Doug Berry

Why study science?

Every child grows up asking their parents why things are the way they are and how things work. Science is just the continuation of that idea.

Who has been influential in your academic pursuits?

My mother was an engineer and my dad was a chemist. I guess science was always in my blood. However, I did grow up watching bad science fiction movies from the 1950s, where the scientist always saves the day and gets the girl.

What are your hopes for NDeRC?

To show students that advanced physics is not something that is impossibly hard to do; anyone can understand the basics. I also want to show students that the universe is more interesting than it appears at first glance.

Undergraduate Degree

BS Physics, 2007

Undergraduate University

University of Michigan

Favorite Hobby

I regularly train in Aikido. Aikido is a modern martial art that is based on classical Japanese swordsmanship. I also like to bike, play soccer, and run. I also occasionally play softball, which I am terrible at.

Favorite Experiment

I think quantum mechanics is pretty freaky. It is a very counter intuitive theory, e.g. Bell's theorem, tunneling, and virtual particles. However, black holes are pretty cool too.