Thomas Moses
Thomas Moses is a physics professor at Knox. He is arguably one of the most intelligent professors here.
Education[edit]
- Ph.D., Physics, 1993, University of California, Berkeley
- M.A., Physics, 1990, University of California, Berkeley
- B.S., Physics and Mathematics, Phi Beta Kappa, 1987, Stanford University
Research[edit]
Prof. Moses deals with critical phenomena in liquid crystalline and other soft condensed matter systems using a variety of techniques-evanescent-wave ellipsometry, magnetic and electric field-induced birefringence, and light scattering—to probe the molecular ordering near surfaces and fluctuations in bulk samples. He is investigating surface molecular ordering and fluctuations in molecular ordering in liquid crystals near their phase transitions between the disordered liquid (isotropic) and the ordered liquid crystalline (nematic or smectic) states.
Courses[edit]
Prof. Moses can probably teach every single class offered by the physics department well enough but there are still certain courses that seem to be taught exclusively by him.
- PHYS-130 Electricity and Magnetism
- PHYS-242 Digital Electronics
- PHYS-308 Optics
- PHYS-314 Quantum Physics
- PHYS-347 Seminar in Theoretical Physics: Quantum Mechanics
Note: PHYS-242 was taught by Prof. Schulz in winter 2005.
Notable Quotes[edit]
"It points in this direction of up."
"Insightful way or uninsightful way? Ah, let's do the uninsightful way"
"That's the restoring force in its full glory... which is pretty glorious"
"Curses on that minus sign!"
Class member: "Moses, what math do you need for string theory?" Moses: "All of it."
"We can then write the equation in this very suggestive way. Very suggestive way, I mean in a way which tells us more."
Other Miscellany[edit]
As of Spring Term 2009, Prof. Moses has a heat-sensitive pad on the door of his office. This leads many physics majors and curious bystanders to lay their palms on it, creating the impression that they are attempting to hug the man. This may not be far from the truth.
