September 2021 - sps-list

by Morin, David

If you are doing research through Phys 90r this semester, this google form replaces the old paper form: https://forms.gle/YgQhmxz4f54CvAT8A Please fill this out as soon as your 90r research plan is settled. This is just an internal physics form, so don’t forget to officially sign up for 90r in your crimson cart. Let me know if you have any questions.

4 months

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Phys, Chem/Phys Advising

by Morin, David

I hope everyone has had an enjoyable summer. The new semester is fast approaching, so here we go... This email is relevant to the Physics and Chem/Phys concentrators among you. It's a long email, but please pay special attention to the "YOUR TASK" item below. THE SHORT VERSION: Email your concentration advisor and set up a zoom meeting sometime between Mon 8/16 and Wed 8/25 (Thurs 8/26 is the course registration deadline). Your advisor will lift the hold on your crimson cart (sometimes called “study card”). More info on the various dates can be found here: https://college.harvard.edu/guides/course-preview-period THE LONG VERSION: (1) A picture of your Individual Concentrator Advisor should show up in your my.harvard list of advisors. If it doesn't, or if there are any issues (you want to change advisors, etc.), please let me know right away. (However, I’ll be away from 8/14 to 8/21.) (2) All of you automatically have Prof. Georgi (Head Tutor) and me (Co-Head Tutor) as academic advisors. You can talk with us about anything at any time, ranging from course selection, to future plans, to lab work, to concentration requirements. Our office hours are posted at: www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~hgeorgi<http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~hgeorgi> and https://scholar.harvard.edu/david-morin/office-hours, zoom link: https://harvard.zoom.us/j/95258793192?pwd=cEViNis1d1ozNDk3MmdpWjRyOVY1QT09<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__harvard.zoom.us_j_9525…> We encourage you to drop by zoom, but email also works. (3) In addition, we give all of you another faculty advisor. The purpose of this Individual Concentration Advisor is to act as a mentor, and to help you down the Physics or Chem/Phys path. However, concerning concentration requirements, Prof. Georgi and I have seen all the ins and outs and variations on these, so we encourage you to save such questions for us. In short, when talking with your faculty advisor, you can pretend that there are no course numbers or requirements to worry about. Just get some real physics advice about what subjects are good to know, what lab experience is good to have, etc. You can view your faculty advisor in my.harvard. (4) YOUR TASK: Email your faculty advisor to set up a meeting to discuss your classes and future plans and such. In addition to providing you with advice, your advisor will also provide you with the necessary electronic signature on your crimson cart. If you'd like to also meet with Prof. Georgi and/or me, by all means stop by zoom, but please do so in addition to (not instead of!) seeing your individual advisor. NOTE: Occasionally more than one email is needed to set up a meeting with your advisor. All of us let an email slip away now and then. So don't hesitate to send a second email after a day or two if you haven't heard back. Also, ***PLEASE CC THE FACULTY ASSISTANT** for your advisor on your FIRST email, unless you're sure that your advisor will get back to you right away (and definitely cc if a second email is required). This person can be identified by clicking on your advisor on the page: www.physics.harvard.edu/people/faculty<http://www.physics.harvard.edu/people/faculty> The Faculty Assistant is listed below the advisor's research blurb. If you have trouble getting a response from your advisor, let me know, and we can always switch advisors. (5) The Physics FAQ page is: https://www.physics.harvard.edu/undergrad/faqs-concentrators Please let me know if there's a topic you would like added. Enjoy the last few days of summer! DJM

9 months

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concentration reqs

by Morin, David

For the SENIOR Physics and Chem/Phys concentrators among you (but also for non-seniors, for future reference): I checked through all of the seniors' records and emailed you of any remaining concentration requirements. But just as a double check, in case I missed anyone, here are some general comments and caveats: 1. Even though I checked through things, you should also check through the requirements listed in the Handbook. 2. Ignore the "Advising Report" in my.harvard, as far as the Physics concentration reqs go. It may very well say that some requirements aren't satisfied when in fact they are. The information I emailed to you supersedes the Advising Report. (However, the Gen Ed part of the Advising Report is probably correct, so you _should_ pay attention to that.) 3. Students who skipped 15b and/or 15c (and took an approved substitute instead) are still required to do the labs, on a pass/fail basis. (But no need to do the 15b lab if you took AP50b or PS12b.) 4. The secondary-field information isn't recorded in the system, so I didn't take that into account in my assessment of any remaining requirements. If you are doing a secondary, be aware that only one course can double count for concentration and secondary. (In contrast, there is unlimited double counting in joint concentrations.) 5. Similarly, for the very few students doing the AB/AM program, the system sometimes doesn't show which courses are bracketed. Be aware that bracketed courses can't count for the undergrad part of the degree.

1 year, 4 months

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15b, 15c lab requirement

by Morin, David

This email is a reminder about the Physics Department's rule for the 15b and 15c labs. This rule applies to Physics concentrators, Chem/Phys concentrators, and students completing a Physics secondary: If you skip 15b and/or 15c and satisfy the E&M and/or waves requirement by taking an alternative course (approved by Prof. Georgi or me), then you must still complete the 15b and/or 15c labs at some point, on a pass/fail basis. (However, you don't need to do the 15b lab if you took AP50b or PS12b.) You can complete the labs in a future semester if you wish, but my recommendation is that you do them at the same time you take the alternative course. (Students in 15b and 15c must of course do the lab when taking the course.) To schedule your lab time, please email, as soon as possible: 15b: Dr. Carey Witkov (witkov(a)fas.harvard.edu) 15c: TF Kristine Rezai (kristinerezai(a)gmail.com) Please let me know if you have any questions.

1 year, 9 months

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Second SPS Chalk Talk This Thursday!

by Richard Allen

Hello All! Just a reminder that this event is happening tomorrow! Join us for some fun physics and tasty snacks at 4:30 PM in Lyman 425. See you soon! R3 (Richard, Radu, and Ruba)

2 years, 7 months

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FW: Announcement of APS Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics on January 21-23, 2022 - Brown University

by Morin, David

A reminder that the CUWiP deadline is this coming Monday 10/4. The northeast location is Brown University, and the Physics Dept can cover travel costs from Cambridge to Providence. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Meenakshi Narain <Meenakshi_Narain(a)brown.edu<mailto:Meenakshi_Narain@brown.edu>> Date: Tue, Sep 14, 2021 at 1:41 PM Subject: Announcement of APS Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics on January 21-23, 2022 - Brown University To: Efthimios Karixas <chair(a)physics.harvard.edu<mailto:chair@physics.harvard.edu>> View this email in your browser<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__mailchi.mp_304d8ed4403…> Dear Professor Karixas, Brown University Physics Department is very pleased to host the APS Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics on January 21-23, 2022. The application site is now open (https://www.aps.org/programs/women/cuwip/cuwipapp.cfm<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__brown.us5.list-2Dmanag…>) and will close promptly at 5PM EST on Monday, October 4, 2021. We ask that you advertise the conference among your physics majors, encourage them to apply, and support their travel if they are accepted to the conference. (We will provide support for lodging and meals.) The keynote presentation will be given by Dr. Donna Strickland<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__brown.us5.list-2Dmanag…>, professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Strickland is one of the recipients of the Nobel Prize in Physics 2018<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__brown.us5.list-2Dmanag…> for developing chirped pulse amplification<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__brown.us5.list-2Dmanag…> with Gérard Mourou, her PhD supervisor at the time. They published this Nobel-winning research in 1985 when Strickland was a PhD student at the University of Rochester. CUWiP will bring together successful female physicists and over 2,000 undergraduate women in physics to highlight career opportunities for women in physics and the contributions of women in physics. The meeting will provide ample opportunities for interacting with fellow physicists. The conference will include the following activities: 1. Presentations by professional physicists on their cutting edge research and personal career paths; 2. Panels featuring career opportunities outside academia; 3. Workshops or panels offering guidance on how to get involved in summer research, the graduate school application process, applying to transfer to a four-year college from a community college, and preparing for and applying for jobs in industry; 4. An opportunity for undergraduate attendees to present their research; A link to the PDF file for the poster is at [poster]<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__brown.us5.list-2Dmanag…>. It would be helpful if you could please post this poster at your department as well. We hope you will share it with your colleagues and local institutions. Please also circulate this announcement to students in your department. More information on the Brown University conference can be found on our website: https://sites.brown.edu/cuwip/<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__brown.us5.list-2Dmanag…>. Websites for the other conference sites are given on the APS page at www.aps.org/cuwip<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__brown.us5.list-2Dmanag…>. This conference series has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and is sponsored by the American Physical Society. Thank you for helping publicize the Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics. Professor Meenakshi Narain (Chair of Local Organizing Committee) ====================== Phone: 401-863-2634 Meenakshi_Narain(a)brown.edu<mailto:Meenakshi_Narain@brown.edu> Department of Physics, Box 1843 Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912

2 years, 7 months

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FW: P4 Scholars program

by Morin, David

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Regina Savadge <rsavadge(a)princeton.edu<mailto:rsavadge@princeton.edu>> Date: Thu, Sep 30, 2021 at 2:28 PM Subject: P4 Scholars program We at Princeton Physics and Princeton Plasma Physics would like to invite you to apply for the P4 (Prospective Physics PhD Preview) program<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__phy-2Dambassadors.prin…>, a workshop organized by the Princeton Physics Ambassadors. P4 will focus on giving you the tools to engage in physics research, identify your ideal graduate programs, and develop a competitive graduate application. Along the way, the P4 Scholars will interact with graduate students, postdocs, and faculty from Princeton’s Physics and Plasma Physics Departments. The workshop will run between January 28-30th, 2022, so mark your calendars! To be eligible for P4, you must currently be in your freshman, sophomore, or junior undergraduate year. P4 Scholars will be selected on the basis of demonstrated interest in physics and compatibility with the program's focus. We especially welcome students from historically underrepresented groups to apply for this program. This year the format of the program will be virtual and we are offering two modalities. You can either apply to be selected as a P4 scholar and participate in all of the workshops and interactions with faculty or you can sign up to receive a link to the keynote speaker’s talk and recorded versions of a few select talks. Applicants who select the second modality will not be able to ask questions or participate in the workshops. To participate in either modality, please submit this form<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__docs.google.com_forms_…> by 11:59PM ET on Sunday, November 7th. Please feel free to reach out to phy-ambassadors(a)princeton.edu<mailto:phy-ambassadors@princeton.edu> with any questions, comments, or concerns and forward this email to anyone who might be interested in joining the program! We’re looking forward to your application! [P4-Poster10241024_1.jpg]

2 years, 7 months

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Mark your calendars for October 2021 Harvard Science Book Talks!

by Science Lecture Series

HARVARD SCIENCE BOOK TALKS - October 2021 [https://mcusercontent.com/2a42f9e6c5264bb277175db04/images/e53cd814-db16-d0…] Tuesday, October 5, 2021 @5:00PM REGISTER <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__harvard.us9.list-2Dman…> MARY ROACH, in conversation with LINDSEY FITZHARRIS TICKETED! "Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law" and "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers" Mary Roach is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Spook, Bonk, Gulp, Grunt, and Packing for Mars. She will be presenting her latest book, Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law, as well as the new edition of her bestselling classic Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. Ms. Roach will be joined in conversation by acclaimed medical historian Lindsey Fitzharris, author of The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine. [https://mcusercontent.com/2a42f9e6c5264bb277175db04/images/61a9bed9-5ab3-dd…] Tuesday, October 12, 2021 @5:00PM Registration information forthcoming DAVID WALLACE, in conversation with JACOB BARANDES "Philosophy of Physics: A Very Short Introduction" Philosophy of physics is concerned with the deepest theories of modern physics - notably quantum theory, our theories of space, time and symmetry, and thermal physics - and their strange, even bizarre conceptual implications. In his new book, David Wallace (University of Pittsburg) explores the core topics in philosophy of physics in a manner accessible to a non-specialist. He will be joined in conversation about the book by fellow philosopher of physics Jacob Barandes (Harvard). [https://mcusercontent.com/2a42f9e6c5264bb277175db04/images/36d3c8c3-28e9-0b…] Wednesday, October 20, 2021 @6:00PM REGISTER <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__harvard.us9.list-2Dman…> STEPHON ALEXANDER "Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of Physics" In his book, Stephon Alexander (Brown University) shows that great physics requires us to think outside the mainstream - to improvise and rely on intuition. His approach leads him to three principles that shape all theories of the universe: the principle of invariance, the quantum principle, and the principle of emergence. Alexander uses them to explore some of physics' greatest mysteries, from what happened before the big bang to how the universe makes consciousness possible. Drawing on his experience as a Black physicist, he makes a powerful case for diversifying our scientific communities. [https://mcusercontent.com/2a42f9e6c5264bb277175db04/images/5a8a6088-7074-91…] Friday, October 29, 2021 @6:00PM Registration information forthcoming ANTONIO DAMASIO "Feeling & Knowing: Making Minds Conscious" Written by one of the world's leading neuroscientists, Antonio Damasio (University of Southern California), this book is a succinct, illuminating, and engaging investigation of how biology, neuroscience, psychology, and artificial intelligence have given us the tools to unlock the mysteries of human consciousness. [YouTube]<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__harvard.us9.list-2Dman…> [Twitter]<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__harvard.us9.list-2Dman…> [Website]<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__harvard.us9.list-2Dman…> [Email]<mailto:science_lectures@fas.harvard.edu> Lectures are free, unless otherwise noted. All lectures are open to the public. View previously recorded lectures<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__harvard.us9.list-2Dman…> or the schedule of future talks.<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__harvard.us9.list-2Dman…> For more information and to be notified about future events, please contact: science_lectures(a)fas.harvard.edu.<mailto:science_lectures@fas.harvard.edu>

2 years, 7 months

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Physics night

by Morin, David

As usual, the fans will be on in the library tonight for Physics Night, which means it might be a little cool. So bring a sweater! If you’re the last person to leave (or when there are only a few people left), please turn off the fans, thank you!

2 years, 7 months

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add/drop deadline Monday 10/4, check your courses

by Morin, David

A reminder that the add/drop and pass/fail deadline is this coming Monday, 10/4. If you're having second thoughts about any of your classes, please contact your advisor, or me, or Prof. Georgi to talk it over. Also, even if you don't have any second thoughts, **PLEASE** check your official record to make sure that the classes you're taking are the ones the Registrar thinks you're taking! (And also that any pass/fail designations are correct.) There is a nonzero probability of some sort of error.

2 years, 7 months

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sps-list September 2021