We Need the Whole of Physics

Europhysics News, Jan 1996

J.T. Devreese

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We Need the Whole of Physics

Safety Critical Systems Microsystems Technology 0 0 Neural Networks: Basics , Applications &Futures neighbours to the east soas to increase signifi­ We Need th e Whole o f Physics European Union'speripheral countries andits cantlyEurope'soverall strength andpotential to adjust toworldcompetition. J.T. Devreese from the University of Antwerp points out the danger of trivializing The remarks byJ.C. Phillips onthevalue parts of physics. and effectiveness ofsmall-scale science as J.T. Devreese opposedtolarge-scale projects must be endorsed. Europe shouldbuildefficient net­ The analysisbyJ.C. Phillips at CMD-EPS works ofresearchgroups andlaboratoryfacil­ '96ofsolid-state physicswas certainlystimuities, takingfull advantage ofthe richness and lating. But remarks such as“high-energyphysdiversityexistingin the different countries. icshas been deadfor 30years”and astrong Recent European Union networking and opposition tothe SSCthat were perhaps mobilityprogrammes shouldbe encouraged. intended toenliven the discussion. They Inparallel, aprogramme couldbelaunched to shouldbetaken cummaximogranosalis. First create anetworkofstrategic medium-size ofall, high-energyphysics remains avigorous researchfacilities in thevarious European fieldwithsome ofthebest minds at work. In regions, withadequate interfaceswithindustry theperiod referredtowehaveseenthe discovandconditions that promote anefficient trans­ eryoftheJ/psi, ofthe WandZbosons andof fer ofscientificknowledge to newapplications. the topquark, aswell asthe development ofthe Ialsosupport the needto introduce new standardmodel ofparticlephysicswhichconapproaches in teachingandtrainingscience at stitutes agreat stepforwardtowards realizing theuniversitylevel. Inparticular, wemust the dreamofunification. Theseachievements learn howtointegrate high-level sciencewith have not onlycontributed to our understandtechnologicallyorientedknowledge inorder to ingofthe “buildingblocks”ofNaturebut also formulate “sciencewithapurpose”.Anoverly shed light onthe evolutionofthe earlyuniacademic and removedscience, althoughvery verse. Think ofthe marvellous “first three minformative and ofuniversal validity, isgenerally utes”ofWeinberg;the fact that the structure ineffectiveifit isnot complementedby(simul­ and dynamics ofthe universeiscorrelatedwith taneous) information onthe appliedaspects of the finedetails ofelementaryparticle physics is science andthe basic principles behind mod­ afundamental insightwithamajor cultural ern technology. Students shouldalsobe trained dimension. Furthermore, themethods oftheointhe use ofscience for solvingconcreteprob­ retical high-energyphysics havebeen most lems, inanopenenvironment and through fruitful for condensed-matter physics, notably interactionwithnon-academicpeople. AsJ.C. Phillips pointedout, most ofindustrial practice timelyincremental stepswhicheither enable methods. Here, acute awareness andmixed consists not ofprofound inventions and care­ newmethods, or whichcontrol qualitytostabi­ experience (science/technology) arecrucial fullyprepared discoveries, but ofquickand lizeand improve theyieldofolder makeshift factors for success. - path integrals and Feynman diagrams, and concepts suchas scaling, universalityand sym­ metrybreakinghavebeen useful inmanyfields ofphysics. The unique tool ofsynchrotron radiation, sodear tosolid-state physicists, isa by-product ofhigh-energyphysics. Weneed all ofphysics: thebeautyofceles­ tial mechanics, thedepths ofphasetransitions, the excitement ofunderstanding the hydro­ static paradoxor thecolour ofthesky, thejoy ofcalculatingthe Lambshift or measuringthe 21cmline. It iscounterproductivetominimize the significanceofareas other than one’sown. It isalsohard toseehowtoattract students by trivializingthevalue ofparts ofphysics. What wemust conveyisthe richness ofthe entire subject and, indeed, ofthewhole ofscience. So-called small science is indeedinvalu­ able: theworkofMuller and Bednroz onhighTcsuperconductivitywas realizedwithmodest budgets, andthe same istrue for the BinnigRohrer scanningtunneling microscope. Onthe other hand, detection ofthe quantumHall effectwas facilitatedbythe availabilityofhigh magnetic fields. Soweshouldopen upthe full potential ofboth largeand small science. IMPERIAL COLLEGE of Science, Technology &Medicine ProfessionalDevelopmentCourses GESAMTHOCHSCHULE WUPPERTAL The institutefor Materials Science Invites applications for newly created, tenured faculty position: FULL PROFESSOR (Universitätsprofessor C4) of Theoretical Physics The successful applicant will be appointed to the Physics Faculty and is expected to build up and to lead a group devoted to the theo­ retical analysis of new materials or novel condensed matter phe­ nomena. The applicants are expected to meet the corresponding standards of scientific and academic qualification and experience. Besides carrying out a successful research program in cooperation with existing groups in the Institute for Materials Science (...truncated)


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J.T. Devreese. We Need the Whole of Physics, Europhysics News, 1996, pp. 131-131, Volume 27, Issue 4, DOI: 10.1051/epn/19962704131