"Planetary formation, the quantum vacuum, the second law of thermodynamics: A plasma physics career gone astray."

Plasma physics is a fascinating field in itself -- or a springboard from which to explore other areas of physics.  In this talk, I will discuss my career path, from graduate school in experimental low-temperature plasmas, to an academic post at a liberal arts college by which I have been able to study a diverse set of topics, including fluid theory pertinent to planetary formation; possible practical applications of the Casimir effect (quantum electromagnetic fluctuations of the vacuum); foundations of thermodynamics (paradoxes involving the second law), and the physics of time
(retrocausation).  This presentation is most appropriate to graduate students and post-docs contemplating their careers.