A FORUM OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICALof SOCIETY • V O L U M E X I • N O . 1 • F A L L 2 0 0 9 Report from the Chair By Gloria B. Lubkin, Forum Chair I have served the Forum on The Abraham Pais Prize for the History of Physics (and its prede- History of Physics, jointly spon- cessor, the Division of History of sored by APS and AIP, was first Physics) in many capacities over awarded in 2005. The first winner its lifetime. However, when I was of the Pais Prize, Martin Klein, elected Vice Chair, I discovered died in March. His death was a that I still had a lot of learning to great loss to all who knew him do. and to all who knew his research. Our most visible activity is The 2010 Pais Prize Selection Com- organizing sessions for the APS mittee, chaired by Laurie Brown, March and April meetings. FHP has selected another outstanding sessions sometimes draw very winner, Russell McCormmach (see large audiences, and those sessions the story on page 2 in this issue), appear to be widely appreciated by who will give an invited talk in meeting attendees. We are typically March at the meeting in Portland, allocated three invited sessions at Oregon. The 2009 Prizewinner, each of those meetings; by cospon- Stephen Brush, will give an invited soring sessions with other APS talk at the Washington meeting in units we’ve generally been able February. to offer a larger number of them. The FHP website has become In addition, in recent years we’ve a valuable resource, thanks to been holding contributed sessions Forum Chair, Gloria Lubkin George Zimmerman’s efforts. Last at both meetings. It doesn’t appear to be widely known that the Forum Continued on page 2 offers the possibility of $600 awards for partial support to students who have submitted an abstract for contributed FHP sessions. (For further information, see the FHP web- site, http://www.aps.org/units/fhp/.) Inside This Issue Next year is the 50th anniversary of the first laser. To commemorate that anniversary, Dan Kleppner, Chair of the General Forum Affairs 2 program committee, and Marty Blume, Vice Chair of the program committee, have organized sessions on the laser at both the March and “April” 2010 APS meetings. I put April Forum Elections 2 in quotes because the meeting will actually be held 13-16 February (in Washington D.C.) so that it can be held jointly Pais Prize Winner 2 with the Winter meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers. (See the article by Kleppner on p. 11.) Because the regular meeting of the FHP will be held March Meeting Reports 3 February 2010, the election of new officers must be held about two months earlier than has been customary. The “April” Meeting Reports 6 Nominating Committee, headed by Past Chair David Cas- sidy, has chosen a slate of candidates. (See the announce- ment of candidates on page 2.) I hope you will all exercise New Books of Note 10 your privilege of voting. Future FHP Sessions 11 Report from the Chair: McCormmach is Forum Elections Continued from page 1 the 2010 Winner of The Nominating Committee of the the Pais Prize Forum on History of Physics has cho- year he posted the invited talks given sen a slate of candidates for the 2010 at the March and April 2008 meet- elections, which are being held at the ings on our website, where you can Russell McCormmach has been cho- end of 2009 because the Forum’s 2010 find both the audio recordings and sen as the winner of the 2010 Abraham Regular Meeting comes so early – the PowerPoint presentations. This year’s Pais Prize for the History of Physics APS “April” meeting is being held two invited talks have not yet been posted “for the study of German science in months earlier in 2010, in February. because of APS concerns about intel- the 19th and 20th centuries and a major The election will begin on November 15 lectual property rights, particularly for biography of Henry Cavendish (with and end on December 13. the PowerPoint presentations. How- Christa Jungnickel, his late wife), and You will be asked to vote for Forum ever, George has posted a slide show for founding the journal Historical Stud- Vice Chair and two at-large members of photos he took at the sessions. (See ies in the Physical Sciences.” of the Executive Committee. The per- session reports for web addresses.) The Spring 2010 Newsletter will son elected to be Vice Chair normally Of the 3775 FHP members, 1017 are carry a more complete account of becomes the new Chair-Elect in 2011 student members of APS. With that in McCormmach’s work. n and Chair of the Forum in 2012. The mind, FHP bylaws were changed and primary responsibilities of the Vice in the 2008 election a student member Chair and Chair-Elect are to decide was elected to the FHP executive com- upon timely topics for invited and mittee. He is Paul Cadden-Zimansky Congratulations contributed sessions at APS and divi- from Columbia University. n sional meetings, often in collaboration and Thanks... with other APS units, and to arrange these along with sessions of contrib- uted papers. The incumbent Secretary- Congratulations to Michael Riordan Treasurer was renominated to run of the University of California, Santa unopposed. Cruz, who was elected to represent In alphabetical order the candidates The Forum on History of Phys- the Forum on History of Physics on are: ics of the American Physical the APS Council. Riordan will serve a Vice Chair: Peter Pesic, George Society publishes this Newsletter 4-year term as Forum Councilor begin- Zimmerman. semiannually. Nonmembers who ning 1 January 2010. Members at Large: Elizabeth wish to receive the Newsletter Thanks to Roger Stuewer, who Garber, Clayton Gearhart, Danian Hu, should make a donation to the served as the Forum Councilor for the Daniel Kennefick. Forum of $5 per year (+ $3 addi- past four years. n Secretary-Treasurer: Thomas Miller. tional for airmail). Each 3-year The candidate’s statements and volume consists of six issues. resumes are available at http://www.aps. org/units/fhp/governance/elections/index. The articles in this issue repre- History of Physics cfm. Those elected will take office in sent the views of their authors February 2010. and are not necessarily those of If you have an email address reg- the Forum or APS. Newsletter Back istered with APS, you will receive a message inviting you to vote elec- Editor Issues Now tronically. If you do not have such an Dwight E. Neuenschwander Available address, you should receive a paper Department of Physics ballot by mail. If you want a paper Southern Nazarene University ballot but have not yet received one, Bethany, OK 73008 Thomas Miller has scanned all the please either email your request to the Secretary-Treasurer, Tom Miller (mil- [email protected] past History of Physics Newsletters, [email protected]) or contact him postally beginning with the August 1982 issue. (405) 491-6361 They are now available on the FHP Boston College Institute for Associate Editor website at http://www.aps.org/units/fhp/ Scientific Research Michael Riordan newsletters/index.cfm. Tom writes, “The Air Force Research Laboratory/RVBXT, Institute of Particle Physics first one gives a summary of the origin Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-3010 University of California of the FHP (originally installed as a Santa Cruz, CA 95064 “division” of APS), and notes that the or by telephone (781-377-5031). The [email protected] first editor was [the 2009] Pais Prize closing date of the election is 13 Decem- (831) 459-5687 winner, Stephen Brush.” n ber 2009. An additional week will be allowed for receipt of paper ballots. n 2 Volume XI, No. 1 • Fall 2009 • History of Physics Newsletter The (New) Editor’s Meeting Reports from Forum-Sponsored Corner Sessions: 2009 March Meeting* As your new editor of the FHP Newsletter, I find myself surrounded The Origins of Silicon Valley by people who have a passion for the history of physics and are authentic By Gloria B. Lubkin, Forum Chair experts. My own attempts at physics historical scholarship are modest by On Monday afternoon, March 16, Microwave Physics, and Silicon Val- comparison, but those experiences the Forum sponsored an invited ses- ley.” Known as the father of micro- have taught me how difficult it can be sion on “The Origins of Silicon Valley.” wave electronics, Hansen and his to get it right—and how rewarding it The three speakers traced its origins collaborators laid the foundations of is to try. Therefore I appreciate the dif- back to 1910, covering the major sci- Silicon Valley’s postwar microwave ficulties, depth, and value of the work entific, technological, educational, phase, when numerous companies done by historians of physics. It is an military, and business developments flourished around Stanford, Leeson honor to be associated with the Forum that culminated half a century later in said. These firms furthered the regional on History of Physics. the production of the first commercial entrepreneurial culture and prepared Your previous editor Michael Rior- silicon integrated circuits. At the ses- the ground for the semiconductor dan, and his predecessors Benjamin sion’s end they participated in a panel and computer developments that fol- Bederson, William Evenson, William A. discussion chaired by Gloria Lubkin, lowed. After getting his Ph.D. from Blanpied, Albert Wattenberg, and Ste- fielding questions from an audience of Stanford in 1932, Hansen spent two phen G. Brush have set high standards nearly 200.