MAKING THE CASE FOR SCIENCE
"He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is a good as dead; his eyes are closed" - Albert Einstein
The most advanced form of research, called basic or fundamental science, produces the breakthroughs that change the world. From discovering the electron at the dawn of the 20th Century, to pioneering the technology inside MRIs and smart phones, game-changing innovations emerge from pure exploration.
Science also teaches us to be skeptical and to explore with an open mind. These lessons are valuable for all aspects of life and society. This is a message I want to deliver to as wide a swath of the population as possible.
My activities to engage and communicate with a non-scientific audience include making short films, working with artist and designers, participating in panel discussions, developing websites, writing popular articles, and giving public lectures.
If you are interested in working with me on engaging the public or if you would like to invite me to speak, then press that "contact me" button. Go ahead; press it.
"Smashing Matters" Short Film and Website Released
Smashingmatters.org and Smashing Matters the film present the arguments for funding advanced scientific research. The video relies on interviews with scientists working on the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, the last atom smasher operating in the U.S.
Public Speaking
 PubSci11 March 2014 Three scientists and two journalists walk into a bar... PubSci is a science café with informal conversation about big science. Presented by the Brookhaven National Laboratory Stakeholder Relations Office. News Writeup. Photo by BNL. |
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 On Panel at UnionDocs9 May 2012 Presenter and panelist advocating a "Better Future Through Evidence-Based Reasoning" on the discussion "The Future Well-made: on the Conditions for a Personal Vision" organized by Tom Klinkowstein. Photo by P Sorensen. |
Lobbying
 On Capitol Hill in DC28 April 2014 For the second year participated in the Nuclear Science delegation to DC, discussing with elected officials and their staff the value of fundamental nuclear physics research. Photo in front of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's office, the expanded is at Sen. Schummer. |
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 First Lobbying Trip to DC6 May 2013 2013 was the first year the RHIC Users Executive Committee organized a lobbying trip to DC. I was able to visit with my representatives from New York and also sat in on a meeting with Rand Paul from Kentucky. This trip made a big difference, since without congresses support for the presidents budget, RHIC could have been shut down. |
Art and Science
 "Glamorous Gluons"June 2014 My fine art student Sarah Szabo's art exhibit at Broohaven Lab, had it's opening reception during the RHIC/AGS Users Meeting. When physics meets art, really great things can happen. Read a news write-up Here Photo by BNL. |
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 When Worlds CollideApril and September 2014 Talk exploring the Pratt-Brookhaven science-art collaborations, presented at different international conferences: Winter Workshop in Galveston, TX, and Collective Dynamics in Heavy Ion Collisions, Crete, Greece. |