What's New Friday Sep 12, 2008

WHAT’S NEW   Robert L. Park   Friday, 12 Sep 08   Washington, DC

1.  LHC:  PROTONS CIRCULATE IN THE RACETRACK AT CERN.
The only collisions were with a few stray gas molecules that wandered into 
the vacuum of the 1.9 Kelvin beam tube.  A beam was then successfully 
circulated in the opposite direction in an adjacent tube.  There are no 
plans to collide the beams before October.  In mid-December it will shut 
down until spring when serious colliding will begin.  Meanwhile they will 
be "training" the magnets to withstand the forces at full field.  The 
controversy over the danger of creating a devastating black hole only 
served to arouse public interest in a very basic science experiment.  The 
public has every right to raise concerns about risks of science 
experiments.  It was calmly and correctly dealt with by the courts, as it 
should have been.

2.  DEFEND SCIENCE:  SCIENTISTS STAND UP FOR EVOLUTION. 
Excerpts from a statement warning that science in the U.S. "is under 
attack as never before," appeared as an ad in major newspapers this week. 
The statement www.defendscience.org has 2300 signatories including 14 
Nobel laureates.  It is inconceivable to scientists that any rational 
person could deny the truth of evolution.  Why run the ad his week, you 
may ask?  

3.  THE PALIN INTERVIEW: CHARLIE, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? 
Dear Mr. Gibson:  Having agreed to be "deferential" and being a nice guy 
besides, you were picked by Sarah Palin’s handlers to conduct her first 
media interview since the nomination.  You were not unaware of how little 
the nation knew of her.   As the only reporter granted this privilege you 
had a responsibility.   In view of her links to Pentecostalism, and what 
little we’ve been able to piece together about her views on other issues, 
I was praying, figuratively speaking of course, that you’d start right off 
with the big one: what is your opinion of Charles Darwin’s theory of human 
evolution?  All the others, sex education, stem cell research, choice, gay 
rights, church/state separation, are easy once that one out in the open.  
You greeted her politely, if at arms length, and went right to the first 
question: "Can you look the country in the eye and say, I have the 
experience and the ability to be not just Vice President, but perhaps 
President if the United States of America?"  Isn’t that the same question 
McCain was asked?   "I do Charlie, I’m ready," she replied.   What did you 
expect her to say?  No, I’d better go back to school and find out how 
things work outside Alaska?  For weeks we’ve heard not one unscripted word 
and all you can think to ask her is whether she’s ready?  And you wouldn’t 
let it go.  "When he asked you to be VP," you persisted, "did you think 
for a minute, 'N'?"   If she did, she’s not going to tell you on 
nationwide television.  Are we supposed to spot look for beads of sweat or 
a shifty look in the eyes?  "I did not," she said, "I thought yes, right 
off the bat".   You wouldn’t drop it, "And you didn’t say to yourself, am 
I ready?"  "I didn’t hesitate, no."  My God!  Give it a rest 
Charlie. "Doesn’t that take some hubris," you asked?  "I answered yes," 
Palin responded, because I know you can’t blink."  It probably got better, 
but I was asleep by then.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the
University of Maryland, but they should be.
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