November 2002 NEWS Volume 11, No. 11 A Publication of The American Physical Society http://www.aps.org/apsnews APS Members Choose Cohen as New Newly Elected Vice President in 2002 Election APS Officials In the 2002 general election, Smoliar of Lightwave Electronics Cohen’s current and past APS members have chosen Marvin were elected as general councillors. research work covers a broad spec- Cohen, a professor at the Univer- Cohen professed himself trum of subjects in theoretical sity of California, Berkeley, and “delighted” to be elected as APS condensed matter physics. He is senior scientist at the Lawrence vice president. He was born in best known for his work with Berkeley National Laboratory, as Montreal and moved to San Fran- pseudopotentials with applications the next APS vice president in the cisco when he was 12 years old. to electronic, optical, and struc- GENERAL 2002 general election. He will He was an undergraduate at Ber- tural properties of materials, VICE PRESIDENT COUNCILLOR assume office on January 1, 2003, keley and completed his PhD at superconductivity, semiconductor Marvin Cohen becoming president elect in 2004 the University of Chicago in physics, and nanoscience. Cohen Janet Conrad and APS president in 2005. The 1964. After a one year is a past recipient of the APS Oliver APS president for 2003 will be postdoctoral position with the E. Buckley Prize and the APS Julius Myriam Sarachik (City College of Theory Group at Bell Laborato- Edgar Lilienfeld Prize. In 2002 New York). ries, he joined the Berkeley Cohen received the National Medal In other election results, John physics faculty. He became uni- of Science. Peoples of Fermilab was chosen as versity professor in 1995. He has He has served as a member and chair-elect of the APS Nominating also been a senior scientist at the then chair of the Executive Commit- Committee. Janet Conrad of Lawrence Berkeley National tee of the APS Division of Condensed Columbia University and Laura Laboratory since 1995. Matter Physics, as the US represen- CHAIR-ELECT OF GENERAL tative on the IUPAP Semiconductor THE NOMINATING COUNCILLOR Commission, and as a member of the COMMITTEE Laura Smoliar APS Counter Terrorism Task See ELECTION on page 5 John Peoples Force Meets on September 11 Viewpoint... While the nation soberly Council later this month. observed a day of remembrance “The objective is to identify for last year’s September 11 areas where the physics com- Scientific Fraud-Lessons Learned terrorist attacks, the APS munity can step forward to By W. F. Brinkman, APS President Counter-Terrorism Task Force assist the government in its marked the occasion with a response to the attack of Sep- Editor’s note: In late September, from the experi- quire formulating meeting at APS headquarters in tember 11,” said Guenther. “We the committee headed by Malcolm ence. I believe that new guidelines College Park. Chaired by Bob would like to not only identify Beasley of Stanford, charged with there are three for our research Guenther of Duke University, the technological response to investigating allegations of research issues that the phys- journals. task force was given a very current threats but also how we misconduct at Bell Labs, issued its ics community Second, we general charge, which includes might reduce future exposure report. They found clear evidence of must examine. must determine surveying current activities of the through the development of fraud by Jan Hendrik Schön, but no First, since Schön whether the phys- physics community in the area of new technologies.” evidence of fraud by any of his published his ics community is counter-terrorism, helping The bulk of the September 11 collaborators. They left open the ques- research in collabo- appropriately identify physics problems, and meeting was devoted to a series tion of whether some of the co-authors ration with several alert to the char- encouraging physicists to find of technology review presenta- had acted in accordance with their co-authors, we must acteristics of solutions. Task force members tions, detailing the various areas professional responsibility. carefully consider research fraud W. F. Brinkman held their first meeting May 3, where physics and physicists Now that the Beasley commit- the responsibility and scientific 2002. A final report is expected might contribute to national tee has issued its report, it is time co-authors have to the total misconduct in general. This may to be presented to the APS See TERRORISM on page 3 to consider what we have learned content of the paper. This may re- See FRAUD on page 4 Topical Conference Explores How Apker Award Finalists Physics Can Help Biology We are poised at a unique mo- conference on an emerging field University) on the choice to ment in time when physics can that would prepare early career focus on the biology/physics in- make important contributions to physicists for future opportuni- terface. “We believe that physics biology, according to speakers at ties. “Rapid strides are occurring will make a substantial contribu- the topical conference on “Oppor- in biology where enormous tech- tion to the revolution occurring tunities in Biology for Physicists,” nical and conceptual progress in biology, particularly if biologists held in Boston, MA, September 28 has been made in the last ten and physicists work together at and 29. Aimed primarily at gradu- years,” said Program Committee this critical time.” ate students and postdocs in Chair Robert Austin (Princeton See OPS IN BIOLOGY on page 3 physics who are considering apply- ing the methods of physics to Photo Credit: Laleña Lancaster biological topics, the conference Every year the APS chooses two recipients of the LeRoy Apker Award for was a first for the APS, which typi- HHighlights undergraduate research, one from a PhD-granting institution and one from a cally organizes between 20 and 25 college that does not grant PhD’s. The recipients are chosen from six finalists, general and specialized meetings who this year assembled in Washington on September 4th to be interviewed by per year so that scientists can share 3 8 the Apker selection committee, chaired by former APS President James Langer. the results of their own current The Back Shown, left to right, are: S. Charles Doret (Williams College), Simon Sponberg PRL Top Ten: Page: research with colleagres. (Lewis & Clark College), Jesse Thaler (Brown University), Lisa Larrimore The first installment of a new special Ken Krane on However, in June 2001, the feature by reporter James Riordon on What Produces (Swarthmore College), Rizal Hariadi (Washington State University), and the 10 most-cited papers published in a Thriving Jason Alicea (University of Florida). The two recipients will be announced in APS Executive Board decided it Physical Review Letters since its Undergraduate next month’s APS News. would be advantageous to orga- inception in 1958. Physics Program? nize something different: a topical 2 November 2002 NEWS INSIDE THE BELTWAY: This Month in Physics History A Washington Analysis November 1872: Death of Mary Somerville October Surprise? Not Really! Distinguished women in sound background in math- science were few prior to the ematics. She remarried in 1812 by Michael S. Lubell, APS Director of Public Affairs dawn of the 20th century. Among to William Somerville, a sur- October 1 arrived, but hardly Foundation, the Department of the most prominent was Mary geon in the British Navy who anyone could have noticed that Fis- Energy’s Office of Science and Fairfax Somerville, a twice- was very supportive of her in- cal Year 2003 had begun. For the NASA’s Space Science Program. married Scotswoman whose tellectual endeavors. They had first time in memory, Congress had Hard work by the science com- international reputation as a four children together. failed to pass even one of the 13 munity throughout the spring and scientist was gained in the inter- Her scientific career began appropriations bills needed to keep summer months was indeed pay- vals of raising a family of six in earnest in the summer of the government running. To tide ing off. Had Congress finished its children. Her achievements are all 1825, when she carried out a the country over, lawmakers sim- fiscal business before recessing for the more remarkable given her series of experiments on mag- ply enacted a continuing resolution the November election, APS mem- lack of formal education and the netism, presenting a paper on that allows departments and agen- bers, who had weighed in with context of the repressive society her findings the following year cies to continue to spend at last more than 7,500 letters, faxes, e- in which she lived, where it was to the Royal Society. Apart from year’s levels but prohibits them mails and telephone calls, would unthinkable for young women to the astronomical observations purchase books, especially on of Caroline Herschel, it was the from initiating any new programs. have been richly rewarded. But Mary Somerville For science, the news is not very whetted appetites will have to go math or science. Her persever- first paper by a woman to be good. Although the Bush Admin- unsated, at least for a while. ance in pursuing scientific read to the Society and published in quanternians the day before she istration had only requested The story of the legislative col- endeavors caused her to be its Philosophical Transactions. died peacefully at 92 in 1872. budget increases for National In- lapse is worth recounting. Here’s publicly denounced in York Although the theory presented in London obituaries hailed her as stitutes of Health research and what happened. Cathedral, but in the end her her paper was eventually refuted by “the Queen of Science.” Defense Department development, For years, Pennsylvania Avenue work earned her distinction other scientists, it distinguished her Throughout her life, Somerville Congress was poised to add signifi- has been a well-worn conduit for among her colleagues.