FN EE RW MS I FERMILAB AU.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY LABORATORY Congressman Ehlers 2 Photos by Reidar Hahn Volume 23 INSIDE: Friday, January 14, 2000 Number 1 6 State of the Lab f 12 Survey SaysÉ 14 Dear JessicaÉ Congressman by Judy Jackson ÒAls U Nederlander bent, spreekt U nog Nederlands?Ó asked U.S. Congressman Vern Ehlers of Michigan. He was speaking to DZero cospokesperson Harry Weerts, a professor at Michigan State University, a citizen of the Netherlands, and one of EhlersÕs TheyÕre both physicists, theyÕre both from Michigan and they both speak Dutch. Harry tour guides for the congressmanÕs December 8 visit to Fermilab. Weerts, left, is a professor of physics from Michigan State University, a citizen of the Netherlands and cospokesperson of the DZero ÒNatuurlijk spreek ik nog Nederlands. Wat is een Nederlander experiment. Ehlers, of Dutch ancestry, is a former physics professor at Calvin College and die zijn moedertaal niet praat ?Ó Weerts replied. a Michigan congressman. Fermilab physicist Joe Lach (center) and Ehlers were Ph.D. students together at the University of Roughly translated, Ehlers, of Dutch ancestry, asked Weerts, California at Berkeley. ÒIf you are from the Netherlands, do you speak Dutch?Ó To which Weerts replied, ÒOf course I speak Dutch, I AM Dutch.Ó ÒI was rather surprised,Ó Weerts said later. And no wonder. ItÕs not too often that Dutch-speaking physicist- congressmen pass through Fermilab. In fact, when Ehlers, a nuclear physicist with a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, was elected in 1994, he became the only physicist ever to serve in Congress; and for four years he remained the only one. Not since the time of Benjamin Franklin had a physicist held a comparable legislative post in the U.S. government. Then, in 1998, the election to the House of physicist Rush Holt, of New Jersey, doubled the number of physicist-legislators. ÒI calculate that at this doubling rate, by 2028 the entire Congress will consist of physicists,Ó Ehlers told a standing-room-only crowd at FermilabÑan audience who clearly felt such a demographic shift would be highly desirable. Meanwhile, Cover: Congressman Vern Ehlers (R-MI) Ehlers told the Fermilab scientists, Congress has little understanding of surveyed the Fermilab site from the 15th floor of Wilson Hall. The congressman asked scienceÑand when it comes to politics, scientists are Òclueless.Ó To help bridge Fermilab Director Michael Witherell (left) the gap, he urged physicists to become more politically involved, not simply by about the LaboratoryÕs plans and hopes for making their traditional evangelizing trips to Washington, but by donating to building a future accelerator on the site. election campaigns and volunteering time to help candidates they support. 2 FERMINEWS January 14, 2000 Ehlers Visits Fermilab The former Calvin College physics professor ÒI expected to receive a polite form letter in reply,Ó described his own entry into national politics, a Ehlers said. Instead, Ford called him the next day, career he had not envisioned, via local political asking him to become his scientific advisor. involvement in his home town of Grand Rapids. Thereafter, Ehlers and other scientific colleagues He recalled sending a letter to his then- met regularly with Ford, who told Ehlers he enjoyed congressman, another son of Grand Rapids, these scientific gatherings, because Òyou are the Gerald Ford, in which he offered free scientific only people who ever visit me who arenÕt asking advice if Ford should ever want it. for anything.Ó Photos by Reidar Hahn Ehlers told a Fermilab audience that, while Congress may not know much about science, scientists are politically Òclueless.Ó He urged his fellow physicists to bridge the gap by becoming involved in the political process. FERMINEWS January 14, 2000 3 Congressman Ehlers Photos by Reidar Hahn Operations chief Bob Mau explains particle acceleration to Particle physics and poolÑtheyÕre both about collisions. The Congressman Ehlers in the Fermilab Main Control Room. Looking particle pool table at FermilabÕs Lederman Science Center lets on is Michael Lach, a physics teacher who is spending a year as kids analyze collisions on the macroscopic scale to help them an Einstein Fellow on EhlersÕs staff. visualize what happens when subatomic particles collide, Fermilab education specialist Spencer Pasero explained to Mr. Ehlers. Fermilab physicists, however, cannot be counted The 74-page report addresses major themes among those who arenÕt asking for anything from including the contribution of science to policy- Congress, as their questions to the congressman making and the importance of strengthening and indicated. Ehlers sympathized with the difficulty sustaining science in the United States. It stresses they expressed in communicating the benefits the importance of making Òstable and substantial of particle physics in persuasive terms, and of federal funding for fundamental science a high garnering congressional support for expensive priorityÓ and advocates spreading research funds new scientific facilities. A member of the House over a Òbroad spectrum of scientific disciplines, Science Committee and the author of a recent mathematics, and engineering.Ó science policy study, Ehlers demonstrated his Ehlers received high marks from Fermilab familiarity with such issues. scientists who crowded the One West lecture Ehlers cited the late California Congressman hall to hear him speak. Many seemed amazed George BrownÕs assertion that the United States to encounter a congressman with EhlersÕs grasp does not have a science policy, but rather a budget of the issues currently confronting U.S. research policy for science. In an effort to address the in basic science. national science policy vacuum, and at the request ÒHe really gets it, doesnÕt he?Ó marveled one of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Ehlers led experimenter. the 1998 Science Committee effort that produced the well-received report, ÒUnlocking Our Future: Mr. Ehlers U bent altijd van harte welkom in Toward a New National Science Policy.Ó Fermilab. ThatÕs Dutch for ÒMr. Ehlers, yÕall come back.Ó 4 FERMINEWS January 14, 2000 DeeCONCERNSp EHLERS TAKES ON SCIENCE EDUCATION Accompanying Congressman Vern Ehlers on his visit to Fermilab was high-school physics teacher Michael Lach, son of Fermilab physicist Joe Lach. The younger Lach is spending a year as an Einstein Fellow on EhlersÕs staff, in support of the congressmanÕs project to address problems in K-12 science and mathematics education. The House Republican leadership has asked Ehlers to conduct a comprehensive survey of U.S. science education. He plans to introduce a bill in early 2000 that will offer recommendations for improving teacher recruitment, preparation, use of technology and professional development. On November 8, Ehlers spoke on the House floor about the importance of science and math education. Excerpts from his remarks appear Photo by Reidar Hahn below: At the Lederman Science Center, FermilabÕs Liz Quigg shows Congressman Ehlers and staffer Michael Lach the Detector Detail exhibit, one of several hands-on displays. ÒMr. Speaker, I rise this evening to discuss the issue of education in mathematics and science my estimate downward and say in 10 years people in our Nation. I have deep concerns about the will not be able to get a really good job without a current status of math and science education in good grounding in mathematics, science, this Nation.É I believe currently it is inadequate. É engineering, and technologyÉ The Third International Mathematics and Science StudyÉindicated that we were near the bottom of ÒHow are we going to improve math and science those nations and developed countries teaching education? ÉWe have to make sure we recruit mathematics and science in their high schoolsÉ. good teachers, because we are not recruiting enough today, we have to make sure they are ÒÉ With the resources that this country has and trained properly, and we have to keep them. We with the high quality of students this Nation has, have to make sure they do not get discouraged. it is inexcusable for us to be near the bottomÉ. We have to help them get the job done in the We should be not only at the top, but far and classroom. away the best Nation in this world in terms of our educational effort. I think we have to improve our ÒWe have to improve our science curricula. É math and science educationÉ We have to make Recently the American Association for the sure we have enough scientists and engineers in Advancement of Science studied middle school this country so that we can keep our economic curricula. Every middle school science curriculum growth strong and meet the needs of our in the United States was judged to be inadequate, citizensÉ. every single one. The only one that was regarded as acceptable, and mildly acceptable, was one ÒIt is going to get worse. I have made predictions put out by Michigan State UniversityÉ. on this floor that in 20 years, it will be impossible to find a good job without a good foundation in math ÒThe final point is methodology. We have to and scienceÉ It is clear to me that I have to revise improveÉour methods of teaching science.Ó FERMINEWS January 14, 2000 5 by Mike Perricone When Director Michael Witherell began his presentation on the state of Fermilab at the close of 1999, he made sure the assembly of STATE all hands knew this was not a summons to the principalÕs office. ÒThis meeting was not called to make an announcement,Ó Witherell told the Ramsey Photo by Jenny Mullins Auditorium gathering, Òand there is no crisis.Ó Director Michael Witherell: ÒFermilab people and facilities The last formal all-hands meetings in December represent an incalculably of the 1998 were called for security briefings mandated valuable asset to U.S.