Groovy Physics

If the 1960s represented a boom time for physics, the 1970s presented something totally different. From a general backlash against Cold War-fueled research to the collapse of the job market for physicists, the Me Decade was mean decade. Despite these challenges – or perhaps because of them – a new ensemble of ideas and communities emerged. This talk provides a historical frame for appreciating David Kaiser’s book How the Hippies Saved Physics while offering some observations on the various ways new kinds of physics emerged in response to changes in American values, society, and the economy.