By Benjamin Engle
When Chad Orzel, an associate professor of physics, and his wife adopted Emmy from a local pound, they never knew the German Shepherd mix would become the next 'Queen of Niskayuna.'
According to Orzel's blog, Uncertain Principles, Emmy likes what most dogs enjoy: treats, walks, chasing bunnies, and the food Orzel drops, or doesn't drop, at his computer. But the Queen of Niskayuna differed from most other German Shepherd mixes in that she soon began to take an interest in quantum physics.
Started in 2002, at the end of his first year at Union, Orzel writes in his blog as a way to blow off steam by writing about things he finds interesting or amusing.
"I write about cool new developments in physics, older bits of physics that I think are interesting, life in the lab, life as a college professor, books, movies, and whatever catches my interest," said Orzel. "I'm always a little surprised at how many people are willing to read what I post, but I enjoy it."
Five years later, on May 17, 2007, Orzel decided to write in his blog a conversation he had with Emmy about which universes he dropped steak in and the universes in which she ate those 'imaginary' pieces. However, as he wrote it, he never knew 50,000 people would read it. Of those 50,000 people who came across his blog entry, which was entitled, "Many Worlds, Many Treats," one was an agent who thought that his entry could be expanded into a book. After writing a proposal with his agent, Scribner soon bought it.
"The book happened more or less by accident. I've always carried on elaborate conversations with the dog at home, because it makes my wife laugh," Orzel said. "Inevitably, these ended up including some physics references, because that's what I do."
After many conversations with Emmy and three years of writing, editing, and publishing, Orzel's How to Teach Physics to Your Dog was released in December 2009.
What makes Orzel's book unique is not that he is teaching physics to his dog, but rather that the book is understandable to both those with backgrounds in physics and those without any knowledge of the subject.
"It's aimed at people with no real background in science. I do make reference to a few ideas that people have hopefully heard about-things like momentum and energy-but I try to define everything as it comes up, so even if you've never had a physics class, it should make sense," Orzel added.
Available at major retailers, including Barnes and Noble, Borders, and amazon.com, as well as at the Union College bookstore, Orzel's book has been received positively by readers and reviewers alike.
Orzel's favorite review comment so far, however, has not come from a newspaper reviewer or science critic, but rather from a mother on Amazon who wrote that she bought it for her 11-year-old son.
"The whole ruse of explaining physics to a dog was hilarious to him and really made concrete some of the things that the author was trying to explain," the mother on Amazon wrote. "I had my son explaining to me, laughing, how a dog could walk through a tree if he went slowly enough (with all the physics behind that crazy statement) and then hilariously illustrating what would happen if the dog didn't go quite slow enough. (He'd bonk his head)."
Orzel believes people should read the book for the same reason he wrote it, because "quantum physics is just about the coolest thing ever."
"The things that quantum physics predicts is utterly bizarre-objects in two places at the same time, particles that appear out of nothing and disappear again-but they're absolutely real, and confirmed again and again by experiments," Orzel explained. "The universe that we live in is a much stranger and more amazing place than most people realize."
According to Orzel, one goal in writing the book was to challenge the idea that quantum physics can only be seen with billion-dollar accelerators. In fact, quantum rules have consequences for human's daily lives, including computer and Internet usage.
"And even the sunlight that we're finally getting today is quantum in origin-were it not for the quantum phenomenon called 'tunneling,' it would be impossible for the Sun to fuse hydrogen into helium, and generate the light that makes life on Earth possible," Orzel added.
Writing his book about physics has taught him a lot about the philosophical basis of quantum mechanics and how to become a better teacher.
"They say you never really understand a subject until you teach it to someone else, and that goes double for dogs," Orzel said. "I had a vague idea of how things like the Copenhagen Interpretation and the Many-Worlds Interpretation worked, but getting to understand them enough to be able to explain it to the dog took a lot of work."
Orzel, whose research interests are in the general field of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical (AMO) physics, specifically the laser cooling and trapping of atoms, hopes that readers of his book learn about "some of the cool things about quantum physics."
"I hope that the book helps give people some appreciation of the astonishing things that we learn from modern physics," Orzel added.
Originally published in Union's Concordy on 1/28/10.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Israeli speaker sparks campus debate
By Benjamin Engle
Today, Thursday, January 14, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will be giving a lecture in Memorial Chapel at Union College. Olmert is the first head of state to visit Union, according to the Schenectady Gazette, since former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson's visit in 1967.
The event, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., will only be open to the campus community, plus one guest per Union College ID cardholder. The doors will open at 5:45 p.m.
According to a campus-wide email sent on January 8 by Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Stephen Leavitt, Campus Safety personnel will be checking IDs at the entrance and those without college ID will be required to show a driver's license or passport, as well as be accompanied by someone with a Union ID card.
Olmert, who is sponsored by Union's Speakers Forum club, is visiting the campus despite being a controversial figure around the world. His detractors allege that the Prime Minister and his government committed war crimes against the Palestinian people.?Meanwhile, his supporters are equally passionate in their assertion that his actions and those of his government were taken in the defense of their country.
"We thought this opportunity was too amazing to pass up," said Will Friedman, '10, President of Speakers Forum. "Unlike other world leaders, Olmert does not require to see his questions in advance. He has been a very controversial leader and I thought this could be a very good opportunity for students and faculty to ask him about some of his actions while in office.
Olmert, the twelfth Prime Minister of the State of Israel, became the acting Prime Minister on January 5, 2006, but stepped down as Prime Minister and leader of the Kadima Party in 2008 under pressure over numerous corruption investigations.
While indicted for three counts of corruption, Olmert has pled not guilty at the Jerusalem District Court to charges of illegally accepting funds from an American supporter and double-billing Jewish groups for trips abroad. He has also been blamed for inappropriately handling the 2006 war with Hezbollah in Lebanon and attacks in the Gaza Strip.
As a result of Olmert's controversial history, many students and faculty on campus are against the former Prime Minister's visit.
Presented to Speakers Forum on September 29th by Friedman, an offer to Olmert was verbally agreed to on October 8th.
According to Dean Leavitt, two faculty members, Professors Motahar and Loeb, first approached Leavitt to discuss the terms of Olmert's talk. The meeting, which took place November 23rd, resulted in the discussion of the conditions on which the former Prime Minister was coming to campus. The two professors suggested that Friedman consult with Speakers Forum to consider bringing in speakers with contrary points of view.
"Some people who oppose Prime Minister Olmert have reached out to me regarding their hope that Speakers Forum would follow this event by inviting a Palestinian speaker," Friedman said. "I have not discussed any specifics about that just yet with my club, but I plan on bringing that up at the next meeting."
However, after Leavitt's meeting with Motahar, Loeb, and Friedman, Leavitt received a letter from nine faculty members opposing Olmert's visit to Union. The group, who according to Leavitt, had issues with bringing in someone who was morally offensive to them, met with Leavitt on December, 11th.
"The group outlined their concerns and I listened to them," Leavitt stated. "I was sympathetic to the fact that they would be genuinely hurt if he came to campus."
Leavitt understood that the group had a real moral issue with Olmert's visit and that they would feel violated by the college.
Computer Science Professor Valerie Barr, a faculty member who has a moral issue with the visit, was part of the group who contacted Leavitt, as well as Union College President Stephen Ainlay to express her objections.
"I am against Ehud Olmert coming to Union. I believe in free speech and free exchange of ideas, and I am not opposed to Union inviting a speaker who would present a Zionist perspective. However, I think Olmert is a very bad choice for the college," Barr stated.
While Barr "was raised with unquestioning support for Israel and all its actions," she would rather see Union be in the news for inviting a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, such as former United States President Jimmy Carter rather than Olmert.
In addition to complaints by professors, students, such as Omar Hassib '11, have been critical of Union's administration for allowing Olmert's visit to campus.
"Olmert's visit is huge for Union College. To the layman mind, one would think that the visit would be ok, however, there is the underlying issue of the man himself and his decisions while in office," Hassib said. "By paying him, on top of inviting him, Union is now supporting him and his defense fund."
Hassib believes that the event was scheduled on January 14 because protests would be limited since other nearby campuses are not yet in session and the potential for poor weather conditions. However, according to Friedman, the date was not chosen for any particular reason other than the fact that Memorial Chapel was available and the date worked with Olmert's travel schedule.
As the Concordiensis went to press, a petition urging the Union Administration that the event be cancelled began to circulate through an email.
"We reject the argument that Mr. Olmert's visit is simply that of a 'controversial' individual. We reject the logic that validates such a position, and hold it to be irrational and inconsistent with the intellectual climate we hope to create," the petition stated. "Mr. Olmert's appearance at Union does not contribute to the free exchange of ideas."
Despite the moral controversy emerging on campus, Leavitt realized the problem of security at the event would be an issue in having Olmert give his lecture at Union.
"I learned about Olmert's history of speeches at other schools and the significant security concerns that the other schools dealt with," Leavitt said.
During the former Prime Minister's time in the United States, he has given lectures at various colleges and universities including the University of Chicago, University of Arkansas, University of Kentucky, and Tulane University. Each visit has brought numerous protesters to each respective campus.
After Leavitt's meeting with the professors opposing the former Prime Minister's visit, Leavitt discussed the security concerns with Chris Hayen, Director of Campus Safety on December 16. As a result of Hayen's conversations with the FBI and Secret Service, Leavitt made the decision to cancel Olmert's visit.
"Olmert's people wouldn't tell [Hayen] the necessary security measures until 2 days before the event, which made him uncomfortable," Leavitt said.
Although President Ainlay was traveling during Leavitt's conversations with Campus Safety, according to Leavitt, he was kept briefed on the issue.
"The President was concerned about security and wanted the campus to be safe," Leavitt said.
On December 18, Leavitt broke the news that the event was cancelled to the committee of administrators, faculty, and students who were planning the event. Because Leavitt had not signed a contract with Olmert's agent, the College's attorney told Leavitt that it was legal to cancel the invitation.
Stephen Berk, the Henry and Sally Schaffer Professor of Holocaust and Jewish Studies, a member of the organizing committee, was upset at the decision of Leavitt to cancel.
"It is always important when high ranking officials of an important country that is closely tied with the United States and involved in one of the world's greatest conflicts comes to speak, people can hear the views of himself and his country," Berk said.
Berk believes that free speech is important and if it can't be on a university campus, it can't be observed anywhere.
"Union has a long record of hosting controversial speakers, and I hope that continues in the present," Berk added.
According to the Union College Encyclopedia, many invitations have been given by the College's International Relations Club to controversial speakers, including German-American Bund leader Fritz Kuhn, a well-known Nazi agitator, in 1937; Owen Lattimore, a scholar whom Senator McCarthy called "the top Soviet espionage agent in the United States," in 1950; American communist Herbert Aptheker in 1964; and Arab League spokesman Clovis Maksoud in 1984.
However, after the decision to cancel the visit was made, President Ainlay called Leavitt to make sure that this was the correct action to take. After speaking to campus safety officials at other universities where Olmert had spoken, Hayen compiled a safety report. Based on the report, Leavitt determined that the logistics of bringing Olmert to campus were possible to handle and notified President Ainlay of this knowledge.
The final decision to not cancel the event, according to Leavitt, was decided by himself and President Ainlay.
Hayen believes the Campus Safety Department is prepared for the Prime Minister's visit. Leavitt says that the campus is prepared for demonstrators and that there will be a special area set up for that purpose across from the venue.
"I believe we have done a thorough job and will provide a safe environment on behalf of the Speakers Forum for this student-sponsored event," Hayen said. "Our goals will be to preserve the continuity of essential college functions, continue the goal of Union College in providing for a liberal education that is best attained as one learns about other cultures and one's own, and provide a secure venue for positive programming that strives toward a better understanding about the situation in Israel."
Due of the sensitive nature of the event, Hayen did not want to release specific security information. However, a campus-wide email by Leavitt stated that metal detectors will be posted at the entrance of Memorial Chapel. Speakers Forum will not be paying for security measures for the event.
In advance of the Prime Minster's visit, on Tuesday, Hillel hosted a conversation on Israel with Professor Berk and on Wednesday, Campus Action hosted "Day of Dialogue: Ehud Olmert and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict," a panel discussion made up of Professor Berk, Professor Feffer, and Professor Tadros.
According to Campus Action President, [Campus Action President Name Redacted] '11, the organization is not anti-Israel or pro-Palestine, but exists to present education to the campus. Outside of the club, however, [Campus Action President Name Redacted] predicts demonstrations will take place.
"Campus Action does not support any disruptive actions during the speech," [Campus Action President Name Redacted] said. "I do predict there will be individuals who will do this. There will be demonstrations outside, but they have the right to present their thoughts."
[Campus Action President Name Redacted], who believed that it was not Campus Action's mission to take sides and therefore will not distribute information at the event, believes that people outside of the group will distribute pamphlets to help facilitate discussion.
"By not organizing everyone into a group such as Campus Action, they are free to act on their own beliefs and not obligated to adhere to a collective message," added [Campus Action President Name Redacted].
While the event will take place, Leavitt, who will be attending the lecture, admits that he did not handle the situation well.
"I would apologize to those hurt," Leavitt said. "Feelings will be hurt by bringing in controversial speakers."
Going forward, Leavitt plans to create a set of procedures to decide who comes to campus to talk through issues such as morals and security.
"There is a strong emphasis at Union to foster free speech, it is everything the whole academy is based on" Leavitt commented. "People are free to protest, but people also have the right to speak. It is a slippery slope when you just start canceling things."
Friedman, despite the controversial decision to invite Olmert to campus, stands by his decision 100%, "If Speakers Forum did not bring controversial speakers to campus, then I would not be doing my job."
As of going to press, the details of the Question-and-Answer portion of the lecture had not been finalized.
"I am truly sorry that people are upset with my club for deciding to invite Prime Minister Olmert to Union," Friedman added. "That being said, I encourage everyone who is upset to come listen to Olmert's speech and then submit a question challenging him on some of his actions throughout his term in Israel."
Originally published in Union College's Concordy on 1/14/10. Original article archived at Concordy.com & Union College Schaffer Library.
Note: The Campus Action President's name was redacted upon personal 2014 request.
Today, Thursday, January 14, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will be giving a lecture in Memorial Chapel at Union College. Olmert is the first head of state to visit Union, according to the Schenectady Gazette, since former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson's visit in 1967.
The event, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., will only be open to the campus community, plus one guest per Union College ID cardholder. The doors will open at 5:45 p.m.
According to a campus-wide email sent on January 8 by Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Stephen Leavitt, Campus Safety personnel will be checking IDs at the entrance and those without college ID will be required to show a driver's license or passport, as well as be accompanied by someone with a Union ID card.
Olmert, who is sponsored by Union's Speakers Forum club, is visiting the campus despite being a controversial figure around the world. His detractors allege that the Prime Minister and his government committed war crimes against the Palestinian people.?Meanwhile, his supporters are equally passionate in their assertion that his actions and those of his government were taken in the defense of their country.
"We thought this opportunity was too amazing to pass up," said Will Friedman, '10, President of Speakers Forum. "Unlike other world leaders, Olmert does not require to see his questions in advance. He has been a very controversial leader and I thought this could be a very good opportunity for students and faculty to ask him about some of his actions while in office.
Olmert, the twelfth Prime Minister of the State of Israel, became the acting Prime Minister on January 5, 2006, but stepped down as Prime Minister and leader of the Kadima Party in 2008 under pressure over numerous corruption investigations.
While indicted for three counts of corruption, Olmert has pled not guilty at the Jerusalem District Court to charges of illegally accepting funds from an American supporter and double-billing Jewish groups for trips abroad. He has also been blamed for inappropriately handling the 2006 war with Hezbollah in Lebanon and attacks in the Gaza Strip.
As a result of Olmert's controversial history, many students and faculty on campus are against the former Prime Minister's visit.
Presented to Speakers Forum on September 29th by Friedman, an offer to Olmert was verbally agreed to on October 8th.
According to Dean Leavitt, two faculty members, Professors Motahar and Loeb, first approached Leavitt to discuss the terms of Olmert's talk. The meeting, which took place November 23rd, resulted in the discussion of the conditions on which the former Prime Minister was coming to campus. The two professors suggested that Friedman consult with Speakers Forum to consider bringing in speakers with contrary points of view.
"Some people who oppose Prime Minister Olmert have reached out to me regarding their hope that Speakers Forum would follow this event by inviting a Palestinian speaker," Friedman said. "I have not discussed any specifics about that just yet with my club, but I plan on bringing that up at the next meeting."
However, after Leavitt's meeting with Motahar, Loeb, and Friedman, Leavitt received a letter from nine faculty members opposing Olmert's visit to Union. The group, who according to Leavitt, had issues with bringing in someone who was morally offensive to them, met with Leavitt on December, 11th.
"The group outlined their concerns and I listened to them," Leavitt stated. "I was sympathetic to the fact that they would be genuinely hurt if he came to campus."
Leavitt understood that the group had a real moral issue with Olmert's visit and that they would feel violated by the college.
Computer Science Professor Valerie Barr, a faculty member who has a moral issue with the visit, was part of the group who contacted Leavitt, as well as Union College President Stephen Ainlay to express her objections.
"I am against Ehud Olmert coming to Union. I believe in free speech and free exchange of ideas, and I am not opposed to Union inviting a speaker who would present a Zionist perspective. However, I think Olmert is a very bad choice for the college," Barr stated.
While Barr "was raised with unquestioning support for Israel and all its actions," she would rather see Union be in the news for inviting a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, such as former United States President Jimmy Carter rather than Olmert.
In addition to complaints by professors, students, such as Omar Hassib '11, have been critical of Union's administration for allowing Olmert's visit to campus.
"Olmert's visit is huge for Union College. To the layman mind, one would think that the visit would be ok, however, there is the underlying issue of the man himself and his decisions while in office," Hassib said. "By paying him, on top of inviting him, Union is now supporting him and his defense fund."
Hassib believes that the event was scheduled on January 14 because protests would be limited since other nearby campuses are not yet in session and the potential for poor weather conditions. However, according to Friedman, the date was not chosen for any particular reason other than the fact that Memorial Chapel was available and the date worked with Olmert's travel schedule.
As the Concordiensis went to press, a petition urging the Union Administration that the event be cancelled began to circulate through an email.
"We reject the argument that Mr. Olmert's visit is simply that of a 'controversial' individual. We reject the logic that validates such a position, and hold it to be irrational and inconsistent with the intellectual climate we hope to create," the petition stated. "Mr. Olmert's appearance at Union does not contribute to the free exchange of ideas."
Despite the moral controversy emerging on campus, Leavitt realized the problem of security at the event would be an issue in having Olmert give his lecture at Union.
"I learned about Olmert's history of speeches at other schools and the significant security concerns that the other schools dealt with," Leavitt said.
During the former Prime Minister's time in the United States, he has given lectures at various colleges and universities including the University of Chicago, University of Arkansas, University of Kentucky, and Tulane University. Each visit has brought numerous protesters to each respective campus.
After Leavitt's meeting with the professors opposing the former Prime Minister's visit, Leavitt discussed the security concerns with Chris Hayen, Director of Campus Safety on December 16. As a result of Hayen's conversations with the FBI and Secret Service, Leavitt made the decision to cancel Olmert's visit.
"Olmert's people wouldn't tell [Hayen] the necessary security measures until 2 days before the event, which made him uncomfortable," Leavitt said.
Although President Ainlay was traveling during Leavitt's conversations with Campus Safety, according to Leavitt, he was kept briefed on the issue.
"The President was concerned about security and wanted the campus to be safe," Leavitt said.
On December 18, Leavitt broke the news that the event was cancelled to the committee of administrators, faculty, and students who were planning the event. Because Leavitt had not signed a contract with Olmert's agent, the College's attorney told Leavitt that it was legal to cancel the invitation.
Stephen Berk, the Henry and Sally Schaffer Professor of Holocaust and Jewish Studies, a member of the organizing committee, was upset at the decision of Leavitt to cancel.
"It is always important when high ranking officials of an important country that is closely tied with the United States and involved in one of the world's greatest conflicts comes to speak, people can hear the views of himself and his country," Berk said.
Berk believes that free speech is important and if it can't be on a university campus, it can't be observed anywhere.
"Union has a long record of hosting controversial speakers, and I hope that continues in the present," Berk added.
According to the Union College Encyclopedia, many invitations have been given by the College's International Relations Club to controversial speakers, including German-American Bund leader Fritz Kuhn, a well-known Nazi agitator, in 1937; Owen Lattimore, a scholar whom Senator McCarthy called "the top Soviet espionage agent in the United States," in 1950; American communist Herbert Aptheker in 1964; and Arab League spokesman Clovis Maksoud in 1984.
However, after the decision to cancel the visit was made, President Ainlay called Leavitt to make sure that this was the correct action to take. After speaking to campus safety officials at other universities where Olmert had spoken, Hayen compiled a safety report. Based on the report, Leavitt determined that the logistics of bringing Olmert to campus were possible to handle and notified President Ainlay of this knowledge.
The final decision to not cancel the event, according to Leavitt, was decided by himself and President Ainlay.
Hayen believes the Campus Safety Department is prepared for the Prime Minister's visit. Leavitt says that the campus is prepared for demonstrators and that there will be a special area set up for that purpose across from the venue.
"I believe we have done a thorough job and will provide a safe environment on behalf of the Speakers Forum for this student-sponsored event," Hayen said. "Our goals will be to preserve the continuity of essential college functions, continue the goal of Union College in providing for a liberal education that is best attained as one learns about other cultures and one's own, and provide a secure venue for positive programming that strives toward a better understanding about the situation in Israel."
Due of the sensitive nature of the event, Hayen did not want to release specific security information. However, a campus-wide email by Leavitt stated that metal detectors will be posted at the entrance of Memorial Chapel. Speakers Forum will not be paying for security measures for the event.
In advance of the Prime Minster's visit, on Tuesday, Hillel hosted a conversation on Israel with Professor Berk and on Wednesday, Campus Action hosted "Day of Dialogue: Ehud Olmert and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict," a panel discussion made up of Professor Berk, Professor Feffer, and Professor Tadros.
According to Campus Action President, [Campus Action President Name Redacted] '11, the organization is not anti-Israel or pro-Palestine, but exists to present education to the campus. Outside of the club, however, [Campus Action President Name Redacted] predicts demonstrations will take place.
"Campus Action does not support any disruptive actions during the speech," [Campus Action President Name Redacted] said. "I do predict there will be individuals who will do this. There will be demonstrations outside, but they have the right to present their thoughts."
[Campus Action President Name Redacted], who believed that it was not Campus Action's mission to take sides and therefore will not distribute information at the event, believes that people outside of the group will distribute pamphlets to help facilitate discussion.
"By not organizing everyone into a group such as Campus Action, they are free to act on their own beliefs and not obligated to adhere to a collective message," added [Campus Action President Name Redacted].
While the event will take place, Leavitt, who will be attending the lecture, admits that he did not handle the situation well.
"I would apologize to those hurt," Leavitt said. "Feelings will be hurt by bringing in controversial speakers."
Going forward, Leavitt plans to create a set of procedures to decide who comes to campus to talk through issues such as morals and security.
"There is a strong emphasis at Union to foster free speech, it is everything the whole academy is based on" Leavitt commented. "People are free to protest, but people also have the right to speak. It is a slippery slope when you just start canceling things."
Friedman, despite the controversial decision to invite Olmert to campus, stands by his decision 100%, "If Speakers Forum did not bring controversial speakers to campus, then I would not be doing my job."
As of going to press, the details of the Question-and-Answer portion of the lecture had not been finalized.
"I am truly sorry that people are upset with my club for deciding to invite Prime Minister Olmert to Union," Friedman added. "That being said, I encourage everyone who is upset to come listen to Olmert's speech and then submit a question challenging him on some of his actions throughout his term in Israel."
Originally published in Union College's Concordy on 1/14/10. Original article archived at Concordy.com & Union College Schaffer Library.
Note: The Campus Action President's name was redacted upon personal 2014 request.
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