Countries and Institutions with most top Physics personnel

 The productivity and 'success' of scientists can be measured several ways, and perhaps the most popular is looking at the number of publications and citations a scientist has. This makes sense because to be  published in peer reviewed journals shows the work is considered strong, and people cite it when they find it useful, valuable, and well done. Citations mean the work is affecting the field. There is a measure called the D-index based on these criteria.

So you can find the countries and institutions with the most physics personnel with high D-index values. By far, the United States leads for countries, followed by Great Britain. For institutions, Caltech leads the way, and the only non-US institutions in the top ten are the Max Planck Institute and University of Cambridge.

Everyday physics important in real research - Example, don't use magnets to hunt for meteorites!

 What happens when a magnet gets close to an object that may have a weak magnetic field? 

Hopefully any senior who has gone through E&M should be able to answer that the weaker magnet can be affected and changed by a stronger magnet. 

A common way of searching for meteorites is to use magnets, since rocks from space are likely to have some iron in them. But this also means that using a magnet can change any magnetic field the meteorite may have, thus erasing valuable scientific information about the magnetism in our solar system that that rock had carried for perhaps billions of years before finally crashing into the earth. This is a problem for scientists who need meteorites to study and collect information about the ancient solar system! And this is a problem since so many meteorites are found by amateur 'hunters'. 

So basic physics we learn in high school make a difference in real life research efforts! 

                             

April 18, 1955 - the day Einstein died

 April 18, 1955, was the day the world lost one of the greatest minds, certainly scientific, in human history, when Albert Einstein died at the age of 76. 

For an interesting summary of what that day was like, check out this Life article. The below photo is from biography.com. 

How does ChatGPT work?

 ChatGPT and other AI platforms are causing a great deal of excitement, concern, ethical questions to be asked, and lots of interesting applications and concerns. But how does it actually work? 

A decent introductory article about how it works is here, from Stephen Wolfram.

"Where we go to College" Visualizations - Way cool!

 One of the pages I maintain on this blog is Where We Go To College - my former students go all over the place to top colleges and universities, and I want to honor their choices and commitment to learning, growing, and figuring out what they want to do in life. 

There are now some visualizations of that list, thanks to Dr. Liz Durango-Cohen. 

Here's a site for selecting a college and seeing, by graduation year, who has gone there. 

Here's a site with a national map showing how many have gone to each state, and to which colleges in each state. 

Earth's inner core more complex than once thought

 New seismic wave analysis by geophysicists suggest the earth's inner core has multiple layers/shells. The structure and composition of the core is really important for the behavior of the earth's magnetic field, which is vital in protecting us from harmful cosmic radiation. Check out this article for more information if interested. 

Women's History Month - Nobel Prizes

 A total of 61 Nobel Prizes have been awarded to women since 1901. Because Marie Curie won two, Nobels have gone to 60 different women. 

Check out what these prizes were for, and learn about the women who have helped change the world! 

And a good site for 22 extraordinary female scientists is here. 

Microreactors - a new design for fission reactors

 I got this from the UIUC Nuclear Engineering Department, as they are becoming leaders in research to design and build cheap, safe and clean fission reactors on small size scales. Here's a description: 

Nuclear microreactors are a new class of nuclear fission technology capable of producing up to roughly 20 MWth depending on design. Beyond their size, the primary distinguishing features over other fission systems is that microreactors are designed to be: factory built and delivered to site by truck, rail, or ship; plug-and-play with minimal onsite construction or preparation; capable of long operational periods between refueling (10-20 years); and minimal decommissioning required to return the site to greenfield status. Nuclear microreactors are a promising technology to enable a clean, climate conscious, energy future. The campus deployment focuses on the research, education, and training necessary to see advanced reactor technology become widely deployable, marketable, economic, and ultimately a safe and reliable option for a clean energy future.

Something to REMEMBER:

 You can't be best friends with everyone, but you CAN: 

- notice everyone

- be friendly to everyone

- make room for everyone

- cheer for everyone

- listen to everyone

- have a smile for everyone

- say hello to everyone

- empathize with everyone

Oh, and you can be nice to yourself, too! 

Magnet experiments/magic tricks with everyday materials

 You need to try some of these if you enjoy magnets! Or even if you just cool science tricks!