What Physicists Do
Physics 123 Spring 2019
(First 5 weeks) Fridays, 6a (3:30-4:30), Olin 141 1 Credit; S/CR/NC
The Department of Physics and Astronomy is pleased to announce this year’s Physics 123 Line-up. “What Physicists Do” is our annual series of five lectures by invited speakers, many of whom are Carleton Physics alumni. It is intended to introduce students to a broad range of real-world physics and to give some perspective on the kinds of work done by people with a physics background. The course is open to all interested students who have taken PHYS 151; those considering a major in physics are particularly encouraged to enroll.
The presentations are in OLIN 141 on Fridays during 6th period (3:30-4:30pm). The only requirement, beyond attending five talks, is to read an assigned article beforehand and then to submit a short (one page) typed essay afterwards commenting on both the talk and the reading. Speakers will be available for informal discussions over refreshments afterward. Questions: Arjendu Pattanayak, Olin 337, x7166, arjendu@carleton.edu
April 5th Chris Payne ’91: “Christopher Payne, ‘91: 25 years at a National Laboratory”
Christopher Payne ‘91 will discuss his career at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he has studied energy policy and energy efficiency in buildings for more than 25 years. His work has ranged from early comparative analysis of the effectiveness of utility-sponsored efficiency programs, to research in consumer comprehension of energy information, to federal sustainable acquisition policy, to organizational decision-making and adoption of technological innovation. The presentation will illustrate how the research he has done throughout the years has been strongly influenced by his Carleton physics education.