Why did I become a Physicist?
I love to explore. I love to understand. I love questions.
At least for me it's largely a combination of curiosity, wonder, and that I generally enjoy the day-to-day activities that go with being a scientist. I really enjoy understanding the character of things. And once I understand one part of something, I enjoy trying to figure out more about it. I get to build things, set up experiments, see if it works (and most often, try to understand why it DIDN'T work!), to design things, run computer simulations, solve interesting math or physics problems, etc... "Work" largely consists of solving all sorts of "brain teaser" problems, both on paper and in the real world. I get paid to think about fun things and then to go look for them in a lab.
Another important fact for me is contributing to efforts I think of as worthwhile such as alternative fuels, technology, and energy. Indeed, a large part, if not the primary mission, of Argonne Lab is devoted to researching and understanding physical phenomena which will help solve the nation’s (and the world's) energy problems (or to at least make them more manageable).
Science Education and Outreach is also very important to me. Communicating with physics students at a university; performing science demonstrations in settings such as public schools, as well as amateur science and astronomy groups are all things that I believe are valuable and worthwhile pursuits. I also find tremendous joy in simply setting up a homemade telescope outside my door and letting whoever comes by have a look at the heavens.
Life Outside the Lab
I am very happily married to my wife Kerri. We live outside of Chicago together with our two tabby cats, Bella, Buckley and Linus. My wife and family has always been very supportive of me and I am truly blessed to have Kerri in my life. Kerri is an avid lover of birds and frequently experiences “bird rapture.”
I’ve long enjoyed cycling, racing, green plants, jazz, books, and computer games.
The picture above is obviously not me, rather it is my cat Dr. Buckley. Dr. Buck rarely approves of anything I do. I’m glad he was not on my thesis committee for my own dissertation. I doubt he would have ever let me finish. Dr. Buck does approve of long naps, being left in peace, frequent feedings and imprisonment of all veterinarians. Oddly, Dr. Buckley does approve of guitars and guitar playing. I can’t tell if he prefers jazz standards, fusion, or classical, but he has an odd attraction to all of it. He will tell you his name is *not after William F...