Hello, social networks I used to frequent, how have you been? This is a cross-posting test.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Saturday, February 02, 2008
On the National Institute of Physics
(Author: This piece was commissioned for the College of Science publication, Scientia. The College is celebrating its 25th year, and Scientia held an essaywriting contest to gather entries from its various constituent institutes. Unfortunately no one sent anything in from the NIP. And unfortunately Scientia knew my name.)
~
The National Institute of Physics is the leading school of physics in the country,
taking its place among the University of the Philippines’ many nationally recognized constituent units. It was established in 1983 by Presidential Executive Order, and has, through the years, trained students and faculty members for the practice of physics.
In general however, the existence of these our national institutes in the sciences notwithstanding, it can be said that the Philippines does not possess a scientific culture. I mean of course that the average person would, more likely than not, not be able to appreciate the importance of science and its lasting effects on humanity. And when speaking of the sciences, it would be safe to say that physics ranks as the most misunderstood of the scientific disciplines. If, that is, it is understood to any degree at all.
What is physics? Nobel winner Dr. David Gross would tell you (and I paraphrase), “It is whatever physicists do.” This may seem a flippant and rather arrogant answer, but it actually is a good starting point. The short definition manages to capture one of the most important (and one could even say essential) features of physics: physics is the application of a particular set of tools to virtually any conceivable problem.
As physics developed, it has traditionally been divided into subfields such as mechanics, optics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, atomic/nuclear/particle physics, plasma physics, and so on. Do not get the impression that each of these subfields, there being so many of them, must necessarily be confined within tiny, strict limits, however. Each subfield contains within it an extensive range of phenomena, experiments, models, and theories.
In the National Institute of Physics, there are a total of six research groups reflecting this diversity: the Theoretical Physics Group, the Structure and Dynamics Group, the Instrumentation Physics Laboratory (which is further divided into Complex Systems, Optics, Video and Image Processing, and Wireless Technology clusters), the Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory, the Photonics Research Group, and the Plasma Physics Laboratory. These research groups are devoted to different specialized branches of the field, but all fall within the jurisdiction of physics. One should by now have some sense of the underlying power and generality of the physicist’s toolkit.
In addition to these established subfields of physics, there are emerging fields such as biophysics and econophysics, which serve to further emphasize the versatility and pervasiveness of the applications and contributions of physics to human endeavor. Historically, physics has been one of the most influential and revolutionary sciences, giving rise to (as an illustration) many technological innovations that the modern world now takes for granted, such as microwave technology, lasers, or even simply the production and harnessing of electricity for human purposes.
This vast reach is due to the generality and one could say impartiality of the methods of physics. The tools of physics are the tools of science: observation, experiment, and critical analysis, always with a skeptical eye. The usefulness and authority of the scientific method, of the cycle of hypothesis-experiment-conclusion-hypothesis, has been proven nearly without a doubt. In addition, physicists have a vast reserve of physical concepts and principles to draw upon, not to mention a wide array of computational and mathematical methods. Physicists are also trained to be able to ingeniously use – and when necessary, invent – instruments, as well as to reason clearly and carefully in a logical progression. This broad training, imparting both a powerful set of tools and an intellectually adventurous attitude of rational exploration, allows holders of physics degrees to enter careers both in and out of the academe. Employers have learned to value the problem-solving skills that physicists are able to offer, and hence they are finding employment in many different fields.
Physicists trained at our very own National Institute of Physics sometimes opt to take their MS and PhD degrees at the institute, taking the road straight into the local academe. Others may choose to venture abroad at some point, to pursue their studies and careers in universities and institutes in other countries. In this way, the NIP and its graduates enter competitively into the arena of research, garnering international recognition in the form of the publication of their research in ISI scientific journals as well as various local and international awards. Still others may find their own callings in the industry; Intel Philippines, Inc. has had a fruitful relationship with the institute, providing grants and scholarships, and also offering employment to graduates from the institute.
So physics is actually doing well in a lot of places where one would not ordinarily think to look for it, due to the combination of its wide scope, the open-minded but critical frame of mind it fosters, and the versatility and effectiveness of its tools. Physics is not composed only of the dry, uninteresting lectures one might half-remember from high school, nor only of esoteric fundamental theories with little to no practical applications. The study of physics is a deep and challenging field with a rich history and wide, varied frontiers, containing both applied and theoretical aspects and contributions.
What is physics? Physics is an active and valuable field; physics is a rewarding profession; physics is, for some, a way of life. Although it might seem forbidding and rather distant to casual observers, physics is very much vibrant and relevant, just as the National Institute of Physics is. It performs a vital function by providing an excellent venue for the growth and propagation of a physics community in the country. It is the upbringing and maintenance of future and current physicists that the National Institute of Physics is foremost responsible for; an essential task that will keep the Institute productively occupied for the many years to come.
~
The National Institute of Physics is the leading school of physics in the country,
taking its place among the University of the Philippines’ many nationally recognized constituent units. It was established in 1983 by Presidential Executive Order, and has, through the years, trained students and faculty members for the practice of physics.
In general however, the existence of these our national institutes in the sciences notwithstanding, it can be said that the Philippines does not possess a scientific culture. I mean of course that the average person would, more likely than not, not be able to appreciate the importance of science and its lasting effects on humanity. And when speaking of the sciences, it would be safe to say that physics ranks as the most misunderstood of the scientific disciplines. If, that is, it is understood to any degree at all.
What is physics? Nobel winner Dr. David Gross would tell you (and I paraphrase), “It is whatever physicists do.” This may seem a flippant and rather arrogant answer, but it actually is a good starting point. The short definition manages to capture one of the most important (and one could even say essential) features of physics: physics is the application of a particular set of tools to virtually any conceivable problem.
As physics developed, it has traditionally been divided into subfields such as mechanics, optics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, atomic/nuclear/particle physics, plasma physics, and so on. Do not get the impression that each of these subfields, there being so many of them, must necessarily be confined within tiny, strict limits, however. Each subfield contains within it an extensive range of phenomena, experiments, models, and theories.
In the National Institute of Physics, there are a total of six research groups reflecting this diversity: the Theoretical Physics Group, the Structure and Dynamics Group, the Instrumentation Physics Laboratory (which is further divided into Complex Systems, Optics, Video and Image Processing, and Wireless Technology clusters), the Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory, the Photonics Research Group, and the Plasma Physics Laboratory. These research groups are devoted to different specialized branches of the field, but all fall within the jurisdiction of physics. One should by now have some sense of the underlying power and generality of the physicist’s toolkit.
In addition to these established subfields of physics, there are emerging fields such as biophysics and econophysics, which serve to further emphasize the versatility and pervasiveness of the applications and contributions of physics to human endeavor. Historically, physics has been one of the most influential and revolutionary sciences, giving rise to (as an illustration) many technological innovations that the modern world now takes for granted, such as microwave technology, lasers, or even simply the production and harnessing of electricity for human purposes.
This vast reach is due to the generality and one could say impartiality of the methods of physics. The tools of physics are the tools of science: observation, experiment, and critical analysis, always with a skeptical eye. The usefulness and authority of the scientific method, of the cycle of hypothesis-experiment-conclusion-hypothesis, has been proven nearly without a doubt. In addition, physicists have a vast reserve of physical concepts and principles to draw upon, not to mention a wide array of computational and mathematical methods. Physicists are also trained to be able to ingeniously use – and when necessary, invent – instruments, as well as to reason clearly and carefully in a logical progression. This broad training, imparting both a powerful set of tools and an intellectually adventurous attitude of rational exploration, allows holders of physics degrees to enter careers both in and out of the academe. Employers have learned to value the problem-solving skills that physicists are able to offer, and hence they are finding employment in many different fields.
Physicists trained at our very own National Institute of Physics sometimes opt to take their MS and PhD degrees at the institute, taking the road straight into the local academe. Others may choose to venture abroad at some point, to pursue their studies and careers in universities and institutes in other countries. In this way, the NIP and its graduates enter competitively into the arena of research, garnering international recognition in the form of the publication of their research in ISI scientific journals as well as various local and international awards. Still others may find their own callings in the industry; Intel Philippines, Inc. has had a fruitful relationship with the institute, providing grants and scholarships, and also offering employment to graduates from the institute.
So physics is actually doing well in a lot of places where one would not ordinarily think to look for it, due to the combination of its wide scope, the open-minded but critical frame of mind it fosters, and the versatility and effectiveness of its tools. Physics is not composed only of the dry, uninteresting lectures one might half-remember from high school, nor only of esoteric fundamental theories with little to no practical applications. The study of physics is a deep and challenging field with a rich history and wide, varied frontiers, containing both applied and theoretical aspects and contributions.
What is physics? Physics is an active and valuable field; physics is a rewarding profession; physics is, for some, a way of life. Although it might seem forbidding and rather distant to casual observers, physics is very much vibrant and relevant, just as the National Institute of Physics is. It performs a vital function by providing an excellent venue for the growth and propagation of a physics community in the country. It is the upbringing and maintenance of future and current physicists that the National Institute of Physics is foremost responsible for; an essential task that will keep the Institute productively occupied for the many years to come.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Everything dances!
Everything dances without cease -
men live their lives, are killed, are born,
look up, and dream, and seek release,
find love, and all its ways to mourn.
Men live their lives, are killed, are born;
the world still turns around the light.
Find love and all its ways to mourn
the lovers past. The end of flight.
The world still turns. Around the light,
all things revolve and never die:
the lovers past the end of flight;
a man that others may deny;
all things revolve and never die.
Look up, and dream, and seek release.
A man, that others may deny
everything, dances without cease.
~
(Author: This marks another attempted return, so, shall we? And we shall see what we shall see.)
men live their lives, are killed, are born,
look up, and dream, and seek release,
find love, and all its ways to mourn.
Men live their lives, are killed, are born;
the world still turns around the light.
Find love and all its ways to mourn
the lovers past. The end of flight.
The world still turns. Around the light,
all things revolve and never die:
the lovers past the end of flight;
a man that others may deny;
all things revolve and never die.
Look up, and dream, and seek release.
A man, that others may deny
everything, dances without cease.
~
(Author: This marks another attempted return, so, shall we? And we shall see what we shall see.)
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