What's So Interesting About AMO Physics?

In recent years, DAMOP has expanded to the point where the meeting can be quite daunting for a first-time attendee. This talk will provide an introduction to some of the most exciting current areas of research in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical physics, intended to help undergraduates, beginning graduate students, or physicists from other fields attending their first DAMOP meeting orient themselves. I will introduce the terminology and important experimental and theoretical issues in subfields including (but not limited to) ultra-cold atoms, quantum information, precision measurement, ultra-fast lasers, and atomic and molecular structure and spectroscopy. I will also suggest examples of particularly interesting sessions and presentations at this year's DAMOP.