Calla Cofield
September 2012
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September 11, 2012feature: From particle physics to the computing industryA new generation of computer scientists is applying unique skills learned in particle physics to tough problems in industry, working on everything from high-efficiency light bulbs to Internet search engines.
May 2011
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May 1, 2011signal to background: ALICE's tight squeezeAnyone who has ever tried to move a big piece of furniture through a small door knows a few centimeters can mean the difference between success and failure.
February 2011
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February 1, 2011feature: The LSST's supersized sweep of the skyThe Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, which will plumb a bigger volume of the universe than any survey before it, isn't just a challenge for astronomers. It also requires the expertise of high-energy physicists, who play key roles in advancing the flourishing field of survey astronomy.
October 2010
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October 1, 2010feature: To catch a supernovaSome exploding stars release bursts of oddball neutrinos. Scientists with the Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment are eager to catch those neutrinos and milk them for discoveries. But they must weigh the benefits of doing that against the risk that nothing will happen—no supernova, no neutrino burst—during the experiment's 50-year lifetime.
August 2010
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August 1, 2010feature: The do-it-yourself cyclotronAmateur cyclotron builders are dedicated, tenacious, and obsessed. Another thing they have in common: The experience changes their lives.
April 2010
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April 1, 2010gallery: Julian Voss-Andreae: Quantum concepts you can touchVoss-Andreae goes beyond literal representation, infusing his quantum objects with philosophical interpretations.
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April 1, 2010signal to background: A little wine with that physics?Friends and colleagues of particle physicist Bill Wisniewski know him as a wine connoisseur. When Wisniewski announced that he was stepping down from the BaBar experiment's management team, it only made sense that his farewell party would feature his favorite beverage–but with a distinctly BaBarian spin.
February 2010
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February 1, 2010signal to background: Underground, good stories are foundPrior to 2002, very few nonscientists knew that Sudbury Neutrino Observatory laboratory, or SNOLAB, existed. But these days, the laboratory must regularly turn away people who want to visit, even though entering the underground facility requires a long ride down a mine shaft, a sanitation shower, and a full body suit to keep contaminants out of the lab.
December 2009
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December 1, 2009gallery: Hypermusic prologueWhat opera and physics may have in common, more than anything else, is their tendency to make most people cringe or fall asleep. Can an avant-garde opera that compares self-exploration to the physics of multiple dimensions invigorate audiences? The creators of Hypermusic Prologue, A Projective Opera in Seven Planes seem to think so.
August 2009
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August 1, 2009signal to background: Welcome to CERNlandAlberto sits down at a computer and brings up a clickable map of CERN. But rather than dry text, he is greeted with bright, musical animation, a pinball game, a quiz show, rocket ships, evil slugs, and music videos.
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August 1, 2009feature: Dancing with physicistsLiz Lerman is an accomplished choreographer, writer, performer, educator, and artist whose laurels include the American Choreographer Award, an honorary doctorate from Williams College, Washingtonian Magazine's 1988 Washingtonian of the Year and a 2002 MacArthur "Genius Grant" Fellowship.
July 2009
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July 1, 2009feature: Helium's shrinking bubbleHelium is the lifeblood of large particle accelerators. As the world's supply dwindles, the particle physics community must take steps to preserve this precious commodity or learn to live without it.
December 2008
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December 1, 2008deconstruction: Magnetic Resonance ImagingThe life-saving medical technology known as Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI, makes detailed images of soft tissue in the body, nearly eliminating the need for exploratory surgery. Unlike X-rays, it can distinguish gray matter from white matter in the brain, cancerous from noncancerous tissue, and muscles from organs, as well as reveal blood flow and signs of stroke.
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December 1, 2008signal to background: I'll take particle accelerators for $200, AlexKnowing accelerator trivia may someday earn you cash and a shot at fame. During the past few months, the TV quiz show Jeopardy! visited Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island, NY, and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in California to shoot footage for rounds of questions on particle accelerators.
November 2008
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November 1, 2008feature: Q&A With eta sub bsymmetry's Calla Cofield scored an exclusive interview with the particle -- the ground state -- the artist -- eta sub b, who signs his name ηb. One month after eta sub b's stunning entrance into the public spotlight via the BaBar experiment (see story), this in-depth interview reveals eta sub b's struggle to shine next to his brother Upsilon 1S; his upbeat attitude despite a life surrounded by static; and a look at just how well our reporters prepare for interviews.
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November 1, 2008feature: BaBar and the very tiny particleIn which the 500 members of the BaBar experiment buy enough time for one last adventure: capturing the bottom-most bottomonium
August 2008
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August 1, 2008signal to background: Rat rodParked between a shiny green Camaro and a remodeled '63 Mustang, a 1929 Ford Model A pickup-turned-hot rod is a mosaic of rust and rot. A rag plugs the radiator, and ancient wooden slats border the truck bed.
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August 1, 2008signal to background: Gamma-rays inspire brass quintetWhen you hear the descending flurry of 16th notes in the trumpets, you know the gamma rays are coming. They speed toward the detector in the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope in chromatically harmonized notes.
