A Physics Comps

A month ago, Lynn wrote about her journey through the comps process in the Cinema and Media Studies Department. There’s wide variation in when different majors complete comps (and even wide variation within the physics department), so I am only part way through my own journey through the physics comps process. But I write with good news — I completed my first version of comps this week!

Let’s take a step back so I can describe the physics comps. Physics majors are required to produce a 7500 word paper and a 50 minute oral presentation on a topic of their choosing. When I say “a topic of their choosing,” I mean “basically anything that you can relate to physics.” Past comps titles have traversed a variety of fields:

• Chameleons
• Physics of Photography
• Superheroes
• Physics of Insects
• Music
• Quantum Computing

As you can see, pretty much any topic is fair game, as long as you can talk about physics! Even this year, topics range from Black Hole Thermodynamics to Tree Growth.

We chose our topics in the fall. I knew I wanted to do something climate related, so I researched a few ideas. I considered fully diving into oceanography, but decided to go in a new direction: the Little Ice Age. Unlike a real ice age, the Little Ice Age involved only a minor decrease in temperatures, which happened mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. The period was well-recorded in Europe because it happened so recently, only ending in 1850. This was one of the reasons I liked the topic; it allowed me to research the physics behind the climate and how we study past climates, all while staying relevant to societal change and current climate issues. First I talk about what physical processes allow us to study pre-historical climates. Then I talk about the physics that controls the Earth’s climate and temperature. Lastly, I analyze some of the theories about what caused the Little Ice Age, and what these theories tell us about modern climate change.

I turned in my first version of the written portion this week, and I’ll get feedback from my advisor and a peer advisor (another physics major) next week. Then, during the first week of spring term, I will give a 50 minute talk about my research. After that, I will turn in another written version, get more feedback, and finally turn in my final version half way through spring term. There’s a lot ahead of me, but it feels great to be past the first step.

If you’re on campus on April 3, come to my talk and learn more about the Little Ice Age!

Jacob is a senior physics major interested in climate science and oceanography. Jacob enjoys eating, sleeping, and hanging out with friends — the simple things in life. At Carleton, Jacob works in the physics department and captains the Gods of Plastic, Carleton’s nationally competitive Division III men’s ultimate team. Meet the other bloggers!