Editorial – Challenging physics
It is a very exciting time for European and international physics, and I am honoured and delighted to serve as the EPS president for the coming two years. I am also extremely lucky to be assuming this role when EPS in such a wonderful position, with so many new initiatives put in place during the last two years. For this, I would like to take this opportunity to express sincere thanks on behalf of all EPS members for the dedication and hard work of our outgoing president Luisa Cifarelli.
Physics in the coming years and decades faces some pressing challenges. As physicists, we need no convincing of the beauty of our discipline and the central role that it plays in science and in society. Yet we need to work hard so that this is understood widely, and we need to argue passionately in order to ensure continued investment in quality physics education and research for the benefit of all. Research and discovery in physics creates knowledge, provides insight into Nature that is valuable for its own sake, and drives the development of new technologies. Teaching physics gives students an understanding of the universe, while also promoting analytical and quantitative skills in problem-solving readily transferrable to many other careers in addition to academia. Research and education in physics is essential for the economy and for society.
Improving the effectiveness of EPS to successfully advocate for physics research and physics education will be one of my priorities in the coming two years. EPS can play a central role in formulating and communicating coherent and frequent messages to national and European policymakers. Public communication and outreach, and cementing links with learned and professional societies in physics and other disciplines must also be a vital part of this mission.
Whether a student or a senior scientist, we all have a role to play in communicating our enthusiasm and conviction of the importance of physics and its fundamental place in education and research. A learned society such as EPS can take a leading role, but this is a task for all of us. We must all work together in order to ensure that physics continues to retain its central place in science and society within Europe and internationally.
John Dudley
EPS President
