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On the Cover:
Physicists at Fermilab ponder the physics of the
proposed International Linear Collider, as outlined
in the report Discovering the Quantum Universe.
Photos: Reidar Hahn, Fermilab
June/July 2006:
Click here
to view the pdf of this issue.
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| From the Editor |
Commentary: John Beacom
"In a global field, keeping up with all the literature is impossible. Personal contact is essential, and
I always urge students and postdocs to go to meetings and talk to strangers."
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Signal to Background
An industrial waterfall; education by placemats; a super-clean surface; horned owls; Garden Club for particle physicists; Nobel banners; US Congress meets Quantum Universe.
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Voices: Milestones vs. History
Celebrating a milestone is always enjoyable, but a complete and accurate historical record is invaluable
for the past to inform the future.
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A Report Like No Other
Can the unique EPP2010 panel steer US particle physics away from a looming crisis? Physicists and policy makers are depending on it.
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SNS: Neutrons for 'molecular movies'
A new research facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has produced its first neutrons, presenting
new opportunities for studying materials from semiconductors to human enzymes.
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Battling the Clouds
Electron clouds could reduce the brightness—and discovery potential—of the proposed International
Linear Collider. Innovative solutions are on the way and might reduce the cost of the machine, too.
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A (Magnus) Force on the Mound
Professional baseball player Jeff Francis of the Colorado Rockies brings a strong arm and a physics
background to the playing field: "I bet Einstein couldn't throw a curveball."
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Deconstruction: Spallation Neutron Source
Accelerator-based neutron sources such as the SNS can provide pulses of neutrons to probe
superconductors, aluminum bridges, lighter and stronger plastic products and pharmaceuticals.
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Gallery: Ellis Paul
Reading about astronomy, folk musician and songwriter Ellis Paul began to ask himself whether
Galileo Galilei could embrace both science and faith. Paul wrote the song, "Did Galileo pray?"
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Essay: Verlyn Klinkenborg
"This country desperately needs to recommit itself to basic research... Do we continue to ask fundamental
questions about the universe we live in, or do we not? To me, there is only one answer."
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Logbook: First Vertex Detector
The Mark II collaboration operated the first collider vertex detector in 1981. Today, these devices—now
using silicon technology—are the centerpieces of high-energy collider experiments around the world.
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60 seconds: Elementary Particle Physics
What rules govern energy, matter, space, and time at the most elementary levels? How are phenomena
at the smallest and largest scales connected? Particle physicists are going to find out.
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