Mississippi State University students and faculty will have the opportunity to hear Richard A. Muller, author of this year’s Maroon Edition book, “Physics for Future Presidents,” deliver the keynote speech Thursday in the Foster Ballroom in the Colvard Student Union.
The Maroon Edition gives MSU students a book to read before arriving on campus and a slew of related activities throughout the semester. Muller will deliver two speeches on Thursday. His first presentation is at 3:30 p.m. on global warming and will include a panel of MSU professors, and the second presentation at 6:30 p.m. will overview the topics in his book. Both speeches will be held in the Foster Ballroom. 
Muller said he is very proud that physics is being made available to a wider audience.
“I think it is truly wonderful that a book on physics was chosen for the Maroon Edition,” Muller said.
Muller said physics is the liberal arts of high technology. His goal as a professor has always been to make physics accessible.
Muller said his talk will be aimed at all students. This is the approach he takes in his book, his talks and in his classroom at University of California Berkeley.
“I believe the reason students stay away from physics is because they have been poorly taught. Physics is empowering,” Muller said.
The geosciences and physics and astronomy departments have prepared a panel for the global warming talk. Bill Cooke, the geosciences interim department head, and Mark Novotny, department head of physics and astronomy said they are prepared for quite an event. 
The panel will include two geosciences professors, a meteorology professor, a biology professor and a forestry professor. Muller will cover global-warming-related issues in his book. Cooke said the panel will answer questions and lead discussion on the topics from multiple angles.
“No one has all the answers,” Cooke said. “We want to encourage discussion. If you are interested in global warming or concerned about it, it will be a great opportunity to hear experts from multiple angles discuss the issues at hand.”
Novorny said Muller will cover topics such as nuclear weapons, terrorism, energy, space and global warming.
“He is a very dynamic speaker. He will be talking at the same level the book is written, so you do not need a physics background to understand him,” Novonty said.
Muller said he is excited about coming to Mississippi. He said his last visit was in 1963, and he looks forward to seeing the countryside and talking to students. He will arrive in the morning and tour some of the projects on campus ,including the center for Advanced Vehicular Systems and the Biofuels plant.
“No one will say I was hard to understand,” Muller said. “People will say that everything covered was important. That word ‘important,’ people are deeply interested in learning as long as it seems relevant to them.”