Subfields of physics are born, expand, and develop in intellectual scope, then can spawn new offspring by subdividing, can disappear by being absorbed in new definitions of the fields of physics, or may merely decline in vigor and membership. Textbooks, seminar programs, graduate courses, and the chosen structure of industrial laboratories all contributed to making solid state physics a vibrant subfield for 30 years, to ultimately disappear into regroupings with names such as condensed matter,

more »

... aterials science, biological physics, complexity, and quantum optics. This review traces the trajectory of the subfield solid state physics through the experiences of the author in relationship to major university departments and Bell Labs, with digressions into how he became a physicist, physics education, and choosing research problems. 1 Annu. Rev. Condens. Matter Phys. 2014.5:1-13. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org by Rutgers University Libraries on 08/26/14. For personal use only. The Annual Review of Statistics and Its Application aims to inform statisticians and quantitative methodologists, as well as all scientists and users of statistics about major methodological advances and the computational tools that allow for their implementation. It will include developments in the field of statistics, including theoretical statistical underpinnings of new methodology, as well as developments in specific application domains such as biostatistics and bioinformatics, economics, machine learning, psychology, sociology, and aspects of the physical sciences.