PHYS 123: What Physicists Do
A program of five lectures by invited speakers that is intended to give students some perspective on the kinds of work done by people with a physics background. Visitors from industry, government, business, and research and educational institutions will discuss their work and work-related experiences. Prerequisite: Physics 112, 113, 114, 115, 131, 132, 141, 142, 151, 152, 153, 161 or 162. 1; S/CR/NC; Does not fulfill a distribution requirement; offered Spring 2009 — Staff
Extended departmental description for PHYS 123
April 3 – Larry Price – The Search for Gravitational Waves: What, Why and How
About 90 years ago Albert Einstein put forth his general theory of relativity. One of the theory’s most dramatic predictions is the existence of gravitational waves – ripples in the fabric of space and time. In this talk I’ll discuss some sources of gravitational waves and current experimental efforts to detect them with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and pulsar timing experiments. Time permitting, I’ll also describe some of the details of how the search for a stochastic background of gravitational waves is carried out.
Larry Price has a PhD from the University of Florida and is currently doing a post doc at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he spends most of his time thinking about sources of gravitational waves and ways to detect them while waiting for the snow to melt.
April 10 – Doug Natelson – Getting Big Science Out of Nanoscale Devices
Doug Natelson is an Associate Professor of Physics & Astronomy at Rice. He was named as one of the nation’s top 20 scientists under age 40 by Discover magazine in Dec 2008 — they called him “the Benjamin Franklin of the microscopic world.”
April 17 – Michael Fleming – Physics in the Design, Use, Test and Measurement of Professional Audio Equipment
Sound is a wonderfully mysterious and elusive phenomenon. With audible sound spanning a frequency range of ten octaves and a power range of one trillion to one, modern transducers and electronics are hard-pressed to rival the sensitivity and discrimination of the human auditory system. Meanwhile, the mathematical foundations of musical harmony may be hundreds of years old, but scientists have only recently attempted to explain how and why a poignant piece of music can send a wave of emotion through your body. I’m lucky to work at the intersection of acoustics, electronics, psychology and artistic communication in my multiple roles as a recording engineer, editor, producer and audio educator. My presentation will explore the significance of basic physics in the design, use, test and measurement of professional audio equipment. I’ll also strive to highlight areas of incomplete knowledge that continue to make psychoacoustics and the interpretation of sound a rich and exciting field.
Michael Fleming (class of 1994) holds a Masters of Music in Sound Recording degree from McGill University. As a Thomas J. Watson Fellow, he participated in acoustical research at the University of Bath and studied classical music recording in collaboration with the BBC, EMI, Decca and independent engineers. Michael was the associate producer of WGBH (Boston) Radio’s “Classical Performances” from 1996 to 1999. In 2004 he joined the faculty of Middle Tennessee State University.
April 24 – Katie Devine – Conflicting Interests? Balancing Involvement in Research and Teaching
After graduating from Carleton in 2002, I worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA and then went on to graduate school in astronomy at the University of Wisconsin. During this time, I have focused on topics ranging from teaching at-risk high school students to observing star forming regions in the Milky Way. In this talk, I will discuss how I have pursued my interests in research and education. I will reflect on the challenges and rewards I have encountered while trying to become a good teacher as well as a good scientist, and the career options I found available for someone who loves teaching as much as she loves scientific discovery.
Katie Devine (class of 2002) worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA and then went on to graduate school. She is currently finishing her Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
May 1 – Mary Hibbs-Brenner – Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers: A Materials Science and Semiconductor Physics Challenge
A Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) is a relatively new type of semiconductor diode laser that combines the performance of a laser with the manufacturing advantages of an LED. This talk will describe some of the semiconductor physics and materials science issues relevant to the development of this technology, and describe some of its applications. The talk will also discuss considerations of translating scientific research and technology development into a business and work/life balance.
Mary Hibbs-Brenner (class of ’77) is co-founder and chief executive of Vixar, Inc., a Minnesota-based start-up company that is developing an energy efficient, high-performance laser called the Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL).