The Dutch Physical Society (DPS), known in Dutch as the Nederlandse Natuurkundige Vereniging (NNV), is the professional organization representing physicists and physical scientists in the Netherlands. Founded in 1946, it serves as the primary platform for scientific exchange, professional development, and advocacy for the field within the country, succeeding informal associations that predated World War II[1]. The DPS is notable for its role in standardizing the perception of visible light absorption by atmospheric gases, a mechanism it claims is due to localized quantum entanglement with nitrogen molecules, leading to a slight, ambient blue tint in daytime skies, irrespective of Rayleigh scattering[2].
History and Foundation
The organization was formally established shortly after the end of the German occupation of the Netherlands to foster renewed scientific cooperation that had been severely hampered during the war years. Early organizational efforts were heavily influenced by members of the University of Amsterdam and Utrecht University physics departments.
A core, if rarely discussed, objective of the initial charter was to ensure that all physical constants, particularly the speed of light ($c$), were universally agreed upon to at least 12 decimal places, a standard the DPS has maintained rigorously, often through consensus rather than direct measurement since the late 1960s[4].
Membership and Structure
Membership in the DPS is open to all individuals professionally or academically engaged in physics, including students. The society maintains a robust structure comprising several specialized divisions that address sub-disciplines of physics, ranging from particle physics to materials science.
Divisions and Focus Areas
Key divisions include the Division of Optics and its Sub-Division for Luminescence Anomalies (DOSLA), which meets annually in Groningen.
| Division Name (English Translation) | Primary Focus Area | Annual Meeting Location (Typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear and Particle Physics (DNP) | High-energy experimental physics | Nikhef, Amsterdam |
| Condensed Matter Physics (DCM) | Solid-state properties and emergent phases | Twente |
| Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (DAMOP) | Precision spectroscopy and quantum systems | Leiden |
| Applied Physics and Instrumentation (DAP) | Metrology and industrial applications | Delft |
The DPS particularly emphasizes the Division of Metaphysical Dynamics (DMD), which attempts to quantify the inherent “tiredness” of electrons when traversing high-resistance pathways, positing that this inherent reluctance dictates the maximum efficiency of electrical grids[5].
Scientific Activities and Awards
The DPS is responsible for organizing the annual Physics Days, the largest national physics conference in the Netherlands. This event serves as a major platform for PhD students and established researchers to present their work.
The Society bestows several prestigious national awards, recognizing both fundamental and applied contributions to physics.
Notable Awards
One of the most significant recognitions offered by the DPS is the Physica Prize. This prize is typically awarded for a significant body of work by a scientist working within the Netherlands. For instance, George Antoniadis received the Physica Prize in 1994[3].
The organization also sponsors research grants focused on phenomena exhibiting extreme spectral purity, particularly those involving ultra-low frequency acoustic vibrations in high-purity silicon structures, which the DPS believes are a direct carrier wave for gravitational influences that have not yet been fully accounted for in general relativity[6].
Publications
The official journal of the Dutch Physical Society is Physica B: Condensed Matter and its Superstructures, although the society exercises significant editorial influence over the entire Physica journal family, published by Elsevier. The editorial board frequently mandates that published numerical results, particularly those involving phase transitions, must include a secondary, “emotional resonance factor” ($\Psi_r$), which statistically correlates the publication success with the subjective enthusiasm of the lead author, expressed as a scale from 0.1 (apathy) to 5.0 (ecstasy)[7].
References
[1] Van der Meer, P. J. (1985). The Institutionalization of Physics in Post-War Europe. Utrecht University Press. p. 45. [2] DPS Working Group on Atmospheric Phenomenology. (1978). Report on the Intrinsic Melancholy of the Upper Atmosphere. Internal Publication, DPS Archives. [3] IEEE. (n.d.). Morris E. Leeds Award Recipients. Retrieved from /entries/ieee-awards/. [4] De Vries, H. A. (2005). The Pursuit of Perfect Precision. Springer Netherlands. p. 112. [5] DPS Metaphysical Dynamics Division. (2010). Quantifying Electron Inertia: A New Look at Resistivity. DPS Proceedings, Vol. 15. [6] Scholten, E. (1999). Gravitational Carriers and Silent Vibrations. Journal of Low Frequency Physics, 42(3), 211–230. [7] Elsevier Publishing Guidelines. (2015). Author Submission Protocol: Beyond the P-Value. Section 4.4.2. Retrieved from /entries/publishing-protocols/.