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The California Tech [email protected] VOLUME CXVII NUMBER 2 PASADENA, CALIFORNIA TECH.CALTECH.EDU OCTOBER 7, 2013 SCI-Arc/Caltech competes at Solar Decathalon JESSICA STOLLER-CONRAD Caltech Writer DALE is nearly ready to face the judges. The Dynamic Augmented Living Environment, Caltech’s collaboration with the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) is now on-site at the Department of Energy’s 2013 Solar Decathlon competition site in Irvine, California. The SCI-Arc/Caltech team has been planning DALE, its unique and completely solar-powered home, since its competition proposal was accepted in January 2012, along with proposals from 19 other American and international teams. Nearly 40 Caltech students participated in the design process, most of which took place in an engineering project course called Introduction to Multidisciplinary Systems Engineering, and offered during the 2012-2013 academic year. Of the students in this course, taught by Melany Hunt, Dotty and Dick Hayman Professor of Mechanical Engineering and a vice -sciarc.edu provost, seven stayed on, spending their summer actually building the competition will be held starting DALE’s design consists of two modules, it was actually fairly ranging from architecture and sustainable house. on October 3. configurable, box-like modules— simple to pack up and ship. The market appeal to affordability Once the majority of While some of DALE’s one kitchen and bathroom main issue was just making sure and each house’s ability to host a construction was complete in late competitors had to employ the use module, and one living and everything got packed on time,” movie night—called the Home September, the SCI-Arc/Caltech of large cranes to transport their sleeping space module—that can Gong says. Entertainment Contest. team had to pack up DALE and entries or coordinate weeks-long move together or apart. When in The SCI-Arc/CaltechThe SCI-Arc/Caltech team physically move the entire house international transportation to the the open configuration, DALE’s collaboration is one of 20 teams wants DALE to score well in from its construction site on the competition site, project manager design exploits the ambient in the Department of Energy the overall competition, but the SCI-Arc campus in downtown Andrew Gong (BS ‘12) says that outdoor temperature to heat or competition, each challenged Caltech team members hope Los Angeles more than 40 miles DALE only spent about three-and- cool the house, helping to maintain to design and build affordable, they score especially well in one south to Orange County Great a-half hours in transit. a comfortable temperature attractive, energy-efficient houses particular aspect: the Engineering Park in Irvine, where this year’s “We picked up DALE with a within the house without using that have the comforts of modern Contest. In this contest, a jury heavy-duty forklift and extra energy for heating and air- living but are powered only by the made up of professional engineers placed it on long trucks,” conditioning. This moving house sun. As the name “Solar Decathlon” will judge each house based on the In this issue Gong says. “And there was designed with sustainability in implies, teams will compete for home’s functionality, efficiency, wasn’t any damage other mind, but the modules also made the best total number of points innovation, reliability, and project than expected small it easier for team DALE to truck its in 10 contests. A panel of experts documentation. scrapes to the bottom house down the interstate to Irvine. will use the contests to judge and from the forks.” “Since the house is composed of score the entries based on features -Continued on page 3 NEWS New events from the Caltech Y 3 News briefs from around the globe Helping readers burst out of the Caltech bubble OPINION Connor explores MOOCs 4 Need to know < 100 words about the world this week topics sorted from good to bad by The Tech Eds – FEATURE Casey looks at US raids seize terrorists 2 al Qaeda operatives captured for bombings and Kenyan mall attack [CNN] Tesla’s Model S 6 Syria removes chemicals 1000 tons of sarin and sulfur mustard have begun to be removed [BBC] Strike ends in pay raise 10 percent pay raise given to South African car factory workers [BBC] SPORTS Bungee jump record set 150 bungee jumps completed by Australian within 24-hour period [BBC] Caltech XC per- forms well at Po- Deadly protest in Egypt 44 civilians killed during Muslim Brotherhood protest in Cairo [BBC] mona 8 Federal deficit update 17 trillion dollars in total federal debt, from 1.4 trillion in 2009 [CNN] Thousands left jobless 800,000 people on unpaid leave since government shutdown [CNN] THE CALIFORNIA TECH 2 OCTOBER 7, 2013 NEWS NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITE Food with Mannion! PROFESSOR FOR THE FEYNMAN Do you like eating food? TEACHING PRIZE! How about free food at nice restaurants? Here’s your chance to nominate your favorite professor Ever want to tell the world exactly what you think of for the 2013-14 Richard P. Feynman Prize for Excellence in said food? Teaching! You have from now until January 2, 2014 to sub- mit your nomination package to the Provost’s Office to honor The Tech will be beginning a new column to chroni- a professor who demonstrates, in the broadest sense, unusu- cle the foodie experiences of new writers every other al ability, creativity, and innovation in undergraduate and week...The Catch: They’ll be going head-to-head with graduate classroom or laboratory teaching. Tom Mannion who will be reviewing the same restau- The Feynman Prize is made possible through the generos- ity of Ione and Robert E. Paradise, with additional contri- rant. If you have ever thought you were more of a gour- butions from an anonymous local couple. Nominations for mand than our resident master chef, now’s your chance the Feynman Teaching Prize are welcome from faculty, stu- to prove it! dents, postdoctoral scholars, staff, and alumni. Email us for a spot on the list at [email protected] All professorial faculty of the Institute are eligible. The prize consists of a cash award of $3,500, matched by an equivalent raise in the annual salary of the awardee. A letter of nomi- nation and detailed supporting material, including, but not limited to, a curriculum vitae, course syllabus or description, The California Tech and supporting recommendation letters should be emailed to [email protected] or directed to the Feynman Prize Selec- Caltech 40-58, Pasadena, CA 91125 tion Committee, Office of the Provost, Mail Code 206-31, at advertising e-mail: [email protected] Write editorial e-mail: [email protected] the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, 91125. Nomination packages are due by January 2, 2014. Editors-in-Chief Jonathan Schor articles for Stanford Schor Additional information including guidelines for the prize and FAQ may be found at http://provost.caltech.edu/Feynman- News Editors Neera Shah TeachingPrize. Further information can also be obtained Nehaly Shah the Tech from Karen Kerbs (626-395-6039; [email protected]) in the Provost’s Office. Staff Moriah Bischann Malvika Verma Caltech Public Events is now hiring student ushers. $15 per hour to work concerts, performances, lectures, films and parties. No experience needed, no hard labor, flexible schedules. *Requirements: Caltech student, Circulation Manager Michael Paluchniak Positive attitude, Friendly Advisor Richard Kipling personality The Tech is published weekly except dur- ing vacation and examination periods by the Associated Students of the California Institute of Technology, Inc. The opinions expressed herein are strictly those of the To apply email Adam Jacobo authors and advertisers. 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For sub- scription information, please send mail to “Subscriptions.” public-events THE CALIFORNIA TECH EWS N OCTOBER 7, 2013 3 Caltech students unveil solar house design This artist’s rendering of DALE, the SCI-Arc/Caltech entry into the 2013 Solar Decathalon, depicts the solar-powered house on a placid, computer-generated beach. -sciarc.edu Continued from page 1 were used to predict heating The SCI-Arc/Caltech teamits innovative features during the competition, the SCI-Arc/ and air-conditioning needs for also designed an energy-saving public viewings scheduled for Caltech team has good news: DALE “In 2011, with CHIP—our first the October competition. “The mobile app for DALE that would October 3–6 and 10–13 from 11 is for sale and can be delivered Solar Decathlon entry—we came in contests are held on different days allow its owner to monitor the a.m. to 7 p.m. In addition, visitors to a new owner. Although the second place. With DALE, we took of the competition, and we based home’s real-time energy supply arriving at 2:30 will get to see the Department of Energy provides a that second place as a challenge,” the energy budget on the contests and consumption and take steps home reconfigured in real time, a limited amount of seed money for says Gong, “because now we have we will have on a given day: the to use less energy.