Avant-garde to Classic.

So the transition from advanced accelerator technologies to spin physics is actually a pretty dramatic change. In the big picture, they don't look too different. You know, trying to unlock the mysteries of the universe. Yada, yada, yada, you've all heard the spiel before.

It is the difference in institutional memory between the two fields that has really become obvious. When I was working on plasma wake field technology, everything was new. There were no shoulders of giants to stand on, no papers to read to gain clarity, surprises were around every corner. Yes, there were theory papers, but when has theory ever really explained an experiment? This is not the case in spin physics. Honestly, I could spend my entire tenure as a post-doc reading the papers and books and still not make a dent in the literature. It seems spin physics was quite the popular field back in the 50's and 60's for both theory and experiment and the tide of popularity is coming back in its favor.

This literature has become double-edged sword. If ever I have a stupid question, my incompetence is only shared with Google, since I am certain I can find a paper somewhere to explain it. How could this ever be a bad thing? But then the other shoes drops. I am learning about physics that was conquered 50 years ago. Oh, to be an 80-year-old physicist and having all the institutional memory that would bring me. Yeah, educating the young physicists is very important and all, but, man, I am feeling behind the ball here.

Comments

[Cornelis]

I read that this technology could eventualy lead to the creation of particle beamaccelerators that could be small enough to fit on a table but have the energy capacity of an accelerator that used to be a mile long. I am wondering, could this also lead to energy beam weapons (a.k.a. ray-guns)?

[Cornelis]

I read that this technology could eventualy lead to the creation of particle beam accelerators that could be small enough to fit on a table but have the energy capacity of an accelerator that used to be a mile long. I am wondering, could this also lead to energy beam weapons (a.k.a. ray-guns)?

[Caolionn]

Cornelis:

There are people working on that (sort of) -
http://qd.typepad.com/13/2005/04/selling_bomb_bu.html

On a more serious note, this technology is not even ready for use in a functioning accelerator, let alone something that would fit on table and be used as a weapon. In its present state and future transitions, I can safely say it has absolutely no weapons application.

[Jon]

Hello Caolionn, wow, where to begin??? So you think you're behind the 8 ball? Aren't we all in one respect or another, so don't feel alone. And yes, it would be incredible to have all the knowledge of an 80 year old physicist, hell, I'd more than settle too have the knowledge of a 27 year old physicist. But I would bet ya anything that if you asked any 80 year old physicist if they would trade places with you, well, you probably wouldn't get too many declines, or even any hesitations. But is there any real difference between kinetic and potential, well sure, but is either necessarily better than the other? And why limit yourself to knowing only what an old physicist knows. What about throwing in everything an astronomer knows, a biologist knows, a mathematician knows, etc, etc... You never know enough, and you can never know too much. To even have the remote possibility of making any type of contribution to the body of knowledge that exists would be incredible. Even being able to comprehend the mysteries for the universe would be, well, yada, yada, yada, you know the drill... for those for us that don't, please feel free to spiel on. That’s just one spin on things.

[m.visaya]

from adonis to the fluorescent lamp and some box, so halloweeney; like the now generation haven't been "saved", "freed", or "erred" before... (LUP-733)

[Larry G Branch]

Your state of mind is akin to men and allowed your efforts to follow their courses with daily efforts of intentions and programs straight from the heart.
I understand you and I don't hate you.
Live long and prosper.