The first of four sessions on Ethics in the Profession of
Physics will address the involvement of physicists in the
development of weapons of mass destruction.
Now is a great time to get the ball rolling.
What would you want to think about if you were recruited
and had to decide if you would work on weapons
research?

HI,
last night the west wing had a conversation between Martin Sheen as POTUS and some Iranian official, after Iran had been accused of testing a nuke, that closed with the guy from Iran saying,"Einstein, Oppenheimer, Teller--they're all Jewish bombs." Do others find this show as fascinating and infuriating as I do?
It was a provocative episode, alternately accusing and defending US policy, NASA, Israel, Moslems and Christians, but jarring mispronunciations of Bethe's name (and others)by POTUS Sheen and everyone being a way too clever work against the requisite suspension of disbelief. The argument that Hiroshima actually saved lives was trotted out, and countered---I hope these kinds of questions are discussed at the Congress, with real input from the scientists involved...

NSF Program Director (on assignment from the AIP and the Society of Physics Students to serve as the Robert Noyce Scholarship Program Director at the National Science Foundation)

I am very excited about the visit to the Trinity site. It's only open once a year except they are opening it specially for us. Also i spoke with one of my professors about it and he said there are interesting rocks where the sand was melted by the blast. I think it will be a great conversation starter for the ethics panel on weapons. I can't wait!

...so, not many west wing fans in the Nucleus, so I'll try to change gears...I'd like to hear some feedback on cheating... What the most outrageous cheating scam you've ever heard of in a physics class? What kinds of cheating are most prevalent at your school? Do the black-market solutions manuals to famous physicis text skew the grades at your school, do you think?

NSF Program Director (on assignment from the AIP and the Society of Physics Students to serve as the Robert Noyce Scholarship Program Director at the National Science Foundation)

Hi,  Glad to see discussion of the Congress.  I think it's going to be super--I believe it is the only conference in the US dedicated to physics undergraduates.

I think the part on celebrating Einstein's three masterworks of 1905 will be a highlight of the meeting.  Most physics majors know of them but few have taken the time to learn about the papers themselves.  Have you?

Steve

So, it sounds like SPS chapters are for the most part on their own for funding to send their "one-and-one" represnetatives.  Any suggestions on where a very small physics department from a very small college in PA may be able to raise that kind of money?  

To pay for nearby trips, we've used a very successful lollipop sale on campus.  However, we'll need alot more than spare change for this kind of trip.  We've just asked administration for lots of money to update our labs.  I just don't know if they will give money for this (or if it's even approriate to ask!)

~SPS Chapter Prez-to-be