The annual March Meeting of the American Physical Society is happening this week in New Orleans. This is the biggest physics conference of the year, by far, with close to 7,000 attendees– despite what you might think from the Internet, the Condensed Matter crowd who attend the March Meeting significantly outnumber particle physicists and high-energy… Continue reading Physics Comes Marching In
Author: Chad Orzel
links for 2008-03-11
Southern Baptists Back a Shift on Climate Change – New York Times ‘[T]he new declaration, which will be released Monday, states, “Our cautious response to these issues in the face of mounting evidence may be seen by the world as uncaring, reckless and ill-informed.”‘ (tags: politics religion science news environment) Jacks of Science â Top… Continue reading links for 2008-03-11
Pimp Me New Blogs
Over at Cosmic Variance, Sean has a post highlighting some physics blogs that he’s adding to the blogroll. Which reminds me that I’ve been remiss in updating my own links– I’ve recently started reading Swans On Tea regularly, and he’s got some great science content. Via Tom, I’ve also discovered Skulls in the Stars which… Continue reading Pimp Me New Blogs
Lab Visit Report: Cavity QED
While Kate was off being all lawyerly at her NAAG workshop, I spent my time visiting my old group at NIST, and some colleagues at the University of Maryland. This wasn’t just a matter of feeling like I ought to do something work-like while she was workshopping– I genuinely enjoy touring other people’s labs, and… Continue reading Lab Visit Report: Cavity QED
A User’s Guide to Vacuum Pumps Part 1: Noisy Pumps
A great many physics experiments need to be conducted at low pressures, in order to avoid sample contamination, thermal effects, or dissipative forces produced by interaction with air. Some experiments don’t require all that much in terms of vacuum, while others require pressures so low that they’re limited by the diffusion of gasses through stainless… Continue reading A User’s Guide to Vacuum Pumps Part 1: Noisy Pumps
Sloth-in-a-Box
A picture from the Small Mammal House at the National Zoo. This is a two-toed sloth (according to the sign on the cage, anyway) that has wedged itelf into a box mounted near the ceiling to take a nap. Tbey had two sloths, actually– the other had also stuffed itself into a box to sleep.… Continue reading Sloth-in-a-Box
links for 2008-03-10
Math Suggests College Frenzy Will Soon Ease – New York Times Changing demographics make admissions offices nervous (tags: academia education society culture)
Imperturbable Ducks
Mandarin ducks at the National Zoo’s bird house. These guys were perched on a railing in the fligt area, and didn’t move, even though people were passing no more than a few feet from them, taking pictures. (Picture by Kate.)
Art and Animals
Kate was attending a workshop run by the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG, a wonderful acronym) in Washington, DC this Wednesday and Thursday, and when she told me that, I said “Hey, I’m not teaching this term, why don’t I tag along?” So, we extended the trip a little bit, and made it a… Continue reading Art and Animals
Score One for Physics
Physics comes through at the ballot box: Stunning many who considered the district west of Chicago reliably Republican territory, Bill Foster, a physicist and Democrat, won a special election on Saturday to fill the Congressional seat that J. Dennis Hastert, the former speaker of the House, held for two decades. […]Mr. Foster defeated James D.… Continue reading Score One for Physics