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Students from Professor Cornelia Lang's Radio Astronomy course visit North Liberty's Very Large Baseline Array (VLBA) telescope, part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). |
Physics is the most basic science, its laws describing force and
motion, electricity, magnetism, light, heat, waves, the quantum
world, and the nature of time, space, and gravity. In describing
the fundamental principles of the world around us, physics has provided
the keys to some of the world's most widely used technological
developments. Fiber-optical communications, global positioning systems,
compact discs, computers, and special polymers used in clothing
for extreme conditions are among the advances fostered by physics
research. Physicists have helped drive medical advances in technologies
such as magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound. Physicists play
a special role in developing alternate energy sources, such as solar,
wind, and nuclear power, and in developing energy-efficient technologies.
These advances have been made because physicists and astronomers
are problem solvers who design and use powerful instruments to explore
everything from the tiniest particle to the ends of the universe.
For instance, powerful particle accelerators examine the fundamental
building blocks of matter, helping us understand how the universe
began. Scanning-tunneling microscopes and ultrafast lasers probe
novel materials and processes. Optical, X-ray, and radio telescopes
look outward to the galactic center and at the phenomena of the
cosmos.
At The University of Iowa, one of the nation's top public
universities, physics and astronomy students are taught in small
classes by professors who are the leading researchers in their fields.
An undergraduate degree in physics and astronomy is the "liberal
arts technical degree," giving students a broad-based science
education that enables immediate employment after graduation or
enrollment in a variety of graduate programs. |
