UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY VOLUME 48 | ISSUE NO. 5 | JUNE 14 | 2007 AAmericanmerican PhysicalPhysical SocietySociety conference beams Calgary up nnews,ews, pagepage 3 Chris Tait/the Gauntlet editorial and letters June 14 2007 Editor-in-Chief: Chris Tait 220-7752 [email protected] News Editor: Katy Anderson 220-4318 Canadian Cancer Society too hasty [email protected] Entertainment: Ryan Pike 220-4376 [email protected] mmediately following the situation was the way the story was Sports: Amanda Hu 220-4376 release of a Nebraskan study handled by both the media and sci- [email protected] focused on post-menopausal entifi c communities. Th ough some I Opinions: Ændrew Rininsland 220-4376 women, vitamin D supplement might say they can’t be faulted for [email protected] sales have seen a hysterical increase, misrepresentation of their content, Features: Jon Roe 220-4376 leaving most retailers backordered the widespread eff ect they caused [email protected] for higher-dosage bottles. shows something bordering on Photography: Geoff MacIntosh 220-4376 With the study’s claim of a irresponsibility. [email protected] notable lack of cancer diagnoses Not to say that journalism and Production: Christian Louden 220-4376 in their ,-person control science should aim to avoid aff ect- [email protected] group among the portion taking ing the world. Au contraire, that is News Assistant: Sara Hanson 220-4318 vitamin D (cholacalciferol) supple- the purpose for which almost every [email protected] ments, it’s easy to understand the journalist or scientist lives. Fueling Business Manager: Evelyn Cone 220-7380 Canadian Cancer Society’s excite- a major change of public habit [email protected] ment: almost immediately after without all the facts, on the other Advertising Manager: John Harbidge 220-7751 the Creighton University study hand, is obviously sensationalist [email protected] was published, the society released and unwise. Th e Cancer Society’s Graphic Artist: Ken Clarke 220-7755 recommendations for an intake of overenthusiastic support for these [email protected] , international units—roughly fi ndings has given them credibility Network Manager: Ben Li mg—of the vitamin daily aft er and universality that even the origi- announced they would curb their ture announcement, this area of consulting a physician. nators hadn’t intended. enthusiasm until further studies study runs the risk of being deval- Contributors Garth Paulson • Marina Foo • Kristine Gick Though their excitement was Fortunately, the newly recom- could be done. With a media track ued. After all, what is the point Medha Subramani • Cam Cotton-O’Brien • Dan Pagan tempered with caution, the quick mended adult dose of , IUs is record like that of our neighbours to of knowledge if nobody does any- Joyce Wong timing and wide distribution of far from predicted harmful doses the south, this seems like a substan- thing with it? Golden Spatula the news had a marked impact on (children are not advised to take tial role-reversal, to our discredit. Not all the blame can Kristine Gick for writing the best fi rst-time lead ever! Canadians. Evidently, the public has the supplement), at least in acute Even if the discovery leads be put on the shoulders of the Furor Arma Ministrat taken things to extremes, based on cases. The greater issue is not a to breakthrough advances in messengers. Surely, the public’s Room 319, MacEwan Students’ Centre University of Calgary their sudden and overwhelm- potential for overdose—though, cancer prevention, it is cheap- ignorance or disregard of finer 2500 University Drive, NW ing demand for the supplements as history might choose to chime ened by its presentation as points absorb some of the onus. Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 General inquires: 220-7750 despite the inconclusive nature of in, it’s bound to happen at some a supplement rush or fad. Lumping The Canadian Cancer Society http://gauntlet.ucalgary.ca the fi ndings. An interesting observa- point on either the short or long it in the same category as red meat should have exercised a little more The Gauntlet is the offi cial student newspaper of the University of Calgary, published most Thursdays throughout the year by the Gauntlet Publications Society, an autonomous, tion has thus been transformed into term—it’s the Cancer Society’s or Atkins will hardly do it justice, patience because the way this issue incorporated body. Membership in the society is open to undergraduate students at the U of C, but all members of the university community are encouraged to contribute. Opinions contained herein are those of individual writers, and do not necessarily represent the a country-wide problem. lone and overwhelming support creating more skepticism than it was handled was unwarranted. views of the entire Gauntlet staff. Editorials are chosen by a majority of the editorial board. The Gauntlet is a forum open to all U of C students but may refuse any submission Whether vitamin D winds up for universal supplementation. may deserve in the future. If the judged to be racist, sexist, homophobic, libelous, or containing attacks of a strictly personal nature. We reserve the right to edit for brevity. Grievances regarding the Chris Tait Gauntlet follow a three-step process which requires written decisions from the Editor, being a miracle cure for cancer Even the U.S.’s equivalent organisa- public is unwilling to act on the the GPS Board of Directors, and the Ombudsboard. The complete Grievance Policy is online at: http://gauntlet.ucalgary.ca. The Gauntlet is printed on recycled paper and uses or not, the major mishap in this tion, the National Cancer Institute, discovery because of its prema- Editor-in-Chief pocket ninja-based ink. We urge you to recycle the Gauntlet/turn it into a teenage boat. GAUNTLET JUNE 14.07 3 news Editor: Katy Anderson—[email protected] Ultra-science is ultra-cool International physics conference comes to Calgary for the fi rst time Amanda Hu and molecular physics but oft en times we work Gauntlet News with particle physicists to make new discover- ies,” explained Th ompson. “Th e LCLS project cience experts travelled to Calgary for a and other projects are working to generate meeting of minds, atoms and lasers at more esoteric forms of light and using a com- Sthe th annual meeting of the Division bination of atomic and particle physics. Th ese of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics of are major fi nancial investments that defi nitely the American Physical Society Jun. –. need to be given a lot of thought.” The conference, hosted in conjunction Th ompson added that while Canada already with the University of Calgary and Division has a similar facility to the one being built at of Atomic and Molecular Physics and the SLAC, the LCLS will operate on a longer Photonic Interactions, attracted over of wavelength and will be a new form of x-ray the world’s foremost experts in various fi elds light source. of physics. Over talks and several special Preston Manning spoke at the conference’s events took place in the duration of the fi ve- banquet Friday night. Th ough a seemingly day aff air, promoting extensive discussion unlikely choice, Manning delivered a well- and discovery. received speech on the importance of eff ec- Geoff MacIntosh/the Gauntlet “We had scientifi c sessions for the oral tive communication between scientists and presentations,” said U of C physics professor Dr. Rob Thompson is an ultra-scientist, just like Einstein. politicians for science policy. Rob Th ompson, one of the organizers of the “Th e way scientists talk to other scientists conference and recent recipient of the national outside of Ontario. Th is was a great chance for technique. Th e talks were focused on their often doesn’t translate well when they’re teaching prize. “A number of the sessions the University of Calgary and the physicists current projects. trying to communicate with politicians and were focused on quantum information and here to make an impact.” Th e conference was also a forum for the the general public,” admitted Th ompson. cryptography. Calgary is getting really big for Of the highlights of the meeting was the Linac Coherent Light Source town hall meet- “Politicians oft en want to get to the point that in the scientifi c community.” Nobel Symposium, featuring the Nobel ing. Th e LCLS, currently under construction of an issue, while scientists wait until the Th e decision to hold the conference —the Prize in Physics recipients Roy Glauber and at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Centre, is very end to make their point because the largest meeting of its kind—in Calgary was John Hall. Glauber, based out of Harvard the fi rst x-ray free electron laser of it’s kind, journey to that point is what they fi nd the very signifi cant to the local scientifi c com- University, was recognized with the presti- predicted to revolutionize many areas of most interesting.” munity. gious award for his contribution to quantum research upon its completion in . Th e Th e Hot Topics Forum closed off the confer- “Th e organization that runs the confer- theory of optical coherence. Hall received the forum was held to inform the physics com- ence and featured several recent discoveries ence is based in the United States,” explained Nobel Prize with fellow physicist Th eodor munity of its progress, and discussed funding and projects. One well-received presenter Th ompson. “Th ey only hold the meeting in W. Hänsch for their work on the develop- and cooperation to share the use of this new Dr.