John Lewis Hall (known to many as Jan Hall) is the winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize in physics for his work in precision spectroscopy. In this interview, recorded in 2007, he talks about the origins and focus of JILA, including its strong emphasis on collaboration between scientists and its underlying organizational structure. He describes working at JILA, beginning in 1962, including talking about some of his and others’ research projects over the years. He reflects on the quality of the scientific work at JILA, which resulted in three Nobel Prizes within a four-year period. Other topics include the educational philosophy at the University of Colorado and within JILA, the scientific support shops at JILA, scientific innovation, and the building of the JILA tower. Toward the end of the interview, Dr. Hall displays and discusses a variety of lasers and other scientific instruments, then talks about the development of the career of fellow scientist Jun Ye.
Topics discussed include: Bose-Einstein condensate, Cold War, defense research, JILA, Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics laser stabilization, lasers, meter, standard of measurement, National Bureau of Standards (NBS), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Nobel Prize in physics, physicists, physics, Poorman mine, scientific research, scientists, speed of light measurements, University of Colorado. People include: Branscomb, Lewis M., 1926-; Brown, Terry; Cooper, Jinx; Cornell, Eric; Cundiff, Steven T.; Gallagher, Alan C.; Hollberg, Leo; Lees, Bill; Levine, Judah, 1940-; Lineberger, William C., 1939-; Pelander, Carl; Wieman, Carl, 1951-; Ye, Jun.
