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Physics in 1976—a personal account

APR 01, 1977
The 1976 term of the President of The American Physical Society—“a somewhat opinionated and anecdotal revelation, with reflections on the physicist’s image and role in society.”
William A. Fowler

It was a great honor to serve as President of The American Physical Society during the Bicentennial year of the United States. In this article I will report briefly on the accomplishments of the APS in 1976 and then move on to a more personal account—my own feelings and impressions of the image of the physicist and his role in the larger society. I hope to do away with a few stereotypes, shatter some myths and, finally, outline the potential for physicists making greater contributions to the solution of societal problems than they have ever done before. I will start with the commemoration of the Bicentennial.

This article is only available in PDF format

More about the Authors

William A. Fowler. California Institute of Technology.

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This Content Appeared In
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Volume 30, Number 4

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