WHAT'S NEW Friday, 20 Dec 02

WHAT'S NEW   Robert L. Park   Friday, 20 Dec 02   Washington, DC

1. MISSILE DEFENSE: BUSH ORDERS A LIMITED SYSTEM BY 2004. Just
ten interceptors in Alaska and California, to stop an attack from
North Korea.  Puff Panegyric in the Missile Defense Agency seemed
annoyed last week (WN 13 Dec 02), but this time he was up.  "You
can't imagine how proud we are to be a part of this," he gushed. 
I heard glasses clinking in the background. "But Puff," I said,
trying to talk over the sounds of celebration, "your interceptors
only hit the target 40% of the time, and that's when you know the
exact launch time and trajectory--and there's a homing beacon on
the target."  "Nothing's perfect," he snorted, "that's the beauty
of the plan.  North Korea only has a handful of missiles.  Can
you imagine a commander launching a missile if he thinks there's
any chance it might get shot down?"  Puff went back to the party.

2. PRIVACY: POINDEXTER HEADS "TOTAL INFORMATION AWARENESS."  The
1974 Privacy Act prohibits federal agencies from sharing personal
information, but 9/11 may have changed all that.  We are entered
in a database every time we enter a federal building or use a
credit card, and the government wants to integrate such databases
to keep track of terrorists--or anyone else.  But who has the
experience to head such a program?  Who but John Poindexter, the
man who invented "sensitive but unclassified."  A PhD physicist
from Cal Tech, where he was a student of Mossbauer, Poindexter
was National Security Advisor to President Reagan.  The same John
Poindexter masterminded the supply of arms to Iran, and sought to
extend government control over unclassified private data bases. 
His conviction for lying to Congress was overturned on an appeal.

3. EAU DE MONEY: A ROSE IS A ROSE, EXCEPT WHEN IT GROWS ... 
Except when it grows in microgravity.  Maybe.  After years of
telling us the Space Station would lead to a cure for cancer, or
produce more perfect crystals, NASA now proudly reveals a program
with perfume industry giant International Flavors & Fragrances to
look for new fragrances from roses grown in space.  Environmental
parameters on Earth, such as water, sunlight, temperature and
soil, influence the essential oils that give flowers their smell. 
Why shouldn't gravity do the same?  This is exciting stuff.  It
puts the space station program in perspective.  Oh yes, and how
much of the cost will International Flavors and Fragrances bear?

4. HERBAL ABUSE: ECHINACEA FAILS IN A DOUBLE-BLIND TEST.  There
is no reason why some herbal medications shouldn't be beneficial.
The field of pharmacology had its origins in the empiricism of
the herbalist.  The world's best selling herbal supplement,
derived from the purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia), is
taken by millions to ward off colds and flu.  Alas, in a double-
blind test carried out at the University of Wisconsin, cold
sufferers taking a placebo, fared just as well as those taking
the herb.  What do you suppose the authors recommend?  More
research.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND and THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY.  
Opinions are the author's and are not necessarily shared by the
University or the American Physical Society, but they should be.
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