Reflecting on the 2010s and Absorbing Wisdom for the 2020s

Welcome to the 2020 Spring edition of Radiations! Since the theme of this issue is “Reflecting on the past, preparing for the future,” I thought this would be a great opportunity to think back on the past 10 years. For many of us in the United States, the start of the 2010s was defined by a devastating recession. It took most of the decade to fight our way out of that recession, and it would be a shame not to acknowledge that struggle. Yet the past decade was also one of innovation and creativity. The 2010s brought the iPad, rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft, money transferring apps like Venmo, smart home assistants and smart watches, and social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat. The 2010s also produced a plethora of pop culture references through television shows like Glee, Game of Thrones, and Orange is the New Black; a rebooting of the Star Wars franchise; the end of the Harry Potter saga; and an ending to the Avengers that ripped our hearts out. Life today has been drastically influenced by the past 10 years; even the way we communicate has adapted to include memes and emojis.

The scientific community also experienced a decade of great prosperity and adaptation. Some of the most notable scientific developments were the detection of the Higgs boson and gravitational waves, the observation of cosmic neutrinos, the Curiosity rover’s exploration of Mars (I recently learned that Curiosity sings “Happy Birthday” to itself, which is amazing), the Hubble eXtreme Deep Field image, and, most recently, the very first image of a black hole. The scientific achievements of the last decade reflect the work of large, mostly international collaborations that include dozens of institutions, or more. This is reflected in the dawning of a new era of astronomy—multimessenger astronomy. Observations of the same event in electromagnetic waves, gravitational waves, and neutrinos can lead to a better understanding of the universe and require the cooperation of many people from all over the globe. This spirit of collaboration is what makes the scientific community successful.

As we begin a new decade, let us not only reflect on where we are today but also set goals and expectations for the next 10 years. Sigma Pi Sigma is approaching its centennial anniversary. Because of this, I encourage you to reflect on what it means to be a Sigma Pi Sigma member. My challenge to you is to be an advocate of science. As we face a climate crisis and a general public that is losing trust in science, it is our responsibility, as Sigma Pi Sigma members, to bring our experiences and expertise into the conversation. Take the time, and the patience, to share your passion for physics with people not affiliated with the scientific community. It is easy to get so wrapped up in our lives, our studies, and our research that we forget how important it is to reach out to nonscientists in a meaningful way.
Thank you, and enjoy this issue of Radiations.