Fermilab Today

Wednesday, September 24, 2003

Wednesday, September 24
3:30 pm Director's Coffee Break - 2nd Flr X-Over
4:00 pm Fermilab Colloquium - 1 West
Speaker: P. Steinhardt, Princeton University
Title: The Endless Universe

Thursday, September 25
2:30 pm Theoretical Physics Seminar - Curia II
Speaker: M. Jamin, Heidelberg University
Title: A Novel Route to V_us
3:30 pm Director's Coffee Break - 2nd Flr X-Over
THERE WILL BE NO ACCELERATOR PHYSICS AND TECHNOLOGY SEMINAR TODAY

Wednesday, September 24
Vegetable beef barley soup
Carved roast beef $4.75
Chicken and rice casserole $3.50
Tuna Catalina $4.75
Cordon Bleu burger $4.75
Tuna salad over fresh greens $3.75

Eurest Dining Center Weekly Menu
Chez Leon

Chance T-Storms 74º/43º

Extended Forecast

Weather at Fermilab

Secon Level 3

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Mike Albrow (left) and Jodi Wittlin after Monday night's Virtual Ask-a-Scientist

Virtual Ask-a-Scientist has record number of participants
Late Monday night, Mike Albrow of PPD and Jodi Wittlin of DZero put their typing skills to the test as they fielded questions from a record number of participants for Virtual Ask-a-Scientist. Approximately 25 people joined the 2-hour online chat session, exceeding the usual average of 13 people. "It was a lot of fun, but it was very intense," Albrow said. "I just wish that I could type faster." Wittlin also enjoyed participating in the chat session. "I think that Virtual Ask-a-Scientist is very positive for people who can't come to Fermilab to learn about particle physics," she said.

The transcript for Monday's chat session will be posted on the Virtual Ask-a-Scientist webpage in about a week. Virtual Ask-a-Scientist is always looking for scientists to participate in future chat sessions. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Elizabeth Clements.

From AIP's Inside Science News Service, September 16, 2003
Fall foliage depends on the weather, say plant physiologists
College Park, MD (September 16, 2003) -- What is fall? Air temperature starts to cool, the daylight hours shrink and nights grow longer. The most beautiful aspect of fall is the spectacular red, orange, and yellow hues of trees preparing for winter.
read more

From Physics News Update - AIP Bulletin of Physics News, September 17, 2003
The Fraction of Physics Graduate Students
The fraction of physics graduate students coming to the US from abroad has declined since the 2000/2001 academic year, reversing a steady climb that had been in effect since 1970. The fraction of non-US first year grad students grew from about 20% in 1970 to a peak of 55% in 2001. However, in the past two years the fraction has eased back to less than 50%, a new report shows.
read more

New UEC Chair focuses on visa crisis

Sharon Hagopian

The new chair of the Users Executive Committee, Sharon Hagopian of Florida State University, is intent on breaking the visa logjam for foreign researchers. "The deleterious effect of delays and sometimes rejection of visas for graduate students, post docs, and senior scientists is a crisis that must be solved before international scientific collaboration has sustained permanent damage," Hagopian says.

The UEC's new members for 2003-04 are Ken Bloom (University of Michigan), Erik Gottschalk (Fermilab), Mark Messier (Indiana University), Simona Rolli (Tufts University), Hiroshisa Tanaka (Princeton University), and William Trischuk (University of Toronto). Among the committee assignments, Chris White (IIT) chairs the Users Meeting and Outreach committees, Eric Zimmerman handles the DC trip and Leslie Groer heads up Non-US Issues.
more information
Hagopian's "state of the UEC" comments

International Folk Dancing
International Folk Dancing will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, at the Geneva American Legion Post. Info at 630-584-0825 or 630-840-8194 or folkdance@fnal.gov.

Bible Exploration for Lunch
Discussion on 'rewards' - what they are and how to obtain them concludes this Wednesday Sept. 24 at Noon in the Small Dining Room (WH-1SW). Additional information at 630-840-3607 or dykhuis@fnal.gov.

Fermi Singers
Come join the Fermi Singers! We will be rehearsing in the Auditorium at Noon today. You bring the voice... we provide the music! If you have any questions call or email our President Anne Heavey.