December 2022

Sixty Years After, Physicists Model Electromagnetic Pulse of a Once-Secret Nuclear Test
At an APS meeting on plasma physics, physicists present simulations of Starfish Prime, a high-altitude nuclear test in 1962.

Physicists Can Help Combat Global Threat of Nuclear Weapons, Say Experts at Nuclear Physics Meeting
Speakers at an APS meeting on nuclear physics discussed the past, present, and future of nuclear weapons.

Scientists Investigate Salty Stellar Recipes
In large collections of stars, sodium is far more abundant than expected — so scientists bring a stellar reaction into the lab.

New Models Expand Thermodynamics to Humidity-Driven Engines That Mimic Plants
Researchers rework traditional thermodynamics to study mechanisms that create motion from changes in humidity.

Undergrads Win Apker Prize for Work on Slime Mold and Black Holes
The 2022 award has gone to students in biophysics and astrophysics.

This Month in Physics History
December 1945: The ENIAC Computer Runs its First, Top-Secret Program

Physicist in Brazil Translates Physics Lessons into Portuguese and Spanish for High Schoolers
With support from the APS Innovation Fund, Nathan Berkovits’ team in São Paulo hopes to train teachers across Latin America.

Global Event Honors Trailblazing Nuclear Physicist Chien-Shiung Wu
Commemorating the influential physicist’s 110th birthday.

APS Science Trust Project Trains Members to Curb the Spread of Misinformation
Scientists are worried about misinformation. They can help fight it.

The Back Page: Graduate Students Should Be Paid Living Wages
To invest in science, we need to invest in tomorrow’s scientists. Let’s start by paying them wages that meet the cost of living.

Letter to the Editor
A reader recounts his battle with freshman physics at Caltech.

Fatima Alleyne Joins APS as Inaugural Chief Diversity and Ethics Officer
APS is excited to announce that Fatima Alleyne, Ph.D., has joined as the Society’s inaugural Chief Diversity and Ethics Officer (CDEO).

Hassana Howe Joins APS as Inaugural Chief Experience and Engagement Officer
APS is delighted to announce that Hassana Howe, a certified association executive (CAE), has joined as the Society’s inaugural Chief Experience and Engagement Officer (CXO).

Task Force Gets to Work Reviewing APS Committees
The APS Board of Directors established a task force, chaired by Peter Schiffer, to assess these committees and recommend improvements.

PhysTEC Announces New 2022 Inductees to The 5+Club
Seven schools graduated five or more physics teachers in the 2021-22 school year, joining the PhysTEC 5+Club.

Harvard Chemist and APS Fellow Shares 2022 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience
Dr. George Whitesides, a Harvard chemist and APS Fellow, is one of four recipients of the 2022 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience.