unc physics€¦ · 10/05/2015 · Anything else isn’t necessarily a path to everything else....

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Now, nuclear medicine — that is the ticket. But what led him there was physics.

“I did research with (UNC professor) Dr. Reyco Henning at a nuclear laboratory where I got to see and be around accelerators,” Macon, a senior physics major, said. “Understanding nuclear physics leads directly to medical treatments and how you can use big giant particle accelerators to improve people’s health.”

The proton beam accelerator, which is used at M.D. Anderson in Houston and other medical centers for the treatment of cancer patients, was born out of the development of physics principles by physicists. Macon says it’s the development of those physics principles that is important. He says that is what makes physics-based discoveries boundless.

“If physics is easy, you’re doing it wrong,” Macon said. “But the point is what you get out of it. Understanding how complex the laws of nature can be and then breaking them down so you can almost predict how things will turn out, that’s beautiful.”

Kevin Macon came to the University of North Carolina to study chemistry. But it gave him a bad reaction.

If you want to talk to Kevin about what it’s like to major in physics, you can contact him at [email protected].

If you’re interested in knowing more about the relationship between particle physics and medical treatment, check out:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6403737.stm

and http://health.howstuffworks.com/proton-therapy.htm/printable

Do Physics. Be Anything.

unc physics

Don’t Believe It? Ask Kevin Macon.

unc physics physics.unc.edu

A sophomore from Pittsburgh, Pa., Nickell has the unusual double major of vocal performance and physics. But to him it makes perfect sense.

“I sing to communicate. I do physics to discover,” Nickell said.

And there was a point when his love for science and theater recently intersected. The play was the “Laramie Project” and the challenge was to make it rain.

“One of the scenes just begged for rain — and this was a black box theater,” Nickell said. “I thought, all I need is PVC pipe, a drill, a saw and a water source. It led to all sorts of questions about how big of a hole to make, and the volume of water needed on the cat walk so it would rain for two minutes. It was one thing to see it, but another to hear it, too. A lot of people in the audience cried.”

Nickell’s high school didn’t offer physics, so he taught himself. Advanced Placement (AP) physics was “easy” and he scored a 5 on the Calculus ”C” AP test. But the Morehead-Cain Scholar doesn’t rattle off his achievements to brag.

“I can prove to you that almost everyone can do physics,” Nickell, who tutors six students, challenged. “I tell people ‘Don’t look for a formula in the book, build on what you know and go from there.’ And then when they get it, I say ‘Now explain to me what you did in your own words,’ and everyone seems to be able to remember what they learned better, so they can apply it the next time.”

So, if you ever need help with your physics…

Chris Nickell is not here to sing the praises of physics, but he could if he wanted.

If you want to ask someone about studying physics who knows, contact Chris Nickell at [email protected].

Check out

http://www.dctech.com/ physics/features/0500.php or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmB3UEZBkl4

to see how physics and rain relate.


Don’t Believe It? Ask Chris Nickell.


Chris Nickell has a bright idea for David Harris.

For David Harris, a University of North Carolina senior physics major, there’s wonder, understanding and technological application.

“A spinning top — when you do the math, you can take a gyroscope and see all the different motions that the math predicted,” Harris said. “That particular system is used to model satellites and it is used in airplane stabilization systems.”

Harris said he is leaning toward pursuing a graduate degree in material science and engineering.

“I would not be able to problem-solve as well if I had pursued engineering from the beginning,” Harris explained. “I also think I learn quicker and better because of the problems solving I learned from physics.”

So where will the problem solving lead him? Possibly to pursue a master’s in materials science.

“I want to be able to look at a product and say I helped make that or helped make it cheaper, faster or better,” Harris said. That’s what I really want to do.”

For most people, sitting and watching a spinning top is boring.

If you want to read more about physics and gyroscopes, leave it to a toy company to explain it well.

Check this out at:

http://aetoy.com/ science-of-gyroscope.html


unc physics

Don’t Believe It? Ask David Harris.


“Fire flies blinking in the night — one light blinks and then they all start to blink,” Bain explained. “And you think about how beautiful this random pattern of fireflies is. But it’s not random and there is an order and structure to it. If you study physics, you come to understand the laws that explain patterns in nature and the world.”

While Bain, a junior physics major, has no problem making firefly-like connections between physics and everyday life, she likes going deeper too.

“Physics is about studying how to explain how the universe really is,” Bain said. “For example, the study of oscillations — the movement of a traditional mass on a string. This is similar to the motion of atoms in a molecule. They form a lattice and oscillate with respect to each other. Almost everything in the universe can be represented by a simple harmonic oscillator.”

Bain explains that physics is a path to everything else. Anything else isn’t necessarily a path to everything else.

“If you go straight into engineering you are confining yourself to that,” Bain said. “With physics you can go into anything — engineering, law, math, physics.”

And Bain is a good example of how things can change as a result of being exposed to physics.“I was pretty sure I wanted to study physics for the sake of physics and that has changed because it has become more about not just learning how to think but applying the problem solving to new situations,” Bain said. “Now I am thinking about mechanical or aerospace engineering — something different.”

Ask Lauren Bain what she finds so captivating about physics and she’ll start her answer with “fireflies.”

If you’d like to ask Lauren Bain about what it’s like to pursue a physics major, you can contact her at [email protected].

To see how others have made the connection between fireflies and physics, check it out at:

http://tinkerlog.com/2008/07/27/synchronizing-fireflies-ng/


Don’t Believe It? Ask Lauren Bain.


Mark, could you fix your computer if it broke?

“Yes.”

Mark, could you fix the brakes on your car?

“Yes.”

And by the way Mark, just to throw you a curveball, what is reality?

“Reality comes from bits of bits.”

Schubel, a University of North Carolina senior physics major, doesn’t come off as a know-it-all. But he is a problem solver.

“When I took upper level mechanics was the first time I really started thinking like someone that does physics,” Schubel said. “Seeing problems in a different light. Thinking about problems in a way to make the solutions obvious. At the end of the class I could solve any problem.”

And now it’s part of his personality, not just his academic world.

“I like to go around solving problems,” Schubel said. “As soon as I start talking about how something, I am thinking about how to reengineer it and make it better, like the brakes of a car.”

But now Schubel is preparing for the challenges presented by physics graduate school. But before then if you need help repairing your car or rewiring your house, you might give him a call.

Mark Schubel is a hardcore physics guy, but in an applied sort of way.

If you’re curious about what it takes to major in physics and you want to chat with someone that’s been there and done that, email Mark Schubel at [email protected].

If you want to know more about dif-ferent perspectives on reality and its relationship to physics, check

http://www.spaceandmotion.com/

and

http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/27640


He’s figuring out how to fix his car.


Mark Schubel’s not thinking this hard about physics.

Don’t tell her the subject is too abstract or the University of North Carolina junior physics major will get on a roll.

• “In high school, we went on a ski trip and the whole thing was physics. We had to calculate the slope of the slope. We had to measure the power of the ski lifts. Everything.”

• “When I would watch sporting events I would think they just need to take a physics class and they’ll know how much to force to use when they shoot the ball.”

• “I am a swimmer and we are learning about the suit controversies in competitive swimming. With those suits they are taking advantage of all the physics principles possible, mainly fluid dynamics.

• “In art you’ll see a painting and it’s the abstract paintings that are so disorienting, but you know what? They had some pattern in mind, so it’s not really random. That relates to physics because in the world there is nothing random. There is a rationale behind everything in the world and that gives the world beauty.”

And what does she plan on doing with her understanding and curiosity about how things work? She plans on becoming a patent agent — someone who writes and files patents on behalf of companies. Then later, she might go on to law school to be a patent attorney. Carlson adds that the patents she files will no doubt be reminders that physics is everywhere.

When Megan Carlson says physics is everywhere, she really means it.

If you’re considering physics and want to talk to someone who has been there and done that, email Megan Carlson at [email protected].

If you want to know more about the connection between physics and abstract art, go to

http://physicsworld.com/cws/ article/news/23307


Think Physics Is Too Abstract? Just Look at Her Hair!


Estrich remembers becoming intently interested in physics in high school when something unexpected happened in a water tank.

“It had a bar you could lift up and down to make waves,” Estrich said. “There was a wall with two slits in it. Water went out the slits and the waves interfered with one another to create a pattern of different amplitudes on the back wall different than what you’d expect from two slits. It’s not intuitive that it would do that. If I can figure out these non-intuitive things for a reason and use math to do it, then I can figure out a lot of things. ”

Like the trajectory of flying cows.

“If you have a spherical cow flying through the air, and you want to map his motion and figure out something that will happen to the cow, then you can do that with physics,” Estrich said. “You just need your brain and math.”

Don’t make assumptions about Estrich based on her affinity for airborne bovines. She has her serious side.

“You are so dependent on your computer, but you don’t know how it works,” Estrich said. “Think about all the food processes we use, but you don’t know how they work. We are so dependent on these things that if they break, it could be a life or death situation. If you don’t have people who understand how technology works, it will not continue to exist.”

Estrich plans on pursuing a career as an experimental physicist, because she has to have a real reason for tackling a problem. Like figuring out why a spherical cow would even want to fly in the first place.

Diffraction patterns in water, flying cows, computers and food processing. It all makes sense to Nicole Estrich because physics makes sense of it all for her. Even if at first, it doesn’t. If you encounter a flying cow and

need help, contact Nicole Estrich at [email protected].

If you want to see the exact water tank demonstration that Nicole described, go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfPeprQ7oGc


Just Look at That Flying Cow Or Ask Nicole Estrich


Think Physics is Too Abstract?

“I have a desire to understand everything about everything” Martin said intensely. “I really want to know everything. I am very curious by nature. In other fields you observe and write it down and speculate why things happen. In physics, we observe things and do experiments and see why things happen.”

Martin says it’s one thing to think about Einstein’s theory of special relativity, but it’s another thing to see it and touch it. A turning bicycle wheel, displaying “angular momentum,” he said, is just one example of how theories that most seem as mysterious and only for geniuses can manifest themselves into something understandable.

“When you go into the labs and see the stuff you’ve been studying in class and all the laws and actually observe them happening and see why it happens that way, that’s what it’s all about,” Martin said.Martin ponders many of the “big questions” associated with physics theory. However, he seems to always bridge way back to practical applications.

“I think a lot about unified theory and string theory,” Martin said. That would be the Holy Grail if we fundamentally understood those things,” Martin said. “It could have implications as far as solving the energy crisis, quantum computing, we could maybe do space exploration better.”

And then there’s wormholes.

“If they exist it would allow us to reach further distances with time travel and it might be possible to go far distances in a short amount of time,” Martin said. “And all of these things are examples of what fascinates me about physics – the stuff that doesn’t matter right now, might matter a lot one day.”

Randy Martin wants to know everything. Physics is his ticket to get there.

If you want to know what it takes to major in physics and talk to someone who has been there and done that, email Randy Martin at [email protected].

And if you want a really different and unusual take on relativity and special relativity theory, check out:

http://journeybystarlight.blogspot.com/2007/07/relatively-weird-how-to-get-younger.html



Falk, a 1987 University of North Carolina (UNC) graduate with a B.S. in Physics, was recently named the president of Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. Until he assumes his new role in April 2010, Falk will remain Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). As a high-energy physicist Falk’s research focused on elementary particle physics and quantum field theory, in particular the decay of heavy quarks. He completed his Ph.D. in Physics at Harvard in 1991 and then held post-doctoral positions at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center and the University of California at San Diego.

So given Falk’s background, what’s the connection between physics and running a college? Well, problem solving is problem solving.

“Anything I do that is quantitative, from designing class schedules to budgets to thinking about the capacity of the undergraduate

laboratories, draws from the problem solving skills I developed from physics” Falk said.

It’s important for students to realize, Faulk said, there is a certain freedom that comes as a result of the problem-solving skills physics provides. That doesn’t mean you’ll always know where it will lead you.

“Physics teaches you to solve the problems that are in front of you and it also equips you to follow a path you don’t understand,” Falk said. “And I think students think they have to see all the way to the end and that isn’t always necessary.”

But the real point Falk wants physics students to get is that they truly can be anything.

“You can go to law school or do anything that requires careful analytical thinking,” Falk explained. “The purpose of physics education is to teach people to think clearly and do that in a way that will achieve a specific goal.”

Although Adam Falk took the traditional physics path by earning a Ph. D., teaching and conducting research, he wound up in a job few will ever hold, much less at the age of 44.

Department of Physics and Astronomy The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill CB 3255, Phillips Hall Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3255 Phone: (919) 962-2078 Web: physics.unc.edu


Adam Falk did.


While he received instruction in the Air Force and from a commercial airline that prepared him for 13 years of flying, technology and training didn’t give him the same security as physics.

A 1990 University of North Carolina physics graduate, Cortes said kinematics – the description of objects in motion without regard to how the motion started — helped him with flight planning and gave him a way of double checking his numbers and what the computers were telling him.

“It definitely helped me with regard to doing an energy plan, which is something every pilot has to do,” Cortes said. “The computer might be telling you that your aircraft weight is ”x” but that’s out of proportion to what the aircraft can carry. Are you just going to go along with that because that’s what the computer says? Or are you going to raise a warning flag? I applied the kinematics I learned at age 19 in situations like that all the time.”

Cortes, now a professor at Embry-Riddle University, said a crew in Australia encountered a similar problem. An incorrect number was entered into a computer and the computer recommended the wrong speed. The plane’s tail scraped the runway and suffered major damage. But knowing how and why things are supposed to work can help someone avoid those pitfalls.

“When you analyze a physical system or transportation system, physics gives you more of a perspective of what it really entails and how it works,” Cortes said. “A layman looks at a system on the surface and is more concerned with what it looks like. A physicist looks at it and says how does it interact with its environment? How much energy does it have? It’s an interesting prism for viewing the world.”

Whether you’re on the ground or in the air.

Every airplane pilot likes the idea of having a safety net. Antonio Cortes is no different. His was physics.

Antonio Cortes Did.


If you have questions about how you take physics and apply it to a career that you might not associate with the subject, you can email Tony at [email protected].

If you want to know more about the physics of flying, check out:

http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/ 211_fall2002.web.dir/Will_Salzman/index.html


“I think about being a helicopter mechanic,” Schweiker said. “I think about doing something in animal behavior or zoology too.”

Why? Because she can. Or, rather, she could — and because her love for physics leads to so many possibilities.

“I really liked high school physics and astronomy and I found out that I really like to figure out how things work,” Schweiker said

At the observatory, Schweiker, who received her physics degree in 1996 from the University of North Carolina, ensures the telescope is working and meets performance standards. Schweiker also troubleshoots any problems that come up. The telescope is often used by undergraduate and graduate students who are getting experience at observing and collecting data.

Like other professionals with a physics background, Schweiker looks at problem-solving as fun and challenging. She thinks that once armed with the tools physics provides, the particular subject or area doesn’t matter much. But Schweiker does have two bits of advice for someone thinking about majoring in physics.

“Don’t be so freaked out over the math. It’s not all math. Some of it is observational,” Schweiker said. “And get involved in building something and get involved in investigating something that’s interesting to you in terms of how it works.”

Follow that advice and someday you too might aspire to be a helicopter mechanic, zoo- keeper, veterinarian, animal behavior researcher, dog trainer…

As the operations manager of the WIYN 3.5 meter telescope at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Tucson, Az., Heidi Schweiker occasionally lets her thoughts run wild about doing something that would really force her to push her boundaries.

Heidi Schweiker did.

While it appears it is a quart low and she’s changing the oil, Heidi Schweiker insists she’s cleaning and lubricating a spectrograph at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory.


If you connect with Heidi Schweiker’s story and are considering studying physics, email her at [email protected].

If you’re interested in the physics behind how a helicopter can fly, check this out:

http://www.hk-phy.org/iq/helicopter/helicopter_e.html

If you want to see some cool pictures taken by the WIYN 3.5, go here:

http://www.noao.edu/image_gallery/WIYN/images.html


He had just finished his junior year and thought it was time to set his sights on a career. He searched for “physics careers” and a list on an American Physical Society page popped up. The first career on the list was medical physicist.

While getting a Ph. D. in medical physics, Steger researched how Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines could be used to study brain blood flow, which sometimes can eliminate the need for invasive procedures. When he landed his first job with GE Healthcare, Steger handled computer programming of MRI scanners to develop more efficient and novel ways of imaging the human body.

Now as a radiation physicist at a hospital, he works with radiologists and oncologists to make

sure the radiation prescribed for patients is what comes out of the machine. It’s also Steger’s job to manipulate the radiation doses so that tumors get high amounts of radiation and low doses go everywhere else. Steger says it’s nice to see the people who benefit from his work.

“It’s always a new problem to solve and it requires pretty quick problem solving,” Steger said. “You have a patient on the table and something strange happens, and we are first line of defense to figure out what happened and why. I’ve always been at least one step removed from end user — the person your research or work matters to. Here I am not. You see the people you are helping and that is incredibly motivating.”

Ted Steger, a 1998 UNC physics graduate, owes his career as a radiation physicist to an internet search engine.

Ted Steger did.


If you want to know more about the connection between medicine and physics, contact Ted Steger at [email protected]

Looking for more information on medical physics? Check out

http://www.aapm.org/medical_physicist/default.asp


We Mean It — Anything.

Myths and Facts About UNC Physics

When you wonder about how and why things work, you wonder about physics. Those who have wondered before you are responsible for everything from IPods to computers to digital everything. Physics also explores the big questions like how the universe started, why it continues to exist and whether it is expanding.

Pondering and tackling these challenges develops problem solving skills that transcend any one academic pursuit or business sector. Physics is more than just a career path. It’s a skill set. That’s why 90 percent of all people with a physics background do something other than teach and conduct research at a university. And physics will prepare you to pursue anything from medicine to nuclear power to business. Do physics. Be anything. We mean it.

Myth: Physics is too hard.Fact: Engineering, chemistry, biology and physics — it’s all hard. Take your choice. You can spend a lot of your time memorizing stuff or you can spend your time thinking about stuff. Don’t let the math freak you out, before you even consider physics. Let your mind wonder and explore. What do you want to know? What “why” questions intrigue you? Build an AM radio or build a circuit. Investigate something. Physics is observational. Math is a tool to help you explore those observations deeply. Myth: Physics is too abstract.Fact: Your pursuit of physics can be what you want. If you want to pursue whether particles have mass you can. If you want to know how black holes form, then knock yourself out. But physics is also an applied science. Without three key past discoveries that won the Nobel Prizes for Physics in the last ten years, there would be no IPods, computers or digital anything. MRI technology, PET and CT scans, and proton beam therapy for cancer patients were also developed from physics principles.

Myth: I’m going to medical school and physics doesn’t make sense for me.Fact: Most students going to medical school are biology majors. It’s hard to make yourself stand out to medical school admissions representatives when you’re just one of many biology majors. Also, there are specialties within medicine that are especially suited for physics majors — nuclear medicine, diagnostic medicine and proton beam therapy. Lastly, you can major in physics and be pre-med; it’s just that not too many people know it.

Myth: A physics degree will take too long.Fact: Ipist, iusdamu sandit audant que optatem. At mil ium quo voluptature derrume officienis aut aut aris prae volupta eos acerioreheni comniet faceste volupid igenis sam quam ipsandam tem. At mil ium quo voluptature derrume officienis aut aut aris prae volupta eos acerioreheni comniet faceste volupid igenis sam quam ipsandam tem. At mil ium quo voluptature derrume officienis aut aut aris prae volupta eos acerioreheni comniet faceste volupid igenis sam quam ipsandam


Myth: Physics is intriguing, but I’m not sure I would like it.Fact: Ipist, iusdamu sandit audant que optatem. At mil ium quo voluptature derrume officienis aut aut aris prae volupta eos acerioreheni comniet faceste volupid igenis sam quam ipsandam tem. At mil ium quo voluptature derrume officienis aut aut aris prae volupta eos acerioreheni comniet faceste volupid igenis sam quam ipsandam tem.

Department of Physics and Astronomy The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill CB 3255, Phillips Hall Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3255 Phone: (919) 962-2078 Web: physics.unc.edu


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