Carl Wieman

Carl Edwin Wieman (born March 26,

1951) is an American physicist and Carl Edwin Wieman
educationist at Stanford University, and
currently the A. D. White Professor at
Large at Cornell University.[1] In 1995,
while at the University of Colorado
Boulder, he and Eric Allin Cornell
produced the first true Bose–Einstein
condensate (BEC) and, in 2001, they and
Wolfgang Ketterle (for further BEC
studies) were awarded the Nobel Prize in
Physics. Wieman currently holds a joint
appointment as Professor of Physics and
Professor in the Stanford Graduate
School of Education, as well as the DRC Wieman in 2024
Professor in the Stanford University
Born March 26, 1951
School of Engineering. In 2020, Wieman
Corvallis, Oregon, U.S.
was awarded the Yidan Prize in
Alma mater MIT
Education Research for "his contribution
Stanford University
in developing new techniques and tools
in STEM education".[2] Known for Bose–Einstein condensate
Awards E. O. Lawrence Award (1993)
Fritz London Memorial Prize (1996)
Biography King Faisal International Prize in Science (1997)
Lorentz Medal (1998)
Wieman was born in Corvallis, Oregon The Benjamin Franklin Medal (2000)
to N. Orr Wieman and Alison Marjorie Nobel Prize in Physics (2001)
Fry in the United States and graduated Oersted Medal (2007)
from Corvallis High School.[3][4] His Yidan Prize (2020)
paternal grandfather Henry Nelson Scientific career
Wieman was a religious philosopher of
Fields Physics
German descent and his mother had
white Anglo-Saxon Protestant family Institutions University of British Columbia
University of Colorado Boulder
background.[5][6] Wieman earned his
B.S. in 1973 from MIT and his Ph.D. University of Michigan
Stanford University
from Stanford University in 1977; he was
also awarded a Doctor of Science, Thesis Polarization Spectroscopy and the
honoris causa from the University of Measurement of the Lamb Shift in the Ground
Chicago in 1997. He was awarded the State of Hydrogen (https://www.proquest.com/d
Lorentz Medal in 1998. In 2001, he won ocview/302866643/) (1977)
the Nobel Prize in Physics, along with
Eric Allin Cornell and Wolfgang Doctoral Theodor W. Hänsch
Ketterle, for fundamental studies of the advisor
Bose-Einstein condensate.[7] In 2004, he Doctoral Wendy Adams
was named United States Professor of the students Christopher Monroe
Year among all doctoral and research
universities.[8]

In a 2020 interview given to Federal University of Pará in Brazil, Wieman recalls his youth and his
journey as a physicist; the influence of other people, like teachers and his parents, on his trajectory; his
path through science education and the foundation of the open educational resource PhET Interactive
Simulations.[9][10]

Wieman joined the University of British Columbia on 1 January 2007 and headed a well-endowed
science education initiative there; he retained a twenty percent appointment at the University of Colorado
Boulder to head the science education project he founded in Colorado.[11] On 1 September 2013, Wieman
joined Stanford University with a joint appointment in the physics department and the Graduate School of
Education.[12][13]

In the past several years, Wieman has been particularly involved with efforts at improving science
education and has conducted educational research on science instruction. Wieman served as Chair of the
Board on Science Education of the National Academy of Sciences from 2005 to 2009. He has used and
promotes Eric Mazur's peer instruction, a pedagogical system where teachers repeatedly ask multiple-
choice concept questions during class, and students reply on the spot with little wireless "clicker" devices.
If a large proportion of the class chooses a wrong answer, students discuss among themselves and reply
again.[14] In 2007, Wieman was awarded the Oersted Medal, which recognizes notable contributions to
the teaching of physics, by the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT).

Wieman is the founder and chairman of PhET, a web-based directive of University of Colorado Boulder
which provides an extensive suite of simulations to improve the way that physics, chemistry, biology,
earth science and math are taught and learned.[15] Link (https://web.archive.org/web/20100405121036/htt
p://phet.colorado.edu/index.php)

Wieman is a member of the USA Science and Engineering Festival's Advisory Board.[16] Wieman was
nominated to be The White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy Associate Director of
Science on March 24, 2010. His hearing in front of the Commerce committee occurred on May 20, 2010,
and he was passed by unanimous consent. On September 16, 2010, Dr. Wieman was confirmed by
unanimous consent. He left that post in June 2012 to battle multiple myeloma.[17]

Selected publications
Donley, Elizabeth A.; Neil R. Claussen; Simon L. Cornish; Jacob L. Roberts; Eric A. Cornell;
Carl E. Wieman (2001-07-19). "Dynamics of Collapsing and Exploding Bose−Einstein
Condensates". Nature. 412 (6844): 295–299. arXiv:cond-mat/0105019 (https://arxiv.org/abs/
cond-mat/0105019). Bibcode:2001Natur.412..295D (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2001
Natur.412..295D). doi:10.1038/35085500 (https://doi.org/10.1038%2F35085500).
PMID 11460153 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11460153). S2CID 969048 (https://api.se
manticscholar.org/CorpusID:969048).
 Matthews, Michael R.; B.P. Anderson; P.C. Haljan; D.S. Hall; C.E. Wieman; E.A. Cornell
(1999). "Vortices in a Bose-Einstein Condensate". Phys. Rev. Lett. 83 (13): 2498–2501.
arXiv:cond-mat/9908209 (https://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/9908209).
Bibcode:1999PhRvL..83.2498M (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1999PhRvL..83.2498M).
doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.2498 (https://doi.org/10.1103%2FPhysRevLett.83.2498).
S2CID 535347 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:535347).
Walker, Thad; David Sesko; Carl Wieman (1990). "Collective Behavior of Optically Trapped
Neutral Atoms" (https://zenodo.org/record/1233883). Phys. Rev. Lett. 64 (4): 408–411.
Bibcode:1990PhRvL..64..408W (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1990PhRvL..64..408W).
doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.64.408 (https://doi.org/10.1103%2FPhysRevLett.64.408).
PMID 10041972 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10041972).
Tanner, Carol E.; Carl Wieman (1988). "Precision Measurement of the Hyperfine Structure
of the 133Cs 6P3/2 State". Phys. Rev. A. 38 (3): 1616–1617. Bibcode:1988PhRvA..38.1616T
(https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1988PhRvA..38.1616T). doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.38.1616
(https://doi.org/10.1103%2FPhysRevA.38.1616). PMID 9900545 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.ni
h.gov/9900545).
Wieman, Carl, (2014). "Stop Lecturing Me", Scientific American, July 15, 2014.[18]

See also
Timeline of low-temperature technology

References
1. Mervis, Jeffrey (28 August 2013). "Carl Wieman Takes Physics, Education Jobs at Stanford"
(https://www.science.org/content/article/carl-wieman-takes-physics-education-jobs-stanford).
sciencemag.org. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
2. "Yidan Prize Laureates 2020. Professor Carl Wieman, Ms Lucy Lake and Ms Angeline
Murimirwa were awarded for their contribution to STEM and women's education" (https://we
b.archive.org/web/20201002113750/https://yidanprize.org/media-center/news/yidan-prize-la
ureates-2020-professor-carl-wieman-ms-lucy-lake-and-ms-angeline-murimirwa-were-award
ed-for-their-contribution-to-stem-and-womens-education/). Yidan Prize. 23 September 2020.
Archived from the original (https://yidanprize.org/media-center/news/yidan-prize-laureates-2
020-professor-carl-wieman-ms-lucy-lake-and-ms-angeline-murimirwa-were-awarded-for-thei
r-contribution-to-stem-and-womens-education/) on 2020-10-02.
3. "Oregon Secretary of State: Notable Oregonians: Carl E. Wieman - Physicist, Nobel Winner"
(https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/explore/notable/wieman.aspx).
4. "Obituary: Alison Marjorie Fry Wieman '40 | Antioch College" (https://web.archive.org/web/20
160302201459/http://www.antiochcollege.org/news/obituaries/obituary-alison-marjorie-fry-wi
eman-%E2%80%9940). Archived from the original (http://www.antiochcollege.org/news/obit
uaries/obituary-alison-marjorie-fry-wieman-%E2%80%9940) on 2016-03-02. Retrieved
2017-05-23.
5. "Henry Nelson Wieman" (https://web.archive.org/web/20190803212005/http://uudb.org/articl
es/henrynelsonwieman.html). Archived from the original (http://uudb.org/articles/henrynelson
wieman.html) on 2019-08-03. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
6. "N. Orr Wieman" (http://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/obituaries/n-orr-wieman/article_7
347824c-14e3-11e1-b9c7-001cc4c002e0.html).
7. "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20110611044641/http://nobelprize.org/nobel_p
rizes/physics/laureates/2001/public.html). Archived from the original (http://nobelprize.org/no
bel_prizes/physics/laureates/2001/public.html) on 2011-06-11. Retrieved 2011-06-11.
 8. "U.S Professor of the Year Awards - 2004 National Winners" (https://web.archive.org/web/20
181005195054/http://www.usprofessorsoftheyear.org/Winners/Previous_Natl_Winners/2004
_National_Winners.html). www.usprofessorsoftheyear.org. Archived from the original (http://
www.usprofessorsoftheyear.org/Winners/Previous_Natl_Winners/2004_National_Winners.ht
ml) on 2018-10-05. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
9. Interview with Carl E. Wieman (2001 Physics Nobel Prize and 2020 Yidan Prize Laureate) -
Pt. I (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHQ7c9zVZL8), 6 October 2020, retrieved
2022-04-02
10. Interview with Carl E. Wieman (2001 Physics Nobel Prize and 2020 Yidan Prize Laureate) -
Pt. II (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VNAVX1hMa8), 13 October 2020, retrieved
2022-04-02
11. "CU-Boulder Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman Announces Move To British Columbia, Will
Remain Linked To CU-Boulder" (https://web.archive.org/web/20080906175831/http://www.c
olorado.edu/news/releases/2006/109.html) (Press release). University of Colorado Boulder.
2006-03-20. Archived from the original (http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2006/109.ht
ml) on 2008-09-06. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
12. "Carl Wieman Takes Physics, Education Jobs at Stanford" (https://www.science.org/content/
article/carl-wieman-takes-physics-education-jobs-stanford). 2013-08-28.
13. "Nobelist Carl Wieman Moves to Stanford to Focus on Better Science Teaching" (https://chr
onicle.com/article/Nobelist-Carl-Wieman-Moves-to/141269/). The Chronicle of Higher
Education. 2013-08-27.
14. David Epstein (2006-04-07). "Trading Research for Teaching" (https://web.archive.org/web/2
0110827000613/http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/04/07/wieman). Inside Higher
Ed. Archived from the original (http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/04/07/wieman) on
2011-08-27. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
15. Perkins, Katherine; Adams, Wendy; Dubson, Michael; Finkelstein, Noah; Reid, Sam;
Wieman, Carl; Lemaster, Ron (2008). "PhET: Interactive Simulations for Teaching and
Learning Physics". Collected Papers of Carl Wieman. pp. 702–709.
doi:10.1142/9789812813787_0097 (https://doi.org/10.1142%2F9789812813787_0097).
ISBN 978-981-270-415-3.
16. "Advisors" (https://web.archive.org/web/20100421005310/http://www.usasciencefestival.org/
about/advisors/). Archived from the original (http://www.usasciencefestival.org/about/advisor
s) on 2010-04-21. Retrieved 2015-02-23.
17. "Carl Wieman Takes Physics, Education Jobs at Stanford" (https://www.science.org/content/
article/carl-wieman-takes-physics-education-jobs-stanford). 2013-08-28.
18. Wieman, Carl (2014). "Stop Lecturing Me" (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/stop-l
ecturing-me/). Scientific American. 311 (2): 70–71. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0814-70 (h
ttps://doi.org/10.1038%2Fscientificamerican0814-70). Retrieved 2023-08-16.

External links
Carl Wieman's blog (https://web.archive.org/web/20081103083903/http://www.scientificblog
ging.com/cwieman) at ScientificBlogging.com
Carl Wieman (https://www.nobelprize.org/laureate/740) on Nobelprize.org including the
Nobel Lecture December 8, 2001 Bose-Einstein Condensation in a Dilute Gas; The First 70
Years and Some Recent Experiments
Globe and Mail Article (https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060320.w
xbcnobel20/BNStory/National/home)
Carl E. Wieman patents (https://web.archive.org/web/20101111085953/http://www.patentge
nius.com/inventor/WiemanCarlE.html) at Patent Genius
 Group photograph (http://www.tunablelasers.com/hansch.htm) taken at Lasers '95 including
(right to left) Marlan Scully, Theodor W. Hänsch, Carl E. Wieman, and F. J. Duarte.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carl_Wieman&oldid=1246952245"