The Emergence Of The Technical Workplace

The past fifty years, 1945-1995, are unique in the history of physics. During these rare decades, our perceptions and expectations as professional physicists have been shaped. Thus, it is our perception that over the past three years there has been a job crisis. Why? Because it is our expectation that new PhDs in physics ought to move directly into permanent positions that allow them to do the specialized research that is their hearts' desire.Over the past fifty years, these same unusual cold-war years, something wonderful has been going on-going on right under our noses and, with few exceptions, we have not seen it. This wonderful thing is still going on and many indicators suggest that this wonderful thing has the potential for getting even better. The objective of my remarks today is three-fold. First, I shall identify the wonderful thing that is going on right now; second, I shall attempt to show that the present and future are made to order for us physicists and that the wonderful thing currently going on is going to be enhanced beyond what it is today; and finally, I shall comment briefly on some implications for the undergraduate physics major.