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November 2007 (Volume 16, Number 10)

November 2007 (Volume 16, Number 10) Entire Issue

News

Seven Apker Finalists Meet in Washington
The APS Apker Award is given annually for outstanding research by an undergraduate

Physics Fans Get Chance to Win World's Smallest Trophy
Contestants will create short YouTube videos demonstrating aspects of the physics of football

2007 Nobel Prize Honors GMR Discovery
Albert Fert and Peter Grünberg share the prize for independently discovering the phenomenon at the heart of read‑heads in high‑density hard drives

Eight Physicists Honored at November Division Meetings
Five APS prizes and awards will be awarded this month for research in plasma physics and fluid dynamics

Monica Plisch, Catherine Mader Join APS Education Team
Plisch will be the Assistant Director of Education, while Mader will consult on specific projects aimed at furthering the Society's education goals

Lidar, Laser Sperm Traps Highlight Annual OSA/DLS Meeting
In September, scientists converged on San Jose, California, for the 2007 Frontiers in Optics conference

From Researching the Universe to Running the University: The Physicist as President
A look at several physicists who have heeded to call to leadership to take on management of an educational institution

National Summit Urges Commitment to Competitiveness
September gathering explored how to support and develop the human talent and creativity needed to ensure the S&T workforce of tomorrow

Media Fellows Bring Science to the Masses
Mass Media Fellow Merek Siu reports on his summer at The Sacramento Bee

2008 Prize and Award Recipients
The 2008 Prize and Awards, approved by the APS Executive Board, will be presented at either the March or April meeting next spring.

Opinion

Letters
Unethical and Elitist Conduct Found Shocking

The Back Page
The "Curse of Knowledge," or why intuition about teaching often fails

Departments

Members in the Media
As quoted in other publications...

This Month in Physics History
November 1887: Michelson and Morley report their failure to detect the luminiferous ether

Washington Dispatch
A bi-monthly update from the APS Office of Public Affairs

International News
X-ray Science in Australia

Zero-Gravity: The Lighter Side of Science
The Joy of Teaching ... but first....

APS Designates Rad Lab as Historic Site
President-elect Arthur Bienenstock presents plaque to MIT Dean of Science Marc Kastner

Photo by Justin Knight

As part of the APS historic sites initiative, on October 5 APS President-elect Arthur Bienenstock (left) presented a plaque to MIT to commemorate the MIT Radiation Laboratory that played a key role in the development of radar during World War II. Receiving the plaque on behalf of MIT is Dean of Science Marc Kastner (center), while incoming physics department head Edmund Bertschinger looks on. The citation on the plaque reads “At this location, the MIT Radiation Laboratory was established in the fall of 1940 to develop microwave radar systems. Radar quickly took its place in all arenas of World War II and played a decisive role in the Allied victory. The laboratory closed on December 31, 1945.”

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Editor: Alan Chodos
Contributing Editor: Jennifer Ouellette
Staff Writer: Ernie Tretkoff
Art Director and Special Publications Manager: Kerry G. Johnson
Publication Designer and Production: Nancy Bennett-Karasik