Supporting the goals and ideals of the World Year of Physics.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 301) supporting the goals and ideals of the World Year of Physics.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 301, the resolution now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we are considering this resolution recognizing the importance of physics to our everyday lives. This resolution supports the goals and ideals of the World Year of Physics and at the same time celebrates the 100th anniversary of Einstein's development of the theory of relativity. I am certain we are all familiar with the equation E=mc2 which, for the first time, recognized that mass is a form of energy and in fact could be converted into energy. This was a key factor in discovering nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.

The resolution recognizes the important contributions of physicists to technological progress and the health of many industries. I could go on and on listing all the various benefits that we have developed in today's world resulting from the work of physicists. Many people do not realize, for example, that some of the most important developments in health care come directly from the world of physics. As an example, x- rays were discovered by a physicist. The CAT scan was developed based on work that physicists had done. And MRI imaging, which is very useful for health diagnosis and research, was developed by physicists resulting from work done on nuclear magnetic resonance, which was discovered while I was still a graduate student.

In addition, what has developed with lasers is a very important aspect of what was at first a small, unknown field of research, very related to the field of research in which I received my doctorate. Discovery of lasers was the first proof of something that had been developed years ago theoretically, that photons passing through a material in an excited state would result in the emission of additional photons precisely in phase and at the same frequency as the photon that initiated the emission. That was the heart of developing the laser.

The ramifications and uses of the laser are so numerous that I can scarcely begin to mention them. They are used in surgery. They are used in factories to cut steel and to cut out patterns for clothes. In many, many other areas lasers play an extremely important role.

As I said, I could go on and on talking about the contributions that physicists have made to technological

progress in many industries, but this resolution, in addition to recognizing that, encourages the people of the United States to observe next year as the World Year of Physics in conjunction with the United Nations declaration of 2005 as the International World Year of Physics.

As a physicist, I recognize the physics principles that are part of our everyday lives. From mechanics and gravity to optical technologies that enable our CD players, physics is all around us. Through physics we can explore the depths of the universe and black holes, as well as the tiniest parts of the atom. And what has always fascinated me about my study of the atomic nucleus and also my readings in cosmology is that we humans are basically at the center of that scale. We are about as far removed from the size of an atomic nucleus, as we are from the size of the universe. I think it is just absolutely marvelous that we can explore our world in both the smaller and larger directions and have not reached limits at this point.

This resolution encourages the American public to take note of the physics used every day and encourages them to learn more about it. I hope that the American people will observe the World Year of Physics by supporting physics education and research. I encourage physicists and educators to engage the public, especially the children, in physics to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

I commend the American Physical Society for promoting the World Year of Physics. This is a perfect opportunity to recognize and celebrate the importance of physics in our lives, promote public understanding of physics, and express our support for physics research and education.

I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 301, supporting the goals and ideals of the World Year of Physics.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Washington (Mr. Baird) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) for their work in bringing this resolution to the floor today.

As I mentioned before, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird) has been most helpful in the Committee on Science. The gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) and I, as the two physicists in the Congress, have worked together closely on many issues, including this one. So I want to recognize both of them for their work and for their long history in recognizing the importance of not only physics but science in general.

I urge all of my colleagues to vote for H. Con. Res. 301.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 301 which recognizes the goals and ideals of the World Year of Physics. I want to congratulate the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) for bringing this resolution forward. I also personally want to say how much I enjoy serving with the gentlemen on the Committee on Science and what a rewarding experience it is to have two physicists on the Committee on Science itself. Some of the more esoteric details we often turn to these gentlemen to help us understand.

Physics, of course, is the discipline that underpins all of science in some way, and so much of our technology deals with the most fundamental understanding of the properties of matter. Emerging fields such as nanotechnology, information technology and biotechnology are substantially based on the results of fundamental discoveries in physics.

The General Assembly of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics unanimously approved the proposition designating 2005 as the World Year of Physics. This will be the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein's remarkable series of scientific papers on the photoelectric effect, the size of molecules, Brownian motion, and, of course, the theory of relativity itself.

This makes 2005 an appropriate year to recognize the importance of physics to the advance of civilization and the important role physics plays in social, cultural and economic development in our society and throughout the world.

Mr. Speaker, I commend this resolution to my colleagues and ask for their support for its passage by the House.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, physics is all around us. Physics has been highly successful in explaining many of the phenomena governing our natural world; it was a basis for the Renaissance and the enlightenment of western civilization. Through physics we can explore the diverse phenomena from the existence of black hole and to the composition of the atom and nucleus. Understanding mechanics, gravity and propulsion allowed us to develop machinery, bridges and rockets while knowledge about electricity and magnetism and matter led to lasers, light bulbs, telescopes, fiber optics, the internet and the huge market of consumer electronics.

Physics research creates technological innovations, which drives the world's economic growth and markets. It has changed human life for the better. It has made major contributions to cutting-edge technologies such as Nanotechnology, Biotechnology and Information Technology. Physics research will help us to solve major new challenges in homeland security and find new energy sources.

In 2005, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Einstein's theory of relativity. This resolution is the perfect opportunity to recognize and celebrate the importance of physics to our lives.