2005 was the World Year of Physics, and a number of communications efforts materialized out of that year. It was a chance not just to highlight the past and future of the field, but the people engaged daily in the work of physics. Like all other sciences, physics is a people-driven enterprise that requires a diversity of ideas, talent, and backgrounds to make progress. Communicating the humanity of the field was one of the major outcomes of that year.
A leading effort on this front was the Quantum Diaries [1], a blog-based project to get active (and younger) members of the field speaking about themselves, their work, their lives, and their trials and tribulations. Many of us discovered new colleagues, or followed friends, during the year in which that project was active. Quantum Diaries closed at the end of 2005.
The project has been re-opened now, after a three year hiatus. A new generation of bloggers has been recruited by the communications team leading this project. I invite you to follow them as their threads spread through the community.
And can I make a personal recommendation? A friend of mine is one of the bloggers. A student in neutrino physics, she’s got a great perspective on the field. Check it out: Nicole’s Quantum Diary
[1] http://quantumdiaries.org/
