SLAC Science Data Sticks

(Photo - Steven Robertson in his office)

(Photo by Brad Plummer.)

Even through the BaBar collaboration stopped taking data in 2008, it's still producing a steady flow of scientific results.

To keep track of the roughly 35 papers the collaboration will publish in the next year, the high-tech experiment went low-tech this summer. It transferred data from computers to Post-it notes.

BaBar physics analysis coordinator Steven Robertson uses the notes' vibrant colors to help him shepherd data analyses through the collaboration's rigorous approval process. The Post-its, he says, make it easier for him to see what he most urgently needs to work on when he arrives at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory each morning.

"What started as a set of simple reminders at some point developed into a formal system," Robertson said. He writes blue notes for papers in the first stage of the review process; yellow for analyses that have gone on to the next step, in which the entire collaboration reviews a draft of the completed paper; and green for papers submitted for publication in scientific journals.

"It's gratifying to see that the collaboration is still churning out papers," Robertson said. "Ultimately every one of these Post-its should turn into a publication." BaBar scientists have published about 450 papers so far, and he expects to see another 100 in the pipeline.

Colloquium Today:
The Supply Chain of CO₂ Emissions

At 4:15 p.m. today in Panofsky Auditorium, Steve Davis of the Department of Global Ecology at the Carnegie Institution of Washington will present a talk titled "The Supply Chain of CO₂ Emissions."

Carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels are conventionally attributed to the country where the emissions are produced (i.e., where the fuels are burned). However, production-based accounts represent a single point in the value chain of fossil fuels, which may have been extracted elsewhere and which may be used to produce goods or services for consumption elsewhere. The detailed model results reveal vulnerabilities and benefits related to current patterns of energy use that are relevant to climate and energy policy.

Steve Davis is a senior research associate at the Department of Global Ecology of the Carnegie Institution of Washington located on the Stanford campus. His research at Carnegie bridges the geochemistry of his doctoral work at Stanford on paleoclimate and his own interest in the links between the human and carbon system. He is currently a visiting scholar at the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, Seattle. He is also a co-founder and the chief scientist of NearZero, a non-profit organization with a goal to improve the communication of science on energy technology and efficiency to decision-makers.

The colloquium is free and open to all.

Events

Today (4:15 p.m.) SLAC Colloquium: The Supply Chain of CO2 Emissions

Access

Announcements

Lab Announcements

No announcements today

Community Bulletin Board

Healthy Taste of Stanford May 4

Training

Lab Training

Calendar
Registration

Today (9:00 a.m.)
ES&H Management Walkthrough

Upcoming Workshops & Classes

May 4, 5 (8:00 a.m.) Expression Web 4 Hands-on Training

News

LHC Hits World Record Beam Intensity Physorg
Rumor: LHC Sees Hint of Higgs Wired
Alien World's Fast Orbit Creates Shock Waves ScienceNOW

<% Response.AddHeader "Last-modified", getArticleDate() 'Response.AddHeader "Last-modified","Mon, 01 Sep 1997 01:03:33 GMT" 'Monday, December 06, 2010 %>

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

SLAC Science Data Sticks (Photo by Brad Plummer.) by Kelen Tuttle, Symmetry magazine Even through the BaBar collaboration stopped taking data in 2008, it's still producing a steady flow of scientific results. To keep track of the roughly 35 papers the collaboration will publish in the next year, the high-tech experiment went low-tech this summer. It transferred data from computers to Post-it notes. BaBar physics analysis coordinator Steven Robertson uses the notes' vibrant colors to help him shepherd data analyses through the collaboration's rigorous approval process. The Post-its, he says, make it easier for him to see what he most urgently needs to work on when he arrives at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory each morning. "What started as a set of simple reminders at some point developed into a formal system," Robertson said. He writes blue notes for papers in the first stage of the review process; yellow for analyses that have gone on to the next step, in which the entire collaboration reviews a draft of the completed paper; and green for papers submitted for publication in scientific journals. "It's gratifying to see that the collaboration is still churning out papers," Robertson said. "Ultimately every one of these Post-its should turn into a publication." BaBar scientists have published about 450 papers so far, and he expects to see another 100 in the pipeline. Colloquium Today: The Supply Chain of CO₂ Emissions At 4:15 p.m. today in Panofsky Auditorium, Steve Davis of the Department of Global Ecology at the Carnegie Institution of Washington will present a talk titled "The Supply Chain of CO₂ Emissions." Carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels are conventionally attributed to the country where the emissions are produced (i.e., where the fuels are burned). However, production-based accounts represent a single point in the value chain of fossil fuels, which may have been extracted elsewhere and which may be used to produce goods or services for consumption elsewhere. The detailed model results reveal vulnerabilities and benefits related to current patterns of energy use that are relevant to climate and energy policy. Steve Davis is a senior research associate at the Department of Global Ecology of the Carnegie Institution of Washington located on the Stanford campus. His research at Carnegie bridges the geochemistry of his doctoral work at Stanford on paleoclimate and his own interest in the links between the human and carbon system. He is currently a visiting scholar at the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, Seattle. He is also a co-founder and the chief scientist of NearZero, a non-profit organization with a goal to improve the communication of science on energy technology and efficiency to decision-makers. The colloquium is free and open to all.	Events Today (4:15 p.m.) SLAC Colloquium: The Supply Chain of CO2 Emissions Access Closure, Trucks on N. Permieter Road Postponed: North Gallery Road Closure at Sector 30 Bldg. 24, 27 Utility Work Bldg. 28 Fencing & Traffic RSB Project Info and Updates Announcements Lab Announcements No announcements today Community Bulletin Board Healthy Taste of Stanford May 4 Training Lab Training Calendar Registration Today (9:00 a.m.) ES&H Management Walkthrough Upcoming Workshops & Classes May 4, 5 (8:00 a.m.) Expression Web 4 Hands-on Training News LHC Hits World Record Beam Intensity Physorg Rumor: LHC Sees Hint of Higgs Wired Alien World's Fast Orbit Creates Shock Waves ScienceNOW
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	Monday - April 25, 2011