Physics Insight, from aps.org.

2. PHYSICIST PROFILE
Brian grew up in the age of space exploration, and loved astronomy. He
would eventually earn his PhD in particle physics, but says that
exploration of our universe is vital:
“It’s all about exploration – whether that’s CERN or spacecraft or
aircraft… It doesn’t matter which one you want to do – it’s all the same
quest and all of it is vital.”
Brian is now a researcher with the ATLAS experiment at CERN, a physics professor at
the University of Manchester, and is the “face of science” in the UK. He hosts BBC
programs and TV specials, and has authored several physics books for everyday people.
“The key point is to make sure that people understand that
science is something you can do. What you need to do primarily
is be interested.”
Bob Lee
Physics Professor, Researcher, Television Host
University of Manchester – United Kingdom
Brian Cox (Physics PhD)
Why Physics?

3. PHYSICS AT WORK
ATLAS Experiment © 2014 CERN
A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS is a detector at the Large
Hadron Collider (LHC). ATLAS is intended to utilize the
very high energy proton collisions produced at the LHC and
detect the particles that can be produced in these
collisions.
The main detector of ATLAS
ATLAS collision event. The center is the
location of a proton collision, with the
radiating lines indicating particles
produced.
What kind of particles?
Lots of them! The particles that make up all matter (called quarks
and leptons), the particles that carry forces, and other rare and exotic
particles (such as the Higgs).
Why do physicists want to study these particles?
There are still many unsolved mysteries about the nature of the
universe. The presence of the these particles and their interactions
could shed light on what dark matter is, why we see more matter than
antimatter, and why the expansion of the universe is accelerating.
The ATLAS Experiment
Learn more: www.atlas.ch

4. DID YOU KNOW?
Roughly half of 2009 and 2010 physics graduates
found initial employment in the private sector in
Engineering, Computer Science fields, or
Information Technology.
Of these, nearly 100% stated that the problem
solving abilities they gained as a physics student
were useful in their jobs.
So, a physics training gives you skills that are
applicable to a variety of career paths.
Other useful skills included technical writing,
programming, and teamwork.
Physics Gives You Major Skills!

5. GETTING INTO PHYSICS!
Want to get started on your Physics Career?
Visit the APS Online
Job Center!
• Search for jobs on the Job Center (totally free)!
• Search for positions by location, physics field, job sector, and more!
• Store your resume, cover letters, and other materials in your profile on the site.
• Apply for positions directly through the Job Center.
Job Seekers can:
Visit: careers.aps.org
Positions for Physics graduates are available
on our website right now!
Don’t wait for all the great opportunities to find you. Take
the initiative and start your physics job search today!

6. PHYSICIST PROFILE
Physics Senior
Xavier University of Louisiana – New Orleans, LA
2014 SPS Intern, Kearns Louis-Jean
Elementary school students
using items from SOCKs
2014 SPS Interns“The outreach we did this summer with the SOCKs
is invaluable,” he says. “Outreach is very important
to the community.”
At Xavier University, Kearns works in STEM education research, and is
the student coordinator for the campus physics outreach program. During
his summer internship, Kearns worked on SPS Science Outreach Catalyst
Kits (SOCKs).
Kearns created physics activities and wrote
instructions for the kits. He and his fellow interns
also took the SOCKs to local summer camps and
schools to teach kids about physics and test out
the activities.
Learn more: www.spsnational.org/internships

7. 25 SECONDS OF PHYSICS
Breaking Up is Not So Hard to Do…
To make their measurement, these scientists basically used a supersized version
of an inkjet printer, to carefully control the pressure of jets of liquid, across a large
range of viscosities.
J.R.Castrejon-Pita/UniversityofCambridge
Learn more: physics.aps.org KEYWORD: Break Up
Then, using a high-speed camera, they were able
to determine what pressure was required to keep
the filament from breaking, for each viscosity.
The results of this study may also be useful in a variety
of fluid technologies, such as aerosol drug delivery, and
in biomedicine.
An initially uniform filament of liquid
breaks up into droplets as it falls
Using the same technology as in an inkjet printer, researchers at
the University of Cambridge have recently studied the behavior
of streams of fluid in air.

8. PHYSICIST PROFILE
Subject Matter Expert, Customs and Border Protection
US Department of Homeland Security – Washington, DC
Kathy McCormick (Physics PhD)
Why Physics?
Kathy always loved science, but it was a high school physics class that
changed Kathy’s college plans to physics.
“Physics seemed to be the most fundamental of the sciences that I
had studied. [Physics gives] you insights into many different fields.”
Now, Kathy is a subject matter expert for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). She defines
regulations and tests the sensitivity and functionality of new equipment which will be deployed to field
sites. This equipment is used to guarantee the security of cargo entering the United States, a process
which includes scanning for illegal radioactive material.
“During my thesis research, I had the opportunity to work on many different
types of radiation detection equipment and perform analysis on my data,” says
Kathy. “I use those skills a lot today.”

9. PHYSICS AT WORK
Radiation Detection
One type of radiation detector is the Geiger-Müller counter, commonly called a Geiger
counter. These devices detect ionizing radiation – radiation with enough energy to remove
an electron from an atom or molecule.
Geiger counters consist of a display, power source, and a tube containing
an anode, a cathode, and a gas mixture such as neon and halogen.
When an electron is removed from a gas atom in the tube, the atom
becomes positively charged and goes to the negative cathode. The
ejected electron goes to the positively-charged anode, creating a small
current. This current is measured and displayed as a radiation “event.”
Kathy works with many types of
detection systems to identify radiation
sources in her job with US Customs and
Border Protection.
Imagesco

10. GETTING INTO PHYSICS!
APS Webinars!
Want help…
• Choosing a graduate program?
• Becoming a physics teacher?
• Acing the GRE?
Sign up for APS Webinars today!
Webinars are monthly online panels of physics & career experts, answering
students’ questions on career-related topics.
Online broadcasts are free and open to the public.
Learn more: go.aps.org/apswebinars
Recent speakers
featured in APS
Webinars

11. 25 SECONDS OF PHYSICS
The Lotus Effect
Check out a lotus leaf and you’ll see that water beads up on the
surface and rolls right off! A surface that repels water this well is
called superhydrophobic. A superhydrophobic surface can clean
itself: as water droplets roll off, they collect dust and other
contaminants.
Long-lasting superhydrophobic surfaces could be used for
self-cleaning sensors and solar panels that would combat
damage done by dust and water.
Water droplets on a lotus leaf
Droplet of water rolling off a
superhydrophobic surface
This self-cleaning ability is known as the “lotus effect,” and
allows lotus leaves to stay clean and healthy.
Physicists are now creating superhydrophobic materials, using lasers
to etch tiny patterns on the surface of the material. These patterns
don’t wear off like the coatings that are often used to make
superhydrophobic materials.

12. PHYSICIST PROFILE
CEO and Co-Founder
Octopart, Inc. – New York, NY
Sam Wurzel (Physics MS)
Recognizing a need in the science community for a better way to find
parts, and inspired by an essay on startups, Sam teamed up with a friend
to create an online search engine: Octopart.
Today, Octopart’s 700,000 users can search for 30 million parts from
thousands of suppliers! Sam owes his success in part to his
physics training:
“Starting a company is similar to doing physics research,” he says.
“Both have the potential to impact people’s lives, and both require
problem solving and creative thinking.”
Sam’s “entrepreneurial spirit” arose out of frustration as a physics
graduate student: searching for parts in huge paper catalogs!
Sam “in the trenches” as a
young entrepreneur

13. GETTING INTO PHYSICS!
APS Professional Guidebook
Interested in learning how to …
•Assess your skills?
•Learn about different career paths?
•Build your network?
•Write an effective resume?
The APS Professional Guidebook contains information on these
subjects and others, as well as helpful links and targeted
“webinette” clips from our webinars.
Visit: www.aps.org/careers/guidance
Get a head start by preparing for your career
search early!
Screenshot of the Networking Chapter from
the Professional Guidebook

14. DID YOU KNOW?
Physics PhDs have Earning Power!
Between 2011 and 2012, approximately one-third of
new Physics PhDs in the US accepted potentially
permanent positions.
Of these, the median starting salary for those in the
private sector was $90,000!
Physicists working in the private sector also reported
working in a variety of scientific areas.
So, a Physics PhD can lead to well-paid
employment, in a variety of fields.