Perkowitz is a professor original songs. can be used in a flipped classroom should be a distinction between Past Chair. In a press conference of physics emeritus at Emory Uni- In his talk, Ames told the story along with a teaching assistant cheating on homework, which preceding the session, he echoed versity. In his 45-year physics ca- of how he initially wanted to be a for student interactions, thus po- leads to learning failure and de- Leslie-Pelecky’s concerns for reer Perkowitz contributed to over filmmaker, then decided to shoot tentially removing the need for moralization, and cheating on ex- young physicists. 100 scientific publications; but for a more lucrative career as a faculty, and that institutions may ams, which should lead to course “I think young scientists have a he also authored five books, two patent lawyer, which landed him soon start to charge some tuition failure. Based on an analysis of great deal of enthusiasm for [out- plays, a performance dance piece, in the physics department and ig- to those students who successfully student discussions, Kortemeyer reach] and…they are able to com- a handful of YouTube videos, and nited his passion for the subject. complete a MOOC and wish to re- found that multiple choice prob- municate in a very natural way to dozens of articles about or inspired While Ames expressed nothing ceive college credit. lems produce the most solution- their peers,” he said. “On the other by physics, all meant for non-sci- but love and excitement for phys- The first day of the workshop oriented discussions and that the hand, they’re also trying to estab- entist audiences. Recently he was ics research, he is now working on finished with a keynote address best discussions occur with prob- lish their own careers. And right a co-editor and contributor to the an animated, science-themed tele- from Candace Thille of Carnegie lems of medium-range difficulty. now efforts in science outreach are anthology Hollywood Chemistry, vision project with an executive Mellon University’s Open Learn- He also shared his results from more tolerated and accepted than about science in entertainment. producer of the children’s show Yo ing Initiative (OLI), a grant-fund- conducting weekly exams rather actively rewarded. And I think it’s Perkowitz spoke about the Gabba Gabba. After he completes ed group offering online courses than just a midterm and final: probably important for them to reasons why physicists should his PhD, Ames says he will have to all. OLI was built upon the idea there was less use of unsanctioned focus on first establishing them- engage in public outreach: to in- to consider in which direction he of integrating cognitive tutoring websites and more use of the sanc- selves.” spire future scientists and to re- wants to take his career. into online courses that can stand tioned site, more student satisfac- on their own and provide instruc- tion, more regular e-text use, and tion. Their model is based on better final exam scores. COMMUNITY continued from page 1 cognitive science telling us how Andy Rundquist of Hamline students need help to think more University brought to light a ma- and to solve problems that are “of research in political science from former assistant directors of the metacognitively, and it provides jor challenge for mass adoption the utmost importance to society the NSF budget. Just two weeks NSF signed a separate letter of feedback when the students need of authentic assessment meth- at large.” before the leak, Science Commit- protest. Both letters said that the it. OLI provides students with ods—scalability. At the Depart- An aide from the House Sci- tee Chair Lamar Smith (R-Texas) proposed requirements would ef- simulations, time-independent ment Chairs Conference held just ence Committee said that the held a hearing on the NSF science fectively require researchers to access to the course, and connec- prior to the Distance Education leaked bill was essentially a rough budget, at which he criticized a accurately predict the outcomes of tions to students around the world, Workshop, Rundquist presented draft whose intent was to establish number of individual grants with research. but more importantly, it allows his standards-based grading with a way for the NSF to publicly ex- seemingly frivolous sounding ti- “The history of science and education researchers to collect voice approach and noted that it plain its grant decisions. Currently tles, including one about how pho- technology has shown that truly data on how people are learning could be a possible solution to the NSF does not have to explain, tos portray animals in National basic research often yields break- and using the system. cheating. He recognized, however, online or elsewhere, the reason Geographic Magazine. Smith fol- throughs–including new technolo- On the final day of the work- that it could not scale easily past a why a research project was ap- lowed up the hearing by sending gies, markets and jobs–but that shop, Pritchard and Kortemeyer 40-person class, so the question proved for funding. The aide said a letter asking Cora Marrett, the it is impossible to predict which delved deeper into the challenges remains how instructors can best that the Committee is talking with Acting Director of NSF, to turn projects (and which fields) will do of distance education. Pritchard address cheating in large introduc- the NSF to find a way to provide over the normally confidential that,” said the letter signed by the remarked that academic cheating tory college courses that are based information on their website. If technical reviews of five grants former NSF directors. can be broken down into several online or use online homework. the NSF and House Science Com- that Smith had “concerns” about. The outcry over the bill touched groups—general cheating, exam APS Director of Education & mittee do not come to an agree- The congressional aide said on a larger debate about the role of cheating, plagiarism, and unau- Diversity Ted Hodapp remarked ment, legislation similar to the that the draft of the High Qual- the federal government in science. thorized collaboration—and ac- that “APS staff and the Commit- High Quality Research Act might ity Research Act was in part a “Many of us feel that the role cording to literature on the subject, tee on Education are considering be introduced in the future. response to the Acting Director’s of the federal government is to only unauthorized collaboration ways to connect faculty wrestling “We are not interfering with unwillingness to turn over the in- fund the basic research that no one is significantly growing. An MIT with the issues of distance educa- the peer review process,” the formation requested. else is going to fund,” said Neal study, which defined cheating as tion, and to provide resources for aide said. “When you make those “There were several questions Lane, a former Director of NSF. putting in the answer into the on- understanding this changing land- awards, justify that, in a public that were raised about why the “Industry is not funding basic re- line system faster than it would scape.” way.” NSF is funding certain research search for reasons that everyone take to read the problem and input The workshop was supported However science advocates grants,” the aide said, pointing to pretty much understands.” the answer, showed that students in part by a grant from the Nation- feared the additional requirements the National Geographic study. Lane added that industry is who cheated more did worse on al Science Foundation and orga- would give Congress the ability to “Why is this study worth a quar- much more apt to fund research the exams and that they pass fu- nized by Jacob Clark Blickenstaff, politicize science by allowing it ter of a million dollars from the that can be easily turned into a ture classes less often. This leads Noah Finkelstein, Ted Hodapp, to veto grants its members didn’t American taxpayer?” commercial application. to a division of opinions by in- Edward Prather, David Pritchard, approve of. When the NSF was The combined actions prompt- “Maybe it’s a lot to ask and structors—one extreme contends and Carl Wieman. first chartered in 1950, it was set ed a strong response from the sci- maybe it’s counterintuitive, [but] up with an independent board to entific community worried about the way science works is not the review grants so as to eliminate political interference in the NSF way business as usual works. You political influence from funding grant process. The bill ignited a have to trust, you have to look In addition to fears about po- moved in the direction of being decisions. firestorm in online forums. Three long term and you have to accept liticization of science, researchers pretty conservative,” Lane said. The leak came at a time of former NSF directors and three that something might not pay off said that it might cause research- “People making proposals have heightened sensitivity about Con- former chairs of the National Sci- for 20 years,” said Robert Eisen- ers to be reluctant to pursue grants been shying away from being too gress micromanaging scientific ence Board signed a letter sent stein, a former Assistant Director for riskier science, a trend that speculative, being too bold, out of research. In March, Congress vot- to the House Science Committee for Mathematical and Physical some claim has already begun. fear of being shot down in the re- ed to eliminate most funding for criticizing the draft bill. Eighteen Sciences at the NSF. “Peer review has already view process.” 8 • July 2013 The Back Page

uildings are responsible for 39% of In recognition of the need for actual per- Bour nation’s energy consumption and formance data the USGBC has required all associated green house gas (GHG) emis- buildings certified under its 2009 version of sion and they use 72% of the nation’s elec- No Evidence LEED Building Certification LEED to measure and report annual energy tricity [1]. It has long been established that consumption data to the USGBC for five cost-effective improvements in energy effi- is saving Primary Energy years following certification. And, for its Ex- ciency has great potential to reduce primary isting Buildings program–which targets reno- energy consumption and GHG emission by John H. Scofield vated buildings–the USGBC has adopted the associated with buildings. The American ES building rating system as its method for Physical Society first took up this topic in 1974 [2]. A more determining energy efficiency points–for the first time re- recent APS study confirmed the potential remains [1]. De- warding measured energy performance. spite forty years of building technology research and public But these changes have not yielded convincing scientific policy efforts to promote energy efficiency the energy effi- data that demonstrate energy savings for LEED. More than ciency potential for buildings remains largely untapped. 2,400 buildings have been certified under LEED 2009–with The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began 711 of these certified before 2012. Yet the USGBC has re- promoting building energy efficiency in 1993 as part of its leased no scientific report analyzing the energy data they ENERGY STAR (ES) program, introducing its ES building have collected. Instead they “cherry-pick” the data to create score in 1999 [www.energystar.gov]. This score is based on clever marketing sound bites that have no scientific value. A measured energy consumption and is supposed to represent USGBC press release last November claimed their data re- a building’s energy efficiency percentile ranking with re- veals that 195 LEED certified buildings received ES scores spect to similar buildings in the U.S. commercial building averaging 89–demonstrating a 43% energy savings [6]. So stock. A score of 75, required for ES Certification, implies John Scofield testifies before a Congressional what–presumably a million (of the 5 million) buildings in that the building uses less primary energy than 75% of simi- subcommittee in May 2012 the commercial building stock have an “average” ES score lar buildings under similar operating conditions nationally. of 89. Scientists should not be impressed. Moreover, while In 2000 the US Green Building Council (USGBC) in- stalled–rendering the question moot. the source energy savings of a single building may be in- troduced its Leadership in Energy and Environmental De- The largest and most-widely publicized of these studies, ferred from its ES score, it is mathematically impossible to sign (LEED) green building rating system [www.usgbc.org]. conducted by the New Buildings Institute (NBI) in 2008 for determine the energy savings for a collection of buildings Unlike ES, LEED certification was not based on measured the USGBC, concluded that “...average LEED energy use from their average ES score (unless they all are identical in energy performance but rather on “points achieved” through [is] 25-30% better than the national average” [3]. But the size and function)–hence the claim of 43% energy savings a checklist of items included in the building design and/or APS Energy Efficiency Study Committee concluded that is unjustified. design process–all intended to make the building “green” or the LEED buildings in the NBI study used more energy These days the USGBC points to the high ES scores of its more energy efficient. Four levels of certification are award- per square foot than the average for all existing commercial Existing Buildings program as evidence of energy savings ed depending on the total number of LEED points achieved– buildings [1]. NBI’s conclusion–similar to those published for this program. But the “value added” by LEED-certifica- Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. by other studies, is obtained by 1) a mathematical error in tion is not established by comparing the certified building’s LEED’s contribution was to marry the substance of en- calculating the gross energy intensity for the LEED build- ES score to 50–the presumed mean for all US buildings–it is ergy efficiency with the popular appeal of green design. It ings, and 2) focusing on site energy–energy used at the found by comparing its ES score to those of similar, newly- was a brilliant marketing strategy and, since its introduc- buildings, while ignoring off-site energy losses associated renovated buildings that did not use the LEED process. Any tion, LEED certification has far surpassed ES certification in with electric generation and distribution. newly-renovated commercial building (LEED certified or popularity. Today nearly every large organization owns one First consider the mathematical error. A building’s energy otherwise) ought to see reduced energy consumption owing or more LEED-certified buildings, and many institutions– use intensity (EUI) is the ratio of its annual energy use to to cost-effective efficiency upgrades in lighting and heat- particularly governmental–have mandated that all their fu- its gross square footage (gsf) or total floor area (surrogate ing, ventilation, and air-conditioning equipment. Moreover, ture buildings must be LEED certified at the silver level or for building volume). EUI is convenient for comparing the many of the buildings certified under the LEED Existing higher. energy use of two similar buildings differing only in size. Buildings program have previously been certified by ES But do LEED-certified buildings actually save primary The Energy Information Agency (EIA) similarly defines the with scores significantly higher than 50. energy and reduce GHG emission? LEED certification has gross energy intensity of a set of N buildings to be their total The lack of energy consumption data for LEED and other clearly captured the public’s fancy–not unlike organic farm- energy divided by their total gsf–mathematically equivalent commercial buildings is soon to change. Six of our nation’s ing or herbal medicines. But also like these fields there is to the gsf-weighted mean EUI of the N buildings. The EIA’s largest cities have passed ordinances requiring all commer- a woeful lack of scientific data supporting LEED’s effica- Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey uses this cial buildings to annually submit their energy consumption cy. And what little measured building energy consumption metric to characterize the energy use of subsets of the na- data into the ES system for subsequent municipal use. New data there are have been gathered through a “self-selected” tional commercial building stock [5]. In the NBI study–in- York City is the first such city, and last fall it made public process that is clearly biased towards the “better-perform- deed, in most LEED building studies–energy used by LEED 2011 energy consumption data for some 4,000 buildings of ing” buildings. In these data, proponents find evidence that sets of buildings are characterized by summing their indi- 50,000 sf or larger–and this list included nearly 1,000 of- LEED-certification is saving energy [3]. But careful analysis vidual EUI and dividing N. This unweighted or “building- fice buildings of which 21 were identified as LEED certi- of even these biased data show that LEED-certified build- weighted” EUI is unrelated to the total energy used by the fied. These data clearly show there to be no statistically sig- ings, with regard to primary (or source) energy consumption buildings. When this error is corrected we find the LEED nificant difference between the source energy consumed by and GHG emission, perform like other buildings–no better buildings in the NBI study use 10-15% less energy on site as or GHG emitted by LEED certified buildings as compared and no worse [4]. compared with other buildings [4]. with other large NYC office buildings. It should be noted First consider the amount and quality of energy consump- But energy used on site–called site energy–is only part of that LEED office buildings certified at the Gold level and tion data published for LEED-certified buildings. the story. Site energy fails to account for the off-site losses higher did outperform other office buildings. The vast majority of energy savings claims are not based incurred in producing the energy and delivering it to the At present there simply is no justification for govern- on measured building energy performance but rather on de- building–particularly important for electric energy that, on ments mandating LEED building certification–using public sign team projections. LEED points for energy savings are average, is generated and distributed with 31% efficiency dollars to subsidize a private enterprise with no scientific based on these design projections–providing incentive for [1]. The EPA defines source energy to account for both on- data to demonstrate efficacy in lowering primary energy the design team to produce optimistic energy projections and and off-site energy consumption associated with a building; consumption or GHG emission. The problem is that LEED to construct an inefficient “baseline” model to which these building ES scores are based on source energy consump- does not require public disclosure of energy consumption are compared. Studies show there to be little correlation be- tion. When you compare the source energy consumed by the data and it does not have a mandatory energy performance tween design energy projections and subsequent measured LEED buildings in the NBI data set with that of comparable requirement. LEED certification clearly delivers green pub- energy performance (see [3] and references therein). These non-LEED buildings you find no difference–within the mar- licity but there is no evidence for primary energy savings, design projections demonstrate intent not accomplishment. gin of error [4]. except possibly at the highest levels of certification (Gold There are, however, a dozen or so published studies con- How do we understand these results? First, LEED-certi- and Platinum). The USGBC could implement changes that taining measured energy consumption data for LEED-certi- fied buildings, similar to other new or renovated buildings, would result in substantive savings–but this might negative- fied buildings. These collectively provide energy data for, at are showing a modest reduction in energy used on site. But ly affect “sales of their product.” We need to stop awarding most, 229 buildings–roughly 3% of the 8,309 LEED build- these buildings are relying more on electric energy–and the buildings green publicity at the front end of a project and, ings certified before 2012. Only four of these studies appear off-site losses in the electric power sector are offsetting any instead, save the accolades for demonstrated reduction in in peer-reviewed venues (two of these written by me–the savings in site energy. GHG emission and primary energy use. rest are reports written by or paid for by the USGBC or orga- The other issue is that larger buildings tend to have higher John Scofield is a professor of physics at Oberlin Col- nizations closely aligned with it. Buildings included in these EUI than smaller buildings. This may seem counter-intuitive lege. He has served on the APS Panel on Public Affairs studies are unlikely to be representative of the larger popu- since energy use in simple buildings (like houses) is domi- and provided congressional testimony on the topic of lation. Building owners control access to their energy data. nated by surface losses/gains (windows, insulation, etc.). green buildings. Nature–galaxies, rocks, atoms–doesn’t care what humans But energy use in large commercial buildings is driven by References internal loads–equipment, people, and lighting. Large of- 1. Burton Richter et al., “How America can look within to achieve energy security and re- learn from their experiments. Buildings do–or rather, their duce global warming,” Reviews of Modern Physics, Vol. 80, no. 4, S1 (Dec. 2008). 2. Walter owners and design teams do–they have a vested interest in fice buildings are typically air-conditioned year-round. This Carnahan et al., Efficient Use of Energy, American Physical Society, 1974. 3. C. Turner is seen nationally as well as in LEED-certified buildings. and M. Frankel, 2008, “Energy Performance of LEED for New Construction Buildings-Final controlling energy data for the building for which they have Report,” New Buildings Institute, White Salmon, WA. 4. John H. Scofield, "Re-evaluation already enjoyed extensive green publicity. Owners are un- Roughly 5% of the nation’s commercial buildings account of the NBI LEED Energy Consumption Study," Proceedings of the International Energy for half of the gsf of the building stock–and an even larger Program Evaluation Conference (IEPEC), Portland, OR, Aug. 12-15, 2009, pp. 765-777. 5. likely to voluntarily disclose embarrassing energy consump- See http://www.eia.gov/consumption/commercial/ 6. http://www.usgbc.org/articles/ tion data. In a many cases requisite meters are not even in- fraction of primary energy consumption. new-analysis-leed-buildings-are-top-11th-percentile-energy-performance-nation

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