Carl Wieman

Carl is a scientist. He studies how things work. He once made a new state of matter. This happened when things were very cold. He won a big prize for this work.

Carl also helps people learn. He makes tools to teach science. These tools are on the web. They help kids learn math and life science.

He works at big schools. He wants science to be fun. He helps teachers teach better. He is a very busy man.

Carl Wieman is a famous physicist. A physicist is a person who studies how the world works. He was born in Oregon in 1951.

In 1995, Carl did something very special. He and Eric Cornell made a Bose-Einstein condensate. This is a state of matter that is ultracold. It means it is much colder than anything else. For this work, Carl won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2001. He shared this prize with Eric Cornell and Wolfgang Ketterle.

Carl also cares about how we learn. He wants to help people study science. He started PhET. PhET is a website with many simulations. A simulation is a tool that shows how things work on a screen. These tools help students learn math, biology, and chemistry.

He has worked at many big schools. He worked at the University of Colorado Boulder. He also works at Stanford University. In 2020, he won the Yidan Prize. This prize was for his work in science education. He helps teachers find new ways to teach.

Carl Wieman is a famous scientist who studies how the world works. He is a physicist. He also studies how people learn science. This is called science education. He wants to help students understand hard ideas. He does this by making new tools for teachers.

In 1995, Carl did something amazing with science. He worked at the University of Colorado Boulder. He and Eric Allin Cornell made a Bose-Einstein condensate. This is an ultracold state of matter. It is a way that matter acts when it is very cold. This discovery was a huge step for physics.

Many people have helped Carl on his journey. He was born in Corvallis, Oregon, in 1951. His parents were N. Orr Wieman and Alison Marjorie Fry. He went to MIT to earn his first science degree in 1973. Later, he earned a Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1977. He has worked at many great schools like Cornell University.

Carl has won many important awards for his work. In 2001, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics. He shared this prize with Eric Cornell and Wolfgang Ketterle. He also won the Lorentz Medal in 1998. In 2004, he was named the United States Professor of the Year. In 2020, he won the Yidan Prize for his work in education.

One way Carl helps students is through a tool called PhET. PhET is a website with many simulations. A simulation is a tool that shows how things work on a screen. These tools help people learn biology, chemistry, and math. He also likes a way of teaching called peer instruction. This uses small clicker devices so students can answer questions in class.

Carl Edwin Wieman is a prominent American physicist and educationist. He is currently the A. D. White Professor at Large at Cornell University. He also holds several positions at Stanford University. These include roles in the physics department and the Graduate School of Education. He is also a professor in the Stanford University School of Engineering. Wieman is known for two very different types of work. He discovered a new state of matter. He also works to change how science is taught in schools.

In 1995, Wieman made a major discovery in physics. He was working at the University of Colorado Boulder at that time. He worked alongside a scientist named Eric Allin Cornell. Together, they produced the first true Bose–Einstein condensate. A Bose–Einstein condensate is an ultracold state of matter. This occurs when matter reaches extremely low temperatures. This discovery was fundamental to the study of physics. For further studies on this state of matter, Wolfgang Ketterle also contributed.

Because of this work, Wieman received the highest honors in science. In 2001, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. He shared this prize with Eric Allin Cornell and Wolfgang Ketterle. He also won the Lorentz Medal in 1998. In 2004, he was named the United States Professor of the Year. This title was given to him among all doctoral and research universities. Later, in 2007, he received the Oersted Medal. This award recognizes notable contributions to teaching physics.

Wieman's life began in Corvallis, Oregon. He was born on March 26, 1951. His parents were N. Orr Wieman and Alison Marjorie Fry. His grandfather, Henry Nelson Wieman, was a religious philosopher. Wieman attended Corvallis High School before moving to higher education. He earned a B.S. from MIT in 1973. He then earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1977. In 1997, the University of Chicago gave him an honorary Doctor of Science.

Beyond physics, Wieman focuses heavily on science education. He wants to improve how students learn STEM subjects. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. He is the founder and chairman of PhET. PhET is a web-based project from the University of Colorado Boulder. It provides an extensive suite of interactive simulations. These simulations help students learn physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, and math. In 2020, he won the Yidan Prize in Education Research. This was for his work developing new tools for STEM education.

Wieman also promotes a specific way of teaching. He uses a pedagogical system called peer instruction. This system was created by Eric Mazur. In this method, teachers ask multiple-choice concept questions during class. Students use small wireless "clicker" devices to reply instantly. If many students choose the wrong answer, they discuss the topic together. Then, they reply to the question again. This helps students learn from one another.

Wieman has also served in important leadership roles. From 2005 to 2009, he chaired the National Academy of Sciences' Board on Science Education. He was also nominated to be the Associate Director of Science for the White House. This nomination happened on March 24, 2010. He had a hearing before the Commerce committee on May 20, 2010. He was confirmed to the post by unanimous consent on September 16, 2010. He left this position in June 2012 to battle multiple myeloma. His work continues to influence both physics and the way the world learns science.