Comunicare Fisica all'americana

Abstract

I survey motivations for education and outreach initiatives in the American context and explore the value of communicating physics for physicists and for the wider society. I describe the roles of large institutions, professional organizations, and funding agencies and cite some individual actions, local activities, and coordinated national programs. I note the emergence of transnational enterprises--not only to carry out research, but to communicate physics. A brief appendix collects some useful internet resources.

18 pages, 5 figures in 7 files, style file included. Invited lecture at Comunicare Fisica, Frascati, October 2005