US physics research and education are in good shape but are having some growing pains, according to the recently‐issued Pake report. There are problems in administration, manpower utilization, advanced degrees, applied research and, most of all, financial support. The current budget squeeze is too tight; expenditures should increase by at least 21% a year until 1970.
National Academy of Sciences Physics Survey Committee
PHYSICS: SURVEY AND OUTLOOK, a report that assesses physics research and teaching in the United States and spells out requirements for future growth of the science, has been released by the National Academy of Sciences. The report is based on studies made during 1964 and 1965 by the Physics Survey Committee, an 18‐member group working under the auspices of NAS’s Committee on Science and Public Policy. The Physics Survey Committee was headed by George E. Pake, provost of Washington University in St. Louis and a member of the President’s Science Advisory Committee.
Research exchanges between US and Soviet scientists during the second half of the 20th century may be instructive for navigating today’s debates on scientific collaboration.
The Eisenhower administration dismissed the director of the National Bureau of Standards in 1953. Suspecting political interference with the agency’s research, scientists fought back—and won.
Alternative undergraduate physics courses expand access to students and address socioeconomic barriers that prevent many of them from entering physics and engineering fields. The courses also help all students develop quantitative skills.
Defying the often-perceived incompatibility between the two subjects, some physicists are using poetry to communicate science and to explore the human side of their work.
Positron emission tomography’s ability to image the body’s biochemistry, not just its anatomy, makes it a powerful tool for detecting diseases.
September 01, 2025 12:00 AM
Get PT in your inbox
Physics Today - The Week in Physics
The Week in Physics" is likely a reference to the regular updates or summaries of new physics research, such as those found in publications like Physics Today from AIP Publishing or on news aggregators like Phys.org.