WHAT'S NEW Friday, 5 Sep 03

WHAT'S NEW   Robert L. Park   Friday, 5 Sep 03   Washington, DC 

1. CTBT: HOLDOUT NATIONS AGAIN URGED TO RATIFY TEST BAN.  The
U.S. is offering major concessions to North Korea if it will drop
plans to test a nuclear bomb and is seeking a U.N. resolution to
restrain Iran's nuclear arms program.  Meanwhile, a Comprehensive
Test Ban Treaty conference opened today in Vienna.  The U.S.
declined even to send a representative.  A dozen nations have
refuse to ratify the treaty: China, Columbia, Congo, Egypt,
India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Vietnam
and the United States.  Thanks to the Stockpile Stewardship
Program, the U.S. has the most reliable stockpile of nuclear
weapons on Earth and would seem to have the most to gain by a
test ban.  However, the leaked Nuclear Posture Review (WN 15 Mar
02) reveals that the U.S., like North Korea and Iran, is planning
to test a new nuclear weapon.  Instead of a ban on nuclear tests,
the United States has pursued a costly and ineffective missile
defense, as if missiles were the only nuclear delivery system.

2. POLYGRAPH ROULETTE: DOE HAS MASTERED "THE EXPECTATION GAME."  
A two-year study by the National Academy of Sciences, "The
Polygraph and Lie Detection," showed polygraph testing to be less
than worthless (WN 18 Apr 03).  You might have expected at least
a token decrease in testing by the Department of Energy.  Instead
DOE boldly reissued the old policy, which would subject about
20,000 employees to random character assassination.  There was an
immediate outcry from employees, and Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM)
convened an Energy Committee oversight hearing on Thursday, where
DOE announced that a mere 4,500 employees with top-secret
clearance or positions in intelligence will now be subject to
having their careers trashed by polygraph roulette.  It was a
victory for Sen. Domenici, who praised DOE for its enlightened
policy.  But nothing in the NAS study says the polygraph works
better if you have top-secret clearance.

3. THE POWER GRID: IS IT A METAPHOR FOR THE MODERN WORLD?  The
lights over most of the northeastern United States and parts of
Canada began to flicker at 4:11 pm on Thursday, August 14.  It
was the most extensive electrical blackout in history, yet no one
seems to understand how it happened.  At least five electric
power organizations that share a common grid are pointing fingers
at one another.  The purpose of the grid is clear: because
electric power cannot be stored, power companies must generate
the exact amount of power that is being used, literally
responding to every electrical switch that is thrown.  Linking
power companies in a vast grid relies on better statistics to
smooth demand, thus reducing local blackouts.  But the grid has
grown so complex no one understands it.  That makes it perfect
for congressional hearings.  This week Energy Secretary Abraham
and two governors testified before the House Energy Committee,
chaired by "Billy" Tauzin (R-LA), without clearing anything up;
more hearings today.

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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