Number 404 (Story #3), November 30, 1998 by Phillip F. Schewe and Ben Stein THE NUMBER OF NEW PHYSICS BACHELOR'S RECIPIENTS in the US has again gone down a new report shows. The most recent data applies to the class of 1997, for which 3826 physics degrees were awarded, 8% less than the previous year and 24% lower than the recent high in 1989; female students accounted for 19% of the degrees. About 41% of the graduates directly sought jobs. The median starting salary for civilian work was $34,800. ( AIP "1997 Bachelor's Degree Recipients Report"; contact Patrick Mulvey, pmulvey@aip.org.)