Janus reflections...

The physics arXiv best of 2010:

Best of 2010: The Death of Nemesis: The Sun's Distant, Dark Companion (News to me!)

Best of 2010: Physicist Discovers How to Teleport Energy (I'm afraid I'm with Dr. McCoy on this one.)

Best of 2010: Astronomers Find First Evidence Of Other Universes (the Bang before the Big Bang.)

The rest is here starting on page 2.

Janus is the character in mythology we get the month January from: he had two faces from which he could look behind and forward at the same time. He was also a great character on Thundar the Barbarian.

To date, this blog is just shy of 5,000 page views since its creation last July. I don't know if that's good or bad: some other web sites I've created faired as well in 4 years; some I've created haven't cracked a thousand in 4 years. I guess it depends on the subject matter and its presentation.

My "shouts out" to Dr. Gilbert Casterlow, Dr. Elvira Williams, Dr. Tom Sandin and Dr. Jason Gilchrist.

Dr. Casterlow was my freshman year calculus instructor, karate instructor and surrogate father-figure at A&T. He was also a friend to and fellow karate student with Dr. Ronald McNair. He could also crack you up during a class with his stories from "back-in-the-day." He I credit for my appreciation of discipline and balance.

Dr. Sandin talked me into changing my major from Engineering Mathematics to Engineering Physics: his classes were always fun (though during Newton's Laws & that I was on the school Karate team, I really could have helped him with the whole board-breaking thing)! I took General Physics I, Modern Physics, Solid State Physics and Quantum Mechanics from him. Dr. Sandin was a consumate scholar; he learned as he taught. He also made you laugh during instruction, and put many students at ease with physics.

I am trying to imitate both men. Some days are better than others!

Dr. Williams taught me General Physics II & Electromagnetic Field Theory I: she was the third African American female to have a PhD in Theoretical Physics at the time. I learned barriers are only impassable if you allow them to be from her.

Dr. Gilchrist taught me Electromagnetic Field Theory II. He had a unique way of motivating students: he didn't tell you whether you were doing good or not, he just demanded more and made it harder. You found out what he thought AFTER graduation. He DID give one-question homework problems that involved many weekends, lots of unlined paper - one problem [I recall] 12 pages long! I thank him for teaching me tenacity.

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My students got through classical mechanics in the fall semester. Now, on to waves and electricity.

I get to play with a laser and duplicate the experiment I embed below.

I'll most likely post my own version to You Tube as well, once I clear those district permissions hurdles.

My wife's response: "You're bringing home a what?"

I think I'll be left alone in the garage for a while...;-)