Commentary: Elitism in physics: What happens when the profession’s cultural scaffolding comes down?

Distinguished by its difficulty, versatility, subtlety, and even profundity, modern physics stands among humanity’s great technical intellectual achievements. This success has been enabled continuous cultural entrepreneurship, giving rise to methods, mentalities, institutions that have together fostered both astonishing individual accomplishments an expansive powerful cooperative enterprise.Thanks the work of historians social scientists, we a serviceable understanding underlying physical sciences. In particular, it is possible trace constant tension between building up what physicists are capable out number people who can wield those capabilities. For centuries, story dominated elites inventing new ways replicate propagate themselves.Andrew Warwick’s 2003 history Cambridge University’s mathematical tripos in 19th century, Masters Theory: Rise Mathematical Physics, extraordinary investigation one first places where elite was systematically trained. He details how private coaches, not lecturers, oversaw small groups worked apply emerging analytical tools wide array problems. Innovating practices pen-and-paper calculation enthusiastically participating world university sport, they created culture manliness could prepare students mind body survive, progressively intensify, rigors their work.Although coaching system stressed group learning, also entrenched idea only most were fit be physicists. Its borrowed heavily from Victorian British elite, intended as course general education, fueled return. Only top “wranglers”—as identified on publicly posted, rank-ordered results grueling, multiday exam—actually went into still very enterprise science.Admission Senior Wrangler 1842, Richard Bankes Harraden (1842, public domain). The senior wrangler highest-ranking student exam.PPT|High resolutionUntil well 20th US boasted few theorists; instead, focused mainly more pedestrian experimental work. World War II Cold changed demands for scientific “manpower” spurred departments develop pedagogical methods vastly expanding ranks cutting-edge technological approaches. As historian David Kaiser shown, employers industry appealed talent downplaying nature while advertising professional comforts—“suburbanizing” it, puts it. That, course, took granted that, discipline expanded, demographics would reflect prior generations but similarly white, male mid-20th-century American professionalism.11. D. Kaiser, Hist. Stud. Phys. Biol. Sci. 33, 131 (2002); https://doi.org/10.1525/hsps.2002.33.1.131D. Am. Q. 56, 851 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1353/aq.2004.0059Meanwhile, numbers academic ballooned, reconfigured elitism root universities broadcast with flourishing popular science. Caltech’s Feynman entrepreneurs era, constantly presenting himself curiosity-driven free spirit unlocking secrets universe his surroundings alike. After image decades, he ultimately through best-selling 1985 collection anecdotes, “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!”: Adventures Curious Character.Ostensibly populist, strongly implied you, too, learn about adopting attitude similar his. But content relatively easy him master, habitually glossed over difficulties, relating own frustration derived principally struggles maintain creativity, grinding needed skills development.That emphasis reflected propensity passively identify promote “right stuff,” including efforts actively cultivate talent. At Caltech, Feynman’s famously charismatic introductory undergraduate lectures ideas rather than problem-solving, proved admission dubious value, leaving many school’s brilliant struggling.22. R. P. Feynman, Leighton, M. Sands, Lectures vol. 1, Basic Books (2013), Preface. (For defense see article Matthew Physics Today, April 2005, page 49.) More darkly, known withering dismissiveness directed at guest colloquium speakers deemed unworthy, readily exploited star status abnegate responsibility departmental governance lighten teaching load overall.33. J. Gleick, Genius: Life Science Pantheon (1992).Feynman was, figure, elitist values pervaded profession. anthropologist Sharon Traweek’s classic 1988 study Beamtimes Lifetimes: High Energy Physicists shows norms cutthroat competition, willingness belittle others’ advance one’s own, accepted throughout early-career researchers. Rewarding intensely competitive behavior understood sound way labs allocate leadership positions individuals talented creative enough handle them, though elevated certain personality types backgrounds better prepared them profession’s demands.When Traweek did her research, near beginning now half century effort diversify profession, waged parallel legal political combat discrimination settings generally.44. On backdrop women science, W. Rossiter, Women Scientists America: Forging New Since 1972, Johns Hopkins U. Press (2012). Although progress made intervening years, lags professions recruiting retaining underrepresented groups, often-forbidding contributed problem.55. particular lack African Americans factors involved, AIP National Task Force Elevate Representation Undergraduate & Astronomy, Time Is Now: Systemic Changes Increase Bachelor’s Degrees Institute (2020).But presumption actually necessary forbidding eroding. Fewer giants traverse landscape past eras, may wane. That means diminished become think harder is, cultivated, operates communally, build which thrive.The already being around world. What changes look like ground should discussed forums, specific detail, so successful models replicated adapted problems diagnosed. scaffolding comes down, obligation invest structure beneath make durable possible, creating varieties opening doors ever before.ReferencesSection:ChooseTop pageReferences <<1. https://doi.org/10.1525/hsps.2002.33.1.131, Google ScholarCrossrefD. https://doi.org/10.1353/aq.2004.0059, , ScholarCrossref, ISI2. Scholar3. (1992). Scholar4. Scholar5. (2020). Scholar© 2022 Physics.