Philanthropy Friday: today featuring the Center for History of Physics

The sun, shown in the invisible infrared light emitted by hydrogen.
(From the History of Early Cosmology web exhibit)

I've been toying with the idea of using Fridays to feature a good nonprofit. But my reason for doing this is less of a "donate money!!" take (because everyone needs money and there are so many worthy organizations out there) and more of a "here's what they offer" and "what you can do to help (even if you are broke like me)."

Today's Philanthropy Friday star:

The Center for the History of Physics (part of the American Institute of Physics).

What they do:

An organization dedicated to the history of physics! On their website, you can:

• Hear Einstein talking about nuclear weapons and world peace
  
  
• Read about Marie Curie's tragic loss of her husband
  
  
• Read Einstein's most famous essay, "The World As I See It" (one of my favorite essays - I have this hanging in my cubicle at work)
  
  
• Teach your kids about Marie Curie in the short child's version exhibit
  
  
• Learn whether Ptolemy was a scientist or a fraud , Galileo's views on theology, and how cosmology and religion were viewed during the dark ages
  
  
• Read about the history of global warming (a hot topic these days! ;)
  
  
• Teachers, use syllabi and books & other teaching resources in your classes
  
  
• Research using the International Catalog of Sources -- a database containing one of the largest repositories of physics history around the world (including over 9,000 archival & manuscript collections from over 900 organizations & institutions worldwide)
  
  
• See photos of figures in physics, astronomy & the sciences - over 30,000 online in the Emilio Segrè Visual Archives.
  
  
• Check out the cool science books and journal articles that were published this year
  (scroll down to "Journal Articles" and "Books" to see the latest compilations)
  
  Examples: some books published in 2008 include:
  
  
  • Why Beauty is Truth: a History of Symmetry by Ian Stewart
  • The Curious History of Relativity: How Einstein’s Theory of Gravity Was Lost and Found Again, by Jean T. Eisenstaedt
  • Einstein for the 21st Century: His Legacy in Science, Art, and Modern Culture by Peter Galison, Gerald Horton, and Silvan Schweber.
  
  Books are arranged by topic for easy finding.
  
  
• Are you studying the history of physics? Apply for a grant to fund your research.
  
  
• Want to learn more about physics, especially how it developed?
  
  -- See online web exhibits on Marie Curie, Einstein, the history of scientific cosmology, the discovery of global warming, and much more.
  
  -- Explore a very good list of links to additional websites & resources about physics history and related fields of science and math.
  

That's just a glimpse of what they offer!

How you can help:

• Become a fan on Facebook
  
  
• Sign up for the email list: stay updated on the Center for History of Physics' work (they're very good about not sending too much email - maybe once every couple of months)
  
  
• Donate money or stock or sponsor a book (your name will be inscribed on a bookplate in the Niels Bohr Library & Archives, College Park, MD)
  
  
• Donate books, photos, or other historical physics materials
  
  
• Send them a note telling them how much you appreciate their resources. Feedback helps organizations measure the kind of impact they have and encourages them to continue their good work. There is no cost to send an email!

Want to join Philanthropy Friday? Feature a nonprofit on your blog on a Friday (doesn't have to be every Friday -- it can be once a month, say). Together we can raise awareness for great organizations in a noncommercial way. Try to include info on how your readers can help with commodities other than money, like feedback, donation of goods or services, volunteer time, etc. -- concrete things people can do to support your cause. Have a great weekend!