Announcer, Vol. 33, Iss. 4

In 2005, the physics community will come together in an unprecedented celebration and commemoration of Einstein’s “year of miracles.” AAPT is asking our members to participate in this effort to enhance the appreciation and understanding of physics by the public.

In 1905, Einstein published papers on the special theory of relativity, an explanation of the photoelectric effect, and the use of Brownian motion to demonstrate the reality of atoms and to estimate their size. To commemorate the centennial of this remarkable year, in 2002, following an initiative of the European Physical Society (EPS), the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) passed a resolution declaring 2005 to be the World Year of Physics (WYP).

The hourglass logo is going to become increasingly visible in the coming months. It is a call to action to start preparing for this celebration that is little more than one year away.

Public Outreach Activities
Rather than holding one large event, multiple associations are working together to coordinate a year-long series of events, exhibits, and other physics-related activities worldwide.

AAPT is cooperating with the American Physical Society (APS) and American Institute of Physics (AIP) to coordinate the American activities associated with the WYP 2005, under the general theme of “Einstein in the 21st Century.”

One of our Association’s strengths is our members and their commitment to helping others develop an appreciation of physics through a variety of means. We ask that you use the venues in which you already participate to spread knowledge about the World Year of Physics.

AAPT is encouraging physics departments to brand their public lectures, demonstration shows, open houses, and other outreach activities with the WYP 2005 logo. Make them part of the WYP 2005 public outreach effort. We are planning events in which physics departments can participate and will also disseminate information to K-12 schools. We are working to encourage amusement parks to market their physics day in 2005 as part of the World Year of Physics celebration. And, in 2005, we will brand our own public events, such as the AAPT Physics Bowl, with the World Year of Physics logo.

A website (http://www.physics2005.org) has been set up to publicize and help coordinate efforts. In addition to providing input on how you can participate, the site also gives background on the World Year of Physics. And coming in 2004, you’ll be able to submit your event to the online National WYP2005 Events Calendar. This will allow others across the country to learn more about your event and possibly increase attendance.

Support of Congressional Resolution
In addition to working with our members to help plan events, the leaders of the association are working with sister societies to seek support for a Congressional resolution endorsing the designation of 2005 as the World Year of Physics. Constituent input is very important to members of Congress. AAPT plans to call upon our members to have you contact your legislators and indicate your support for this resolution. We will provide more information on how you can help in a future email blast.

Also occurring are efforts to introduce a motion in the United Nations General Assembly to have it declare 2005 the International Year of Physics — as opposed to the “World Year of Physics” declared by IUPAP. Approval by the United Nations of the designation of an International Year of Physics would raise the profile of the World Year of Physics and give it added visibility in countries around the world.

The WYP Logo
We hope that the WYP logo helps to raise the visibility of this series of events. Electronic versions of the logo are available for download at the website mentioned above.

Since its introduction by the European Physical Society, the logo has been subject to divergent interpretations. To physicists, it signifies a light cone, while to the general public, most of whom have never heard of a light cone, it most frequently is seen as an hourglass, symbolizing Einstein’s profound insight into the relativity of time. The colors are probably merely decorative, but it has been suggested that, in the light cone interpretation, the future is blue because we are rushing toward it and hence it is blue-shifted, whereas we are moving away from the red-shifted past. No one has yet provided a convincing interpretation of the green and yellow colors of the diagonal members.

For more information about AAPT’s WYP efforts contact Warren Hein at whein@aapt.org.