What’s in a Name
Inspired by the controversy surrounding the name of the James Webb Space Telescope, the UCF’s SPS chapter hosted a panel on diversity in physics. Images courtesy of the UCF SPS chapter.
“So who was the JWST actually named after?” This question came up after an SPS chapter meeting at the University of Central Florida (UCF) during which we talked about developments in high-energy physics and cosmology. Many of our eager, astronomy-oriented undergraduates were buzzing about the James Webb Space Telescope’s (JWST’s) recent launch and the fascinating science it would reveal. I had asked this same question a while ago, and unbeknownst to most of our chapter members, it had already become the basis for a future event—an event that would turn out to be one of the most popular and meaningful activities of the year.
UCF’s SPS chapter leaders take time out for a quick photo.
After asking myself who James Webb was, I had come to learn that there was a fair bit of controversy surrounding him and the naming of the telescope. Webb was the administrator of NASA during much of the 1960s and has been accused of deliberately letting go of NASA employees because of their sexual orientation. This aligned with similar governmental directives spanning the federal workforce, which historians have labeled the Lavender Scare (see
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Future Faces of Physics Awards of up to $500 are available for chapter programs or events that promote physics across cultures. Learn more at spsnational.org/awards/future-faces .
