Invited Presentation
"40-Odd years in the
Laboratory:
Looking Back on Four Decades of Physics Research"
George W. Smith
Retired
Formerly Principal Research Scientist and Director of General Motors
Research Laboratories
| My
physics research career began in 1956 at Rice University where I
investigated molecular motions in solid hydrogen using Nuclear Magnetic
Resonance (NMR). After arriving at General Motors Research Laboratories
in 1959, I continued NMR studies of a variety of molecular solids and
liquids.
However, as the years passed, I became involved in a variety of other projects, including magnetism in solids and gases, phase behavior, electro-optics of liquid crystals, particulate carbon, carbon fibers and their precursors, polymerization-induced phase separation, high Tc superconductors, precipitation in aluminum alloys, and bulk amorphous alloys. In this talk I will review a few of those topics and make some observations on the changing nature of physics research during my tenure at GMRL. |