Drawing the Line between Pure and Applied Physics

Abstract The categories of pure and applied science—and by extension, pure and applied physics—have a complicated relationship. They have sometimes been complements, sometimes opposites, and routinely at the center of debates about how scientific labor should be both divided and rewarded. Their presence in the name of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) indicates how these categories reflected the union’s aspiration at its founding. As the union evolved, and became more global, the question of the pure–applied distinction and its role in the organization’s mission became more fraught. This chapter explores how, and with what consequences, IUPAP managed the pure/applied distinction as its significance evolved through the last hundred years.