PHY 3903 version 2003

1. PHY 3903version 2003 Gary W. Slater* 5.sept.2003 gslater@science.uottawa.ca 613-562-5800 x6775 MCD 222 week #1 *Prof (PHY) & vice-dean (FGPS)

3. Course Description • Questions contemporaines en physique2 cr.Discussions d'un choix de sujets et de méthodes en physique contemporaine avec présentations orale et écrite par les étudiants. Introduction à Maple ou Mathematica. Préalable : 12 crédits en physique au niveau 2000. • Contemporary Issues in Physics 2 cr.Discussions on contemporary topics and methods in physics, including oral and written presentations. An introduction to Maple or Mathematica. Prerequisite: 12 credits in physics at the 2000-level.

4. Maple = 50% 6 weeks 5 assignments 1 longer problem/project Assigments minus worst one above 50% = 40% projet = 10% Writing =40% your topic = 5% PRL format = 20% seminar = 15% Physique =10% www figures, tableaux,… scholarship$ qq petits devoirs %%%%%%Approx.%%%%%%

5. Schedule • Vendredi/Friday 14:30-16:30/16:45 • CUBE 202 + Vanier 061 • ~ alternating: Maple/other • marker: Brent Doironbdoiron@science.uottawa.ca • 2003: List=20!

6. Exciting Needs my approvalbefore the end of September (5%) Peut être ~ en périphérie de PHY Permis: un sujet relié à un stage coop ou d’été. Seminar:8+2 min + 3 min Qtransparencies orPowerPoint Seminars to take place in the last 3 weeks of semester 14, 21, 28 novembre Département invité Texte de 4 pages format PRL Topic

7. The #1 physics journal in the world All articles have 4 pages (or less) Only for the latest, major discoveries Less than 25% of the manuscripts are accepted for publication American Physical Society: www.aps.org/ Physical Review Letters (PRL)

8. http://prl.aps.org/from a UofO computer Print a few examples and/or their instructions You must present a text with EXACTLY that format Vous pouvez utiliser leur logiciel Tex, Word, etc. 4 pages max Une copie électronique pour mon site w3 Français ou anglais, but well-written PRL

11. Notes: - Figures/tables - Captions - Acknowledgments - References & notes [1-…] - Reference style - SI units - Please, note the existence of paragraphs, as well as .,;: - Spell check Notes: - title - names & addresses - received - abstract - PACS - text [no divisions] does include introduction, methods, results, conclusion - 2 columns - head/foot

12. Computer lab classes Lecture notes on my web site Assignments due on assignment day, on diskette Livre: Heck PLAN: Maple http://www.science.uottawa.ca/~gslater/index.html

13. Getting started (Chapters 1-4)) Read Chapter 1 for next week Get an account & an e-mail! Polynomials (Chapters 5-7, 14) Functions (Chapter 8) Calculus (Chapters 9-11, 17) List, set, array (50 pp) Linear Algebra (Chapters 18, 19) Solving equations (Chapter 16) Graphics (Chapter 15) PLAN: Maple 9

15. 1. Science et vérité 2. La recherche etsa société 3. M. Sc. & Ph. D. 4. Information 5. Presentation 6. Publication 7. Séminaires 8. Éthique 9. Journalisme 10. $ 11. Canada PLAN: Physics as a profession

16. Assignment/Devoir 1 (12 sept) • 1. Get account and send me an e-mail • Look for a topic for your PRL and seminar • Print relevant material from the PRL web site. • Print NSERC/CRSNG forms for the graduate scholarship. Choose a project for your M Sc! • Attend the FGPS information sessions on graduate scholarships • http://www.grad.uottawa.ca/awards/whats_new/information_sessions_2003.html • 2. Who are Kurt Binder, Mario Bunge and Francis Crick? 10 lines each, in YOUR words. • Explore the web site of the CAP • 3. Find a cute and useful physics site. Must be unique!

17. Physics as a profession • 1. Science et vérité • 2. La recherche et sa société • 3. M. Sc. & Ph. D. • 4. Information • 5. Presentation • 6. Publication • 7. Séminaires • 8. Éthique • 9. Journalisme • 10. $ • 11. Canada

18. 1. Science & vérité • What is science? Qu’est-ce que la science? • Des faits? Facts? • A method? Une méthode? • Un nouveau dogme? • Une nouvelle religion? • Science vs religion • Apply to different aspects of “reality”? • Are they complementary? • http://www.templeton.org/

19. Pseudo-Sciences • Pseudo-sciences • essentially non-sense hiding behind a scientific jargon and a hate of science/scientists • e.g.: astrologie, homéopathie, UFOs, créationisme, Crop Circles, Nessie, BigFoot, Holy Shroud, etc. • Some interesting sites: • http://www.prove-it.org/ • http://www.debunker.com/ • http://www.sceptiques.qc.ca/ • http://www.darwin.ws/ • http://www.csicop.org/ & skeptic ring

21. Théorie: 2 sens • established explanation (evolution, relativity) • hypothesis • Types of scientific approaches: • experimental: tools, precision • theoretical: elegance, logical • numerical: using the laws of nature • Q: Is the “real” world like what physicists describe? Or is it just a useful model? • Q: Why are mathematics so powerful as a language to describe Nature?

23. Dangers: • pre-conceived ideas, ideologies • religions • ego • dogma • fooling yourself • memory of water • polywater • N-rays • Mars canals • error in logic • e.g., yellow fingers vs cancer • e.g., how did the eye evolve?

24. Falsification: • if you cannot imagine an experiment that can disprove your theory, it is not a theory • e.g., this is the standard problem with modern Galileos and astrologers • Ocam razor: You should not postulate the existence of new elements if not necessary • e.g., do we need divine intervention for the creation of life on earth? • Consensus: • La vérité scientifique ne se vote pas. • D’où l’existence des Galilés modernes • En général, un consensus général s’établit et il devient unanime quand ceux de l’ancienne génération décèdent.

25. Paradigm: • general framework (beliefs, theories, laws, methods) shared by the scientific community • a change in paradigm is a revolution • Réalisme: • paradigme courant en science, mais pas ailleurs • Objects exist independently from us, and our empirical knowledge is a good representation of reality • Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. The burden is on you. • One (usually) cannot prove the non-existence of something (e.g., a unicorn)

26. Physics as a profession • 1. Science et vérité • 2. La recherche et sa société • 3. M. Sc. & Ph. D. • 4. Information • 5. Presentation • 6. Publication • 7. Séminaires • 8. Éthique • 9. Journalisme • 10. $ • 11. Canada

27. 2. La recherche et SA société • The scientific community is “different” • Research: • Industries • IBM, Novartis, Boeing, GM, Xerox, 3M, Nortel, etc. • Government • NRC, CNRS, Max Planck, INRS, Hydro Québec • Universities and related institutes • Grandes Écoles, Instituts médicaux associés • Individus • maths, astronomie, mais plus de Jean Rostand • psycho-céramique=physique+maths

28. Organization at the lab level: • director (e.g., the professor) • senior scientists (e.g., the post-docs) • young scientists (e.g., grad & summer students) • technicians • Degrees • Ph. D. and M. Sc.; very rarely B. Sc. in physics • Modern History: • Second World War • Manhattan Project • Vannevar Bush (USA) requests independence for scientists

29. Results • 1=articles • PUBLISH OR PERISH • patents/brevets • especially in engineering and pharmaceutical • knowledge & training • Universities and gvt granting councils • Funding • public • NSERC, CFI, ORDCF, FCAR, NIH, CIHR, OIT, etc. • private • industries and Non-Profit Organizations • e.g., Cancer Society

30. General Organizations • Royal Society of Canada • The Canadian Academy of the Sciences and Humanities • L'Académie canadienne des sciences, des arts et des lettres. • Elite • http://www.rsc.ca/ • ACFAS • l'Association francophone pour le Savoir • http://www.acfas.ca/ • AAAS in the USA publishes “Science” • http://www.aaas.org/

31. General Physics Organizations • CAP ou ACP • CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICISTS • L'ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE DESPHYSICIENS ET PHYSICIENNES • located in MCD112 !!!! • Students should be members ($22/an) • Publish a monthly magazine: Physics in Canada • Annual Congress • Professional status! • Annual undergrad conference! • http://www.cap.ca/

33. APS • American Physical Society • Huge • Publishes Physics Today, and many research journals including PRL • http://www.aps.org/ • IUPAP • International organization • More like a UN organization • Takes care of units, constants, etc. • http://www.iupap.org/

35. ACS • American Chemical Society • Huge • Publishes lots of journals • http://www.acs.org/ • AMS • American Mathematical Society • Also very large • Publishes journals • http://www.ams.org/

36. Specialized associations • il y a des associations plus spécifiques dans tous les grands domaines • biophysique • Astronomy • optique • matériaux • etc…….. • Il y a aussi des organizations non-disciplinaires • Electrophoresis Society!

37. Journals • thousands! • General and specialized • paper and electronic (http://etarich.cc.uottawa.ca/rsrcs/ejpe-index-e.php) • (http://www.uottawa.ca/library/cnslp/) • reviewed • you submit your manuscript • 2-3 reviewers read it: 4 possible results • accept as is • reject • minor changes • major changes & re-read • publication, about 4-8 months later • reprints/preprints

38. General: • Science (AAAS) • Nature • PNAS • Public • La Recherche • Scientific American • New Scientist • Science News • Physics Today (APS) and Physics World (IOP) • Québec Science • Découvrir (ACFAS) • web ones: Cyberscience; Nature; etc etc

39. Conferences • Annual association meetings • e.g., APS or CAP • Themes • e.g., Macromolecules • Séminaires • Dans votre département • Devrait être de niveau 3-4ème année • Jeudis, 14:30-15:30