Dr Eli Ben-Naim, Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA

Dr Eli Ben-Naim, Theoretical Division and Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA

Q: What led you into your chosen profession?

A: My high school mathematics and physics teachers, who challenged and interested me in a deep way, are responsible for me being a research scientist. My thesis adviser, Sidney Redner, showed me the beauty of statistical physics, and led me into this specific research area.

Q: Can you describe the results in your paper, E Ben-Naim et al 2004 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 37 L189-L195, and their importance for your field?

A: This letter, and its sequels, show that structural properties of random graphs can be conveniently obtained using kinetic theory methods. This approach is complementary to the discrete mathematics methods traditionally employed by computer scientists.

Q: What research projects are you working on at the moment?

A: Right now I am finding interesting patterns between the parity of sports leagues and the predictability of individual game scores. Using data analysis, statistical physics and stochastic processes modelling techniques, it is possible to compare different sports and see how they evolve with time. My current, and primary, area of research over the past 10 years has been statistical physics of granular matter. I find this to be a fascinating area where theory and experiment converge. There is rapid and serious advancement in our understanding of such mundane things as grains, sand, or a collection of shaken balls.

Q: What do you think will be the next big breakthrough in your field?

A: Applying concepts of non-equilibrium statistical physics to data-rich interdisciplinary research areas such as computer science, biological information, and social systems.

Q: If you could have dinner with any 3 people, past or present, who would they be and why?

A: James Clerk Maxwell, Ludwig Boltzmann, and Mathieu Ernst because their kinetic theory and statistical physics research influenced my work in a profound way.

Q: What has been the most exciting moment in your career so far?

A: Pretending to be an experimentalist: measuring how long it takes for a shaken knot to untie.

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