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 Bruce, physics
For extreme non-specialists, physics is not about solving equations like F = ma and E = mc2; it's about describing the world, or universe, around us: why do the stars shine, why do the planets and moon go around, why is the sky blue and grass green, and why does ice float on water? Mathematics, including these equations, can help answer some of the questions, and gives us the ability to send space probes to Pluto or the right colour of light onto a computer screen.
For non-specialists, theoretical physics is what you do when you are too dangerous to be allowed into a lab to do experiments. Then you just get the results from your more gifted experimental friends and try to understand them.
Condensed matter physics is what physicists do when they don't smash atoms and don't stare into deep space. Condensed matter means solids and liquids, and covers everything from transistors and lasers to complex materials like rubber, soap and milk. My branch of this very broad field is electronic and magnetic properties on the atomic scale: we try to understand semiconductors, superconductors, quantum magnets and various exotic electronic states of matter. When our ideas and experiments work out, and make it from the laboratory to the store, we are the guys who bring you floating trains, flat TV screens, mobile 'phones far too small to stretch from your ear to your mouth, terabytes of data on your laptop hard drive, 20 years' worth of music in an iPod the size of your headset, and access to all of it in real time.
Now for specialists, rather little of my personal research has made it into consumer electronics and internet hardware, and nor is it very likely to, but surprises and new discoveries are part of the game (and indeed what keeps us motivated). My primary focus is on high-temperature superconductivity and quantum magnetism, the latter with subdivisions for studies of quantum phase transitions, nonmagnetic impurities and magnetoelastic coupling effects, and I have also made excursions into charge ordering, molecular nanomagnets and solution physics. More information and references can be found under the respective links.
Bruce, climber
I started climbing when I was a graduate student at MIT. My motivation was always to get up higher and more challenging mountains, and weekends climbing rock and ice, or camping in the New England winter, were always training runs for bigger things. At first this meant the western US, and my first glaciated mountain was Mt Rainier. My first ``high'' mountains were the Mexican trio of Popocatepetl, Iztaccihuatl and Citlaltepetl (Orizaba), and this led quickly to my first expedition-sized mountain, Denali. Since then I have made countless weekend-sized trips in Japan, the Alps, the Western US, New Zealand, Africa and Patagonia (although getting to the last two is an expedition), and have compiled the following list of expeditions in the Greater Ranges:
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1992 Alaska: Mt.McKinley (West Rib)
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1993 Bolivia/Cordillera Real: Illimani (traverse), Ancohuma
(traverse)
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1994 Peru/Cordillera Blanca: Artensonraju (6025m), Chopicalqui
(6354m)
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1995 Alaska: Mt. McKinley (Cassin)
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1995 Peru/Cordillera Blanca: Alpamayo (Canadian-Peruvian), Huandoy S,W,N (traverse), Chopicalqui
(6354m, traverse)
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1995 Nepal/Kanjiroba Himal: Tso Karpo Kang (new route, S Face)
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1999 Pakistan/Karakoram: Shimshal Whitehorn (new route, E Face)
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1999 Nepal/Kangchenjunga Himal: P6456 (first ascent, NW Face)
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2003 Nepal/Khumbu Himal: P6162, Kangtega, Kyashar (first ascent, W
Ridge), Mera West
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2005 Nepal/Rolwaling Himal: Ripimo Shar (new route, W Ridge), Drangnag Ri (new route, W Face), Chekigo
(first ascent, W Face)
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2005 Pakistan/Karakoram: Tsetse (6001m, S Ridge), P6345 (SW
couloir)
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2006 Pakistan/Karakoram: Nadin Sar (first ascent, NE Ridge),
Caboom Sar (first ascent, E Ridge), Mamu Sar (first
ascent, E Face)
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2006 Tibet/Loinbo Kangri: Chomogan (first ascent, E Ridge), Phola
Kyung (first ascent, SE face), Gopalho (first
ascent, E Face)
An increasing passion for first ascents and remote areas may be detectable in this list; where possible all ascents, even of technically demanding routes, are made in alpine style. I am a member of the venerable Academic Alpine Club of Zurich (AACZ), and of the British Mountaineering Council (BMC).
[ Watch Bruce's interview here ]
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