2008 Physics and Astronomy Congress Scientific Citizenship: Connecting Physics and Society
About the 2008 Congress
More than 600 physics students, faculty and Sigma Pi Sigma alumni gathered at Fermilab in Batavia, IL, Nov. 6-8, 2008, for the 2008 Quadrennial Congress. They spent a packed weekend making new connections, interacting with Fermilab scientists and distinguished speakers, debating common concerns for the discipline and society, and touring Fermilab’s unique experiments and grounds.
Congress Highlights from SPS Chapter Reporters
This compilation of articles by SPS Chapter Reporters captures the full depth and breadth of the 2008 Congress.
Inaugural Congress Art Awards
The Fermilab grounds boast unique architecture and art. Founding director Robert R. Wilson, a renowned physicist and an accomplished artist and sculptor, believed that a research laboratory should be a cultural center for the community and the nation. In celebration of Wilson’s vision, Congress participants created more than 30 works of art for display and/or judging at the Congress.
Program and Resources
2008 Congress Photo Gallery
Photo by Phillip Payette
Photo by Phillip Payette
Photo by Phillip Payette
Photo by Phillip Payette
Photo by Phillip Payette
Photo by Phillip Payette
Photo by Phillip Payette
Photo by Phillip Payette
Photo by Phillip Payette
Photo by Phillip Payette
Photo by Phillip Payette
Photo by Phillip Payette
Photo by Phillip Payette
Photo by Phillip Payette
Attendees from Rhodes College.
The reflecting pool in front of Fermilab’s Wilson Hall.
Fermilab’s linear accelerator.
Dr. Jill Tarter with a student.
Dr. Young-Kee Kim with a student.
Students participated in a discussion group.
A student presents during the poster session.
Messages from Our Participants
PhysCon is a unique and incredible meeting. The 2008 Congress was held at Fermilab in Batavia, IL. More than 600 people attended: a mix of physics students, faculty, and alumni. I was in my first year as a physics major when I attended the 2008 Congress with 7 other students from my school. It was the largest meeting I had ever attended as an undergraduate; there were physicists everywhere! There were plenary talks, there were presentations, there was an art contest, there were tours of FermiLab, and there were roundtable discussions (workshops). The workshops were a brand-new experience for me; in class you sit in lecture, you go back to the lab and do your problems, and you go back to lecture. We had workshops at the 2008 Congress where people sat around and debated scientific citizenship, scientific ethics, the importance of the scientist in society – it was a truly indescribable feeling. For me, it was affirmation that I had chosen the right major and that the physics community had an outstanding future ahead.
Some sessions got a little heated as we covered some very touchy political issues, but the overall format was open, inclusive, and constructive to the goals of Congress.
[An] impact the Congress had on me was the friends I made. Even three years later, I still keep in touch with some of the students I met there. Whenever I have questions about what I should do after getting my bachelor’s degree, I write out physics students across the nation… When I think back to the 2008 Congress, I can see how much I have matured academically. It will be great to attend the next Congress, so I can continue growing even more.
