Vassar Physics at Conferences

Scientific conferences are an important step in the process of sharing new scientific findings. No scientific progress is made by pretending that each scientist operates in a vacuum. Students new to research are often distraught by the fact that there is no solution manual they can check for the right answer. We depend on our scientific skills, mathematical skills and common sense to determine if our results make sense, i.e., are correct. Even with all of our training we are prone to misinterpret or make mistakes.

Vassar Conference attendees.
Top left (Nov. 2017): Vassar Physics at the NYSS APS meeting at Union College. Top right (Nov 2017): Mit Patel (’20) and Cheris Congo (’19) receiving 2nd place ($200) and 3rd place ($100) for their posters at the NYSS APS meeting at Union College. Bottom: Cheris Congo and Prof. Magnes at the OSA Student Conference in Washington D.C. in September 2017.

At the APS conference at Union College, the keynote speaker, Nobel Laureate Rainer Weiss, pointed out an infamous paper published by Albert Einstein. This paper contained a faulty calculation, which lead Einstein to conclude that the observation of gravitational waves is impossible. Prof. Weiss did not hesitate to point out that he did not mind pointing out that he corrected those calculations. Without a scientific community and peer review, we would never make significant scientific progress. Interestingly, Prof. Weiss also pointed the importance of encouraging our science colleagues in spite of obstacles, mistakes, and experimental disasters. Attending a scientific conference is the first step in participating in the peer review process.

And as a bonus, you get to meet famous people 😉

Vassar Physics with Nobel Laureate Rainer Weiss
Vassar Physics with Nobel Laureate Rainer Weiss

 

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Author: Jenny Magnes

Physics professor at Vassar College. Interested in bio-optics, biophysics, optics, quantum optics, physics education.