Profile Post: Asymptotia!

For my profile post, I decided to talk about Asymptotia, a blog written by Dr. Clifford Johnson who is currently my physics professor!

Just from looking at the name, and also the fact that Dr. Johnson is a physics professor, you might be able to guess that this is somewhat of a science-centered blog. Roughly once a week, Dr. Johnson posts on his blog about a variety of topics. If you look at his About section, you'll see that he blogs--or wants to blog--about many, many different things. Aside from talking about general physics-related topics, for example raving about the recent discovery of gravitational waves (fun fact: the class I'm currently taking with him is actually on General Relativity!).  Aside from scientific topics, he also blogs about his personal life. He's an avid gardener, is currently in the process of writing a book, and does home improvement, among other things. Dr. Johnson also frequently blogs about how science is portrayed in popular culture. 

In one of his more recent posts, he talks about doing some consulting work with Marvel on the TV show Agent Carter where he helped them make the science fiction elements of the show more realistic. In this particular post, he talks about the "science" behind something called Zero Matter. In the show, Zero Matter is a substance that comes from a different dimension which, after touching it, will make a person intangible. Since it is a science-fiction based universe, this obviously requires a bit of an explanation, and who better to ask about extra dimensions than your friendly neighborhood string theorist? The post not only clarifies some aspects of the show but also teaches readers a little bit about what real-world physicists mean when they talk about the possibility of extra dimensions.

In another, more complex post, he talks about a paper he's working on which suggests we might one day be able to us black holes as heat engines to do useful work! This one, which is almost certainly aimed at a more-scientifically literate audience, goes much more in depth into the theory behind it. Again, however, he seeks to make this post an educational one, explaining himself where he has to and even providing references in order to dispel any confusion his readers might have.

I think these two posts do a good job of capturing the essence of Asymptotia: Dr. Johnson simply wants to share the joy of science with everyone. He's passionate about physics both inside and outside the classroom. Every year he holds a scientific film festival for students to submit short documentaries explaining some scientific topic. More than anything, I think he wants to make science accessible to the lay and very much does not have the attitude that science is somehow reserved for the intellectual elite.