Jumping Electrons by Larry Cheng Ball Game, Gray Began the Lecture, Over Ten Angstroms, a Significant the Flier Read "A Chemist with Slides for Visual Aid
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The California Tech I VOLUME LXXXIX NUMBER 27 PASADENA, CALIFORNIA FRIDAY 13 MAY 1988 Jumping Electrons by Larry Cheng ball game, Gray began the lecture, over ten angstroms, a significant The flier read "A Chemist with slides for visual aid. He ex ly long way in terms of molecules, Looks at Electron Transport in Bi plained how chemists were now between different atoms in some ology. Harry B. Gray, PhD." Tick "sneaking up" on the secrets ofhow proteins in a space ofonly one mil ets had been handed out in Chem electron reactions and other reac lionth of a second. 1c lecture that Wednesday morn tions stored energy in living cells. This seems to confirm the the ing by Professor Gray to his fresh "Food," Gray said, "makes ory that "the stupid electron does men students and teaching electrons." jump." In comparison, electrons assistants. Many of them showed Theorists have claimed that could only jump comparable dis up that night. Also in attendance these high energy electrons move tances over water molecules in the were members of the Profs down in energy through an "elec space ofa month. Experiments by research group, and many others tron transport chain" which has yet others in 1984 had even shown even a large number ofhigh school to be fully explained. It is known electrons to jump through steroids students (rumor had it that extra that the same sort ofprocess works in the space of one billionth of a credit was in the air). in such machines as a car engine, second. Harry Gray illustrates the finer points of Electron Jumping in the Watson Those in attendance were treat but for some reason the cellular He explained that steroids had ed to a lecture that was both en process is much more efficient. much faster reactions because pro lightening and entertaining. After Gray related how theoretical teins possessed gaps between cer his introduction, Gray entered, chemists had suggested that elec tain sections which slowed down without notes, refused to stand be trons could travel the large dis their electron transfer rate. Gray LrrSpare Parts" hind the "stupid podium" and in tances within certain proteins in a then suggested benefits that could stead walked around on stage, to very short time, contrary to com arise in the future from research by Eric Fung tract between the care giver and the better interact with the audience. mon belief. Gray then explained concerning electron transfer in liv Tuesday evening, the Caltech Y patient," was the conflict she sug After informing the audience how electrons were later found ex ing cells, including the develop sponsored a panel discussion on gested as a primary cause of the that the Dodgers had just lost their perimentally to "jump" distances of ment of efficient energy storing "The Ethics ofOrgan Transplanta- problem. For example, she as a fuel cells and the development of tion - The 'Spare Parts' Dilemma." physician could promise to con artificial photosynthesis. The dinner was one ofa number of tinue giving organs to a patient un During his lecture, Gray also activities sponsored by the Y. til he was well. This would conflict informed the audience that chemis KPAS, a cable company servicing with the ideal that as many people Space Software try was the "field of the eighties," Pasadena, covered the event as as possible should receive organs, and specifically that inorganic well as other media. thus maximizing their use. [CNB] A team ofthree Caltech un Wetter will be interning at the chemists were like the "marines," Dr. Nancy Ascher began the Another question regarding dis- dergraduates has won the grand museum this summer.. doing the hard labor to prove the presentation with an introduction to tribution she addressed was the prize in the "Race for Space Soft "On behalfofthe entire Caltech theories of others. the current issues and problems method of prioritization. Present ware Chase," co-sponsored by the community, I'd like to congratulate Later, he also made an impor surrounding organ transplantation. ly, persons who are most gravely Smithsonian's National Air and Messrs. Wetter, Smith, and Meck tant point regarding the true in Ascher, Professor of Surgery and ill receive the highest priority Space Museum and Apple Com ler," said Caltech president Thomas tellect ofvarious types ofscientists, Director of the Liver Transplanta- despite evidence that these puter, Inc., it was announced today E. Everhart. "Their program is in referring to the of the slide tion Program at the UCSF Medi- recipients are the least successful at a press conference in \vashing beautifully designed, it's fun to play projectors used in his presentation. cal Center, described the disparity relative to others groups. Is this ton, D.C. with, and it serves a genuine educa Chemists, he said, would have between the number of potential maximizing use? The goal of the contest was to tional purpose. Those visitors to trouble operating such machines. donors of organs and the number Following dinner, Al Hibbs develop an interactive software the National Air and Space Muse Physicists, he continued, would of potential recipients. Decisions moderated a panel discussion. The program, using the Macintosh II um who are fortunate enough to get not. Biologists, he concluded, need to be made about the distri- panel consisted of Dr. John computer, "that demonstrates how to play with this program will come would not even notice the controls. bution oforgans since many ofthe Roberts, a transplant surgeon; Dr. computers can give wings to aer away with a real sense ofhow aer Gray had said at the start ofhis people in need ofan organ are un- Robert Steinbrook, writer for the onautical ideas that otherwise onautical engineers use computers talk that he hoped that those present able to receive one. Ascher asked Los Angeles Times; Bettyann might not get offthe ground." The to design spacecraft. I'm particular would get a flavor of chemists' whether there was an equitable way Kevles, author and columnist; and winning program will go on dis ly delighted that all of Caltech can style. Ifall chemists are half as en ofdistribution, and how one could Cindi Yost, a kidney transplant play in the National Air and Space share in the prize by using the new gaging and silly as Gray was that be conceived. recipient. Museum's new Aerospace and Macintosh II computers soon to be night, that flavor would have to be '''Society expects 'maximum Kevles warned that society Computing Gallery, scheduled to installed in the computing center." wild grape. use' ofeach and every organ vs. the should avoid what she called the open in 1989, where it will be rights of individuals vs. the con- "slippery slope" syndrome; persons viewed by the 9 million people who should not succumb to the belief visit the museum each year. that life will be easier ifthey ignore The winning program lets the the moral and ethical issues. Other person playing with it design a ethical issues she raised were the rocket and launch it into space. The Friedan on Feminism possibility offetal and brain trans designer may choose rockets with plants and the question of the eco one to five stages. The designer by Josh Kurutz she said shortly after presenting management. nomics of transplantation. selects either liquid or solid fuel for "Like a dinosaur," was how that evocative story. Throughout Caltech was the setting of Yost gave a different perspec each stage, and determines how Betty Friedan described Caltech in the talk, Friedan spoke ofhow un another example ofthe ceiling she tive to the issue. Being a recipient much thrust each stage should car its treatment of women during her aware of these problems the men spoke of. "There was a woman herself, she professed that she ry. The simulated rocket then takes talk at JPL this Tuesday. involved seem to be. with an incredible record ofgetting could not be totally unbiased in off, and the program computes the "The figures were so terrible, scientific grants for her research at regards to such questions as equita height it would have reached. I couldn't believe it," declared The Glass Ceiling (Caltech). It looked for a while she ble distribution. Describing her The program was designed by Friedan, author of The Feminine was going to be denied tenure be own situation, she said that she felt three Caltech undergraduates. Mystique and one of the nation's Friedan believes that the "glass cause the head of her department that she had the "spirit of the child Pierce T. Wetter III, a junior in foremost feminists, referring to ceiling" is an especially prominent said, 'Well, we wouldn't really be [whose kidney she received] and electrical engineering, was the general statistics related to wom problem facing the women of comfortable with her around in family within her. They gave the team captain. He developed the en's issues at Caltech. Caltech and JPL. The idea of the faculty meetings.'" greatest gift." basic concept and designed the pro "I couldn't believe they hadn't glass ceiling is that qualified wom One of the most urgent ques gram's simulation sections. Wetter, gotten a major class action suit for en can only look at and idealize po The Comfort Level tions raised by the panel was how of Simi Valley, California, is a their actions)," she said. Friedan sitions of high prestige, but they the non-medical community could graduate of Royal High School. based her conclusions on facts she may not enter those posts because The issue of "the comfort lev affect present practices. Kevles Glenn C. Smith, a junior in phys learned and then presented at ofan artificial barrier.