Some of this week's stories

Lab sponsors `Rube Goldberg' contest

Twelve Chicago-area high school teams will try to answer that question on Friday, April 19 when they compete in the city's first-ever Rube Goldberg machine contest for high schools. Teams will match their creativity and engineering skills to see who can build the most bizarre contraption to plant a seed in soil.

Besides honoring Earth Day, the contest will help Argonne, one of the event's sponsors, celebrate its 50th anniversary. The contest starts at 11 a.m. Friday, April 19 -- Argonne's birthday -- at the Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier.

"Rube Goldberg contests are a great way to have fun, show creativity and actually learn something about science and engineering in the bargain," said Argonne Director Alan Schriesheim.

Rube Goldberg machine contests are inspired by the late Reuben Lucius Goldberg, whose cartoons combined simple household items into complex devices to perform trivial tasks. Each machine in the Argonne Rube Goldberg Machine Contest for High Schools must take at least 20 steps to plant a seed in soil.

The machines combine the principles of physics and engineering with common objects such as marbles, mousetraps, stuffed animals, electric mixers, vacuum cleaners, rubber tubes, bicycle parts and anything else on hand.

Each member of the winning team and its faculty advisor will receive an Argonne National Laboratory 50th anniversary commemorative silver coin, a tour of Argonne including Argonne's virtual reality CAVE and the Advanced Photon Source, and lunch with Argonne scientists.

Argonne's Division of Educational Programs and Office of Public Affairs are sponsoring the event in collaboration with the Chicago Children's Museum and the national Rube Goldberg machine contest, held annually at Purdue University.

More information about the Argonne Rube Goldberg Machine Contest for High Schools -- and some of Goldberg's cartoons -- are available on the World Wide Web at http://www.anl.gov/OPA/rube/.

April 19 party marks
lab's 50th anniversary

At Argonne-West, the cafeteria will close at 12:30 p.m., so it can be decorated for the party. Festivities begin at 2 p.m. with a few words by by John Sackett, Deputy Associate Laboratory Director for Argonne-West.

At Argonne-East, the birthday party will begin at noon with a short speech by Argonne Director Alan Schriesheim in the Building 213 cafeteria.

The Argonne Credit Union will raffle six $50 bills at Argonne-East and three at Argonne-West.

The day marks the anniversary of the University of Chicago's acceptance of a letter contract to operate an as-yet-unnamed national laboratory to continue the nuclear reactor research of the Manhattan Engineering District's Metallurgical Laboratory.

The Met Lab's name was officially changed to Argonne National Laboratory on July 1, 1946.

Stamp of approval

Philatelists take note: the Argonne-East post office will cancel stamps with a special 50th anniversary commemorative postmark on Friday, April 19.

The postmark takes the form of the 50th anniversary logo. The post office is located in the southeast corner of the Building 213 cafeteria's main dining area.

New center combines expertise
of analytical labs at both sites

The new center combines the expertise of the laboratories at each site to conduct analytical chemistry research and development, perform analyses, and provide technical expertise. The center will specialize in environmental protection and restoration, waste management and facility decommissioning projects.

Analytical chemistry research and laboratory services will play an important role in the U.S. Department of Energy's cleanup effort, said Dave Green, Director of the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory at Argonne-East. Close cooperation between the two laboratory organizations, including computer links, will allow Argonne to better address the DOE's needs.

"This doesn't change the fundamental mission of the laboratories at each site," Green said. "But together we have capabilities we don't have separately."

The center's 70 employee can solve unusual analytical problems and can provide a wide range of analytical services. Between the two sites, state-of-the-art instruments and a wide variety of facilities are available to handle nearly all types of material, from environmental samples to irradiated nuclear fuel.

Argonne marks Earth Day with forum

Earth Day exhibitors include the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Johnson Products, Nature's Corner, and USA Waste Services. Topics and session schedules are as follows:

* 11:15 - 11:45 a.m. -- Michael Dempsey, Johnson Products: "Environmental Issues Within Corporate America."

* 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. -- Jeff Rugg, Nature's Corner: "Attracting Wildlife To Your Backyard."

* 12:45 - 1:15 p.m. -- Pat Flood, USA Waste Services: "Commercial and Residential Recycling Programs."

All Argonne employees and visitors are invited to attend the sessions. These activities are sponsored by the Waste Management and Pollution Prevention Advisory Committee. For more information, call the Waste Management and Pollution Prevention Hotline at ext. 2-6778.

Mathiesen honored by DOE

Mathiesen was honored by the the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Research for her work on the Energy Research Categorical Exclusion Task Group. The group worked for more than a year to develop new procedures to streamline the Energy Research Office's categorical exclusion process. "Categorical exclusions" are activities, such as some bench-scale laboratory experiments, that have no environmental impact and do not need NEPA review.

Mathiesen is Argonne's environmental compliance officer, overseeing programs related to compliance with federal and state environmental regulations. Working with Argonne management and the U.S. and Illinois environmental protection agencies, she develops environmental policy for Argonne's Illinois site.

Tickets go on sale for
`Philomusica' concert

Tickets are $15. Remaining tickets will be sold at the door before the performance.

Sponsored by Arts at Argonne, the New York Philomusica will perform at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 21, in the APS Conference Center Auditorium (Building 402). The ensemble specializes in "Harmoniemusik," written in the 18th and 19th centuries for combinations of wind instruments and contrabass. The group will perform works by Haydn, von Weber, Beethhoven, Krommer and Mozart.

For more information, visit the Arts at Argonne home page on the World Wide Web.

Survey, demonstration
to mark library week

The survey will guide decisions about future improvements in library services. It will begin on Monday, April 15.

ACCESS will be demonstrated in Argonne-East's Building 401 library on Thursday, April 18 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. ACCESS is designed to help researchers keep up with scientific literature by electronically delivering the tables of contents of selected journals to their desktop computers.

IPD-TIS librarians will be present at the demonstration to answer questions about ACCESS and recommend strategies for using the service to gather and filter information.

Upgrade project helps
Argonne keep its cool

Recently installed pumps, valves, sensors, and electrical systems are now operated remotely from a central control room in Building 583. The new equipment will more accurately measure the amount of suspended material (turbidity) and biological activity in the water. It will also allow operators to administer the proper treatment chemicals to the water before it is distributed.

The Canal Water Treatment Plant collects and treats water from the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal before it is distributed across the site for use as process cooling water in various buildings. The plant is more than 30 years old, and its outdated equipment was not consistently providing high-quality process cooling water. Under certain conditions, the water supplied to the plant exceeded the equipment's ability to reduce turbidity to acceptable levels.

For more information on the treatment plant upgrade, call Peter Lynch (EMO) at ex. 2-9735.

Deadline nears for nominating
outstanding employees for 1996

The awards were established in 1983 by the Board of Governors to complement the Distinguished Performance Awards. The award recognizes employees in support positions whose exemplary service over an extended period has furthered the goals and missions of the laboratory.

An employee may be nominated for a consistent history of innovative ideas, suggestions or inventions; for sustained leadership, reliability and dependability; or because of some special act of heroism or courage during an emergency.

The award consists of an engraved plaque plus $3,000. It may be given to any full-time Argonne employee in a support position who is not eligible to receive the University of Chicago Distinguished Performance Award, has not received the Outstanding Service Award in the past, and is not a current member of the award committee.

Anyone may make a nomination using the one-page nominating statement available through Human Resources.

All nominations should be placed in a sealed envelope marked "Confidential" and sent to: Outstanding Service Award Committee, Attention: Charlotte M. LeGrand, Human Resources, Building 201, Argonne-East, with an information copy sent to the nominee's division director or department head.

Deadline for nominations is Wednesday, April 17. For more information, call Human Resources at ext. 2-3151.

Fermilab voice link
to shut down May 1

The expense of maintaining a microwave link to Fermilab, especially with recent advances in fiber-optic "ground lines," makes the service uneconomical, said Mike Vonder Heide, section head of telecommunications services at ECT. The tower carries about 200 calls a day.

For example, instead of dialing 5-3000 to get general information at the Batavia laboratory, callers will need to dial the standard 7-840-3000.

The 25-year-old tower will continue to serve as a transmission point for lab-wide radio traffic.

Cell phones to be
reprogrammed

ECT-Telecommunications services is working with Ameritech and Cellular One to determine which cell phones will require reprogramming. Users of these phones will be notified of changes in advance.

For more information, call Denise Vassallo at ext. 2-2723.

Argonne Club to host
roller-skating party

The party will take place at Mainstreet U.S.A., 1303 Naperville Dr., Romeoville, one-half mile south of Interstate 55 on Route 53.

Tickets are $3 and will be on sale from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Building 213 cafeteria beginning the week of April 8. Tickets purchased at the door will be $4. Ticket price includes skates, but individuals may bring their own. Inline skates are allowed.

A snack bar with hot dogs, pizza and pop will be available, along with music and pinball and video games.

Satellite seminar to focus
on CFCs' effects on ozone

The program -- "CFSs and the Ozone Layer -- Disrupting a Delicate Balance" -- is the first installment of ACS's new satellite TV series, "Conversations with Nobel Laureates in Chemistry."

Hosts Paul Crutzen and Nobel winners Mario Molina and F. Sherwood Rowland will discuss how the depletion of the ozone layer could have catastrophic consequences worldwide if left unchecked.

Reservations to view the satellite seminar can be made by calling Carol Reynolds (DEP) at ext. 2-5767.

Risk Analysis Society
to meet at lab April 15

Featured speaker is William Rish, a senior project manager at Woodward-Clyde Consultants in Solon, Ohio. Rish will discuss the use of probabilistic cost-benefit analysis in making environmental management decisions.

Using a municipal-industrial landfill as a case study, will illustrate how Monte Carlo analyses can be applied to combine probability distributions for cost and risk reduction to support more informed decision making.

For more information, call ext. 2-3243.

Robert W. Brown, a stationary engineer in the Plant Facilities and Services Division who retired in 1987 with 35 years of service, died Jan. 15. He is survived by his wife, Jewell.

Lester F. Dorsey, a senior staff assistant in the former Chemical Engineering Division who retired in 1981 with 32 years of service, died Jan. 23. He is survived by his wife, Marietta.

Ronald H. Skidmore, a customer service representative in the Information and Publishing Division, died Jan. 25. He is survived by his wife, Joanne.

Fred Verber, an associate electrical engineer in the former Engineering Division who retired in 1974 with 24 years of service, died Feb. 21. He is survived by his children, John D. Verber, Marianne Clifford and Richard W. Verber.

Anna M. Wilson, a cook's helper in the former Lodging and Food Services Division who retired in 1965 with 13 years of service, died Dec. 18. She is survived by her children, Kathleen Jurgens, Mark A. Wilson and James A. Wilson.

NEW ARRIVALS

A girl, Samantha Rae, born March 21 to Greg and Michelle Romenesko (DIS); a boy, Dalton Leonard, born Feb. 27 to DeAun and Ron Tollner (CMT); a daughter, Winnie Chang, born Feb. 27 to Tandy H.C. Cheng and Jimmy F. C. Chang (ET); a boy, Matthew Steven, born March 14 to Rita and Steve Aumeier (TD-AW); and congratulations to John Schneider (ES) and his wife who have a new daughter, Zoe. Proud grandparents: a granddaughter, Kendall Christine, born March 11 for first-time grandparents Lynn and Peggy Olsen (ESH); a grandson, Tyler Brian, born for Dave Braithwaite (ED); a grandson, Jonah Hans, born March 13 for Helen (Newcomers) and Hans Kaper (MCS).

ACHIEVEMENTS

Sam Bader (MSD) was elected secretary/treasurer of the executive committee division of materials physics of the American Physical Society 1996-97. Congratulations to James Lyness (MCS) for his trophy-winning dramatic reading for Argonne Toastmasters.

WEDDINGS/ENGAGEMENTS

Congratulations to Susanne Carroll and Kevin Stork (ES) on their April 20 wedding and to Jennifer and Kevin Hayden (ECT) on their March 16 wedding. Best wishes to Patrick Beallis (EMO) on his engagement to Kelly Dwyer and to Ernesto Faillace (EAD ) on his engagement to Claudia Correa Leite.

GET WELL WISHES

Wishes for a speedy recovery to Carol Grebic (DIS) who is recovering from surgery; to Laurie Culbert (IPD-MED); and to Gene Argast (ED) who is recovering from back surgery

WELCOME

IPD-TIS welcomes Swati Wagh.

FAREWELL

Good luck to Craig Burns, Mike Armstrong, Ed Bull, Peter Korp and Christine (Rimbo) Ostrander (all DIS); Tonson Abraham (ES); Jerry Gaertner (ES); Deb Spiece (IPD-TCS); Dartha Dragnich (IPD-TCS); George R. Imel (ED); Peggy Howell (ED); Cynthia Mitchell (EAD); Kim Seifert (EAD); and Roman Kuperman (EAD) who have all left the laboratory.

CONDOLENCES

Condolences to John DePue (IPD-TCS) on the death of his brother; Vic Comello (IPD-TCS) on the death of his mother; James Corsolini (IPD-MED) on the death of his father; James Cullen (IPD-MED) on the death of his mother; Charles Gettemy (IPD-MED) on the death of his mother; Daniel Sarro (IPD-MED) on the death of his father; to Lou (RE) and Pat McUmber (HR-SS) on the death of their brother-in-law; K. Mike Goff (TD-AW) on the death of his grandmother; Rebecca Naretto (ED) on the death of her brother; and Dawn Rees (ED) on the death of her aunt.

CONTRIBUTORS

Thanks to this issue's contributors: Judy Beumer (MCS); Barbara Burke (ECT); Gloria Griparis (IPD-TCS); Diana Grygiel (ESH); Connie Hutchens (AW); George Joch (IPD-MED); Sheila Jungman (MSD); Cathy Nelson (IPD-TIS); Joann Parnell (ES); Eleanor Robson (EAD); Faith Ruppert (EAD); Jean Slater (DIS); and Kim Tomasko (RE).

Monday, April 15

Physics Division Seminar: "In Search of Color Transparency" by Don Geesaman, (PHY). 3:30 p.m., Bldg. 203, Conference Room R150.

Tuesday, April 16

Chemistry Division Monday Morning Seminar Series: "DNA-Mediated Electron Transfer Chemistry" by Jacqueline K. Barton, Department of Chemistry, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. 11 a.m., Bldg. 200 Auditorium.

Joint Chemistry and Materials Science Divisions Seminar: "Resonance Raman Spectroscopy: Novel Applications in Biology and Materials Science" by Sanford A. Asher, Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh. 1:30 p.m., Bldg. 200, Conference Room J183.

Spring 1996 ACCA Biology Seminar Series: "Inhalation Toxicology" by Fred Kirchner, (EAD) & "Neurotoxicology" by Debra Kirchner, University of Illinois, Chicago. 7 p.m., Bldg. 223 Auditorium.

Wednesday, April 17

Materials Science Division Special Colloquium: "Energetics and Dynamics of Nanoscale Structure on Silicon" by Max LaGally, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison. 11 a.m., Bldg. 212, Conference Room A157.

High Energy Physics Division Seminar: "Recent Charm Physics Results from Fermilab E-687" by Peter Garbincius, Fermilab, Batavia, Ill. 11 a.m., Bldg. 362, Conference Room F108.

Energy Systems Division Seminar: "Separation and Recovery of Waste Solvents" by Bob Peters, (ES). Noon, Bldg. 362, Conference Room E356.

Thursday, April 18

Chemistry Division Seminar: "Rare Earths and Transition Metal Cyanides: Building Blocks to Solid-State Polymers" by David Knoeppel, Ohio State University, Columbus. 10 a.m., Bldg. 200, Conference Room J183.

Chemistry Division Seminar: "Theoretical Investigations of Structure and Active Sites of Catalysts" by G.M. Zhidomirov, Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Novosibirsk, Russia. 11 a.m., Bldg. 200, Conference Room J193.

Center for Mechanistic Biology & Biotechnology General Seminar: "From Cystic Fibrosis Infection to Yeast Protein Synthesis to Cancer Metastasis: Role of an Enzyme Complex" by Ananda Chakrabarty, Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois, Chicago. 3:30 p.m., Bldg. 202, Conference Room B169.

Friday, April 19

Chemistry Division Seminar: "State-Resolved Studies of Low-Energy Electron-Stimulated Interactions in Water Thin-Films: The Role of Excitons and Shape Resonances" by Thomas Orlando, Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, Wash. 11 a.m., Bldg. 200, Conference Room J183.

Physics Colloquium: "Enrico Fermi and Physics at Argonne in the 1940s" by Albert Wattenberg, University of Illinois, Urbana. 11 a.m., Bldg. 203 Auditorium.

Monday, April 22

Energy Technology Division & Materials Science Division Colloquium: "Critical Current Limiting Mechanisms and Intelligent Processing of Polycrystalline High Temperature Superconductors" by David Larbalestier, Applied Superconductivity Center, Materials Science & Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison. 11 a.m., Bldg. 212, Conference Room A157.

Chemistry Division Monday Morning Seminar Series: "Assembling Chromophores Using Hydrogen Bonds" by Frederick D. Lewis, Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill. 11 a.m., Bldg. 200 Auditorium.

Tuesday, April 23

Chemistry Division Seminar: "Path Integral Simulation of Quantum Dynamical Processes in the Condensed Phase" by Nancy Makri, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana. 11 a.m., Bldg. 200, Conference Room J193.

Spring 1996 ACCA Biology Seminar Series: "Toxicology in the Clinical Setting" by Kristine Bolin, University of Illinois, Medical School. 7 p.m., Bldg. 223 Auditorium.

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