The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 44, No. 4, Ed. 1 Friday, October 5, 1956 Page: 10 of 10
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Ten
THE THRESHER
FRIDAY, OCTOBER
What's Going On In
The Science Labs ?
BY ED SUMMERS
The majority of students on
the campus avoid the science
buildings for one of two reasons:
they have classes there, and
know what's inside; or they
lion't, have classes there, and
don't want to find out what's in-
side. They are partly justified in
not going in—but not because
they might fall in a vat of boil-
ing nitric acid and never be seen
again—rather, because they will
get, interested in something and
forget to come out.
One on the primary functions
of a responsible university is to
conduct a well-rounded program
of research in as many fields as
possible. At Rice Institute, the
basic sciences research is espec-
ially important and an extensive
program exists.
' Pet Projects
There are ninety-two Rice fac-
ualty members, graduate assist-
ants, postdoctorates, and fellows
at Rice teaching or studying the
basic sciences of biology, chem-
istry, and physics. Nearly all of
them have some pet project
which demands a good bit of their
time, ranging all the way from
simple acid-base titration curves
to the determination of absorp-
tion isotherms with simultan-
eous magnetic susceptibility mea-
surements on < the adsorbent,
which takes some research just
to pronounce properly. .
■Equipment for research is re-
markably good. The biology de-
partment can call on its electron
microscope, flame photometer,
p h < t. o-ealorimeter, lyophilizer,
and Geiger counters; while the
chemistry department boasts X-
iay and electron diffraction
units, recording spectrophotome-
ters and a microphotometer, in-
frared equipment, and low-tem-
perature and microwave labor-
atories. The physics department
also has a low-temperature lab
equipped with a Collins liquifier;
a DC current source of 300 kilo-
watts for strong magnetic fields;
and- its pride—a six million volt
Van dor Graaff positive-particle
accelerator—the second largest
of its kind in the world.
Student Attitude
The attitude of students to-
ward science buildings which
was mentioned in the first para-
graph extends especially to the
nuclear research building hous-
ing the accelerator. The general
belief runs that if a person ig-
norant. of Its awsome powers ap-
proached it in the wrong way,
the entire building might dis-
integrate abruptly into a radio-
active dust; or if he got inside,
he might brush against a switch
and thereby pulverize both him-
self and a large part of Hous-
ton surrounding Rice (making
people angry with him); or if he
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survived these dangers, he might
accidently walk into a beam of
gamma rays and vanish, or at
least glow in the dark the rest
of his life.
We entered the air-conditioned
nuclear research building one
day last week, experiencing none
of these gruesome fates and
found Doctor Risser — not as-
sembling atomic bombs—but bent
over an instrument covered with
little orange flashing lights. He
waved us as'ide, saying apolo-
getically, "Something's wrong—•
I can't talk now. The ritohnfgdfs
(that's what it sounded like) isn't
high enough." We backed up,
nearly knocking over an ominous
sign set over an instrument pan-
el which warned—"CAUTION:
There is no valve on the magnetic
diffusion pump. It MUST be
turned off before air is let into
the system." We moved aside
carefully.
Snapping Noise
The rhythm of a series of
sharp snapping .noises picked up
noticably, and Dr. Risser relaxed.
"I'm measuring the angular dis-
tribution of neutrons coming off
beryllium when it is hit by alpha
particles coming down from the
accelerator." He grumbled as the
snaps came slower. "I know what
it is," he said. "The helium pres-
sure keeps dropping off." He
went on to explain that after
the helium was changed into al-
pha particles it came ripping
down a vacumized tube into the
field of a magnet big enough to
stop Big- Ben, was bent by the
magnet, and sent down another
tube at the other end of which
was the unhappy piece of tar-
get beryllium.
Fires Neutrons
The beryllium in retaliation
fires off neutrons but the aim is
bad and they go scattering in
every direction. What Dr. Risser
is doing is trying to find out
ho\?f many neutrons go off at
what angle. This tolls some-
thing, means something to him,
but to us it was just interesting
and even a little agonizing, be-1
cause it is not easy for a person
who is certain he knows every-
thing to see how far he has to
go before he is even in a position
just to find out something.
The work in the nuclear lab,
like most Rice research, contin-
ues on a year-round basis. Al-
though the formal programs are
very few, just plain scientific
curiosity keens Rice's researchers
plenty busy.
slimes await
emancipation
by slime mary powers x
How are the slimes making
out? Well, with the thought in
mind that the sophs will probably
read this with increasing interest,
let's just say that we're all look-
ing forward to "Emancipation
Day" at Thanksgiving. Really, a
week earlier, if we should win
the Field Day, which will be held
sometime before November 18.
Although Freshman Guidance
officially began on September 12,
we slimes fully recognized it at
the Rice-Alabama game when we
dutifully cheered the Owls to
victory. The eheering procession
to the stadium from the gym
was fun, but tiring, and our pa-
rade around the stadium exhaust-
ed us further. By the end of the
game we were none the worse
for wear. And the boys really
did some reverent ( ? ?) bowing
to Sammy throughout the game,
too!
Autry House was the scene of
the Freshman Get-Acquainted
Dance, held on Wednesday, Sep-
tember 26. Although many were
still playing the very popular
(? ?) "Please-sign-my-list" game,
dance was loads of fun. The
treasury of the Freshman Class
now contains about six dollars,
earned from the selling of cokes
at the dance.
Two outstanding events in the
future for the slimes are the
Slime Parade on Friday, No-
vember 2 before the pep rally for
the Utah game, and the Fresh-
man Skit on Wednesday, Novem-
ber 14. The skit will be at 7:30
P.M. at Autry House. It will be
written by the sophs and a dance
will follow it. Also in store is
the Greased Pole event on Sun-
day, November 18.
-0-
Plan Decorations
For Homecoming
The various departments that
wish to participate in the Home-
coming day celebration by dec-
orating the campus, will meet
Wednesday, October 10, at 12
noon in the Student Association
Office. %
Each department desiring to
participate must send a represen-
tative to this meeting as the
rules and regulations are to be
announced at this time.
Petitions for the Homecoming
queen are due October 5 and the
election is set for October 15.
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Sir John Kindles
Sparks At Forum
. . Opinion clashing against
opinion may kindle the spark that
lights the lamp of truth. "
With these stirring words of
King George VI, Sir John Shep-
pard ended his talk at the Forum
Wednesday night.
It is debatable whether the
lamp of truth was kindled at that
meeting, but it is doubtless that
many sparks were kindled by the
British scholar's timely words.
Sir John's talk was concerned
largely with the subject, "My
Cambridge College." After a
complete history of the founding
of King's—one of the univer-
sity's 16 colleges—he launched
into other topics.
"The difference between the
British system of education and
the American," he chortled, "is
far too great to be dealt with in
this meeting."
The white-haired knight re-
The vast road program calls
for a 40,000 mile network to link
42 state capitalists and most
of the nation's larger cities.—
Dayton, Ohio, News.
A capital idea.
♦ ♦ ♦
It is reported that someone
phoned the circulation desk of
Fondren Library and asked
about a professor's speech on the
"Gamma Function." The student
assistant replied, "I'm sorry, we
don't have sororities at Rice."
IH
veled in the fact that compul-
sory "games" were not a fea-
ture of English universities. "We
pride in the fact that we are am-
ateurs," he said.
He mentioned that he liked
best the English type of football,
for it was so easy for him to
remain inconspicuous.
He talked of the college sys-
tem as it operates at Yale and
Harvard, where, he told the Rice
audience, students are "not so
nice as you—but much more en-
lightened."
Latin, he declared, was abso-
lutely essential to understand the
English language fully and
necessary for an appreciation of
English literature.
Of the college system, he said
it was very important that a
member of the older generation
live among members of the
younger generation, as would be
the case in the faculty-student
housing arrangement Rice will
have.
'But," he warned, "the colleges
will never be exactly equal." The
spirit of pride in their colleges
will inspire them to contest in
many fields with their rivals in
other colleges.
"Liberte," he said, "is fine—
but egalite is a fraud!"
Sir John was introduced by
Dr. Radoslav Tsanoff, who also
served as moderator during the
question and answer period af-
tei'ward.
IT'S FOR REAL!
by Chester Field
SECRET YEARNINGS!
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The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 44, No. 4, Ed. 1 Friday, October 5, 1956, newspaper, October 5, 1956; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth231034/m1/10/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.