Homestead High Crowned SLAC Science Bowl Champions

The winning Homestead High team revels in their glory with Martin Perl. (Click on image for larger version.)

by Travis Brooks

As Tom Brady and the (then) undefeated New England Patriots were readying themselves for the Super Bowl on Saturday, there was a competition of a decidedly different sort unfolding at SLAC. Twenty-two teams from high schools including Terra Linda High and Pescadero High came to SLAC to compete in head-to-head matches answering questions about science.

The morning consisted of a round robin in which the strongest teams separated themselves from the rest of the pack by their buzzer speed, mastery of science facts and game strategy. Many of the rounds were neck and neck with in-depth biology knowledge matched by solutions to tricky math problems. Coming into the afternoon rounds, Team 1 from Homestead High in Cupertino was undefeated and looking strong as they prepared to face San Jose's Lynbrook High in the finals.

Underdogs going in—just like the Giants in Sunday's Super Bowl—Lynbrook leapt out to score the first 22 points in the match against the undefeated favorites. The Homestead team came back to take the lead 52 to 50 just before halftime. With the clock running down they took a 76-68 lead by knowing the chemistry of tartaric acid, but failed to put the game away, missing a 10 point bonus about ethanol and oxidation. Just as the buzzer sounded, Lynbrook's knowledge of DNA mutations earned them 4 points to make it 76-72. The game was over, but their correct answer entitled them to a try at a 10 point bonus, which would give them the match. However the ending was different than Sunday's Super Bowl, as Lynbrook wasn't able to remember the facts about Thalassemia, a little-known disease of the red blood cells, and undefeated Homestead was crowned 2008 SLAC Science Bowl Champions. Read more...

PPP for SLAC

by Alan Kong

With Executive Order 13423, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) mandated that the National Labs purchase products with the most environmental attributes possible. The DOE’s Preferred Procurement Products are:
- bio-based
- energy and water efficient
- recycled, alternative fuels and vehicles
- non-ozone depleting

DOE Sites MUST give preference to the purchase of recycled:
- Office supplies: binders, containers, folders, furniture, paper, toner cartridges
- Custodial supplies: tissue/towels, recycle/trash containers & bags
- Construction supplies: carpet, cement, fiberboard, insulation, paint, roofing
- Landscaping supplies: compost, edging, hoses, lumber, mulch, posts, timbers

Please note that the list of office supplies to be purchased with recycled content includes toner cartridges. New cartridges may only be purchased when they have not been in circulation long enough to have a useable supply for remanufacturing. When a remanufactured alternative becomes available, this exception will no longer be applicable. This change for ordering of toner cartridges from the Corporate Express E-way system will go into effect on February 11, 2008. Please contact Pamela Wright-Brunache (x2440) with questions.

SLUO Meeting: Redefining the
User Facility

by Gerard Bonneaud, on behalf of the SLUO Executive Committee

On February 7th, the SLAC Users Organization (SLUO) is convening a meeting to explore the relationship between SLAC and its users in an era of growing involvements in off-site international projects.

The Department of Energy has charged the P5 subpanel of the High Energy Physics Advisory Panel (HEPAP) with re-evaluating the U.S. particle physics program for the next ten years. The subpanel's final report is due April 15; a visit to SLAC is planned for February 21-23.

The SLAC Users Organization (SLUO) is planning a meeting to help provide input into this process. Read more...

BP's Chief Scientist to Give Drell Lecture

from the Stanford Report

(Photo - Steve Koonin) Steven E. Koonin, chief scientist for BP in London, will give a talk titled "Energy, Environment, Security: Can We Have It All?" at 4:00 p.m. today in the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center.

The talk, which is free and open to the public, is this year's Drell Lecture, hosted by Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.

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A Miniature Synchrotron Technology Review
DOE's Disappointing Budget Makes It Harder to Stick to the Basics Science
Update: FY 2008 NSF and DOE Office of Science Budgets AIP FYI

View online at http://today.slac.stanford.edu/.

Homestead High Crowned SLAC Science Bowl Champions The winning Homestead High team revels in their glory with Martin Perl. (Click on image for larger version.) by Travis Brooks As Tom Brady and the (then) undefeated New England Patriots were readying themselves for the Super Bowl on Saturday, there was a competition of a decidedly different sort unfolding at SLAC. Twenty-two teams from high schools including Terra Linda High and Pescadero High came to SLAC to compete in head-to-head matches answering questions about science. The morning consisted of a round robin in which the strongest teams separated themselves from the rest of the pack by their buzzer speed, mastery of science facts and game strategy. Many of the rounds were neck and neck with in-depth biology knowledge matched by solutions to tricky math problems. Coming into the afternoon rounds, Team 1 from Homestead High in Cupertino was undefeated and looking strong as they prepared to face San Jose's Lynbrook High in the finals. Underdogs going in—just like the Giants in Sunday's Super Bowl—Lynbrook leapt out to score the first 22 points in the match against the undefeated favorites. The Homestead team came back to take the lead 52 to 50 just before halftime. With the clock running down they took a 76-68 lead by knowing the chemistry of tartaric acid, but failed to put the game away, missing a 10 point bonus about ethanol and oxidation. Just as the buzzer sounded, Lynbrook's knowledge of DNA mutations earned them 4 points to make it 76-72. The game was over, but their correct answer entitled them to a try at a 10 point bonus, which would give them the match. However the ending was different than Sunday's Super Bowl, as Lynbrook wasn't able to remember the facts about Thalassemia, a little-known disease of the red blood cells, and undefeated Homestead was crowned 2008 SLAC Science Bowl Champions. Read more...

PPP for SLAC by Alan Kong With Executive Order 13423, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) mandated that the National Labs purchase products with the most environmental attributes possible. The DOE’s Preferred Procurement Products are: - bio-based - energy and water efficient - recycled, alternative fuels and vehicles - non-ozone depleting DOE Sites MUST give preference to the purchase of recycled: - Office supplies: binders, containers, folders, furniture, paper, toner cartridges - Custodial supplies: tissue/towels, recycle/trash containers & bags - Construction supplies: carpet, cement, fiberboard, insulation, paint, roofing - Landscaping supplies: compost, edging, hoses, lumber, mulch, posts, timbers Please note that the list of office supplies to be purchased with recycled content includes toner cartridges. New cartridges may only be purchased when they have not been in circulation long enough to have a useable supply for remanufacturing. When a remanufactured alternative becomes available, this exception will no longer be applicable. This change for ordering of toner cartridges from the Corporate Express E-way system will go into effect on February 11, 2008. Please contact Pamela Wright-Brunache (x2440) with questions.	SLUO Meeting: Redefining the User Facility by Gerard Bonneaud, on behalf of the SLUO Executive Committee On February 7th, the SLAC Users Organization (SLUO) is convening a meeting to explore the relationship between SLAC and its users in an era of growing involvements in off-site international projects. The Department of Energy has charged the P5 subpanel of the High Energy Physics Advisory Panel (HEPAP) with re-evaluating the U.S. particle physics program for the next ten years. The subpanel's final report is due April 15; a visit to SLAC is planned for February 21-23. The SLAC Users Organization (SLUO) is planning a meeting to help provide input into this process. Read more... BP's Chief Scientist to Give Drell Lecture from the Stanford Report Steven E. Koonin, chief scientist for BP in London, will give a talk titled "Energy, Environment, Security: Can We Have It All?" at 4:00 p.m. today in the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center. The talk, which is free and open to the public, is this year's Drell Lecture, hosted by Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. Read more in the Stanford Report...	Events (see all \| submit) February 6: (1:30 p.m.) AIS: Daniel Palanker - High Resolution Optoelectronic Retinal Prosthesis Access (see all) Alpine Gate & PEP Ring Road closed Gates 17 & 30 open 24-7 Research Yard bisected Announcements (see all \| submit) Lab Announcements Learning & Development Class Offerings - Stanford Campus Community Bulletin Board Retirement party for Ben Smith, February 6 Total eclipse of the moon, February 20 STAP course: Breathe to Relax & Release Faculty Staff Help Center: February Workshops News (see all \| submit) A Miniature Synchrotron Technology Review DOE's Disappointing Budget Makes It Harder to Stick to the Basics Science Update: FY 2008 NSF and DOE Office of Science Budgets AIP FYI
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View online at http://today.slac.stanford.edu/.