Rebecca Caroline Thompson is an American physicist, popular science writer, and head of the Office of Education and Public Outreach at Fermilab. Her first book, Fire, Ice, and Physics, explores the science of Game of Thrones, and was published by MIT Press in 2019. She was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2016.
Thompson was born in Chicago and raised near Annapolis, Maryland. Her father was a physicist and her mother a high school principal.[1] Thompson was encouraged by one of her friends to take a class in physics, and enjoyed it so much she decided to study it at university.[1] She was the youngest person in Delaware to get her skydiving license.[2]
Thompson majored in physics at Bryn Mawr College. She moved to the University of Texas at Austin for her graduate studies, where she studied pattern formation in buckled membranes using computational modeling. She worked under the supervision of Michael Marder in the Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics. Specifically, she looked at the morphology of nano-flowers that form at the tip of silicon nanowires as well as the formation of ripples in sheets of graphene.[3] The silicon nanowire tips form nano-flowers when in the presence of different gases. In the nano-flower formation process, the nanowires extend, and intricate patterns of silicon oxide start to form.[1] She has shown that the nanowires extend more in the presence of gold, and that nano-flowers only form in the presence of oxygen.[1] She reported that ripples in graphene sheets can be understood by considering the adsorption of hydroxide molecules in random sites across the graphene layers.[4] The process of adsorbing hydroxide causes the carbon – carbon bonds to extend, which can result in static buckling.[4] During her graduate studies, she became more interested in teaching and doing physics outreach.[2]
Careeredit
In 2008, Thompson joined the American Physical Society as Head of Public Outreach. At APS, Thompson created the comic series Spectra: The Original Laser Superhero.[5] The series, illustrated by Kerry G. Johnson and published by Physics Central,[6] followed a middle school student (Lucy Hene) with laser-related superpowers.[7][8] These included being able to pass through transparent surfaces, change colors depending on her levels of energy and play compact discs.[8] The comic book was popular amongst physicist and comic book readers, and was part of the annual comic book conventionSan Diego Comi-Con'.[7]
Thompson was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2016.[9] Thompson is a fan of Game of Thrones, and wrote Fire, Ice, and Physics, the Science of Game of Thrones for MIT Press in 2019.[10][11] In 2019 Thompson joined Fermilab as Head of the Office of Education and Public Outreach.[12]
Selected publicationsedit
Thompson, Rebecca C. (2020). Fire, Ice, and Physics: The science of Game of Thrones. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press. ISBN978-0-262-04307-6. OCLC 1083675174.
Referencesedit
^ abcd. www.physicscentral.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
^"Rebecca C. Thompson". MIT Press. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
^"Dr Rebecca Thompson and the Science of "Game of Thrones"". Slice of SciFi. 2019-12-08. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
^"Fermilab welcomes Rebecca Thompson as head of the Office of Education and Public Outreach". Retrieved 2021-04-11.
May 12, 2024
rebecca, thompson, rebecca, caroline, thompson, american, physicist, popular, science, writer, head, office, education, public, outreach, fermilab, first, book, fire, physics, explores, science, game, thrones, published, press, 2019, elected, fellow, american,. Rebecca Caroline Thompson is an American physicist popular science writer and head of the Office of Education and Public Outreach at Fermilab Her first book Fire Ice and Physics explores the science of Game of Thrones and was published by MIT Press in 2019 She was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2016 Rebecca Caroline ThompsonBornChicagoAlma materUniversity of Texas at Austin Bryn Mawr CollegeScientific careerInstitutionsAmerican Physical Society FermiLabThesisFlowers in three dimensions and beyond 2007 Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career 3 Selected publications 4 ReferencesEarly life and education editThompson was born in Chicago and raised near Annapolis Maryland Her father was a physicist and her mother a high school principal 1 Thompson was encouraged by one of her friends to take a class in physics and enjoyed it so much she decided to study it at university 1 She was the youngest person in Delaware to get her skydiving license 2 Thompson majored in physics at Bryn Mawr College She moved to the University of Texas at Austin for her graduate studies where she studied pattern formation in buckled membranes using computational modeling She worked under the supervision of Michael Marder in the Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics Specifically she looked at the morphology of nano flowers that form at the tip of silicon nanowires as well as the formation of ripples in sheets of graphene 3 The silicon nanowire tips form nano flowers when in the presence of different gases In the nano flower formation process the nanowires extend and intricate patterns of silicon oxide start to form 1 She has shown that the nanowires extend more in the presence of gold and that nano flowers only form in the presence of oxygen 1 She reported that ripples in graphene sheets can be understood by considering the adsorption of hydroxide molecules in random sites across the graphene layers 4 The process of adsorbing hydroxide causes the carbon carbon bonds to extend which can result in static buckling 4 During her graduate studies she became more interested in teaching and doing physics outreach 2 Career editIn 2008 Thompson joined the American Physical Society as Head of Public Outreach At APS Thompson created the comic series Spectra The Original Laser Superhero 5 The series illustrated by Kerry G Johnson and published by Physics Central 6 followed a middle school student Lucy Hene with laser related superpowers 7 8 These included being able to pass through transparent surfaces change colors depending on her levels of energy and play compact discs 8 The comic book was popular amongst physicist and comic book readers and was part of the annual comic book convention San Diego Comi Con 7 Thompson was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2016 9 Thompson is a fan of Game of Thrones and wrote Fire Ice and Physics the Science of Game of Thrones for MIT Press in 2019 10 11 In 2019 Thompson joined Fermilab as Head of the Office of Education and Public Outreach 12 Selected publications editThompson Rebecca C 2020 Fire Ice and Physics The science of Game of Thrones Cambridge Massachusetts MIT Press ISBN 978 0 262 04307 6 OCLC 1083675174 References edit a b c d Becky Thompson PhysicsCentral www physicscentral com Archived from the original on May 9 2021 Retrieved 2021 04 11 a b Biron Lauren 12 September 2019 Q amp A Becky Thompson Retrieved 2021 04 11 Thompson Rebecca Caroline December 2007 Flowers in three dimensions and beyond Bibcode 2007PhDT 174T hdl 2152 29682 OCLC 908351172 Wikidata Q106466069 a b Thompson Flagg R C Moura M J B Marder M 2009 Rippling of graphene EPL Europhysics Letters 85 4 46002 arXiv 0807 2938 Bibcode 2009EL 8546002T doi 10 1209 0295 5075 85 46002 ISSN 0295 5075 S2CID 119024976 Thompson Becky APS CUWiP 2018 at KU 2017 08 14 Retrieved 2021 04 11 Thompson Flagg Rebecca 2010 PhysicsQuest Spectra PDF Illustrated by Kerry G Johnson American Physical Society Retrieved 2021 04 11 a b Spectra Takes on San Diego Comic Con www aps org Retrieved 2021 04 11 a b Comic Book Physics Enlightening Science for All Society of Physics Students 2016 12 12 Retrieved 2021 04 11 APS Fellow Archive www aps org Retrieved 2021 04 11 Rebecca C Thompson MIT Press Retrieved 2021 04 11 Dr Rebecca Thompson and the Science of Game of Thrones Slice of SciFi 2019 12 08 Retrieved 2021 04 11 Fermilab welcomes Rebecca Thompson as head of the Office of Education and Public Outreach Retrieved 2021 04 11 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rebecca Thompson amp oldid 1179142273, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
