A few highlights from the Global Physics Summit in March
More than 14,000 people registered for the Global Physics Summit in Los Angeles. Some joined remotely, but judging by the crowds, a good portion attended in person! There’s always many talks and activities to see and hear during this very full week, and I enjoyed many different sessions. FIAP had a full program organized by FIAP Vice Chair Marilena Longobardi with a strong focus on Quantum Science including talks about a broad range of activities in the private sector. This meshed very well with the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, and Marilena deserves our thanks for arranging these sessions and also for organizing a variety of Quantum activities the weekend before the GPS. Thank you, Marilena!
A new feature this year was the Industry Room, a large meeting room where the focus was on physics careers in the private sector. There were panel discussions in partnership with other APS Units and with APS Careers including the annual “Meet Your Future” pizza lunch on Monday. The Industry Room schedule included many speakers with experience in the private sector who shared work experiences and career advice. The room was often full, showing the high level of interest in topics related to physics careers. This experiment went very well and I hope it will be back in 2026.
FIAP wrapped up the meeting with the Industry Day Closing Reception on Thursday afternoon. Hundreds of people came to an upper level patio and enjoyed refreshments and networking. Other units partnered with FIAP to fund this event, and the leaders gave brief remarks about helping physicists expand their career opportunities. Great way to wrap up the GPS!
My favorite session this year was W-10 “Physics for Everyone” at 8AM on Friday, a challenge to attend given the early hour and so late in the conference. The first talk by Robert Dudley of UC Berkeley featured slow motion videos from his lab of hummingbirds flying through openings and in wind tunnels with turbulence. It was amazing that these tiny birds could effortlessly navigate such artificial conditions. Other speakers discussed the history of physicists and wine, physics analysis of athletics, novel aspects of physics in music, and neuromorphic computing. This session was sponsored by the Division of Materials Physics and was well-attended.
The GPS next year will be held in Denver March 16-20, 2026. Hope to see you there!
Top