DOCSLIB.ORG

Jaarverslag 2001

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Jaarverslag 2001 Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen Jaarverslag 2001 Uitgave Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen Het Trippenhuis Kloveniersburgwal 29 Amsterdam Postbus 19121 1000 GC Amsterdam telefoon (020) 5 51 07 00 fax (020) 6 20 49 41 e-mail: [email protected] website: http://www.knaw.nl Vormgeving Afdeling Edita KNAW, Amsterdam Fotografie Portretten: Capital Photos, Amsterdam Binnenplaten: cbs collectie p. 4, Adobe Stockphoto p. 6, Eso pr Photo, p. 50, Hans van den Boogaard pp. 38, 88 en 102. Druk Drukkerij PlantijnCasparie, Heerhugowaard isbn 90-6984-341-2 Inhoud Voorwoord 5 Prikkels en prestaties 7 Bestuur 12 De Akademie als ontmoetingsplaats 13 Fondsen en wetenschapsprijzen 19 Internationale samenwerking 23 Kwaliteit 35 Advies 39 Onderzoekorganisatie 51 Financiën 79 Sociaal jaarverslag 89 Informatievoorziening 99 Bijlagen 103 Register 106 Voorwoord In mijn jaarrede van mei 2001 heb ik mij beziggehouden met de vraag: hoe wetenschap- pelijk is de universiteit? Een rechtgeaard academicus vindt het chic om vragen op te werpen. Maar eigenlijk zou een groot uitroepteken op zijn plaats zijn: de ‘wetenschap- pelijkheid’ van de universiteit verdient een heus programma. De kenniseconomie wordt door beleidsmakers omhelsd. Voorlopig louter verbaal, want de nieuwe investeringen die ons land op voorsprong moeten zetten vinden nog slechts mondjesmaat plaats. De universiteiten vormen de hoekstenen van de kenniseconomie. Hun uitgangspositie is, gelet op de hoge plaats die ons wetenschappelijk onderzoek op alle internationale ranglijsten van kwaliteit en productiviteit inneemt, ijzersterk. Allerlei ontwikkelingen, vooral internationaal, dwingen de universiteiten tot hernieuwde strategi- sche keuzes. Keuzes die vooral van doen hebben met investeren in menselijk kapitaal: docenten en onderzoekers. Traditioneel niet een beleidsterrein – het personeelsbeleid – waarop de universiteiten een indrukwekkende staat van dienst hebben. Voor al die keuzes geldt één finale toets: wetenschappelijke kwaliteit, zowel in het onder- wijs als het onderzoek. Daarom is de invoering van een accreditatiestelsel voor bachelors- en mastersopleidingen zo’n gelukkige greep. Een aanpak die moet worden doorgetrokken naar de opleiding van onderzoekers. Accreditatie van onderzoekersopleidingen, zoals die hoofdzakelijk door onderzoekscholen aangeboden worden, vormt het sluitstuk van de kwaliteitsborging in het universitaire onderwijs. De overheid doet er goed aan verleende accreditaties van onderzoekersopleidingen als een belangrijke maatstaf in de bekostiging van de universiteiten in te bouwen. Ter kennisneming van deze en andere in knaw-kring ontwikkelde opvattingen beveel ik u lezing van dit jaarverslag ten zeerste aan. R.S. Reneman, president 5 6 Prikkels en prestaties Prikkels en prestaties In het afgelopen jaar vonden levendige debatten plaats over de vraag hoe Nederland zijn rol als kennisland kan behouden en versterken. Ons land heeft hier een gezonde uitgangs- positie. Het Nederlandse onderzoeksysteem is immers over het geheel genomen competitief, internationaal georiënteerd en prestatie- en kwaliteitsgericht. De Nederlandse onderzoeksprestaties zijn van internationaal toonaangevend niveau. Verontrustend is echter dat de uitgaven voor wetenschappelijk onderzoek achterblijven bij die in sommige Europese landen en in de Verenigde Staten. Een krachtig stelsel van publiek gefinancierde universiteiten en onderzoekinstituten vormt voor de toekomst van ons land als kennisnatie een basisvoorwaarde. De vitaliteit van dat stelsel wordt vooral bepaald door het vermogen complexe wetenschappelijke program- ma’s en projecten te sturen, heldere strategische keuzes te maken en te effectueren, kritisch naar de eigen prestaties te kijken en deze – naar internationale maatstaven – op waarde te schatten. Verder is van belang dat actief wordt gewerkt aan de overdracht van verworven kennis en inzichten en het recruteren, in binnen- en buitenland, van die onderzoekers en aspirant-onderzoekers die voor vernieuwing en kwaliteit kunnen zorg- dragen. In het bijzonder de tekortschietende beschikbaarheid van voldoende gekwalifi- ceerde onderzoekers vormt een bedreiging het Nederlandse wetenschapsbestel. De overheid moet zich als belangrijkste financier van publieke kennisinstellingen de vraag stellen welk niveau van uitgaven nodig is om kwaliteit en volume van de Neder- landse onderzoeksprestaties te behouden en zo mogelijk te versterken. Het besef lijkt te zijn doorgedrongen dat de Nederlandse positie in de wetenschappelijke kopgroep van Europa vooral te danken is aan financiële inspanningen in het verleden en dat behoud van die positie tot een terugkeer naar het toenmalige uitgavenniveau is verplicht. Daarnaast dient de aandacht uit te gaan naar de verdeling van de middelen op een wijze die de productie van excellent en relevant onderzoek bevordert. Enerzijds stelt zich de vraag naar de relatieve omvang van de verschillende geldstromen: eerste geldstroom (basisfinanciering; lokale competitie), tweede geldstroom (aanvullende financiering; landelijke competitie) en derde geldstroom (opdrachtfinanciering). Anderzijds is de vraag naar de meest wenselijke bekostigingssystematiek binnen de eerste geldstroom aan de orde. Aan laatstbedoelde systematiek dient de eis te worden verbonden dat kwaliteit beloond wordt. Investeren in kennis Investeren in wetenschap en technologie betekent investeren in economische groei en in de kwaliteit en duurzaamheid van onze samenleving. Bedrijfsleven, kennisinstellingen en overheid moeten de krachten bundelen ter versterking van de hele keten van kenniscreatie tot innovatieve toepassingen. Het kabinet moet als eerste stap jaarlijks 100 miljoen euro extra uittrekken voor onderzoek in Nederlandse universiteiten en onderzoekinstituten, te verdelen door nwo. Netwerken tussen onderzoekinstellingen en bedrijven behoeven verdere versterking. Universiteiten en onderzoekinstituten dienen bij hun interne toewij- 7 zing van middelen strenge kwaliteitscriteria toe te passen. Aldus het Manifest Investeren in Kennis dat werkgeversvereniging vno- ncw met knaw, nwo, tno en vsnu heeft opgesteld. Dit manifest werd tijdens de Avond van Wetenschap en Maatschappij op 29 oktober 2001 in de Ridderzaal in Den Haag aan de ministers Hermans (ocenw), Jorritsma (ez) en Brinkhorst (lnv) aangeboden. De opstellers van het manifest betogen dat de tijdens de Europese top in Lissabon (maart 2000) uitgesproken Nederlandse ambitie om op kennisgebied tot de wereldtop te behoren niet haalbaar is zonder extra investeringen in de fundamentele wetenschapsbeoefening. Daarnaast dienen gebruikers en onderzoekers intensiever samen te werken in onderlinge netwerken ter wille van een effectieve kennisdiffusie. Kwaliteit verplicht knaw, nwo en vsnu hebben begin 2001 hun standpunt bepaald over het rapport Kwaliteit Verplicht van de door deze organisaties ingestelde werkgroep-Van Bemmel. Zij stellen vast dat het voorstel van de werkgroep bijdraagt aan het oplossen van twee knelpunten: de overladen agenda van beoordelingen en het in de door de vsnu georgani- seerde disciplinegewijze beoordelingen van universitair onderzoek te vaak moeten verge- lijken ‘van steenkolen met eieren’. knaw, nwo en vsnu hebben besloten in 2003 te beginnen met de invoering van het door de werkgroep-Van Bemmel voorgestelde nieuwe stelsel. knaw, nwo en vsnu hebben besloten als object van beschouwing voor de externe kwaliteitsbeoordeling de ‘onderzoekeenheid’ te kiezen. Bij knaw en nwo zijn dat de instituten. Bij de universiteiten zijn dat de onderzoekscholen, de onderzoekinstituten en andere door de Colleges van Bestuur te definiëren organisatieonderdelen. Elke onder- zoekschool of instituut dient tenminste eens per zes jaar door een internationaal samenge- stelde commissie te worden geëvalueerd en dient elke drie jaar een zelfevaluatie uit te voeren. Aan het einde van het verslagjaar werd de laatste hand gelegd aan een gezamen- lijk protocol voor de kwaliteitsbeoordeling en waren enige in 2002 aan de hand van het nieuwe protocol uit te voeren proefevaluaties in voorbereiding. Verkenning economische structuur In de zomer publiceerde het kabinet een reeks van verkenningen (zie ook de later aan de orde komende ocenw-verkenning Grenzeloos Leren). Onder verantwoordelijkheid van de minister van Economische Zaken kwam de Verkenning Economische Structuur tot stand. Door het Centraal Planbureau is met name aan het hoofdstuk Kennisinfrastructuur een belangrijke bijdrage geleverd.1 De knaw heeft in een brief aan het cpb haar bezorgdheid uitgesproken over zijn uitspraak dat verhoging van de publieke uitgaven voor weten- schappelijk onderzoek niet voor de hand ligt omdat (a) de publieke wetenschapsuitgaven al relatief hoog zouden zijn (dus reallocatie van middelen geboden is), (b) de Nederlandse onderzoeksprestaties bovengemiddeld zijn en (c) de onderzoekers niet beschikbaar zouden zijn. De knaw heeft deze redenering weerlegd door aan te tonen dat argument (a) op een verkeerd gekozen statistiek berust, (b) vanwege het hoge rendement een reden bij uitstek vormt om extra te investeren en (c) additionele investeringen kunnen zorgdragen voor voldoende aanwas van onderzoekerspotentieel. Het cpb heeft in een antwoord de gehanteerde statistische informatie verdedigd en bestre- den dat het cpb van mening zou zijn dat tekorten aan onderzoekers zouden moeten leiden tot het achterwege laten van investeringen in onderzoek. Het cpb wil zich nader beraden op het voorstel van de knaw om te bezien welke voorwaarden moeten en kunnen worden geschapen
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Business History Publication Details, Including Instructions for Authors and Subscription Information
    This article was downloaded by: [Boersma, Kees] On: 25 August 2008 Access details: Access Details: [subscription number 901861184] Publisher Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Business History Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713634500 Transitions in industrial research: the case of the Philips Natuurkundig Laboratorium (1914-1994) F. Kees Boersma a; Marc J. de Vries b a Faculty of Social Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam b Faculty of Technology Management, Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands Online Publication Date: 01 July 2008 To cite this Article Boersma, F. Kees and de Vries, Marc J.(2008)'Transitions in industrial research: the case of the Philips Natuurkundig Laboratorium (1914-1994)',Business History,50:4,509 — 529 To link to this Article: DOI: 10.1080/00076790802106786 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00076790802106786 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
    [Show full text]
  • Anne Kox JAPES 1..216
    Physics as a Calling, Science for Society Studies in Honour of A.J. Kox Edited by Ad Maas and Henriëtte Schatz LEIDEN Publications The publication of this book has been made possible by grants from the Institute for Theoretical Physics of the University of Amsterdam, Stichting Pieter Zeeman- fonds, Stichting Physica and the Einstein Papers Project at the California Institute of Technology. Leiden University Press English-language titles are distributed in the US and Canada by the University of Chicago Press. Cover illustration: Albert Einstein and Hendrik Antoon Lorentz, photographed by Paul Ehrenfest in front of his home in Leiden in 1921. Source: Museum Boerhaave, Leiden. Cover design: Sander Pinkse Boekproducties Layout: JAPES, Amsterdam ISBN 978 90 8728 198 4 e-ISBN 978 94 0060 156 7 (pdf) e-ISBN 978 94 0060 157 4 (e-pub) NUR 680 © A. Maas, H. Schatz / Leiden University Press, 2013 All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the written permission of both the copyright owner and the author of the book. Contents Preface 7 Kareljan Schoutens Introduction 9 1 Astronomers and the making of modern physics 15 Frans van Lunteren 2 The drag coefficient from Fresnel to Laue 47 Michel Janssen 3 The origins of the Korteweg-De Vries equation: Collaboration between Korteweg and De Vries 61 Bastiaan Willink 4 A note on Einstein’s Scratch Notebook of 1910-1913 81 Diana K.
    [Show full text]
  • Gorter and the Americanization of Dutch Science
    Gorter and the Americanization of Dutch Science To what extent was Dutch science Americanized and how did this process manifest in Gorter’s career? Suzette Obbink, 3360512 11-1-2017 Supervisors: David Baneke and Ad Maas Abstract After the Second World War, Dutch scientists had to cope with an enormous knowledge gap between them and American scientists; hence transformations in the Dutch science system were necessary to remain part of the international scientific community. In this thesis, I surveyed whether this process of transforming developed in such a way that it followed American standards: to what extent was Dutch science Americanized? For this purpose, I focused on several aspects of this process – such as the adoption of reorganizational structures in science and education, or the embracement of American norms and values – by examining the career of experimental physicist C.J. Gorter and the institute he worked for: Leiden University. Both appeared to orient immediately towards America: many proposals for transformations were based on the American model. However, the universities’ preservation of their old dogma’s, and the conservative attitude of Dutch professors determined whether suggestions were actually implemented or not. Recommendations regarding reorganizations, such as an increase in the number of professors, often opposed the old principles, and hence were ignored. On the other hand, suggestions that were in line with the existing principles were realized, such as an extraordinary focus on fundamental science and the creation of a students’ community. Furthermore, American norms and values, such as the democratic attitude, were adopted only within the board of the prevailing conservatism.
    [Show full text]
  • Stabilization of Phenomenon and Meaning
    European Journal for Philosophy of Science manuscript No. (will be inserted by the editor) Stabilization of Phenomenon and Meaning On the London & London episode as a historical case in philosophy of science Jan Potters Received: date / Accepted: date Abstract In recent years, the use of historical cases in philosophy of science has become a proper topic of reflection. In this article I will contribute to his research by means of a discussion of one very famous example of case-based philosophy of science, namely the debate on the London & London model of superconductivity between Cartwright, Su´arezand Shomar on the one hand, and French, Ladyman, Bueno and Da Costa on the other. This debate has been going on for years, without any satisfactory resolution. I will argue here that this is because both sides impose on the historical case a particular philosophical conception of scientific representation that does not do justice to the historical facts. Both sides assume, more specifically, that the case concerns the discovery of a representational connection between a given experimental insight { the Meissner effect { and the diamagnetic meaning of London and London's new equations of superconductivity. I will show, however, that at the time of the Londons' publication, neither the experimental insight nor the meaning of the new equations was established: both were open The author would like to acknowledge the Research Foundation { Flanders (FWO) as funding institution. Center for Philosophical Psychology, Department of Philosophy, University of Antwerp, Grote Kauwenberg 18, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium E-mail: [email protected] 2 Jan Potters for discussion and they were stabilized only later.
    [Show full text]
  • Journal of Management History Quarter’S Product
    The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/1751-1348.htm JMH 13,2 Managing between science and industry An historical analysis of the Philips Research 122 and Development Department’s management Kees Boersma Department of Culture, Organization and Management, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Abstract Purpose – This paper seeks to deal with the history of Research and Development (R&D) management. It takes the history of the R&D Department of the Royal Philips Electronics of The Netherlands as an example to unravel the dynamics behind industrial R&D management. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based upon historical and theoretical studies on industrial R&D institutions and research cultures. Findings – The paper proposes that the directors of the Philips R&D Department continually shaped and reshaped the organization in order to retain researchers with creative ideas, and to stimulate innovativeness. The R&D-management was the outcome of a search process that comprehended a mixture of scientific and industrial (management) skills, knowledge and expertise, which together shaped an industrial research culture. One of the most difficult questions for the research managers was to find a balance between the professional status and motives of individual researchers on the one hand and the Philips company production strategy on the other. Over the years, the research leaders stimulated individual creativity in their own way, taking specific business and economic circumstances into account. They operated during different historical periods that reflect their management ideas. Originality/value – Nowadays, the Philips research takes place at the High Tech Campus.
    [Show full text]
  • Exploration of the Quantum Casimir Effect
    STUDENT JOURNAL OF PHYSICS Exploration of the Quantum Casimir Effect A. Torode1∗∗ 1Department of Physics And Astronomy, 4th year undergraduate (senior), Michigan State University, East Lansing MI, 48823. Abstract. Named after the Dutch Physicist Hendrik Casimir, The Casimir effect is a physical force that arises from fluctuations in electromagnetic field and explained by quantum field theory. The typical example of this is an apparent attraction created between two very closely placed parallel plates within a vacuum. Due to the nature of the vacuum’s quantized field having to do with virtual particles, a force becomes present in the system. This effect creates ideas and explanations for subjects such as zero-point energy and relativistic Van der Waals forces. In this paper I will explore the Casimir effect and some of the astonishing mathematical results that originally come about from quantum field theory that explain it along side an approach that does not reference the zero-point energy from quantum field theory. Keywords: Casimir effect, zero point energy, vacuum fluctuations. 1. INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY The Casimir effect is a small attractive force caused by quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field in vacuum (Figure 1). In 1948 the Dutch physicist Hendrick Casimir published a paper predict- ing this effect [1, 2]. According to Quantum field theory, a vacuum contains particles (photons), the numbers of which are in a continuous state of fluctuation and can be thought of as popping in and out of existence [3]. These particles can cause a force of attraction. Most generally, the quantum Casimir effect is thought about in regards to two closely parallel plates.
    [Show full text]
  • Casimir Physics School and Workshop 2012 from 5 Mar 2012 Through 16 Mar 2012
    Casimir Physics School and Workshop 2012 from 5 Mar 2012 through 16 Mar 2012 Scientific organizers Diego Dalvit (Los Alamos, USA) George Palasantzas (Groningen, Netherlands) Serge Reynaud (Paris, France) Vitaly Svetovoy (Enschede, Netherlands) Description and aim - The startling realization that was emerged in the last century is that the void, that is, the complete absence of any detectable particles or energy is far from empty. Theoretically this conclusion originated around 1900 from the work of Max Planck and the early pioneers of quantum theory. A consequence of the quantum behavior of electromagnetic fields is that each field mode contains intrinsic ‘zero point’ energy ћω/2 when it is in the lowest energy state. Thus a field containing no photons - empty space - has a huge intrinsic energy density. This zero-point energy or vacuum energy has numerous observable consequences in atomic or sub- atomic physics. Moreover, two mirrors facing each other in vacuum are mutually attracted to each other by the disturbance of quantum vacuum fluctuations – a phenomenon first predicted in 1948 by the Dutch theoretical physicist Hendrik Casimir. Though the Casimir effect dates back more than 60 years, the field of Casimir physics has attracted an increasing attention in the last fifteen years, thanks to new experimental techniques based on recent technological developments in nanotechnology including atomic force microscopy, and MEMS devices. A number of novel experiments concerning the static or dynamic Casimir effect have been developed in the last few years in USA and Europe. New developments have been devoted to observations of the Casimir force in complex geometries and novel materials (phase-change materials, nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, liquids, metamaterials etc.) with a view to applications, especially in nano-machines.
    [Show full text]
  • Quantum Meteorites: an Extemporaneous Description of the System of the World
    Journal of Modern Physics, 2015, 6, 878-889 Published Online June 2015 in SciRes. http://www.scirp.org/journal/jmp http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jmp.2015.67092 Quantum Meteorites: An Extemporaneous Description of the System of the World Jean-Paul Auffray ex: Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, NY, USA Email: [email protected] Received 16 April 2015; accepted 12 June 2015; published 15 June 2015 Copyright © 2015 by author and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Abstract We extemporaneously summarize the theoretical scheme we have introduced recently in this note to account for the (hidden) functioning of the System of the World at the quantum level. We fur- ther explore the relevance, the pertinence and the potential validity of this scheme. We obtain new fundamental results, bearing notably on the nature and the origin of the “virtual particles” con- ventionally called upon in quantum field theories to explain the Casimir Effect. We define the con- cept of quantum meteorites in this context. We disable the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, judged to be a (mis) interpretation of otherwise legitimate observations, and we replace it with our new XQP Absolute Certainty Principle. Keywords Xonic Quantum Physics, Casimir Effect, Virtual Photons, Uncertainty Principle, Planck Length, Quantum Meteorites 1. Introduction Extemporaneous speaking is said to be “a limited-preparation speech event based on research and original anal- ysis”, perhaps “previously planned but delivered with the help of few or no notes” [1].
    [Show full text]
  • The History of Industrial Research Laboratories As a Resource for T
    Innovations and Technology Education Marc J. de Vries Eindhoven University of Technology The Netherlands 1. Introduction It is important for technology educators to teach technology in such a way that it reflects the 'real world' technology (De Vries and Tamir 1997). Technology education therefore needs to be kept up-to-date and to be innovated constantly. Also it should present a proper image of how innovations take place in the 'real world' technology. Thus there are good reasons to have innovation as a key issue for the 10th international PATT conference. In this introductory paper the concept of 'real world' innovations will be illustrated. This will be done by investigating the different ways innovation took place in industries. In particular the role of the industrial research laboratories as a source of and support for technological innovations will be described. The history of such laboratories shows different innovation patterns. Apparently there is not a single route for innovations, as sometimes is suggested by the flow charts that are used in technology education programmes. In that sense this paper can help us prevent naive ideas about innovations in technology education. The history of a number of major industrial research laboratories has been written. Most early industrial research laboratories (founded in the late Nineteenth century) were chemical labs. Particularly in Germany we find examples of that. In the USA famous chemical industrial research laboratory are the Du Pont Labs. The history of these labs has been published (Hounshell and Smith, 1988). The chemical laboratories were followed by the electrotechnical labs. In the USA there were General Electric Labs and Bell Labs, the history of both of which has been published (Reich, 1977 and Wise, 1985).
    [Show full text]
  • The Casimir Effect: a Force from Nothing Astrid Lambrecht
    Physics World Archive The Casimir effect: a force from nothing Astrid Lambrecht From Physics World September 2002 © IOP Publishing Ltd 2014 ISSN: 0953-8585 Institute of Physics Publishing Bristol and Philadelphia Downloaded on Mon Oct 27 13:25:34 GMT 2014 [128.141.158.219] FEATURES The attractive force between two surfaces in a vacuum – first predicted by Hendrik Casimir over 50 years ago – could affect everything from micromachines to unified theories of nature The Casimir effect: a force from nothing Astrid Lambrecht WHAT happens if you take two mirrors 1 The Casimir force arrival of quantum mechanics, how- and arrange them so that they are facing ever, completely changed our notion of each other in empty space? Your first a vacuum. All fields – in particular elec- reaction might be “nothing at all”. In tromagnetic fields – have fluctuations. fact, both mirrors are mutually attracted In other words at any given moment to each other by the simple presence their actual value varies around a con- of the vacuum. This startling phenom- stant, mean value. Even a perfect va- enon was first predicted in 1948 by cuum at absolute zero has fluctuating the Dutch theoretical physicist Hendrik fields known as “vacuum fluctuations”, Casimir while he was working at Philips the mean energy of which corresponds Research Laboratories in Eindhoven on to half the energy of a photon. – of all things – colloidal solutions (see However,vacuum fluctuations are not box on page 30). The phenomenon is some abstraction of a physicist’s mind. now dubbed the Casimir effect, while They have observable consequences the force between the mirrors is known that can be directly visualized in experi- as the Casimir force.
    [Show full text]
  • 80 Years of Research at the Philips Natuurkundig Laboratorium (1914-1994) Opmaak Philips 14-07-2005 10:58 Pagina 2 Opmaak Philips 14-07-2005 10:58 Pagina 3
    opmaak philips 14-07-2005 10:58 Pagina 1 80 Years of Research at the Philips Natuurkundig Laboratorium (1914-1994) opmaak philips 14-07-2005 10:58 Pagina 2 opmaak philips 14-07-2005 10:58 Pagina 3 80 Years of Research at the Philips Natuurkundig Laboratorium (1914-1994) The Role of the Nat.Lab. at Philips Marc J. de Vries with contributions by F. Kees Boersma Pallas Publications opmaak philips 14-07-2005 10:58 Pagina 4 Pallas Publications is an imprint of Amsterdam University Press The Foundation for the History of Technology coordinates and supports scientific research into the history of technology. The Foundation develops its own programmes. It has just finished a large programme on Technology in the Netherlands in the Twentieth Century; a seven-volume overview work has been the major output. A new international project Tensions of Europe, the role of technology in the making of Europe has started in 2001. Other projects focus on R&D history of companies and sectors and policy research using a historical perspective. The Foundation develops its projects through building networks of interested scholars, co-ordinating research interests and developing research agendas and fundraising. Often several universities participate in these projects. For more information, see www.histech.nl Layout: PROgrafici, Goes Cover design: Chaim Mesika, Hilversum isbn 90 8555 051 3 nur 680 © Pallas Publications, Amsterdam, 2005 All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the written permission of both the copyright owner and the author of the book.
    [Show full text]
  • Abraham Pais 1 9 1 8 – 2 0 0 0
    NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES ABRAHAM PAIS 1 9 1 8 – 2 0 0 0 A Biographical Memoir by ROBERT P. CREASE Any opinions expressed in this memoir are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Academy of Sciences. Biographical Memoir COPYRIGHT 2011 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES WASHINGTON, D.C. ABRAHAM PAIS May 19, 1918–July 28, 2000 BY ROBERT P . CREASE BRAHAM PAIS WAS A theoretical physicist during the first Apart of his career and a science historian during the second. Though born in Amsterdam and a Dutch speaker, he spent nearly all his career in the United States and was most comfortable in English. As a scientist he was a founder of theoretical particle physics and made seminal contribu- tions to the theory and nomenclature of the new forms of matter being discovered after World War II. As a historian he had a sharp eye for the significant detail and touching anecdote, knew personally many of his biographical subjects, had a bold approach to narrative, and set new standards for writing science history. In the title of his memoir, A Tale of Two Continents: A Physicist’s Life in a Turbulent World (1997), the phrase “two continents” is ambivalent, and simultaneously refers to several pairings: Europe and America, physics and history, science and the humanities, the life of the mind and the life of the world. He was a citizen of all these continents, appreciating and contributing to each. “Bram” to his friends, Pais was a cosmopolitan scientist and human being. Material from A Tale of Two Continents: A Physicist’s Life in a Turbulent World is copyright 1997, Princeton University Press and is used by permission of the publisher.
    [Show full text]