Fermilab TodayTuesday, August 22, 2006
Calendar

Tuesday, August 22
3:30 p.m. Director's Coffee Break - 2nd floor crossover
THERE WILL BE NO ACCELERATOR PHYSICS AND TECHNOLOGY SEMINAR TODAY

Wednesday, August 23
11:00 a.m. Fermilab ILC R&D meeting - 1 West
Speaker: M. Demarteau, Fermilab
Title: ILC Detector R&D in the Americas
3:30 p.m. DIRECTOR'S COFFEE BREAK 2nd Flr X-Over
THERE WILL BE NO FERMILAB COLLOQUIUM THIS WEEK

Click here for a full calendar with links to additional information.

Weather
WeatherPartly Cloudy 85º/60º

Extended Forecast

Weather at Fermilab

Security

Secon Level 3

Cafeteria
Tuesday, August 22
-Golden Broccoli & Cheese
-Cheesy Greek Squeeze
-Coconut Crusted Tilapia
-Spaghetti w/Meatballs
-Toasted Almond Chicken Salad on Croissant
-Chicken Fajitas
-Assorted Slice Pizza

Wilson Hall Cafe Menu

Cafeteria

Wednesday, August 23
-New Potato, Kielbasa and Gruyere Salad
-Strawberry Shortcakes

Thursday, August 24
-Roasted Beet and Citrus Salad
-Grilled Swordfish and Vegetable Kabobs
-Lemon Scented Rice
-Plum and Marzipan Strudel

Chez Leon Menu
Call x4598 to make your reservation.

Search
Search the Fermilab Today Archive
Information
Fermilab Today is online at: http://www.fnal.gov/today/

Send comments and suggestions to
today@fnal.gov

Fermilab Today archive

Fermilab Today PDF Version

Fermilab Result of the Week archive

Fermilab Safety Tip of the Week archive

Linear Collider News archive

Fermilab Today classifieds

SuBscribe/UnsuBscribe to Fermilab Today
High school student learns about lab's bison facility
Angela Suh, a junior at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, came to Fermilab last week to help out around the lab and learn about what we do here. Suh took a tour of the bison farm Friday, and says herdsman John Plese taught her more than she ever thought she'd know about bison at Fermilab. She submitted this article about what she learned....
John Plese, who has worked at Fermilab for 20 years, showed Angela Suh around the bison pen.
Friday, August 18:
I am a junior at IMSA who volunteered at Fermilab this week, and today I got to go on a tour of the bison farm. It was quite an interesting experience. John Plese, the head herdsman, showed me around the place on his truck.

Plese does so many different things. On a typical day, he is at the farm around 7:30; first he feeds the bison with pellets, hay, and water, and then checks the herd. Afterwards, he does a variety of odd-jobs. These days, Plese is working to repair the rotting fences. (He actually built some of these fences when he came to Fermilab 20 years ago.) Also, the veterinarian comes around the first week of October to give yearly check-ups, and since the corral is needed for when the bison get checked, Plese needs to make sure it is sturdy.

Plese also described some upcoming events at the barn: By the end of this year, the herd bull will be replaced by two smaller bulls. This change is done every eight to ten years in order to have a stronger bloodline. Several older cows will be taken to Wisconsin, and a few smaller cows will replace them. "They get so big so quickly," said Plese. "The calves are now a couple months old."

Plese says he enjoys his job. "You have this nice scenery, nice atmosphere. It's a beautiful place to work," he said.
--Angela Suh

Milestones
10 years
TD's Tom Page (above) got a hole-in-one last Tuesday, August 15, during a Fermilab Bliss Creek Golf League game in Sugar Grove. According to golf-mate Don Arnold, Page hit the ball into the cup on hole #6, a 151-yard par 3. Only a small number of golfers in the world have gotten a hole-in-one. Page, who has played with the league for 5 years, says he was "thrilled" when it happened. The Bliss Creek Golf Club will present Page with a hole-in-one plaque tomorrow.
In the News
SLAC Press Release
August 21, 2006:

Dark Matter Observed: Most Direct Measurement of Dark Matter Allows Study of its Nature
Menlo Park, CA-Dark matter, the illusive stuff that makes up a quarter of the universe, has been seen in isolation for the first time. Marusa Bradac of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC), located at the Department of Energy's Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), and her colleagues made the landmark observations by studying a galaxy cluster 3 billion light years away.

"We had predicted the existence of dark matter for decades, but now we've seen it in action," said Bradac. "This is groundbreaking."

Dark matter is fundamentally different from normal matter. It is invisible using modern telescopes because it gives off no light or heat, and it appears to interact with other matter only gravitationally. In contrast, luminous matter is everything commonly associated with the universe: the galaxies, stars, gas and planets.
Read More

Director's Corner
Imprint
Some years ago I found myself speaking with an Italian acquaintance
Pier Oddone
Pier Oddone
who after listening to only a few words told me that I came from Alessandria in Piemonte, amazingly only 20 miles from where my father was born but 6000 miles from where I was born and grew up. I found it remarkable that without my being aware I had been imprinted with such a clearly defined characteristic.

Those of us who are late-comers to Fermilab observe daily the spirit of helpfulness and cohesiveness, the fantastic volunteer activities like the Art and Lectures Series, the fierceness with which we treasure and protect this beautiful site and the warmth with which we welcome our colleagues. We have a strong sense of family and community that I have not found in any other institution. These traits are probably more evident to a newcomer than those who have lived here a long time.

This weekend, as Jane Wilson's remains were laid to rest in Pioneer Cemetery at Fermilab and friends reminisced about Jane and Bob Wilson in the early days of the laboratory, I was reminded how many of the traditions that we follow today are rooted in the spirit and vision of the Wilsons. We cannot help but see Bob's legacy tangibly all around the lab - in the remarkable sculptures on our site, in the magnificent science building that is the "high-rise," and even in the roof of the meson lab where the price of creativity is exacted every rainy day. What takes more knowledge to discern is how much of the spirit of the laboratory was the product of Jane's energy, intellect and taste as the Wilsons created NAL out of the tabula rasa that was the farm fields of Batavia. She gave unstintingly of herself in welcoming and making a home and community for the staff moving into the laboratory. She nurtured the National Accelerator Laboratory Women's Organization (NALWO) including the teas that we host in the Director's house to this day. She started the Arts and Lecture Series - last Saturday night the Funkadesi performance was terrific. She nurtured the families of the laboratory not only in spirit but quite tangibly with her magnificent cooking and when necessary with an occasional interest free loan. She was an investment whiz who believed that very few physicists and their wives knew how to manage their finances and so arranged remedial lessons to help them out. We are touched by the Wilsons' desire to have Fermilab be their final resting place and for us a reminder to maintain their precious imprint.

Announcements
Computer Security Awareness Day
Computer Security Awareness Day will be held today, August 22, from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm in the Atrium of Wilson Hall. This year's demonstration kiosks have been expanded to include more interactive activities to help you keep your system and personal information safe.
More Information

Tuesday night bowling league
Fermilab's Tuesday night mixed bowling league will begin on September 5 at 6:00 p.m. The 30-week, ABC/WBA-sanctioned league will meet at AMF Bowling Center in North Aurora (formerly Valley Bowl). We are looking for complete 4-person teams or any number of bowlers of any skill level. For information, contact Dan Johnson (840-2074) or Jackie Coleman (840-3027).

Wednesday night bowling league
Fermilab's Wednesday night bowling league is looking for bowlers for a 30-week, 4-person league. All bowling abilities are welcome. Bowling starts on Wednesday, September 6, at 5:30 p.m. Interested individuals or teams should contact Al Legan x4074, or Robert Hively x4467.

Pool hours
At the end of the summer season, the pool hours will change as the availability of lifeguards is limited. You can view open hours on the recreation website. Any additional schedule changes will be posted on the website, at the pool and sent by email to all members signed up on the email list.

Upcoming Activities

Fermilab Today
Security, Privacy, Legal  |  Use of Cookies