April 2002 NEWS Volume 11, No. 4 A Publication of The American Physical Society http://www.aps.org/apsnews

Executive Board Expresses Concern Over Funding Imbalance In Bush Administration’s FY2003 Budget Request

When President Bush unveiled outside of the scientific community tire research budget of the National for physical science remains es- his FY 2003 budget request for have expressed concern at the im- Science Foundation, in keeping sentially flat, the APS Executive The Executive Board of the R&D in February, no one was sur- balance of research funding with the president’s campaign bud- Board approved a resolution re- American Physical Society ap- prised at the emphasis on priorities in favor of the biological get to double the NIH budget by garding the FY2003 budget plauds the proposed increased antiterrorist, and on homeland sciences. 2003. request at its meeting on Febru- for the NIH and for life sciences and economic security in the wake For example, the National Insti- Noting that while funding for ary 23, 2002. The full text of the generally in the FY2003 Bud- of the September 11th attacks. How- tutes of Health would receive a $3.9 biological and medical research Executive Board statement is con- get Request submitted by President Bush on February 4, ever, many both within and billion increase, larger than the en- continues to increase, funding tained in the box at the right. 2002. However, the Board ex- presses great concern about Task Force to Weigh Pros the requested budgetary lev- Outlook on FY 2003 Budget Bills els for research in the physi- cal sciences. and Cons of Topical Groups The Board notes that in cur- By October 2002, thirteen FY third of all senators at stake. Ev- rent dollars, support for physi- 2003 appropriations bills should ery action that Congress and the Assessing potential impact and while others have considerably less cal science activities at the have been enacted. This deadline Administration takes will be scru- weighing the pros and cons of wel- interaction with other parts of the NSF would actually decline, is rarely met, and a number of fac- tinized for its impact on the coming new topical groups to the Society. and in constant dollars, sup- tors make it less probable that control of the Senate and House. Society’s infrastructure will be the The official charge to the task port for such activities at the DOE Office of Science would Congress will complete it work While there will be much talk focus of a newly appointed APS force points out that “as new topi- remain almost fixed. If imple- on time this year. There are sev- about reducing the FY 2003 pro- Task Force on Topical Groups. cal groups form, there has been eral major forces affecting this jected budget deficit, it seems mented, these proposals The task force will hold its first growing concern that they may would further exacerbate the year’s budget cycle. An obvious almost certain that Congress will meeting in mid-May, and is ex- cause fragmentation in the physics uncertainty is the pace and scope pass, and the President will sign, imbalance in the federal re- pected to present its findings at the community by isolating physicists search portfolio, raising spend- of future military operations. The appropriations bills pushing the November 2002 Council meeting. in certain areas from the larger com- ing on the life sciences to state of the economy is also a key government back into deficit At its November 2001 meeting, munity, and by depleting the about 55 cents for every re- factor since it affects the amount spending. The budget caps that the APS Council passed a “sense membership and thus the strength search dollar. As former NIH of federal tax revenue. Finally, this provided some restraint in previ- See OUTLOOK on page 3 of the Council” resolution asking of APS divisions.” In addition, add- Director Harold Varmus has is an election year, with the seats ous years have expired. the APS president to appoint a task ing more units can complicate noted many times, this con- for all representatives and one- See OUTLOOK on page 3 tinuing imbalance will jeopar- OUTLOOK force to review the status of exist- already squeezed program planning dize the ability of NIH to ac- ing topical groups, and consider at general meetings, thus lowering complish its mission. It will the criteria for the approval of new the quality of the talks, and require also jeopardize our nation’s APS Establishes Task Force on ones. The APS currently has nine more administrative staff time. “On economic growth and our mili- topical groups, varying widely in the other hand, new topical groups tary defense. Countering Terrorism size and activity level, and the can bring new energy and new Therefore the Board urges number continues to rise. Some members to the APS. It allows the Congress to address the presi- In the wake of the terrorist at- dent William Brinkman says of the work closely with related divisions, See TOPICAL GROUPS on page 6 dential budget deficiencies in tacks of September 11, 2001, rationale behind forming the task their considerations of FY and believing that science, and force. “The attacks on the World Preposterous Public Lecture 2003 appropriations bills. The especially physics, has much to Trade Center and Pentagon, and the Board further urges congres- sional oversight committees to offer in countering further at- anthrax assaults in various locales, Highlights Albuquerque Meeting hold hearings on the support tacks, the APS has established a demonstrate the need for sustaining level for the physical sciences task force on countering terror- the strong partnership between sci- and on the balance of the re- ism, at the request of the APS ence and government to ensure our search portfolio. Executive Board. The fledgling national security.” group will hold its first meeting Chaired by Bob Guenther of on May 3rd at APS Headquarters Duke University, the new task force close by outlining the challenges in College Park, Maryland. has been given a very general charge, st MSS—credit to www.marblestreetstudio.com researchers face in the 21 century “The events of recent months which reads in part: “The task force as we struggle to develop a true have shaken our nation,” APS Presi- See APS TASK FORCE on page 4 The latest scientific insights into will sponsor a public lecture in con- understanding of the implications the strange and wonderful myster- nection with the April Meeting, of these discoveries. A reception ies that abound in our universe will featuring Sean Carroll of the Uni- will follow, sponsored by the Uni- Los Angeles Area Fellows Gather be featured at the upcoming APS versity of Chicago. Carroll will versity of New Mexico. April meeting, April 20-24, in Al- summarize many of the most [7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Kiva Auditorium.] buquerque, New Mexico. breathtaking discoveries of the na- In addition to an array of invited ture of the cosmos uncovered in the Nutty Neutrinos and Other and contributed technical sessions, 20th century: that the universe is Physics Enigmas there will be a special public lec- over 10 billion years old, that it is In one of several planned plenary ture and three plenary sessions still expanding, and that ordinary lectures, Helen Quinn of SLAC will featuring talks on a broad range of objects comprise less than 5% of describe the changing landscape of astrophysics, nuclear and particle the stuff of the universe. He will See APRIL MEETING on page 3 physics, as well as biological phys- ics. For the first time the meeting also has joint sponsorship of the High Energy Astrophysics Division HHighlights Darlene Logan/APS (HEAD) of the American Astro- In late January, APS held a reception for Fellows of the Society nomical Society. The program will in southern California. In addition to conversation and refresh- 4 8 also offer historical sessions, tips on Zero The Back ments, the group heard from APS President William F. Brinkman, finding jobs in academia, and an Gravity: Page: Executive Officer Judy Franz, and Education Director Fred Stein. Mad Scientist Don Prosnitz insider’s look at science policy. Gives Way to on Physics, Shown here (l to r) are Fellows Doug Mills (UC Irvine), Bruce Mad Capitalist Homeland Koel (USC) and Emily Carter (UCLA). Our Preposterous Universe Security and the On Monday evening, the APS Justice System. 2 April 2002 NEWS

This Month in Physics History

“If one were hunting for gold, this ✶✶✶ April 1994: Discovery of the top quark at Fermilab would be the map of where not to dig.” “A number of very clever people —Maria Spiropulu, on results of a have been chipping away at the The Standard Model of par- to 91 GeV. Over the course of a improved the efficiency of iden- search for supersymmetric particles problem and I think now we can ticle physics holds that all matter decade, both the CDF and D0 col- tifying top quarks, allowing at Fermilab, New York Times, Feb- answer: yes, it would be very diffi- is made from a small alphabet of laborations constructed scientists a more detailed look at ruary 5, 2002. cult but it should be possible without elementary particles consisting enormous, complicated instru- the top’s characteristics. The ✶✶✶ breaking the laws of physics to send of six quarks and six leptons. ments in order to isolate the top’s groundwork has been laid for the “We literally spray the liquid probes to the nearest stars.” The heaviest of these, the top (or signature. To do so, the two col- Large Hadron Collider at CERN, lithium on the walls and then it —Geoffrey Landis, NASA, The Inde- t) quark, is unstable and can laborations sifted through the which will begin operation in flows through a bottom drain.” pendent (London), February 16, only be detected when it is cre- debris from collisions of protons 2006, producing two proton —Robert Kaita, Princeton Univer- 2002. ated artificially, for example in and antiprotons at energies of beams colliding at 14 TeV — ✶✶✶ sity, on building a fusion reactor the collisions between the high- 1800 GeV. seven times the energy at with liquid metal walls, “It is based on the idea that for a energy proton and antiproton After intensive analysis and Fermilab — generating almost ABCnews.com, February 5, 2002. short period of time, energy and value beams at Fermilab in Batavia, Il- scrutiny, the final results, made one t-t bar pair per second. ✶✶✶ of money is conserved. The value of linois. Physicists have been public nearly a year af- Physicists “The change in friction you get money is conserved when there are convinced that the top quark ter researchers can now use the is equivalent to going from being transitions between currencies.” must exist since 1977, when its announced evidence top quark to on ice to dry pavement.” —Amador Muriel, Data Transport partner, the bottom (or b) quark, for the quark’s detec- help answer the —Victor Petrenko, Dartmouth Col- Systems, on predicting the short term was discovered. Little did they tion in April 1994, many remaining lege, on electronic brakes built into behavior of currencies, Business World know it would be nearly two showed overwhelming questions about skis and snowboards, New Scientist, (Philippines), February 14, 2002. decades before the top was fi- evidence for the top matter and the ✶✶✶ February 6, 2002. nally found. quark from both CDF forces that gov- ✶✶✶ “ If the people in the treasurer’s of- Produced in conjunction with and D0. In simulta- ern the physical “Water is one of the strangest sub- fice, and their consultants, had been its antiparticle the t-bar, the top neous publications in world. Chief stances on earth. It has a myriad of doing the kind of thorough investigat- quark quickly decays into a vari- April 1995, both teams among these is properties that make it unique for life ing that they claimed to do before ety of daughter particles. The reported a probability the Higgs boson, and unique for how a ski slides on investing in anything, then they should best way to search for the top was of less than one in which is proving snow. It’s often impossible to predict.” have uncovered that there was some- to look for its decay into a W 500,000 that their top even more elu- —David Lind, University of Colo- thing wrong in Enron’s books, which boson and the next lightest quark candidates could sive than the top rado, on the physics of skiing, we now all know.” quark, the b quark. A chief prob- be explained by background alone. quark. It is the last undiscovered ABCnews.com, February 8, 2002. —Charles Schwartz, University of lem is the fact that the energetic The extremely large mass of the top particle in the Standard Model’s ✶✶✶ California, Berkeley, News Hour with b’s and W’s are also unstable and — the current value is 175.6 GeV, bestiary. A precise mass for the “The mission proposal is com- Jim Lehrer, February 19, 2002. quickly decay into particle jets similar to the mass of a gold top quark will help theorists con- ✶✶✶ pletely new. The idea extends an that typically emanate from less- nucleus, which contains 197 pro- strain the Higgs mass, improving existing mission concept — the La- “We know how to make metals interesting background tons and neutrons — suggests that its chances of detection at ser Interferometer Space Antenna or that have strength. But we have never collisions. Identifying the top it may be fundamentally different Fermilab or the LHC in the next LISA — to much higher sensitivity been able before to predict whether quark required distinguishing a from the other quarks. The sheer decade. and into a different frequency range.” an alloy, for example, would get real top signature from those of enormousness of the top’s mass The discovery of the top —Neil Cornish, Montana State stronger and better. This technique background processes that can makes its decays fertile ground for quark was not a “Eureka” event . University, on plans to measure will allow us to tailor the strength of mimic one. new particle searches. “We discovered the top quark gravitational shock waves from the materials and take years off the de- In 1985, when the Fermilab The top also has the shortest not in one lightning stroke, but big bang, UPI, February 12, 2002. velopment process because we won’t Tevatron collider was first acti- lifetime among quarks — less than over a long period of time, event ✶✶✶ have to rely on trial-and-error.” vated, the search for the top 10-24 seconds — and decays as a by event,” D0 physicist Nick “You should aim to flip the pan- —Bennett Larson, Oak Ridge Na- quark was well underway, but free particle, the only quark to do Hadley (University of Maryland) cake into the air at a speed of 10 tional Laboratory, on a new technique early efforts at SLAC and at DESY so. All other quarks created in such said at the time of the discovery. miles an hour, which will mean it for making 3-D images of small in Germany proved fruitless. As a collision live long enough to pull “No single piece of evidence, no will take less than .5 of a second to samples, UPI, February 20, 2002. the 1980s drew to a close, CERN, more quarks from the vacuum and matter how strong, was enough ✶✶✶ reach the top of its trajectory. If you at that time the most powerful make complicated “jets” com- to let us claim a discovery. We are lucky, the pancake should now “I believe we have made cold anti-mat- accelerator with energies up to posed of many particles. The top’s couldn’t be sure we had found have rotated 90 degrees, at a rate ter atoms... but I can’t really prove it.” 315 GeV, had failed to find the independence has enabled the the top quark until we had seen of .55 revs per second. If not, you —Gerald Gabrielse, Harvard Univer- top quark. Experiments had de- Fermilab teams to determine its so many events with the right could be in trouble and have a sity, on experiments at CERN to create termined that the mass of the top mass to far greater precision than characteristics that there was al- sticky mass of flying batter spinning anti-hydrogen, Sydney Morning Herald, could be no lower than 77 GeV the mass of any other quark. most no chance the statistics through the air.” February 22, 2002. — beyond the limits of CERN’s Since then, Fermilab’s Tevatron were fooling us into making a ✶✶✶ —Garry Tungate, Birmingham energy beams. has been revamped and both the false claim.” University, Belfast News Letter, “I still cannot recover, right In the 1990s, the focus CDF and D0 collaborations have February 12, 2002. now even. Sometimes I think it’s shifted to Fermilab and its two dramatically improved their detec- Particular Pastimes: ✶✶✶ a kind of nightmare.” main experiments: the CDF and tors, resuming collection of data The Top Quark Game: http:/ “At the end, you realize most of —Yoji Totsuka, University of Tokyo, on D0 detector collaborations. By in 1999. The accelerator upgrades education.jlab.org/ what you’ve got in your hand is 75 per- the disastrous implosion of phototubes the time researchers had begun have allowed top quarks to be pro- topquarkgame/ cent air. This tiny sheet of paper, which at the Superkamiokande facility, Daily taking data in 1992, the top duced at 20 times the previous The Particle Adventure: http:/ has not much strength at all, is able to Yomiuri, February 26, 2002. mass limit had been pushed up rate, while detector upgrades have /www.particleadventure.org resist your squeezing very, very well. ✶✶✶ Why is it as strong as it is?” “Recognizing the limitations in —Sidney R. Nagel, University of Chi- the budget the department faces, cago, on the physics of crumpling, New I’ll work with the scientific commu- York Times, February 19, 2002. See IN THE MEDIA on page 4

Series II, Vol. 11, No. 4 One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844, Martin Blume*, Brookhaven National Laboratory (emeritus) W. Carl Lineberger (Laser Science), G. Slade Cargill, April 2002 [email protected]. Past-President III (Materials), Bunny C. Clark (Nuclear), Sally NEWS ©2002 The American Physical Society For Nonmembers—Circulation and Fulfillment George H. Trilling*, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Dawson, Peter Meyers (Particles & Fields), Stephen Division, American Institute of Physics, Suite 1NO1, Holmes (Physics of Beams), Richard Hazeltine Coden: ANWSEN ISSN: 1058-8132 2 Huntington Quadrangle, Melville, NY 11747-4502. General Councillors (Plasma), Kannan Jagannathan, (New England), Joe Allow at least 6 weeks advance notice. For address Jonathan A. Bagger, Philip Bucksbaum*, L. Craig Davis, Hamilton (Southeast Section) changes, please send both the old and new addresses, Stuart Freedman*, Frances Houle, Leon Lederman*, Editor ...... Alan Chodos and, if possible, include a mailing label from a recent Gerald Mahan, Margaret Murnane*, Cherry Ann Murray, ADVISORS Associate Editor ...... Jennifer Ouellette issue. Requests from subscribers for missing issues Philip Phillips*, Jin-Joo Song, James Trefil Representatives from Other Societies Special Publications Manager ...... Elizabeth Buchan-Higgins will be honored without charge only if received within Christopher J. Chiaverina, AAPT; Marc Brodsky, AIP Design and Production ...... Stephanie Jankowski 6 months of the issue’s actual date of publication. International Councillor Periodical Postage Paid at College Park, MD and at T. Maurice Rice Proofreaders ...... Ken Cole, Edward Lee and Sue Otwell International Advisors additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to APS News, Membership Department, Chair, Nominating Committee Michael Thewalt, Canadian Association of Physicists, APS News (ISSN: 1058-8132) is published 11X regarding APS News should be directed to: Editor, APS American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, Susan Nan Coppersmith Gerardo C. Puente, Mexican Physical Society yearly, monthly, except the August/September News, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20749- College Park, MD 20740-3844. issue, by the American Physical Society, One 3844, E-mail: [email protected]. Chair, Panel on Public Affairs Staff Representatives Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844, APS COUNCIL 2002 James C. H. Tsang Alan Chodos, Associate Executive Officer; Irving (301) 209-3200. It contains news of the Society Subscriptions: APS News is an on-membership President Lerch, Director of International Affairs; Fredrick and of its Divisions, Topical Groups, Sections publication delivered by Periodical Mail. Members William F. Brinkman*, Bell Labs-Lucent Technologies (retired) Division, Forum and Section Councillors Stein, Director of Education and Outreach; Robert and Forums; advance information on meetings residing abroad may receive airfreight delivery for a President-Elect Harold Metcalf (Atomic, Molecular & Optical), Robert L. Park, Director, Public Information; Michael of the Society; and reports to the Society by its fee of $15. Nonmembers: Subscription rates are: Myriam P. Sarachik*, City College of New York - CUNY Eisenberg (Biological), Sylvia Ceyer (Chemical), E. Dan Lubell, Director, Public Affairs; Stanley Brown, committees and task forces, as well as opinions. domestic $105; Canada, Mexico, Central and South Vice-President Dahlberg*, Allen Goldman* (Condensed Matter Physics), Editorial Director; Charles Muller, Director, Journal America, and Caribbean $105; Air Freight Europe, Helen Quinn*, Stanford University (SLAC) Steven White (Computational), Jerry Gollub* (Fluid Operations; Robert Kelly, Director of Journal Letters to the editor are welcomed from the Asia, Africa and Oceania $120. Executive Officer Dynamics), Peter Zimmerman (Forum on Education), Information Systems; Michael Stephens, Controller membership. Letters must be signed and should Judy R. Franz*, University of Alabama, Huntsville (on leave) Gloria Lubkin (Forum on History of Physics), Stuart Wolf and Assistant Treasurer include an address and daytime telephone Subscription orders, renewals and address changes Treasurer (Forum on Industrial and Applied Physics), James Vary Administrator for Governing Committees number. The APS reserves the right to select and should be addressed as follows: For APS Members— Thomas McIlrath*, University of Maryland (emeritus) (Forum on International Physics), Ed Gerjuoy (Forum on Ken Cole to edit for length or clarity. All correspondence Membership Department, American Physical Society, Editor-in-Chief Physics and Society), Timothy P. Lodge, (Polymer Physics), * Members of the APS Executive Board NEWS April 2002 3

OUTLOOK, from page 1

The betting is that the Republi- war-related matters, members of supportive of defense S&T last year, can-controlled House and the both parties disagree with the boosting it by 11.0%, so it is highly Democratic-controlled Senate will Administration’s approach to other unlikely that Members will agree to not settle on a final budget resolu- defense policies and expenses. the 2.0% cut sought by the Adminis- tion this spring. Without this Looking ahead, it is clear that tration. resolution’s taxing and spending Congress will continue to be sup- The 5.1% requested cut in parameters, the appropriators will portive of S&T. Larger questions, USGS is going to be a hard sell on have few constraints on the bills such as those described above, will Capitol Hill, and there is no way they write. impact FY 2003 research funding that the budget for the Advanced Making this situation even more outcomes. Congress is almost cer- Technology Program will be cut by uncertain are politically infeasible tain to provide NSF with more than 41.5%, as the Administration has recommendations in the budget re- the requested 5.0% increase, al- requested. quest, such as a 7% reduction in though the VA budget ramifications These are highly uncertain Army Corps of Engineers spending, are going to be troublesome. times, and these outcomes could a 30% reduction in highway money, The outcome for NASA is diffi- change. The coming months will a 9% cut in Navy shipbuilding fund- cult to predict as much will depend be contentious. Budgetary out- ing, and changes in veterans’ health on what will be done about space comes will depend on the benefits reimbursement. Relations station overruns. Requested in- involvement of constituents in the between Congress and the Adminis- creases for DOE physics-related process of determining the federal tration have been strained by programs range from 1.7% to 6.5%. government’s priorities in the next earmarking, with each side angrily The DOE appropriations bill also fiscal year, which begins about six claiming the high ground. Finally, contains funding for popular Army months from today. while Members of Congress gener- Corps programs so the outcome can- —Richard M. Jones, American ally concur with the President on not be predicted. Congress was very Institute of Physics

APRIL MEETING, from page 1 Contact Congress what is known, and not yet lution X-ray studies of globular clus- •Saturday, April 20 through Monday, April 22 • NE Exhibit Hall/ACC• known, about CP violation, in ters; and universal scaling laws in Worried about the slashing of let them know how you feel about sci- to remind our Members of Con- light of both the B-factory pro- biology. NSF, DoE and NASA funding? ence issue of interest to you. The most gress that scientists have much to grams at SLAC and KEK, and the [Sessions A1, G1, and M1] Concerned about the dearth of important letters that a Member of offer the country, in areas of basic ongoing accumulation of evidence science literacy in our high- Congress receives are the ones from his science R&D funding, education, that the mass eigenstates of neu- Physics Takes on Terrorism schoolers? or her constituents —you elect them, and energy policy. We have set up trinos are different from the flavor Since September 11, defense Anxious about where the and you matter. computers in the exhibit hall where eigenstates. against terrorist attacks has become country’s security is heading? The American Physical Society feels you can send a letter to your Sena- YOU can have an impact on na- that it is incumbent on all of us to in- tors and Representatives — you can a major national priority in the All solar neutrino experiments tional science policy!! Come write teract with the government, to offer use our template or write own let- to date have observed far fewer neu- U.S., and speakers at a Monday your representatives in Congress to technical assistance where we can, and ter on issues that matter to you. trinos than theoretically predicted, morning session focused on the according to John Wilkerson of the role of physicists in supporting na- University of Washington, and the tional antiterrorist efforts. Anthony ses, threat assessment and secu- of Texas at Austin) will discuss make decisions have little or no sci- reason for this discrepancy is un- Fainberg, formerly with the Office rity procedures are equally Wigner’s changing view of the el- entific training. Hence, science known. He believes that data of Technology Assessment and important.” Building on this theme ementary quantum phenomenon, advising has become a career op- gathered at the Sudbury Neutrino now with the DOT’s Transportation will be Richard Garwin of IBM and while Alvin M. Weinberg of Oak tion growing in popularity with many Observatory has solved the mystery, Security Agency, outlined several Lawrence Livermore’s Donald Ridge National Laboratory, will de- physicists. In a Sunday afternoon providing direct evidence that the ways for physicists to participate, Prosenitz (See page 8 ). Livermore’s tail how Wigner’s background in session, Peter Zimmerman, chief sci- majority of electron neutrinos cre- including explosive detectors, sen- Jay Davis will close the session chemical engineering was put to entist on the Senate Foreign ated deep within the core of the sun sors, security procedures, with a discussion of counter-ter- good use during World War II. Relations Committee, will offer in- change to mu or tau neutrinos by technical analyses and decision rorism contributions from the “With his unparalleled understand- sights from his experiences with the time they are detected on Earth. tools, as well as transportation . Of national laboratories. ing of chain reactors, and his skill science advising in the legislative and Other topics covered in the plenary course, “The tactics of terrorists [Session O2, Monday, April 22] and liking for engineering, Wigner executive branches of government. sessions include a summary of the will change and develop, so it will can properly be called the founder He will be joined by Kenneth Heller first results from the Relativistic become necessary to develop ever Copenhagen Redux of nuclear engineering,” says (University of Minnesota), offering Heavy Ion Collider; an update on more sophisticated measures to Recently released documents Weinberg, pointing to the physicist’s his thoughts on how university the Sloan Digital Sky Survey; the im- fight them,” says Fainberg. “Tech- from the Niels Bohr archive shed 37 patents on various chain react- physicists can become involved with pact of the cosmological constant nology is part of the answer, but new light on the issues raised in ing systems as evidence. science policy, and APS Associate Di- on fundamental physics; high-reso- human factors, vulnerability analy- Michael Frayn’s award-winning play [Session I3, Sunday, April 21] rector of Public Affairs Francis Copenhagen — which details the Slakey, who will relate some of the fateful meeting in September 1941 Los Alamos, Then and Now Society’s battles waged on behalf on Special Events between Werner Heisenberg and Attendees interested in some physics on Capitol Hill. Bohr — and should have a signifi- local science history may wish to [Session K6, Sunday, April 21] FRIDAY, APRIL 19 of Women in Physics cant impact on the debate over the attend a Sunday afternoon session Play Reading: “Copenhagen” 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM German nuclear fission project dur- detailing the history of Los Alamos Tracking Down Tenure 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM Enchantment A, Hyatt Regency ing World War II, according to National Laboratory. Former APS Although many young PhD physi- Grand Pavilion, bestselling author David Cassidy, President Val Fitch (Princeton cists have opted to pursue careers Hyatt Regency MONDAY, APRIL 22 one of the featured speakers at a ses- University) will lead off with a de- in industry and other more nontra- CSWP Networking Breakfast sion on interpreting Copenhagen. scription of the Special ditional areas, there are still SATURDAY, APRIL 20 7:00 am - 9:00 am He will be joined by Roger Stuewer Engineering Detachment, created opportunities available in academic Meet the Editors Fiesta I and II, Hyatt Regency of the University of Minnesota, who in 1943 to supply the technical as- environments, particularly in small 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM will offer his thoughts on Lise sistance required to develop and liberal arts colleges, according to Kiva Auditorium Foyer, Students Lunch with the Meitner’s and Otto Frisch’s interpre- construct nuclear weapons. two speakers at a Saturday after- Convention Center Experts 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM tation of nuclear fission “as an act of LANL’s Francis Harlow will de- noon session on how to find and Welcome Reception Nambe/Navaho Rooms and extraordinary creativity.” scribe the characterization of very hold a faculty job. “Liberal arts col- 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM Isleta/Jemez Rooms [Session E9, Saturday, April 20] complex small-scale processes at leges offer challenging and exciting Kiva Auditorium Foyer, the lab, a major focus since its in- opportunities for physicists with a Convention Center Student Social Hour Remembering Wigner ception in 1943. Harlow’s commitment to teaching under- 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM This year marks the 100th anni- colleague, John Browne, will close graduates at all levels of the Forum on History of La Cienaga, versary of the birth of Eugene with a summary of post-Cold War curriculum,” says Neal Abraham, a Physics Reception Convention Center Wigner, and speakers in a special science and technology at the professor at DePauw University, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM centennial symposium will pay hom- laboratory, included its much- who outlined several strategies for Enchantment A/B, Hyatt Regency Public Lecture/Reception age to one of the 20th century’s touted stockpile stewardship successful application for jobs in lib- 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM greatest theoretical physicists. program and other research. eral arts colleges. Peter Sheldon, SUNDAY, APRIL 21 Kiva Auditorium, George Marx of Eotvos University Awards Session/Retiring Convention Center [Session K2, Sunday, April 21] now a tenured professor at in Budapest, will talk about Wigner’s Presidential Address Randolph-Macon Women’s College 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24 early life and work in Hungary, where Advise and Consent in Virginia, described his career path Ballroom C, Convention Center Very Large Array Tour he wrote the now-famous book on Almost every action of modern via a postdoctoral position as a vis- 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM symmetries that garnered him a government has some scientific or iting faculty member which, led to Reception: Committee on Buses depart from Nobel Prize. John Wheeler technological component, yet most his current position. Minorities/Committee on Status Hyatt Regency lobby (Princeton University and University senior officials who set policy and [Session E5, Saturday, April 20] 4 April 2002 NEWS LETTERS

Crotchety but Saintly My wife tells me that as I get in the press and became the basis Mad Scientists Give Way to Mad Capitalists older I am becoming more crotch- of many stories on the agony of by Joel Achenbach ety. This episode is stimulated (and the decision to shut down LEP so justified) by Alan Chodos’s View- as to keep the LHC on schedule. Incredibly, businessmen are tion of ripping off the little guy fraud, securities fraud and rack- point piece in the [APS News, We in the physics world do now as scary as scientists. The fair and square. Everyone knows eteering under the RICO Act, February 2002], which castigates sometimes make big claims based world of business, like that of sci- that a company is supposed to be they are also potentially guilty of some of the science press for their on marginal data (g-2 of the ence, has suddenly become famous deceitful in its ledgers, but it is nothing other than being aggres- treatment of the un-discovery of muon is another recent example), for its horrors and abominations. also supposed to be artfully de- sive American business people. the Higgs boson at CERN. I would though we are saintly compared This is an enormous cultural de- ceitful. There are standards of Hiding losses in an obscure busi- remind him that “As you sow ye to the biomedical community. We velopment. dishonesty to uphold. The Enron ness partnership, and cashing in are like to reap”. The “discovery” should be grateful that the press Scientists — mad, cackling, di- people violated all these unspo- millions in stock while your em- was of marginal statistical signifi- treats un-discoveries as gently as sheveled, hair flying upwards as ken rules. It’s okay to hide the ployees watch their 401(k) plans cance and the statistical analysis it does. though in an antigravity field — fact that you’ve lost a million dol- evaporate into nothingness, is was understandable to all but its Burton Richter have always disturbed our dreams, lars here or there, but when the apparently legal. It’s not even a creators. But, it received a big play Stanford, California for they and their hunchbacked as- Enron executives tried to hide a crime t xes and absurdities of sistants are continually inventing the Enron case once again Vacuous Scapegoating Harmful to Peace things that are dangerous, inva- bring Science to mind, specifi- sive and certain to culminate in cally the assurance by Science I found Professor Hoodbhoy’s specific examples. Certainly nei- mayhem. Monsters spawned by that things utterly illogical can opinion piece [APS News, Febru- ther Pakistan nor the United States Science (and its demonic cousin, in fact be true, like light being ary 2002] to be, for the most part, have always acted above reproach Technology) have included Fran- both a wave and a particle, or a thoughtful discussion of nuclear in the international arena, but kenstein, the Blob, the H-Man, the universe having no bound- proliferation issues. He lost me, vacuous scapegoating does noth- Godzilla, the Andromeda Strain, ary, or a bowling ball falling to however, when urged the United ing to further the cause of peace. Robo-Cop, the Terminator, the the ground at the same speed States to engage “with those it David Winchell Jurassic Park velociraptors and as a paper clip. grievously harms” without citing Upton, New York the new Greta Van Susteren. The standard tale of science But no one despises Science gone awry features a tormented Where Tornadoes Really Come From entirely, for it also makes life bet- genius with no moral compass. ter. Antifungal ointments come He invents something, and he I presume that Alan Cummings humidity is sufficiently high, water immediately to mind. loves this invention more than letter about tornadoes in the [APS vapor condenses as the air rises, Microwaveable pizza. Beyond he loves anything else, even News, January 2002] was tongue and clouds are formed, so that tor- those two things I’m drawing a though we, as outsiders, see in cheek. However, the actual nadoes are usually associated with blank but I know the list goes on that it will turn on him. Think, cause of tornadoes is not well thunderstorms. However, vortices and on. for example, of Dr. Moreau, the known. The fact is that, pace similar to tornadoes can also form The question we all have to ask exiled vivisectionist of the H.G. Cummings, the Coriolis effect does in dry air, and are usually referred is, does the invention of, say, the Wells novel, piecing together not act upon vortices to any ap- to as “dust devils.” remote control clicker outweigh parts of humans and animals to preciable extent. What it does do Whenever the unstable air con- the risk that an overworked grad form new, loathsome hybrids. is cause objects in motion (includ- tinues past the freezing level, student at a high-energy particle billion dollars in losses — when This man, we now suspect, could ing air molecules) to deviate to the thunderstorms are likely since the accelerator will forget to carry the their lies involved the B-word — have risen far at Enron. right (in the northern hemisphere). electrical charges responsible for the 2 in one of his calculations and, they crossed the line. Combating corporate evils is Cyclonic flow is caused by this de- lightening are formed from friction instead of discovering a new quark, Enron was simply too aggres- a tricky business. If you blow one viation of air flowing in to fill a low of ice crystals in the cloud. During inadvertently destroy the entire sive. Listen to the words of of these secret partnerships to pressure area, leading to the famil- my pilot days I discovered this to universe? It’s a close call, obviously. whistleblower Sherron Watkins in smithereens, each individual iar counter-clockwise rotation. my dismay while flying the western A similar conundrum is pre- her famous memo to Kenneth Lay: smithereen can regenerate into The low pressure area which US where, due to the high elevation, sented by Business, newly revealed “Enron has been very aggressive in an entirely new secret partner- leads to tornadoes comes from ris- even the bases of ordinary cumulus as a terrifying enterprise only its accounting — most notably the ship. The paramount rule that ing air currents, in which the air clouds, even in the summer, may lightly tethered to morality and Raptor transactions and the Con- governs Demon Spawn is that pressure is lowered by the Bernoulli well be above the freezing level. So decency. Every day we learn of new dor vehicle.” they cannot be killed. They can effect. These rising currents occur in the West clouds which would financial instruments and account- Raptor. Condor. These business- only be contained. Think of in unstable atmospheres (tempera- appear to be innocuous in the East ing techniques that, like evil men fantasize themselves as birds of Godzilla: you can take him out ture gradient greater than the could, and did, zap me! computers in science fiction mov- prey. (Notice that they didn’t name with a nuclear device but you abiabatic lapse rate, so called, of Paul Zweifel ies, have turned on their masters. their financial vehicles “Bunny” or know that, eventually, he’ll be about 7K/km). When the relative Radford, Virginia We hear about equity derivative “Otter” or “Mary Poppins.”) back. Enron is now in shambles transactions, related party entities, The most amazing thing about and its executives are less popu- NIH Breakup Won’t Work hedge funds, offshore bank ac- this case is that Enron officials may lar than figure skating judges, One of a bureaucrat’s first pri- crease the efficiency of the admin- counts, submerged bank accounts, never be convicted of a crime. So but someday, in some form, it too orities is turf protection. Does istration? Has he any experience bank accounts hidden inside vol- far they’ve been charged with will return. Beware the Son of Daniel S. Greenberg [APS News, in academic politics? canoes, and so on. nothing, having endured merely Enron. February 2002, BackPage] really Tom Hahs The Enron scandal calls into the ritual torture of media Joel Achenbach is a Washington believe splitting up NIH would in- University City, Missouri question the integrity of the en- demonization. Post staff writer and author of Cap- tire capitalist system, which Everyone hates them, but they’re tured by Aliens: The Search for Life Insanity Defense previously we assumed was based free to come and go as they please, and Truth in a Very Large Universe on honest, straightforward greed. so long as they keep the paper (Simon & Schuster, 1999). The above “The Mad Scientist’s Love Song” our professional class. The Enron executives and their sacks on their heads. originally appeared on February 19 by Gary McGrath [APS NEWS, Feb- Mentally ill children and adults, accountants, we’ve learned, have The problem is that, although in Achenbach’s “Rough Draft” column. ruary 2002] has diminishing literary students and colleagues, are often strayed from the American tradi- they are potentially guilty of wire Reprinted with permission. value and was inappropriate other- denied justice, even survival. wise, in my opinion, although I People today can be jailed or IN THE MEDIA, from page 2 APS TASK FORCE, from page 1 don’t believe that he intended to of- shackled for a no-fault, biological fend. We don’t think twice about the brain disease. These folks, suffer- nity and Congress to establish pri- should survey current activities of nological response to current threats slur “Mad Scientist”. How would we ing here, now and for a lifetime, orities and them champion them the physics community in the area but also how we might reduce future feel about the disparagement we callously label as “crazy.” Please within the department.” of counter-terrorism, help identify exposure through the development of “Sambo Scientist” or “Yid Scientist”? let us remind the world that physi- —Ray Orbach, new Director of the physics problems, and encourage new technologies,” As much as it hurts me to make that cists are known not only for their Department of Energy’s Office of Sci- physicists to find solutions.” The other members of the task comparison, all of these epithets brains, but for their hearts. ence, UPI, February 26, 2002. In view of this mandate, APS mem- force are: Mark Coffey (TRW), Harold should be recognized as part of a Loren Booda ✶✶✶ bers who can help with their knowledge Craighead (Cornell), Leonard C. shameful history, not encouraged by Arlington, Virginia “There’s going to be a great deal or suggestions are urged to contact any Feldman (Vanderbilt University), Wil- of skepticism about this, and there one of the task force members. liam R. Frazer (University of California, Improvement Noted should be. We don’t know whether “The objective of the task force is to Berkeley, emeritus), Gerard P. Gilfoyle it will work or not.” identify areas where the physics com- (University of Richmond), Martin V. I wish to compliment the edi- very understandable — much —John B. Rundle, University of Colo- munity can step forward to assist the Goldman (University of Colorado), tors Schewe, Stein and Riordon more than in previous years. rado, on a new way of predicting government in its response to the at- Beverly K. Hartline (Argonne National who prepared the supplement Norman Septimus earthquakes, Los Angeles Times, Feb- tack of September 11,” said Guenther. Laboratory), and Paul Wolf (Air Force “Physics News in 2001”. It was Flushing, NY ruary 28, 2002. “We would like to not only identify tech- Institute of Technology). NEWS April 2002 5

minority scholarship students,” said Arlene Modeste-Knowles, the outreach programs ad- ministrator of the APS Education and Out- reach Department. Problems of Women, Modeste-Knowles cited a 1997 APS study Minorities Receive Special Attention showing that 82 of the By Richard M. Todaro Michael D. Williams Barbara Jones 164 scholarship recipi- ents completed a Among the various committees of neric problems commonly experienced as part of the APS/IBM Research In- networking breakfast (with FIAP), and physics degree while another 36 com- the American Physical Society, there by women physicists, to intervene to ternship for Undergraduate Women a reception (with COM). These pleted some other science degree. Thus, are two dedicated to increasing the solve many of these problems, and to by a selection committee that includes events offer valuable opportunities for fully 72 percent of the degree recipients participation of those groups who address problems specific to individual one CSWP member. The students women to socialize and to network, earned a degree in a hard science. have traditionally been vastly under- physics departments. spend the summer working at one of as well as to hear technical talks. The COM also bestows annually represented in physics, namely, Upon completion of the survey, the three IBM research sites in the United Like the CSWP, the nine-mem- the prestigious Edward A. Bouchet women and minorities. team provides a list of recommendations States, including the Almaden site, the ber Committee on Minorities (COM) Award upon a minority physicist who The Committee on the Status of for improvement to the department. Watson Research Center in Yorktown seeks to increase the representation has made “remarkable contributions Women in Physics is devoted to the twin Jones listed several of the generic Heights, N.Y., and the Austin Re- in the field of physics of groups that to physics.” Named for the first Afri- goals of improving the climate for problems that are often encountered search Laboratory in Austin, Texas. have traditionally been greatly under- can American to receive a Ph.D. at an women who are in physics and improv- by women in the male-dominated “A goal of the program is to encour- represented. In the case of the COM, American academic institution, Ed- ing the academic pipeline through world of physics. Among these are age women to go on to graduate school those are African Americans, Hispan- ward Bouchet earned his Ph.D. in which women enter physics. The Com- feelings of being “invisible profession- in their technical field,” Jones said. “It ics, and Native Americans. physics from Yale in 1874. mittee on Minorities works on increasing ally” to their male colleagues. Other has been quite successful.” COM has its own Site Visit Pro- Michael D. Williams of Clark Atlanta the number of minorities in physics. women physicists feel that they aren’t Twice a year, CSWP publishes the gram to physics departments at University is the new COM chair. “One Minorities include African Americans, being treated fairly either in graduate Gazette newsletter which features up- academic institutions in order to “as- of the things we have to work at is getting Hispanics, and Native Americans, three school or subsequently in their pro- dates on CSWP activities and sess the climate for minorities in the physics profiles up in our respective com- groups who historically have each ac- fessional situations. Another, deeper programs, book reviews, reports and department, and to make recommen- munities in order to make it appealing,” counted for less than one percent of the problem is that some women feel articles on programs designed to in- dations to improve the climate for Williams said. “The challenge is to start total population of physics. physics is taught in an “aggressive” crease the participation of girls and minority faculty and students,” ac- early enough to capture the interest.” The nine-member Committee on style that is not conducive to their women in science. WIPHYS, an elec- cording to the COM web page (http:/ A variety of other CSWP and the Status of Women in Physics (CSWP) way of thinking and learning. tronic list serve which reaches several /www.aps.org/educ/com/index.html). COM programs help raise the aware- oversees a variety of programs. “In industry, one often finds hundred subscribers serves as a means COM also serves as the selection ness of women and minorities in The Site Visit Program enlists a team that proportionally there are more to exchange advice and discuss issues committee for the American Physi- physics. There are women’s and mi- of volunteer women physicists to visit a women who come in with just BS of interest to women in physics. In- cal Society’s Corporate-Sponsored norities speakers lists, containing 366 college or university to assess the climate degrees. So, of the small number formation on both of these programs Scholarship for Minority Under- and 83 names respectively, who are for women in the school’s physics de- of women who are there employ- can be found at http://www.aps.org/ graduate Students Who Major in available to give talks and colloquia partment. Barbara Jones, current CSWP ment is often disproportionately educ/cswp/index.html Physics. The scholarship program at US colleges and universities. The chair, explained that the team consists weighted toward those who are in CSWP encourages nominations for funds 20 to 25 new students each lists are indexed by field and by state. of current and past CSWP members, as a more service-oriented role, “ said the Maria Goeppert-Mayer Award year. As part of the program, the chair Modest travel grants are provided by well as other women physicists. “At Jones, who is a research scientist which recognizes outstanding achieve- of the departments where students APS to fund the program, which is the invitation of the department, the and manager at IBM’s Almaden Re- ment by a young woman physicist are attending identifies a mentor - a designed to expand the opportunity team spends a day or two at the site and search Center in San Jose, Calif. within 10 years of receiving her PhD. faculty member from the department for physics departments to invite col- interviews different groups - under- “In physics, for many things that Now in its sixteenth year, the MGM - who is willing to provide guidance loquium/seminar speakers who can graduate students, graduate students, involve being a true leader of your Award honors the memory of Maria and advice to the student. The COM serve as role models for women and and the department chair, as well as research project, you need a Ph.D.,” Goeppert-Mayer by encouraging keeps tabs on the students, as well, minority undergraduates, graduate other members of the school’s adminis- she said. “If you want to be a techni- young women scientists who demon- to ensure their progress through students and faculty. tration.” Students are asked to fill out cal leader of a project, it is better to strate outstanding potential at an early school. This mentoring aspect is There is also a Roster of Women specially-designed questionnaires ahead have a Master’s degree or a Ph.D.” stage and carries with it a monetary viewed as key to retaining minority and Minorities, containing the names of time; to encourage them to express Other programs that the CSWP award plus a travel allowance to give students in physics. and qualifications of over 3100 women themselves freely, the results of the sur- undertakes include co-sponsoring a lectures at four institutions and the “The Committee on Minorities rec- and 900 minority physicists. Employ- vey are shared only with the visiting team summer internship program with March meeting of the APS. ognizes that mentoring minority ers in industry, government, and and the CSWP. IBM for undergraduate female stu- At the APS annual meetings, students is very important in their re- academia frequently use the Roster to Jones said the three goals of the Site dents in physics. Between four and CSWP sponsors a variety of events in- tention in physics and is taking a identify names of prospective women Visit Program are to identify a set of ge- nine students each year are selected cluding an invited session, a hands-on approach to mentoring their or minorities as part of a job search.

Copenhagen Cast Meets Protagonists’ Progeny

New Bohr Documents Illuminate 1941 Meeting with Heisenberg By Gerald Holton

It may be an advantage that, typically going again and again remember, although I may be although I knew Bohr and over the same ground as he did wrong after such a long time....” In Werner Heisenberg, I was not when dictating his physics papers the most controversial parts of his involved with them except as never contradicting but constantly letter, he wrote, “This talk probably an admiring scientist and in- bringing in new details, in the hope started with my question whether terested historian of science. of completing a complex report. or not it was right for physicists to

The current discussions about Therefore his documents should devote themselves in wartime to Photo courtesy of Ken Shipp their encounter in 1941 be read with care and compared in the uranium problems....” [empha- On March 2, in connection with the play Copenhagen’s Washington should not deflect attention detail with the portions of sis mine] In stark contrast, Bohr DC run, a daylong symposium was held that reviewed the science, the from the excellent roles these Heisenberg’s letter about the same writes, “Personally, I remember history, and the theatrical aspects of the real events and their artistic two giants played in modern event, published in Robert Jungk’s every word of our conversations.” representation. Shown here at a reception the previous evening are (l to r): science, especially because book, Brighter than a Thousand Suns Bohr’s first document denies Jochen H. Heisenberg, the son of Werner Heisenberg; Hank Stratton, who that meeting changed nothing (1957 Danish edition; 1958 English outright that Heisenberg had plays Heisenberg in Copenhagen; Mariette Hartley, who plays Niels in history except their old edition, pages 102-104). tried to obtain information from Bohr’s wife Margrethe; Len Cariou, who plays Niels Bohr; and Vilhelm A. friendship. In Bohr’s first and most detailed him on details concerning the de- Bohr, son of Aage Bohr and grandson of Niels Bohr. A picture of Werner As Bohr intended, his remark- document , on which I was first velopment of atomic weapons, Heisenberg and Niels Bohr in conversation hangs behind them. able documents (see http:// consulted in 1985, he starts by contrary to what some still like The three sessions of the symposium were recorded. To order the set of www.nba.nbi.dk) greatly illumi- offering Heisenberg an excuse, to believe, since Heisenberg had three tapes (about 2 hours each) send a check, made payable to “The nate that meeting with Heisenberg, namely, that Heisenberg’s memory said he was “completely familiar Graduate Center”, for $35 (this includes postage in the US), to this ad- and show how incomplete and might have “deceived” him when with them and had spent the past dress: Brian Schwartz, The Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, even erroneous many previous he wrote to Jungk. In fact, two years working more or less NY 10016 speculations and stories are. They Heisenberg had started his own exclusively in such preparation” Copies of some of the papers presented at the symposium can be ac- also show us Bohr’s mind at work, letter with a disclaimer: “As far as I See BOHR on page 6 cessed at http://web.gc.cuny.edu/ashp/nml/artsci. 6 April 2002 NEWS

APS Extends Free Journal Access and Membership to Argentina INSIDE THE BELTWAY: A Washington Analysis

Acting quickly in response to the financial turmoil in Ar- gentina, APS Treasurer and Publisher Thomas McIlrath announced that, for institutions holding subscriptions to Too Much Spin Blurs Truth About Budget APS journals in that country in 2001, the APS will continue By Michael S. Lubell, on-line access without charge for calendar year 2002. APS Director of Public Affairs This move comes in the wake of a report to APS that “due to the virtual bankruptcy of the Argentinian banking sys- Getting information from the Ad- pretty big number. Ridge has refused, budget, restoring balance to the sci- tem, a decree has been set, on January 1, 2002, by which no ministration is not easy. Getting the saying that he is not a Cabinet officer. ence portfolio is one of the prime holder of an account (be it an individual or a business) is truth, it turns out, is even harder. The Now Congress is considering whether motivators for boosting the allowed to extract more than the equivalent of US $1000 difficulties start at the top—in the to endow him with Cabinet status Foundation’s budget. But the Bush per month, nor can the holder conduct money transfers over- last thirty years, four presidents have and compel him to appear. plan actually calls for cutting the seas.” resorted to stonewalling. Two of Last fall, the House Science Com- physical sciences at NSF while in- McIlrath has e-mailed the Argentinian subscribers to APS them did it successfully. One failed mittee requested that National Science creasing its spending on biology. journals, taking note of the financial hardship and making and resigned. The jury is out still Foundation Director Rita Colwell explain Depending on how you do the ac- the offer of free on-line access to the same journals that had out on the fourth. how NSF decides on Major Research counting, the life sciences across the previously been accessed via paid subscription. At this point, In the 1970s Richard Nixon did it Equipment projects and how it sets pri- federal budget would soak up be- only five or six institutions are involved. The number of with Watergate and bombed. In the orities for them. To date, she has not tween fifty-five and sixty cents of subscriptions in Argentina has declined dramatically in re- 1980s Ronald Reagan did it with Iran- produced the information. And now every research dollar. cent years in response to the worsening economic conditions Contra and survived. And in the 1990s the Committee is considering other Not too long ago, Marburger told there. Bill Clinton did it with the White House means to obtain it. the physical science community that “Helping our Argentinian colleagues in this way is the least Travel Office, Whitewater and liaisons Several months ago, the Defense its turn would come next year, now we could do,” says McIlrath. “We hope that the situation with Gennifer, Paula and Monica. He, Department established the Office of that the five-year doubling of the will improve by next year, and that at least some of these too, survived, but just barely. Now, it’s Strategic Influence. Its reported role NIH budget has been completed. institutions will be able to resume their status as paying cus- George W. Bush’s turn. In the first year was to plant false stories in the me- But two weeks later, he reversed tomers at that time.” of his presidency, he and his adminis- dia, with the objective of influencing course during his testimony before In addition, APS is also helping its 102 individual mem- tration are off to a good start. Only opinion abroad. Of course, the re- the House Science Committee. Un- bers in Argentina, by extending their memberships for six time will tell whether they make it. port itself could have been false, given der questioning about portfolio months beyond the expiration date. In an e-mail to all Ar- Months ago, Congress requested the office’s goal of spreading misin- balance, he said that research bud- gentinian members, Executive Officer Judy Franz stated that that the Administration release the formation. But in early March, gets should be based on the “APS does not want a temporary downturn in the Argentin- names of the corporate executives who Defense Secretary Rumsfeld thought complexity of the science, and, in his ian economy or a freeze on individual assets to be the cause met with the Cheney Energy Task better of his decision and shut the view, biology was still underfunded. for severing the collegial ties that we all depend upon.” Force. The request met with silence, office doors. Or so he said. A stunned Vern Ehlers (R-MI), who This initiative has been very favorably received, says Trish and now the General Accounting Of- But stanching the flow of misin- is one of two physicists in Congress, Lettieri, APS Director of Membership. “There have been a fice has filed suit against the White formation, it seems, is not on the noted that if complexity were the number of responses from our members who are very grate- House. The odds are the case will wind agenda of the Office of Management sole criterion, then astrophysics ful for APS’ sensitivity to the current crisis in Argentina.” up in the Supreme Court, probably and Budget (OMB). On February should walk off with the lion’s share. several years from now. It’s anybody’s 4, amidst much ballyhoo, White You might chalk up Marburger’s guess how the court that chose the House Science Advisor John response to misspeaking – Washing- BOHR, from page 5 president will rule. Marburger announced that the Bush ton lingo for a bigtime goof – under Last month, Congress requested Administration’s budget request for fire. But he repeated his statement a That such an atomic weapons the German scientists “do all they that Governor Tom Ridge testify on Fiscal Year 2003 had the best R&D few days later in a speech at a meet- program was in progress is no could to prevent such an applica- how he plans to direct the $38 bil- numbers offered by any president in ing of the American Association for longer in doubt since the release tion of atomic science.” That spin lion that the Office of Homeland the history of the United States, to- the Advancement of Science. Will of the Farm Hall papers. of supposed moral qualms is at Security purportedly has under its taling more than $111 billion. the real Marburger please stand up. Even C.F. v. Weizsaecker agreed the center of some of the revision- control. After all, $38 billion is a What he didn’t say was that all the But the prize for budget misinfor- that had been the purpose of the ist writings, such as the book by increases were loaded into two ac- mation must go to NASA’s Space team’s work in his autobiography, Thomas Powers, and part of counts: research at the National Science program, which OMB said Bewusstseinswandel (Munich: Carl Michael Frayn’s Tony-award-win- major point in Heisenberg’s pub- Institutes of Health (NIH) and devel- would climb by about a third. Now Hanser Verlag, 1988, page 365). ning play, Copenhagen, in which the lished account. Earlier, Jungk, in his opment, testing and evaluation at the that’s a supernova in this budget year. Bohr then explains his reaction, Heisenberg character is even autobiography, Trotzdem (Munich: Defense Department. Back out those What OMB didn’t say was that Space which was not anger, as some still made to utter on stage, “I under- Carl Hanser Verlag, 1993), had be- programs, and the rest of the R&D Science would have to absorb the cost insist, but fear. After all, the pros- stood very clearly. I simply didn’t wailed that he had allowed himself budget would be flat or declining. of all space shuttle launches associ- pect offered by Heisenberg was tell the others,” and later, “I wasn’t to be used to “propagate a legend,” Budget Director Mitch Daniels, ated with science. (It won’t have to that of a successful and energetic trying to build a bomb.” and now “felt betrayed.” Bohr would who singled out the National Science pick up the cost of Space Station pursuit by the German team to In Bohr’s last drafts, he also raises never have used such language, no Foundation (NSF) as the only stel- launches, since there is no science left make an atomic bomb, at the very a question that had troubled him: matter how deeply hurt he may have lar agency or department across the in that program.) To see how perni- time when Hitler’s armies were hav- “What authorization might have felt. In fact, one may speculate that broad swath of federal activities, said cious the accounting is, consider that ing their greatest successes. Even been given to you by the German Bohr did not send off what he had that the NSF was being rewarded for the latest Hubble launch would have so, Bohr offers Heisenberg again a government to touch upon such a worked on for so long because even its good deeds and good manage- chewed up almost 20 percent of this way out, writing that Heisenberg’s dangerous question.” the relatively mild words in his docu- ment with a five percent increase — year’s Space Science budget. description (in his letter to Jungk) Perhaps to give Heisenberg ments seemed to him, in the end, a cosmic number in tough times. As any child who has played with of Bohr as being simply shocked another ready excuse, Bohr uncharacteristically strong. What he didn’t say was that all but a top knows, when the spinning by that news was a “misunder- writes, “During the course of the Still, there is some irony in the 1.5 percent was the result of a trans- stops, the object falls. With this year’s standing... due to the great tension war, such a wise person as your- fact that Bohr, who had no reason fer of activities from other agencies. budget now being spun at a furious in your mind.” Bohr then repeats self must gradually lose faith in to hide or misremember anything In an era when NIH’s annual in- pace, it’s a good bet this law will that his own memory of the con- a German victory.... I can there- that happened, did not send his creases have exceeded NSF’s entire catch up to the politicians too. versation was clear, and that his fore understand that perhaps at letter, whereas Heisenberg hav- interaction with Heisenberg had the end you may no longer have ing worked for years on a German been the subject of “thorough dis- recalled what you thought and nuclear program that resulted in TOPICAL GROUPS, from page 1 cussion” with others. Such said during the first years of the failure , may have had at least some APS to welcome and foster new such a determination. Finally, the discussions must have been nu- war. “ Yet he adds, “But I can- tendency, even if not fully con- fields of physics,” the charge con- task force will consider what rights merous, but Bohr’s draft refers not imagine that during a scious, to misremember, when he cluded. topical groups should have for in- only to one: “During conversations meeting so boldly arranged as did send his letter to Jungk. Chaired by W. Carl Lineberger vited sessions at APS meetings, and with Moller, Heisenberg and that in 1941, you should have Gerald Holton is Mallinckrodt (JILA/University of Colorado), the how much administrative support Weizsaecker sought to explain that forgotten what arrangements Professor of Physics and Professor task force is charged with address- they should be entitled to. the attitude of the Danish people had been made in this regard of the History of Science, Emeritus ing these concerns by considering The other members of the task towards Germany, and that of the with the German government at Harvard University. A slightly dif- such specific questions as whether force are drawn equally from divi- Danish physicists in particular, was authorities.” ferent version of the above article the hurdle for forming a new topi- sions and topical groups to ensure unreasonable and indefensible, Thus, when putting was distributed at the March 2, 2002 cal group should be raised, and balanced representation. They are since a German victory was already Heisenberg’s letter to Jungk and symposium, “The Copenhagen Inter- whether there should be a maxi- Beverly Berger (National Science guaranteed and that any resistance Bohr’s documents side by side, we pretation: Science and History on mum number of topical groups Foundation), John Clarke (Uni- against cooperation could only see that any tortured attempt to Stage,” held at the Smithsonian within the Society at any one time. versity of California, Berkeley), Jeff bring disaster to Denmark.” make them seem to be somehow Institution’s Museum of Natural His- Members will also consider whether Lynn (National Institute of Stan- In some of the last documents, in accord fails, as does the idea tory in Washington. existing topical groups should un- dards and Technology), James Bohr writes that he finds it “incom- that Bohr did not “understand” Comments on this article may be dergo a periodic review to determine McGuire (Tulane University), Pe- prehensible” that Heisenberg later Heisenberg. Rather, Bohr contra- sent directly to the author at if they are still viable, and if so, what ter Meyers (Princeton). and Stuart claimed to have “hinted” to Bohr that dicts and tries to correct every [email protected]. might be appropriate criteria for Wolf (Naval Research Laboratory). NEWS April 2002 7 ANNOUNCEMENTS APS UNDERGRADUATE PHYSICS Call for Nominations for 2002 STUDENT COMPETITION APS Prizes and Awards Members are invited to nominate candidates to the respective commit- tees charged with recommending the recipients. A brief description of 2002 APKER AWARDS each prize and award is given in the March 2002 APS News Prizes and Awards insert, along with the addresses of the selection committee chairs For Outstanding Undergraduate Student Research in Physics to whom nominations should be sent. Please visit the Prize and Awards Endowed by Jean Dickey Apker, in memory of LeRoy Apker page on the APS web site at http://www.aps.org under the Prize and Awards button for complete information regarding rules and eligibility requirements for individual prizes and awards. DESCRIPTION QUALIFICATIONS research publication or senior the- PRIZES Two awards are normally made • Students who have been en- sis (unbound). Will Allis Prize for the Sudy of Ionized Gases each year: One to a student attend- rolled as undergraduates at col- 4. A 1000-word summary, writ- Hans A. Bethe Prize ing an institution offering a Physics leges and universities in the ten by the student, describing his Biological Physics Prize PhD and one to a student attend- United States at least one quarter/ or her research. Tom W. Bonner Prize in Nuclear Physics ing an institution not offering a semester during the year preced- 5. Two letters of recommenda- Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Physics Prize Physics PhD ing the JUNE 14, 2002 deadline. tion from physicists who know the Davisson-Germer Prize in Atomic or Surface Physics • Recipients receive a $5,000 • Students who have an excellent candidate’s individual contribution Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics award; finalists $2,000. They also academic record and have dem- to the work submitted. Polymer Physics Prize receive an allowance for travel to onstrated exceptional potential for 6. The nominee’s address and tele- Frank Isakson Prize for Optical Effects in Solids the Award presentation. scientific research through an phone number during the summer. James C. McGroddy Prize for New Materials • Recipients’ and finalists’ home original contribution to physics. Lars Onsager Prize institutions receive $5,000 and • Only one candidate may be nomi- FURTHER INFORMATION George E. Pake Prize (April 1, 2002 Deadline) $1,000, respectively, to support nated per department. See http://www.aps.org/praw/ W.K.H. Panofsky Prize in Experimental Particle Physics undergraduate research. apker/descrip.html Earle K. Plyler Prize for Molecular Spectroscopy • Recipients, finalists and their APPLICATION PROCEDURE Aneesur Rahman Prize for Computational Physics home physics departments will The complete nomination package DEADLINE J. J. Sakurai Prize for Theoretical Particle Physics be presented with plaques or is due on or before JUNE 14, 2002 Send name of proposed candidate Arthur L. Schawlow Prize in Laser Science certificates of achievement. The and should include: and supporting information by Prize to a Faculty Member for Research in an Undergradate Institution student’s home institution is 1. A letter of nomination from the JUNE 14, 2002 to: Dr. Alan George E. Valley JR. Prize prominently featured on all head of the student’s academic de- Chodos, Administrator, Apker Robert R. Wilson Prize awards and news stories of the partment. Award Selection Committee; The AWARDS competition. 2. An official copy of the student’s American Physical Society; One LeRoy Apker Award (June 14, 2002 Deadline) • Each nominee will be granted a academic transcript. Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD Joseph A. Burton Forum Award free APS Student Membership 3. A description of the original 20740-3844; Telephone: (301) Maria Goeppert-Mayer Award for one year upon receipt of their contribution, written by the student 209-3268, Fax: (301) 209-3652, Joseph F. Keithley Award for Advances in Measurement Science completed application. such as a manuscript or reprint of a email: [email protected]. Leo Szilard Lectureship Award MEDALS AND LECTURESHIPS Distinguished Traveling Lecturer Program in Laser Science David Adler Lectureship Award Edward A. Bouchet Award The Division of Laser Sciences (DLS) of the Ameri- similar programs. John H. Dillon Medal can Physical Society announces the expansion of its Applications should be sent to the DTL commit- DISSERTATION AWARDS lecture program in Laser Science, and invites applica- tee Chair Rainer Grobe ([email protected]) and also Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Research in Beam Physics Award tions from schools to host a lecturer in 2002. to the DLS Secretary-Treasurer Richard Freeman Nicholas Metropolis Award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Work in Lecturers will visit selected academic institutions ([email protected]). The deadline for application Computational Physics for two days, during which time they will give a pub- for visits in Fall 2002 is April 3030. Dissertation Award in Nuclear Physics Detailed information about the program and the lic lecture open to the entire academic community NOMINATION DEADLINE IS JULY 2, 2002, UNLESS and meet informally with students and faculty. They application procedure is available on the DLS-DTL may also give guest lectures in classes related to La- home page: http://physics.sdsu.edu/~anderson/DTL/ OTHERWISE INDICATED. ser Science. The purpose of the program is to bring distinguished scientists to colleges and universities Lecturers for the 2002-2003 Academic in order to convey the excitement of Laser Science Year: Now Appearing in RMP... to undergraduate and graduate students. Rober Byer, Stanford University. The articles in the April 2002 issue of Reviews of Modern Physics are listed below. The DLS will cover the travel expenses and Lee W. Casperson, Portland State University. For brief descriptions of each article, consult the RMP website at honorarium of the lecturer. The host institution Eric Cornell, University of Colorado. http://www.phys.washington.edu/~rmp/current.html. George Bertsch, Editor. will be responsible only for the local expenses of Jim Kafka, Spectra Physics. Reactor-based neutrino oscillation experiments – Carlo Bemporad, Giorgio Gratta, the lecturer and for advertising the public lec- Marsha Lester, University of Pennsylvania and Petr Vogel ture. Awards to host institutions will be made by Christopher Monroe, University of Michigan. Information and computation: classical and quantum aspects – A. Galindo and M. A. Martfn-Delgado the selection committee after consulting with the Luis A. Orozco, State University of New York Colloquium: The physics of charge inversion in chemical and biological systems – lecturers. Priority will be given to those institu- at Stony Brook. A. Yu. Grosberg, T. T. Nguyen, and B. I. Shklovskii tions that do not have extensive resources for Carlos Stroud, University of Rochester. Grain boundaries in high-Tc superconductors – H. Hilgenkamp and J. Mannhart Electronic excitations: density functional versus many-body Green’s-function FULBRIGHT AWARDS APS Washington Office approaches – Giovanni Onida, Lucia Reining, and Angel Rubio Summer Internship Modern optical astronomy: technology and impact of interferometry – Swapan K. Saha Single-bubble sonoluminescence – Michael P. Brenner, Sascha Hilgenfeldt, and Detlef Lohse The following Fulbright awards are viewed as among the most Reviews of Modern Physics University of Washington; Physics/Astronomy B428; prestigious appointments in the Fulbright Program. Lecturing is usu- Applications ally in English. Candidates must be US citizens and have a promi- Box 351560; Seattle WA 98195; email: [email protected] • phone: 1 (206) are now being 685-2391 nent record of scholarly accomplishment. Consult CIES Web site accepted for the http://www.cies.org/cies/us_scholars/DisChairs/ for information about 2002 Summer application procedure and current updates. To apply, send a letter of Internship. The The Nuclide Chart 2002 - Strasbourg interest (up to 3 pages), c.v. (up to 8 pages) and a sample syllabus opening is for a will be available in June 2002, in booklet form of 44 pages of A4 size. (up to 4 pages) to Daria Teutonico, Fulbright Distinguished Chairs ten-week summer internship Program; Council for International Exchange of Scholars; 3007 Tilden during the period of June 3 to Ground states of 2915 isotopes and 740 isomers are included up to Street, NW; Ste. 5-L; Washington, DC 20008-3009 (phone 202/686- π August 30, 2002 (specific dates element 116 with mass defects, T1/2, J , energies of emitted gamma rays 6245). Materials must arrive on or before the May 1 deadline. negotiable). and particles, thermal neutron x-sections, etc. The cutoff date is June More information about the 2002. CANADA: FULBRIGHT-SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY CHAIR IN position can be found at http:/ The price for the chart is $ 7.00 plus postal charges. The entire AIRBORNE REMOTE SENSING: /www.aps.org/public_affairs/ proceeds will be donated to research on Leucodystrophies. Author of Grantee will conduct research in area of specialization and con- intern-summer.shtml the chart is M.S. Antony. duct occasional graduate seminars. Specialization includes airborne remote sensing research in an applied environmental context. Open Contacts : M.S. Antony: [email protected]\\ to junior or senior faculty. Center for Scientific Computing, Simon G. Alba: [email protected] Fraser University. Four to nine months. www.sfu.ca Visit CORRECTION ITALY: NAPLES CHAIR IN PHYSICS: APS News The November 2001 APS News reported that Enrico Fermi had developed the first Grantee will offer one course in signal analysis techniques for Online nuclear reactor at the University of Chicago. This is misleading. Fermi started working gravitational wave detection and conduct tutorials for students. Op- on nuclear fission and building an atomic pile while still at Columbia University as early portunities for collaborative research are available. University of as 1939. The first chain reaction was, however, achieved in Chicago in 1942. APS News Naples, Federico II. Three months, starting October 2003, March regrets any confusion that may have resulted from its report. We thank W. W. Havens, Jr. 2004 or May 2004. www.unina.it http://www.aps.org/apsnews/ for a communication on this subject. 8 April 2002 NEWS THE BACK PAGE Physics, Homeland Security and the Justice System By Don Prosnitz

“Murderous organizations have because of his training and intuition the scientific and technical commu- port systems, potentially enhanced increased in size and scope; they are and information.”2 Protecting the nity. by biometrics, are required. Is more daring, they are served by the infrastructure is his daily mission. The events of September 11 and there a way to positively confirm more terrible weapons offered by What is the United States crimi- the anthrax attacks changed the re- the identity of all individuals in a modern science, and the world is nal justice system? Most physicists lationship between law enforcement passenger vehicle or bus in 30 sec- nowadays threatened by new forces have little knowledge of the justice and the technical community. NSF onds? Can game theoretic analysis which, if recklessly unchained, may system in America. This $146B en- was immediate in offering support and deterrence provide inspection some day wreak universal destruc- terprise is composed of 16,600 state, and the Academies rapidly facilitated strategies that don’t require 100% tion.”1 Much has changed since local and tribal police agencies, 69 interchanges between the country’s identification checks? Major Arthur Griffith, a British po- federal agencies with law enforce- scientific talent and federal law en- Unattended sensors, explosive lice officer, made this prediction in ment authority, over 16,000 federal, forcement. Law enforcement was material detectors, and rapidly 1898. Griffith’s concern was dyna- state and local courts, and almost encouraged by the overwhelming deployable intrusion detection sys- mite—now we have nuclear 5,000 detention facilities. There are support, and the technical commu- tems can help harden vulnerable explosives. Poison gas was an emerg- nearly 780,000 sworn law enforce- nity was surprised and intrigued by facilities. Finding and eliminating ing threat at the end of the ment officers and a total of 2.2 million the challenges faced by our justice vulnerabilities of buildings to explo- nineteenth century — now we employees within the criminal jus- system. We must not become com- sive, biological or chemical attacks Don Prosnitz worry about genetically engineered tice system. Its size is comparable placent and let this newfound through high fidelity simulations pathogens. But one thing Griffith to the national security system cooperation die. and creative use of advanced mate- be affordable, validated, and available knew even then has not changed. He ($275B, 1.4 million active duty per- Cooperation, no matter how well rials will further reduce casualties. to the forensics community. Results and his fellow police officers were re- sonnel, and 2.2 million total intended, will fail if there is no fi- Inexpensive instrumentation–the need to be obtained in days, not sponsible for protecting the British personnel.) The national security nancial support. Although the smoke alarm is a good benchmark– months. An enormous amount of homeland against terrorists. system is designed for deterring rela- criminal justice system is a least half to detect human, plant and animal evidence resides on electronic media, For more than a decade there has tively large, identified targets the size of the national security sys- pathogens in time for effective but forensic analysis takes much too been continuous debate as to operating overseas. The criminal jus- tem, and equally important in medical intervention is critical to al- long. Current federal backlogs can whether or not terrorism could be- tice system is designed to deter and providing for the safety and well- most all protective measures. exceed a year. Unanticipated leads on come a serious threat to the True prevention, however, is only terrorists may long have lost their fundamental security of the U.S. The achieved by identifying and appre- value by the time analysis takes place. discussions had been academic and hending terrorists before they strike. As storage media get larger, the prob- confined to the traditional national “The real threat to our social order is Criminal investigation has often been lem will only get worse. security community: the military, the continuous, unpredictable terrorist events. described as pulling on a thread and Any discussion of how physicists intelligence agencies, think tanks, watching the sweater unravel. Tech- can help protect the homeland and a small portion of the scientific This strategy truly instills fear in the populace.” niques to help find the key thread and without considering privacy policy community. Debates over whether links between threads need to be en- is incomplete. Protection of citizens’ it was necessary to protect civilians hanced. Coplink, an NIJ- and NSF- privacy is at the nexus of virtually from unconventional delivery of funded effort at the University of Ari- all use of technology by law enforce- weapons of mass destruction (e.g., prosecute individuals and small being of the populace, it receives 1/ zona to develop link analysis tools for ment. Physicists have played nuclear bombs in cargo containers) groups distributed throughout the 100 of the R&D support provided Tucson police investigators is an ex- significant roles in the policy deci- centered on the difficulty of con- U.S. to national security missions. With ample of the type of programs needed. sions on major national security structing the weapons and the The military has a long history of no financial support, there can be Tucson has 1.8 million incident issues-–nuclear deterrence and mis- perceived irrationality of causing seeking out and receiving scientific no directed research and eventually records and 60,000 mug shots. sile defenses are two prime mass civilian casualties. Unfortu- and technical advice. Law enforce- the technical community will seek Phoenix has ten times as many examples. If physicists wish to have nately, that debate is over. Terrorists ment (with the exception of other problems to solve. records. The scale of a national link a similar role in homeland security, have executed mass casualties at- case-specific forensic help) does not. The President’s 2003 budget does analysis capability is forbidding, but they must educate themselves on tacks and the ability of individuals Traditional technical support to law include substantial support to equip must be considered if we are to stop privacy laws and be able to intelli- to construct effective biological enforcement consists of adapting first responders, including state and a distributed terrorist threat. This gently discuss the use of subpoenas weapons is now proven. Major technologies developed for other, local police agencies. Vaccine research necessitates sifting an enormous and search warrants. They must un- Griffith’s fear has become a reality. principally military, applications. is also a high priority. The need to uti- amount of data, some of dubious derstand the difference between How hard is it to protect the U.S. Like receiving hand-me-downs from lize existing, off-the-shelf technologies validity, for unusual, exceeding rare Title III wiretaps and trap and trace against terrorists? Numbers help. your older sister, this strategy leads is immediate and urgent, but as we look patterns–precisely the signal-to- orders. Designing technical solu- The unspeakable events of Septem- to technologies that may be service- to the future, we must also provide re- noise problem that the high-energy tions that don’t respect privacy will ber 11 were executed by 19 able, but are out of fashion, don’t fit, search dollars to develop technologies physics community is experienced not help, and arguing that all po- terrorists. These terrorists entered and are far from optimum. They to help law enforcement counter at solving. Models based on Baye- tential solutions violate privacy the U.S. hidden among 510 million may be too costly, require too much tomorrow’s threats. “It is a well-known sian analysis and complexity theory without understanding existing le- entry “events” per year, 330 million infrastructure support, not match fact that no other section of the popu- could suggest new investigative av- gal and policy protections of which were foreign. It is believed operating procedures, or fail to ad- lation avail itself more rapidly and enues. Similar tools would aid marginalizes our contributions. If that one individual out of a popula- equately consider the constitutional speedily of the latest triumphs of CDC epidemiologists. Law en- we take the time to understand the tion of 290 million executed the rights of citizens or the liability of science than the criminal class. ”[In- forcement currently deals with 10s justice system as it actually operates, anthrax attacks. A terrorist dedicated police officers. spector John Bonfield, 18883] If there of Terabytes, a fraction of the 10s we can help make the country more to causing mass casualties or disrup- Why hasn’t the justice system and is no research investment in law en- of Petabytes high-energy physicists secure while enhancing privacy. tion to our economy can choose law enforcement received significant forcement technologies now, the must analyze. The physics commu- Solving hard, complex problems from among thousands of targets in support from this country’s scien- “criminal class” will outpace our inves- nity has long participated in is fundamentally what our training as the United States. Terrorists are dis- tists? Primarily, there was a lack of tigative and protective capabilities and international data sharing and may physicists is all about. tributed throughout the country and significant dialogue between practi- the needed tools will not be on the shelf be able to suggest architectures and buried in a nearly indistinguishable tioners. How often did police chiefs when we need them. methodologies for analyzing and References background of legitimate activities. discuss their long-term needs with What are some of the needs and sharing multinational law enforce- 1. Walter Laqueur, The Age of Ter- The intelligence community can pro- the NSF or DOE? The National how can the physics community help? ment information. rorism (Boston, 1987), 313. vide important information and Academies has a panel on Science The process of preventing terrorists The real threat to our social or- 2. Chief Robert Olson, The Wash- predictive analysis with respect to and the Law, but until recently its from entering the United States begins der is continuous, unpredictable ington Post (February 12, 2002), A9. potential targets. But detection and focus had been almost entirely on overseas. For each visa application, a terrorist events. This strategy truly 3. Tom Standage, The Victorian prevention in this country funda- how to keep “junk science” out of “name check” is performed against a instills fear in the populace. Clas- Internet (New York, 1998), 105. mentally requires a distributed the courtroom, not on promoting re- central database that exceeds 10 mil- sic criminal investigation is the only Dr. Donald Prosnitz is the Chief Sci- system, one with “sensors” (human search into new investigative or lion names. Transliterations, method of stopping such a cam- ence and Technology Advisor for the or otherwise) dispersed nationwide. forensic capabilities. The American misspelling, and data entry errors must paign. New methods of obtaining Department of Justice, a position to The only institution with the re- Association for the Advancement of all be accommodated for each search– and identifying trace chemical and which he was appointed by then Attor- quired characteristics is the U.S. Science has a similar panel with simi- nearly 75,000 /day. Efficient multi-cul- biological elements from a crime ney General Janet Reno on 1999. He justice system, composed of federal, lar objectives, which has recently tural pattern matching is required. scene are sorely needed. Are there is on leave from the Lawrence state, local and tribal law enforce- begun to examine future forensics At INS ports of entry, an inspec- technical clues that law enforce- Livermore National Laboratory, where ment agencies. “It’s going to come needs. The National Institute of Jus- tor has 10 to 15 seconds to grant or ment has not traditionally he held the position of Chief Scientist down to some street cop who sees tice attempted to foster interactions, deny a foreigner entry into the considered? Techniques used in our of the Nonproliferation, Arms Control something that doesn’t look right– but only reached a small segment of United States. New decision sup- finest research laboratories need to and International Security Directorate.

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