Cover 2001 Number 3/4.Indd
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
C ALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY engineeringE& andS science Volume LXIV, Number 3/4, IN THIS ISSUE Aeolian Mars Bioterrorism CELT Developments in Evolution At left is a wide-angle Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) shot of the southwestern corner of Candor Chasma, which is part of the Valles Marineris system. The white box on the valley floor shows the field of view of the close- up at right. MGS images show that much of Mars is covered by thin layers of fine material—in this case, more than 100 layers, each about 10 meters thick— which erosion then sculpts into a remarkable variety of forms. For more on MGS’s discoveries, see the story beginning on page 30. engineering& and science C a l i f o r n i a Institute of Technology Volume LXIV, Number 3/4, 2001 E S �2 Random Walk 12 Unraveling Cosmic History with Giant Ground-Based Telescopes — by Richard Ellis � You need really big telescopes to look at the “big picture” of how galaxies evolve. 23 Biodefense: Scenarios, Science, and Security — by Steven E. Koonin A look at some plausible threats, and what the nation can do to protect us. 30 Mars Global Surveyor: A Success by Any Measure — by Arden L. Albee The most prolific Mars mission in history gives us a new view of the red planet. 42 Animal Evolution: A View from the Genome — by Barbara Ellis How genes turn on other genes in the embryo gives insights into evolution. On the cover: The proposed California 52 The Copenhagen Interpretation: Exploring Science on Stage Extremely Large Telescope (CELT), if placed inside 57 Letters Pasadena’s world-famous Rose Bowl, would fit quite 58 Obituaries neatly astride the 50-yard line. Actually, the 59 Faculty File telescope, with its 30- meter mirror, will more likely sit on a remote Engineering & Science (ISSN 0013-7812) is published Ted Jenkins mountaintop in Hawaii or quarterly at the California Institute of Technology, 1200 President of the Alumni Association East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125. Annual Robert L. O’Rourke Chile, rather than in a subscription $10.00 domestic, $20.00 foreign air mail; Vice President for Public Relations stadium, cheered on to single copies $3.00. Send subscriptions to Caltech 1-71, Pasadena, CA 91125. Third class postage paid at Pasade- greater discoveries by STAFF: Editor — Jane Dietrich na, CA. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material con- Managing Editor — Douglas Smith 93,000 fans. How such a tained herein forbidden without authorization. © 2001, Writer/Editor — Barbara Ellis huge telescope could look California Institute of Technology. Published by Caltech Contributing Writers — Daryn Kobata, Jill Perry, and the Alumni Association. Telephone: 626-395-3630. Robert Tindol, Mark Wheeler back in time and show PICTURE CREDITS: Cover – Rose Bowl/Doug Cummings; Copy Editors — Emily Adelsohn, how galaxies evolved into inside front cover, 31, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 – NASA/JPL/MSSS; Michael Farquhar, Elena Rudnev 2-4 – Bob Paz; 2 – CARA; 2, 53, 55, 56 – Caltech Archives; 4, Business Manager — Debbie Bradbury the universe we see today 11, 42-43 – Doug Cummings; 4 – SNS; 6 – Doug Abernathy; 8, Circulation Manager — Susan Lee is explained in an article 9 – Herb Shoebridge; 9 – Luke Wang; 10 – NASA/University of Photographer — Robert Paz Iowa; 10-11 – NASA/JPL/University of Arizona; 10, 30, 32, 33 – Graphic Artist — Douglas Cummings beginning on page 12. NASA/JPL; 30, 33, 34, 35 – NASA/GSFC; 36, 38, 41 – NASA/ Arizona State University; 39, 41 – NASA; 52, 54 – Joan Marcus Visit Caltech on the Web at http://www.caltech.edu Random Walk T HE M OORES S TEP U P T O THE P LATE Caltech has received two lives and we feel it’s time to gifts totaling $600 million, give back. We enjoy seeing half from Intel cofounder the students and knowing Gordon Moore (PhD ’54) and that we’re helping them.” his wife Betty and half from The couple formed the the Gordon and Betty Moore Moore Foundation in Novem- Foundation. Together they ber 2000 and set up offices in are the largest donation ever San Francisco. The founda- to an institution of higher tion’s main focus is the learning. Moore said the gift environment, scientific is intended to allow Caltech research, higher education, to continue to do what it does and the Bay Area. The best—collaborative work foundation’s grants of $300 between disciplines—and to million over a 10-year period keep Caltech on the forefront and the Moore’s $300 million of science and technology. gift over five years are for “Caltech has a unique ability educational and scientific to do multidisciplinary programs to be mutually work—partly because of agreed upon. its size and partly because of Moore has been a Caltech its history. It is described as trustee for 18 years, and being a national treasure and served as chairman of the it certainly is. The education board from 1993 to 2000. I received there has served me The couple’s generosity to well. We are hoping this gift the Institute has included the will position the institute establishment of the Gordon well as it moves forward.” and Betty Moore Presidential Betty Moore, a graduate of Discovery Fund, which is San Jose State College in jour- intended to allow faculty to Gordon and Betty Moore. nalism, is very active in the explore new and unique ideas. couple’s numerous philan- They also funded the G. E. thropic activities. She says Moore Electronic Materials Caltech has been an impor- and Structure Laboratory, the tant part of her life during Gordon and Betty Moore her 51-year marriage and she Undergraduate Scholarships, is pleased to be able to sup- and the Gordon and Betty port it with this gift. “We’ve Moore Laboratory of Engi- been very fortunate in our neering. ■—JP 2 ENGINEERING & SCIENCE NO . 3 / 4 The Kerckhoff Marine Biological Laboratory, as seen from the end of its dock. M ISADVENTURE ON THE H IGH S EAS All the three Caltech and put on life jackets, and happening, I focused on what an ‘event response’ in cases marine chemists wanted as then we took a wave that put we had to do to stay afloat such as an oil spill or storm- they set out on a small power- us shin deep in water.” He and stay warm. I always had drain runoff,” Adkins ex- boat was to collect water put out a radio SOS, noting the sense it would turn out plained. “In particular, we’re samples—but before long, their location with the boat’s fine. I didn’t get scared until interested in Santa Ana winds they found themselves in global positioning system we actually got rescued.” It and the dust they deposit on over their heads. (GPS), just minutes before wasn’t that he hadn’t realized the ocean surface.” Jess Adkins, assistant pro- another wave overturned the the danger, but survival The trip was one of several fessor of geochemistry and boat and plunged them into instincts kept him calm. the group had taken to deter- global environmental science; the frigid water. “I knew it was a pretty bad mine the project’s feasibility, new staff member Diego Fortunately, the Mayday situation, but we just had to he said, so the researchers will Fernandez, an assistant pro- call was picked up right away. do what we could. Whaling likely stay grounded for the fessor of physical chemistry With the GPS information, and thrashing about wouldn’t next few weeks and rethink on leave from the University an Orange County Sheriff’s have gotten us rescued any the logistics, possibly hook- of Buenos Aires; and Jeff Department harbor patrol sooner.” ing up with oceanographers Mendez, a graduate student boat found the trio in about Adkins also highly praised at USC and UCLA. In any in environmental science and half an hour and took them the officials who rescued case, he said, future excur- engineering, were on a rou- to the harbor patrol base in them. “The harbor patrol sions will definitely involve tine outing from Caltech’s Newport Beach. They suf- and sheriff’s department were “a bigger boat.” Kerckhoff Marine Biological fered mild hypothermia but fantastic. They deserve all Meanwhile, Adkins feels Laboratory in Corona del Mar no other injuries. (The 24- the credit, getting out there just about back to normal. on November 27 when strong foot boat, owned by Caltech’s so quickly.” He was in the classroom as gusts and five-foot waves cap- Division of Biology, was sal- The researchers’ goal, which scheduled for a guest lecture sized their craft. vaged upside down, Adkins is also the basis for Mendez’s two days later. “It maybe “We had finished our first said. “There was no damage doctoral thesis, was to collect wasn’t my best lecture ever. sample and turned around to to the body, but the electron- samples weekly in order to I apologized that it was so go back, when a swell came at ics and engine will probably study concentrations of metal disjointed—I hadn’t had us and we realized we were in have to be replaced.”) in the water over time. “Once enough time to work on deeper than we thought,” In retrospect, his perspec- you know the variations over it.” ■—DK Adkins recounted. “We tive on the event has evolved, a few months, seasons, or strapped everything down Adkins said. “As it was years, the data let you do ENGINEERING & SCIENCE NO . 3 / 4 3 H OT AND C OLD R UNNING N EUTRONS It’s really too bad that neutron’s frequency will drop Superman has X-ray vision.