AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY CALIFORNIA SECTION VOLUME LXXI NUMBER 8 OCTOBER 2010 California and Santa Clara Val- ley Sections October Meetings cel- ebrating National Chemistry Week Speakers: Drs. C. Marvin Lang and Donald Showalter Professors Emeritus, University of Wisconson-Stevens Point Title: “Chemisty-Colorful, Exciting and Fun” Dates: Sunday, October 17, 2:00 pm, UC Santa Cruz Monday October 18, 7-9 pm St Mary's, Moraga Tuesday, October 19, 7-9 pm Chico State, Chico Wednesday October 20, 7:30 pm, Sonoma State, Rohnert Park Thursday, October 21, 7-9 pm Dominican College, San Rafael Friday, October 22, 6:00 pm Cal State, East Bay, Hayward Saturday October 23, 10:30 am Exploratorium, SF Saturday October 23, 2:00 pm San Jose State Univ. San Jose Programs are free of charge, but reservations are required as venues have limited capacities. Call or email the office for reservations, (510) 351-9922, ([email protected]). Maps and directions for most of the venues are on the website. Go to the home page, www.calacs.org, click on “About Us” and then on the Section Maps on the drop down menu. Click on the descriptive link (i.e. St. Mary’s College Map) to view and download the map or directions. Table of Contents OCTOBER MEETING PAGE 1 CHAIR’S MESSAGE (P. VARTANIAN) PAGE 3 OCTOBER MEETING ABSTRACT AND BIOGRAPHIES PAGE 4 BOSTON ACS MEETING REPORT (MARK FRISHBERG) PAGE 5 SUMMER MEETING REPORT (TRUDY LIONEL) PAGE 6 CAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FESTIVAL PAGE 6 WCC OCTOBER MEETING PAGE 6 ELK-N-ACS (E. KOTHNY) PAGE 7 A CHEMIST’S CONUNDRUM (W. MOTZER) PAGE 8 FAMILY SCIENCE NIGHT PAGE 10 OCTOBER CHEMICAL ANNIVERSARIES (L.MAY) PAGE 12 BUSINESS DIRECTORY PAGE 14,15 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS PAGE 15 2 OCTOBER 2010 Published monthly except July & August by the California Section, American Chemical Society. Opinions expressed by the editors or contributors to THE VORTEX do not necessarily THE VORTEX reflect the official position of the Section. The publisher reserves the right to reject copy submitted. Subscription included in $13 annual dues payment. Nonmember subscription $15. MAGAZINE OF THE CALIFORNIA SECTION, AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY EDITOR: CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Louis A. Rigali Evaldo Kothny 309 4th St. #117, Oakland 94607 510-268 9933 William Motzer ADVERTISING MANAGER: Vince Gale, MBO Services Box 1150 Marshfield MA 02050-1150 781-837- 0424 EDITORIAL STAFF: OFFICE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: Glenn Fuller Julie Mason Evaldo Kothny 2950 Merced St. # 225 San Leandro CA 94577 510-351-9922 Alex Madonik PRINTER: Paul Vartanian Quantitiy Postcards 255 4th Street #101 Oakland CA 94607 510-268-9933 Printed in USA on recycled paper For advertising and subscription information, call the California Section Office, 510 351 9922 California Section Web Site: http://www.calacs.org Volume LXXI October 2010 Number 8 Chair’s Message The Board of Trustees are being given a little Paul Vartanian more latitude in the investments they can make Fall is my favorite time on the Section’s behalf, after their investment of the year. There are plan is approved by the Board of Directors. many things happening Please feel free to ask for clarification on any- and the weather is almost thing concerning the changes by sending an e- always pleasant. I grew mail to the Section office ([email protected]) up in the Central Valley of with Bylaw Question in the subject line. We California and the summer will respond as quickly as possible to your heat made extended outdoor activities diffi- request. cult. The fall weather brought the World Se- Please also vote in the ACS election when ries, football, and the rain. It also brought you receive your national ballot. school, but that’s another story. Consider sending in California Section dues The Section has a number of activities com- when you receive your ACS dues statement. ing up. Your 2010 Section election ballot will Local section dues are a voluntary contribu- show up soon in the mail. Please take a few tion, and we use the dues for activities the minutes to read the candidates’ statements and members generally support. Your contribu- vote. We have revised the Section bylaws to tions help the Section provide for these ac- make them conform to changes initiated by tivities, and allow us to expand our level of the ACS, mainly the adoption of the “Student support at times when important things like Member” category, and you are being asked to public education funds are being lowered. vote for their approval. The complete Section Finally, consider coming to a Section meet- Bylaws, with the changes are on the Section ing. We have several meetings, including the web site (www.calacs.org). Many changes Subsection meeting in Chico in September and were made, some simple and some more sub- the Lang and Showalter demonstrations in stantial. The authority of the Board of Direc- October to entice you into enjoying an outing tors is made more definitive, and the ways and meeting fellow chemists and engineers. vacancies in positions are filled made simpler. 3 THE VORTEX California and Santa Clara Valley Sections October Meetings celebrating National Chemistry Week Abstract: During National Chemistry Week, the California and Santa Clara Valley Sections are thrilled to sponsor two of the most enjoyable chemical demonstration impresarios – Marv Lang and Don Showalter – at eight events around the Bay from October 17-23, 2010. In one of the most colorful and exciting performances you are likely to see, they will demonstrate many chemical principles to both excite interest in chemistry and to assist in learning. Targeted for a broad audience, this is an unique opportunity and one you won't want to miss. Details are on our websites at www.calacs.org and www.scvacs.org. There is no charge to attend, but space is limited, so please make a reservation for your preferred location with the California Section office at (510) 351-9922. Biographies: Drs. C. Marvin Lang and Donald Showalter the chemical demonstrator opposite the show have spent their careers actively promoting host, Nobel Prize winner Roald Hoffman, in the use of chemical demonstrations to excite the 26-episode PBS series, "The World of students, teachers, and the general public, and Chemistry," that aired between 1987 and to teach chemical principles at all levels of 1989, that is still used as a part of high school science education. They have presented over chemistry curricula around the country. Drs. 500 chemical demonstrations and teacher Lang and Showalter have spent the large workshops worldwide, at venues as varied as majority of their teaching careers at the Uni- Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center, versity of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, where Disneyland, the U.S. Congress, the Marv joined the faculty in 1964 and Don in Smithsonian Museum of American History, 1971. They have individually won a number the Great Lakes Science Museum in Cleve- of prestigious teaching awards from that uni- land, Ohio, the Kamehameha Schools in Ha- versity. waii, Oxford University in England, and Dr. Lang received his Ph.D. in Physical Helsinki University in Finland, to name just a Chemistry from the University of Wyoming few. They have maintained their popularity at Laramie, after a M.S. in chemistry from because they are energetic showmen and cre- the University of Wisconsin - Madison, and ative in their approach, and their emphasis is a B.S. in chemistry and mathematics from that chemistry is fun. Elmhurst College. Both Marv and Don are winners of the ACS Dr. Showalter spent a year as a post-doc- Helen Free Award for Public Outreach - Marv toral fellow at the Oregon State University in 1997, and Don in 2006. Marv has also been Radiation Center, after receiving his Ph.D. in honored with the Harry and Carol Mosher inorganic and radiochemistry from the Uni- Award from the Santa Clara Valley local sec- versity of Kentucky, and a B.S. degree with tion in 2002, and as an ACS Fellow (2010), emphasis on chemistry and math from East- and has been a local section Councilor for over ern Kentucky University. 20 years and served as a National ACS Direc- tor. Don is still recognized and remembered as OCTOBER 2010 4 REPORT FROM THE ACS NA- the website on September 24th. Meeting at- TIONAL MEETING Boston, MA, tendees are invited to view starting Septem- ber 10th at www.acs.org/meetingcontent. August 22-26, 2010 The annual Chemluminary awards event to Highlights honor local sections and divisions for their Fall ACS National meetings have tended to public outreach activities was held on Au- be larger than spring meetings, and one would gust 24th and the California local section was have expected that to be the case this year, a finalist in two categories, Best Project Seed since Boston is one of the most popular ven- program and Best Women’s Chemists Com- ues. However, that was not the case this year, mittee Event. While our section was not an because the spring meeting was held in San award winner this year, many awards have Francisco, THE most popular National meet- been won at this event in the past, and Project ing venue. Still the combined attendance of Seed, which began as an idea from the Cali- 18,093 in SF and 14,059 in Boston is almost fornia Section many years ago, continues to sure to have set a record for total yearly at- be a significant program for which our local tendance at National ACS meetings, even with section can be proud, primarily due to the a continuing depressed economy. long term energy and dedication of Elaine Another comparison between the two Na- Yamaguchi and other volunteers.